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Trump brings in the ‘big guns’ for ‘Pursuing Peace’ meeting with Putin in Alaska: Report
President Trump will not be meeting Russia's Putin one-on-one on Friday. He will be accompanied by Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff.
President Donald Trump will not be meeting Russia's Vladimir Putin one-on-one. Instead, the 79-year-old will be accompanied by two of his ‘big guns’, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The two leaders are expected to discuss the Ukraine war during the ‘Pursuing Peace’ summit in Alaska's Anchorage on Friday.
CNN first reported on Witkoff and Rubio attending the Putin meeting. “A White House official confirms Trump’s one-on-one with Putin is no longer happening. Instead it will be a three-on-three, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio joining Trump. Not clear who will join Putin from the Russian side,” chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
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It is unclear who will join Putin from the Russian delegation.
Trump arrives in Anchorage
President Trump arrived in Anchorage much before his Russian counterpart. As he waited on Air Force One, he greeted Alaska Sens Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan as well as the state’s governor, Mike Dunleavy.
"HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One.
The US president has framed his upcoming meeting with Putin as a “feel-out” session, but he has also warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if the war in Ukraine is not resolved.
Speaking to reporters en route to Alaska, the 79-year-old confirmed that the talks will touch on Moscow’s demands for Ukraine to cede territory in exchange for peace. While stressing that the final decision rests with Kyiv, he hinted that President Volodymyr Zelensky should consider concessions.
Trump also floated the idea of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European allies, but not through NATO membership, a step Putin has long opposed.
Accompanying Trump in Alaska is Gen Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, who is providing military advice to the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a separate interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump said he expects the meeting to “work out very well” — but if not, he would “walk” away. “If it doesn’t go right, I’ll head back home real fast,” he said.
