What Putin and Trump talked about in Alaska. The main thing

On August 15, Alaska hosted the first face-to-face meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, since 2019. At the same time, the last time the heads of the Russian Federation and the United States personally communicated was in 2021 in Geneva, when Joe Biden occupied the presidential chair. This time, the two leaders held talks in Anchorage, at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base. They discussed the problems of the Ukrainian settlement and the possibilities of bilateral cooperation. How the meeting in Alaska ended is in the Izvestia article.

Relations between Russia and the United States

• Putin thanked his American counterpart for the invitation to visit Alaska. He noted that the meeting was held in a neighborly manner. The Russian leader recalled that meetings between representatives of Russia and the United States at the highest level had not been held for more than four years, and during that time relations between the countries had slipped to their lowest point since the Cold War.

• The Russian President stressed that good direct contacts have been established with Trump. Putin recalled telephone conversations with Trump and visits to Russia by the special representative of the American leader, Steven Witkoff. He also spoke about regular contacts between representatives of various departments.

• Trump also called the meeting productive, but stressed that a full understanding and no deal had yet been reached. He stated that he intends to call the leaders of the NATO countries and President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky to inform them about the meeting. He also noted that if Russia wants to cooperate with the United States, the country is looking forward to it, as well as the early end of the Ukrainian conflict. He stressed that significant progress had been made and noted the "very good" relations with the Russian president.

• Trump also said that the Russian leader understands that fake news about Moscow's alleged interference in the US presidential election is a "criminal effort" and the countries will have a good opportunity to work together. Trump called the negotiations productive.

The Ukrainian settlement

• Putin emphasized Trump's desire to delve into the essence of the Ukrainian conflict and understand its origins. He recalled that for Russia, the situation in Ukraine is linked to fundamental security issues of the Russian Federation, while Moscow has always considered and considers the Ukrainian people to be fraternal. What is happening there is a tragedy and a grave pain for Russia, and therefore the Russian Federation is sincerely interested in putting an end to this.

However, Putin stressed that in order for the settlement to be sustainable and lasting, all the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated. All of Russia's concerns must be taken into account and a fair balance must be achieved. He agreed with President Trump that Ukraine's security must also be ensured. Putin hoped that the Ukrainian side would not attempt to disrupt the planned progress.

• Trump noted that there is a very good chance of reaching a peaceful settlement. He thanked President Putin and his team. He noted the Russian leader's desire to end the conflict, thanked Putin and noted that the presidents would communicate again "very, very soon."

Cooperation between Russia and the USA

• The bilateral trade turnover between Russia and the United States began to increase with the arrival of the new administration, so far by 20%. The countries have many areas for cooperation, and business and investment partnerships have great potential. Trade, energy, high technology, space exploration — the countries have a lot to offer each other in these areas. Putin also noted the relevance of cooperation in the Arctic and interregional contacts, including between the Russian Far East and the American West coast. It is important and necessary for countries to turn the page and return to cooperation.

• Vladimir Putin thanked his American counterpart for the joint work and the friendly and confidential tone of the conversation. Russia sees that the US president cares about the prosperity of his country and at the same time shows an understanding of Russia's own national interests.

• Russia expects that the agreements reached will become a reference point not only for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, but also for restoring businesslike, pragmatic relations between Moscow and Washington.

• Putin recalled that in 2022, during his last contacts with the US administration, he tried to convince his American counterpart that it was not worth bringing the situation to a point where there could be consequences in the form of hostilities, that this was a big mistake. He agreed with Trump's statement that if the Republican had been president of the United States at that time, there would have been no crisis in Ukraine.

• Good businesslike and confidential contact has been established with the President of the United States. Russia is confident that by following this path, the countries will reach the end of the conflict in Ukraine.

How did the meeting go?

• Vladimir Putin's plane arrived in Anchorage at 11:00 a.m. local time (22:00 p.m.), and was greeted by Trump on the red carpet. The Presidents shook hands. Before the start of the negotiations, they refused to answer questions from journalists and refused to make introductory remarks.

Place. Meeting: how the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska started

The world's media celebrate the warm welcome, Europe and Ukraine are worried, and both delegations are ready for a detailed conversation.

• The leaders' meeting began at 11:30 a.m. local time (22:00 Moscow time) on August 15. The presidents communicated in a narrow three-on-three format behind closed doors for 2 hours and 40 minutes. On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov attended the meeting. On the American side, Steven Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio left Alaska after a joint press conference.

• Sergey Lavrov, Yuri Ushakov, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign countries, arrived in Anchorage as part of the Russian negotiating group.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, Commerce Secretary Howard Latnick, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Alaska from the American side.