Trump-Putin meeting: Summit in Alaska could determine the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine war | Watch Live

Morsi, Alaska – President Donald Trump and Russia Vladimir Putin began the Alaska summit with a warm handshake on Friday, reviving each other like old friends before heading to hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and the relations between Moscow and Washington.

After going down from Air Force One, Trump applauded when Putin approached the red carpet. They acquired their hands for a long period of time, with the smile of both men, and in the end Putin smiled and brought him in the direction of the sky, where the B-2 and F-22S military aircraft fled to oppose Russia during the Cold War-at the head of the moment in the Esendorf-Richardson joint base.

The close correspondents, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” Russia’s leader put his hand on his ear, but he did not respond. Then Trump and Putin went up in Limo, the US presidency, with Putin’s smile on a large scale while the car was after the cameras.

The association of the spouses, although it is not completely surprising given their friendly relationship for a long time, was remarkable in the bloodshed and suffering in the war that Putin began in Ukraine – the largest wild war in Europe since World War II. It is possible that it will raise fears of Ukrainian President Voludeimir Zelinski and European leaders, who are afraid that Trump will focus primarily on strengthening American interests and failing to pressure heavily on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Friday’s meeting, and the President of Ukraine was left to publish a video title in which he expressed his hope for a “strong position from the United States”

He said: “Everyone wants a sincere end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as a productive as possible to end the war, adding later,” The war continues and continues specifically because there is no matter, nor any signals from Moscow, and it is preparing to end this war. “

The summit was a chance for Trump to demonstrate that he was a master’s maker and the peacemaker. He and his allies threw him as a heavy weight negotiator who could find a way to close the massacre – something he was boasting of that he could do quickly.

For Putin, it was an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would enhance Russia’s gains, and to ban Kyiv’s attempt to join the NATO military alliance and ultimately withdrawing Ukraine to the orbit of Moscow.

Do not meet individually anymore

White House journalist Caroline Levitte said that the previously planned meeting between Trump and Putin was now a three -person discussion on three individuals, including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Steve Witkev. Putin joined Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Affairs Adviser Yuri Ushakov.

The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarding approach than it was during the 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin met separately with the immediate periods of translators for two hours and where Trump shocked the world by slipping the Russian leader to US intelligence officials about whether Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign.

Trump and Putin began their discussions on Friday by sitting with their aides in front of a blue background printed with “Alaska” and “Follow -up of Peace”. Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit.

There are great risks to Trump. By bringing Putin to the soil of the United States – America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for about 2 cents for each acre – the president gives him the validity he desires after his acquisition in the wake of his invasion of Ukraine 3/2 years ago. Zelinski’s exclusion is a severe blow to the Western policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and calls for the possibility that Trump agrees on a deal that Ukraine does not want.

Any success is far from inclusion because Russia and Ukraine remain far from their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to the cessation of Western weapons supplies and freezing the efforts to mobilize Ukraine, which Kiev and its Western allies reject.

Trump said earlier this week, there was a 25 % chance that the summit would fail, but he also put forward the idea that if the meeting succeeds, he can bring Zellinsky to Alaska to attend a later meeting with himself and Putin.

Trump also expressed doubts about the immediate ceasefire, but he quickly wanted a broad peace agreement. It seems that the Putin argument for a long time that Russia prefers a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, which reflects its demands, and not a temporary stop in hostilities.

Trump presented explanations to the goals of his meeting

Trump previously distinguished sitting as a “truly sense meeting”. But he also warned of “very serious consequences” for Russia if Putin does not agree to end the war.

Trump said before his arrival in Alaska that his talks with Putin would include Russian demands that Ukraine is waiving its territory as part of a peace agreement. He said that Ukraine had to decide, but he also suggested that Zelinski accept concessions.

“I must let Ukraine make this decision. I think they will make an appropriate decision,” Trump told reporters to journalists with him to Alaska.

Trump said that there is a “possibility” to the United States that provides Ukrainian security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO. Putin strongly resisted Ukraine’s accession to the security alliance across the Atlantic, a long -term goal for the Ukrainians who seek to formulate stronger relations with the West.

General Alexos Greencotch, leader of the NATO Supreme Allied Alliance, in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defense Secretary Beit Higseth, according to a senior military official in NATO who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition that his identity was not disclosed. He is likely to be welcomed by the presence of European leaders who tried to persuade Trump to be firm with Putin and not to deal with Kiev’s head.

It is likely to be long -term traces

Foreign governments closely monitor how Trump interacts with Putin, probably measuring what the interaction might mean for its own transactions with the American president, who avoids traditional diplomacy to approach transactions in relations.

The meeting comes at a time when the war caused heavy losses on both sides and resources that were drained. Ukraine has held a much longer period than he was initially expected since the invasion of February 2022, but it has been struggling to stick to the largest army in Russia, as it wrestles with the bombing of its cities and fighting for every inch of a front line of more than 600 miles (1000 km).

Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and international history line.

The joint base Elmendorf-Richardson was decisive against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They are still playing a role today, as Al Qaeda aircraft still intercepting Russian aircraft that are running regularly to the American airspace.

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Wesser said from Washington. This report contributed to this report in London, Vladimir Ischankov in Moscow in this report, the Associated Press in the Associated Press Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton, London, and Vladimir Ischankov, in Moscow, in this report.