Russian President Vladimir Putin has been seen traveling in a heavily armored limousine toward Russia’s Pacific Coast, ahead of a closely watched summit with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska. His motorcade—dozens of black vehicles flanked by flashing police escorts and shadowed by what appeared to be an ambulance—sped through sealed-off highways under tight security.
The meeting, scheduled for Friday, will be the two leaders’ first face-to-face encounter since 2018. Set against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the discussions are expected to focus primarily on a potential ceasefire. The summit was arranged after Putin proposed the idea, but Trump has since emphasized that the talks could be cut short if Putin refuses to make concessions.
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—excluded from the event—are expected to watch developments closely. Zelensky has publicly rebuffed pressure from Trump to cede any Russian-occupied territory.
Trump, who has repeatedly touted his deal-making skills, described the meeting as a “feeling-out session” with Putin, whom he last met in 2019. “I’m president, and he’s not going to mess around with me,” Trump told reporters Thursday, warning that a bad meeting would end swiftly while a productive one could bring peace “in the pretty near future.” He estimated the chances of failure at 25%.
The former president also promised to consult European allies and Zelensky before finalizing any agreement, suggesting that any eventual settlement would involve a trilateral meeting to decide how to “divide up” disputed territory. Trump has hinted at the possibility of “territorial swaps” but has provided few specifics, a proposal that has drawn skepticism in Kyiv over fears it could undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.
This week’s gathering recalls the 2018 Helsinki summit, when Trump was widely criticized for appearing to accept Putin’s denials of U.S. election interference. Since then, he has alternated between praising Putin and expressing frustration at his refusal to compromise on Ukraine.
The Alaska talks will take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base—America’s largest military facility in the state and a former Cold War hub for monitoring the Soviet Union. Neither leader is expected to enter Anchorage, where demonstrators have displayed pro-Ukraine messages.
Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, has sharply curtailed foreign travel since the invasion began. However, because the United States is not a signatory to the ICC, Trump’s Treasury Department temporarily lifted certain sanctions on senior Russian officials to allow the visit, including access to financial services while in Alaska.
The Kremlin says the two leaders will first meet privately with interpreters, followed by a working lunch alongside senior aides.
The summit comes amid intensified Russian offensives in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Moscow’s demands are expected to include Ukrainian withdrawal from occupied territories, formal neutrality, and an end to NATO aspirations—conditions Ukraine and its allies have repeatedly rejected. Analysts warn that if Western coordination falters or Ukraine is sidelined, the talks risk delivering Putin a political win without any lasting peace guarantees.
