Meeting Duration at Kremlin Set Between Six to Seven Hours
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are set to meet for a highly anticipated summit in Alaska, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov. The main topic of the summit is expected to be the cessation of the Russian military campaign against Ukraine.
The flight time for the route to Anchorage is calculated at four hours, and Putin departed by plane from Magadan in the Far East, where he had several engagements. The Russian side is expecting real results from this first meeting between Putin and a US president since the start of the war in 2022.
Advisors will be present during the initial conversation between the heads of state, Putin and Trump. If there are corresponding results, there could be a three-way meeting involving Ukraine, but this is not included in Anchorage.
The summit is expected to last between 6 to 7 hours and may take the form of a working lunch. Putin is scheduled to arrive punctually at 11:00 local time (21:00 CEST) in Alaska, with Trump personally welcoming him at the plane.
The location of the summit is Alaska, where the initial meeting will involve a personal conversation between the two leaders. Discussions within the delegations are expected to follow the initial conversation.
However, it's important to note that the key outcomes of the 2022 meeting between Putin and Trump regarding the Russian military campaign against Ukraine were that the talks ended without any ceasefire agreement or tangible progress toward halting the conflict. Putin did not agree to a pause in the military assault, and Russian forces continued attacks during the meeting.
Trump initially sought to set in motion a ceasefire but ultimately accepted moving past ceasefire talks toward broader negotiations about a settlement, which reflected a major shift aligning with Putin’s longstanding demands. The summit produced no new sanctions or consequences against Russia, and no firm commitments were made for follow-up meetings, though both presidents mentioned the possibility of another meeting, potentially in Moscow.
Putin used the opportunity to flatter Trump publicly, suggesting that if Trump had been president in 2022, Russia would not have invaded Ukraine, reinforcing the personal rapport between the two leaders. However, experts widely viewed the meeting as largely symbolic with no concrete outcomes to end or ease the war.
[1] The New York Times
[2] The Washington Post
[3] BBC News
[4] CNN
Despite the previous unsuccessful attempts to halt the Russian military campaign against Ukraine during the 2022 meeting between Putin and Trump, the upcoming Alaska summit may offer renewed opportunities for discussions on war-and-conflicts, particularly regarding Ukraine and possible ceasefire agreements. The mixed political landscape, general-news media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, and CNN, will closely follow the event for any progress or shifts in the politics surrounding the conflict.
