Trump arrives for pivotal summit with Putin in Alaska that could reshape the war in Ukraine

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON Alaska AP President Donald Trump arrived in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal summit with Russia s Vladimir Putin that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington Trump was scheduled to meet Russia s president at his plane shortly A large Alaska sign flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders arrival Trump and Putin have shared closely watched handshakes before but the one they are expected to have Friday will be as scrutinized as any as will any body language or hints about how each is feeling The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do promptly For Putin a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia s gains block Kyiv s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow s orbit Despite having so much at stake Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders aren t invited There are crucial risks for Trump By bringing Putin onto U S soil America bought Alaska from Russia in for roughly cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine years ago Zelenskyy s exclusion from Trump and Putin s first meeting is a heavy blow to the West s strategy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want Any success is far from assured because Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine s mobilization efforts which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies HIGH STAKES Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One On his way to the meeting Putin stopped in Magadan in Russia s Far East where he visited a factory producing omega- fish oil capsules according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti Putin used the flight to review materials on Ukraine tensions with the U S economic cooperation and global affairs Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned in an interview with Russian state TV Trump stated earlier in the week there was a chance that the summit would fail but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent three-way meeting Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire but he has craved a broad peace deal done fleetly That seemingly echoes Putin s longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting reflecting its demands not a temporary halt to hostilities The Kremlin commented Trump and Putin will have a one-on-one discussion followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over a working breakfast The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals Trump previously characterized the sit-down as really a feel-out meeting But he s also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesn t agree to end the war Trump disclosed Friday that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal He declared Ukraine has to decide but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions I ve got to let Ukraine make that decision And I think they ll make a proper decision Trump reported reporters traveling with him to Alaska Trump declared there s a possibility of the United States offering Ukraine safety guarantees alongside European powers but not in the form of NATO Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic precaution alliance a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West Gen Alexus Grynkewich NATO s supreme allied commander Europe is in Alaska to provide military advice to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth according to a senior NATO military official who wasn t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv s head On his way to Alaska Trump sat for an interview on Air Force One with Fox News Channel s Bret Baier In a clip posted online he revealed he thought the meeting would work out very well and if it doesn t I m going to head back home real fast I would walk yeah he added after a follow up question Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putin s willingness to negotiate in good faith His European allies who ve held increasingly urgent meetings with U S leaders over the past week have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks Political commentators in Moscow meanwhile have relished that the summit leaves Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines Dmitry Suslov a pro-Kremlin voice expressed hope that the summit will deepen a trans-Atlantic rift and weaken Europe s position as the toughest enemy of Russia The summit could have far-reaching implications Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U S president who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained tools Ukraine has held on far longer than various initially expected since the February invasion but it is straining to hold off Russia s much larger army grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over -mile -kilometer front line Andrea Kendall-Taylor a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Shield Activity at the Center for a New American Guard commented U S antagonists like China Iran and North Korea will be paying attention to Trump s posture to see whether or not the threats that he continues to make against Putin are indeed credible Or if has been the past track record he continues to back down and look for techniques to wiggle out of the kind of threats and pressure he has promised to apply explained Kendall-Taylor who is a former senior intelligence officer While specific have objected to the location of the summit Trump has mentioned he thought it was very respectful of Putin to come to the U S instead of a meeting in Russia Sergei Markov a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst observed that the choice of Alaska as the summit s venue underlined the distancing from Europe and Ukraine Being on a military base allows the leaders to avoid protests and meet more securely but the location carries its own significance because of its history and location Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just miles less than kilometers and the international date line Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War It continues to play a role at present as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U S airspace