When Vladimir Putin touches down in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal meeting with Donald Trump, he will be joined by a formidable entourage from the Kremlin’s highest ranks — veteran political strategists, influential financial minds, and seasoned diplomats who have been central to Russia’s domestic and foreign policies for over twenty years.
This blend of long-standing loyalists and rising economic power players reflects Putin’s strategy: to appeal to Trump with the promise of lucrative cooperation, particularly in exchange for a more sympathetic stance toward Moscow’s position on Ukraine.
Trump, for his part, will be accompanied by his own circle of confidants — a mix that includes a real estate magnate, a former Fox News personality, and America’s chief diplomat. The U.S. president’s preference for loyalty over expertise has long raised eyebrows in Kyiv and across Western capitals, where concerns persist about the absence of deeply experienced Russia specialists within Trump’s inner policy team.
Still, the crux of the Alaska summit will be the private, one-on-one discussion between the two leaders — a setting that, given past encounters, is viewed as unpredictable and potentially risky.
Key Figures in the Russian Delegation
Sergei Lavrov — Foreign Minister
At 75, Lavrov is one of the most enduring figures in global diplomacy, having held his current post since 2004. With his deep, gravelly voice and combative style, he has been the Kremlin’s chief architect and defender of foreign policy through pivotal moments: from the Iraq War to the annexation of Crimea, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov’s career began in the Soviet diplomatic corps in 1972, and he spent ten years as Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations before becoming foreign minister. Once respected as pragmatic in Western circles, his rhetoric has hardened in step with the increasingly confrontational posture of Putin’s government.
Yuri Ushakov — Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser
Aged 78, Ushakov is a calm, unflappable veteran of Moscow’s diplomatic elite and one of Putin’s most trusted advisers. Fluent in English and with deep experience dealing with Washington, he served as Russia’s ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2008. Behind the scenes, he plays a critical role in shaping international engagements and crafting messages for state media, drawing on decades of institutional knowledge.
Andrei Belousov — Defence Minister
Belousov, 66, is a rare technocrat to rise to one of Russia’s top security roles. His unexpected appointment in 2024, replacing long-serving defence minister Sergei Shoigu, signaled a Kremlin push to curb military corruption and convert Russia’s economy into a war-focused machine. Trained as an economist and known for his devout Orthodox faith, Belousov is regarded as a disciplined and loyal manager of Putin’s priorities.
Kirill Dmitriev — Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund
At 50, Dmitriev represents a younger, business-savvy face within the Kremlin. Educated in the United States at Stanford and Harvard Business School, he manages Russia’s $10 billion sovereign wealth fund and has actively cultivated relationships with American business leaders. Married to Natalya Popova, a close friend of one of Putin’s daughters, Dmitriev is expected to champion major economic and Arctic infrastructure projects in Alaska, aiming to entice Trump with the prospect of profitable bilateral ventures. His prominence and openness toward the U.S. have stirred quiet tensions with more traditional figures in Moscow’s foreign ministry, including Lavrov.
Anton Siluanov — Finance Minister
Siluanov, 62, has served since 2011 and is the chief architect of Russia’s “fortress economy” strategy, designed to shield the country from the impact of Western sanctions. While sanctions have slowed growth rather than collapsed the economy, his presence in Alaska signals Moscow’s hope of negotiating relief from these restrictions as part of any broader settlement on Ukraine.
