As the world looks on for the make-or-break meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has left no doubts: if the negotiations go sour, he's ready to call it a day right there.
"I would walk," Trump said to Fox News during a pre-summit interview, emphasizing that he would walk away from the negotiating table if talks went awry. The previously delayed by more than an hour meeting now takes off at 11:00 a.m. local time with Trump ready to welcome Putin at his plane steps upon arrival.
The top of any list of Trump's priorities will be the conflict in Ukraine. Trump indicated he will push for an immediate ceasefire and submit possible peace plans with security guarantees beyond NATO and the potential for territorial concessions. These suggestions have been greeted with apprehension by Kyiv and European allies alike, who worry that concessions could embolden Russia.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One less than two hours before landing in Anchorage, Trump reiterated his desire for swift action. “I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today,” he said. While acknowledging that European nations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be “involved in the process,” Trump insisted that “Europe is not dictating U.S. actions.”
The Kremlin anticipates the negotiations to take six to seven hours longer than three times the length of their 2018 Helsinki talks, according to sources. The protracted schedule is an indication of a wide-ranging agenda that will discuss not only Ukraine but also bilateral irritants and possible economic cooperation.
The diplomatic tension is highlighted by the absence of Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, from the principal negotiating chamber. Russian officials are said to regard Kellogg as "too sympathetic" towards Ukraine and his presence as "counterproductive" to achieving progress. His role will be restricted to advising from behind the scenes.
In the days leading up to the summit, Trump floated the idea of “some swapping of territories” as part of a negotiated settlement. “You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years… a lot of Russians have died, and a lot of Ukrainians have died,” he said last week. The Kremlin, however, has shown no sign of softening its maximalist war aims.
Senior American defense officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, are in Alaska for the summit, which highlights its strategic importance. NATO's European Command commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, is also there to offer military advice.
With tempers on edge and world expectations in doubt, the meeting provides each leader a chance to cast their legacies or potentially exacerbate geoeconomic divides. Whether the summit yields a breakthrough or concludes with Trump leaving, as he promised, will be determined in the coming hours.
