Trump Welcomes Putin On The Red Carpet, Photos Pinned By US Fighter Jet F-22
JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with a shaking hand ahead of the important summit in Alaska. This meeting could determine whether a ceasefire could be reached in Europe's deadliest war since the Second World War.
Trump got off his Air Force One plane and waited for Putin on the runway. The two of them greeted each other with a smile.
The US F-22 aircraft is placed on both sides of the red carpet. The two of them took pictures while shaking hands again on Friday, August 15 at noon local time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not invited to negotiations and his European allies fear Trump may betray Ukraine by freezing the conflict with Russia and admitting "although only informally" Russia's control over a fifth of Ukraine's territory.
Trump tried to defuse those concerns while boarding Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on a possible regional exchange.
"I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to bring them together," he said.
When asked what would make the meeting a success, Trump said: "I want to see the ceasefire soon. I wouldn't be happy if not today. I want the killings to be stopped."
Trump will be accompanied in his meeting with Putin by Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, White House spokesman Krypto Leavitt said.
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At the next big bilateral meeting, Finance Minister Scott Bessent, Trade Minister Howard Lutnick, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staffruy Wiles will also join Trump, Leavitt said.
Russian officials accompanying Putin in talks with the US delegation were foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.
Trump hopes the ceasefire in the war that has been going on for 3.5 years will bring peace to the region and strengthen its credibility as a global peacemaker worthy of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
For Putin, this summit is already a big win that he could describe as proof of West's years of efforts to isolate Russia has failed.
Moscow, according to Putin, has returned to its proper place at the top table of international diplomacy.