Overview

• The summit began today at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage as Trump and Putin held face-to-face talks on ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• A last-minute format change brought U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff alongside Trump and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and adviser Yuri Ushakov alongside Putin.
• Trump publicly demanded an immediate ceasefire, warning he would be “not happy” without swift action and stressing any territorial swaps must have Kyiv’s approval.
• Ceremonial optics included a red-carpet greeting, a flyover by B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters, and Putin’s rare invitation to ride in the presidential limousine.
• Negotiations are ongoing over ceasefire mechanics, security guarantees, sanctions relief and verification while Kyiv and European allies express alarm at being excluded.