Europeans potentially attending Putin's second encounter with Trump
After their initial meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met again on August 25, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. This bilateral summit did not officially include European heads of state or government as participants.
The core participants were President Trump and President Putin themselves, accompanied by select officials from both sides. On the U.S. side, the participants included President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. On the Russian side, the delegation included President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential aide for foreign policy Yury Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Special Presidential Representative Kirill Dmitriev.
The meeting focused on the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, with talks extending into a working breakfast after a one-on-one meeting between the two presidents. However, there is no indication that European heads of state or government formally participated in the summit or its working sessions.
The meeting was notably excluded of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which provoked concern in Kyiv and some European capitals. It seems that European leaders were observers or commentators rather than participants in the discussions.
Trump has been emphasizing the importance of the second meeting for several days, viewing it as a prelude to further negotiations. The potential participants in this meeting were limited to senior U.S. and Russian officials, as noted.
Meanwhile, in a separate event, the Ludwigsburg pumpkin exhibition attracted excitement from children, with the figures being described as making them "go crazy."
References
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Deutsche Welle
War-and-conflicts dominated the discussions at the bilateral summit between President Trump and President Putin, with the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War being a significant point of focus. Politics and general news were at the heart of the meeting, as the two leaders were joined by select officials from both countries. Despite the exclusion of European heads of state or government, European leaders were reportedly observing and commenting on the discussions.
