U.S. President Donald Trump aims to secure a halt to hostilities in Ukraine during the very first round of his face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a ceasefire as “the first step” toward a broader settlement of the conflict.
The meeting is set for Friday and will begin at around 11:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) at the Elmendorf–Richardson base. Initially, the two leaders will speak one-on-one — with only interpreters present and no set time limit — before their delegations join in. A joint press conference is expected after the talks.
According to the Kremlin, Russia’s delegation will include Yuri Ushakov, Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev. Washington has set a firm tone ahead of the summit: Trump has previously warned that if Moscow refuses a ceasefire, there will be “very serious consequences.”
Anchorage was not chosen by chance. The negotiations will take place on a joint military base that houses the Fort Richardson National Cemetery. Among those buried there are Soviet pilots who died during World War II while ferrying aircraft under the Lend-Lease program — a fact that carries symbolic weight in Russia, seen as a reminder of rare moments of cooperation.
Signals from both Washington and Moscow suggest that the first substantive conversation will focus on establishing “silence” along the front line and mechanisms for verifying it. Measures under discussion include troop disengagement, access for international monitors, prisoner exchanges, unblocking critical infrastructure, and preliminary security talks covering missile systems and drones. This approach allows room to negotiate more complex topics later — from sanctions to protections for civilians.
Any ceasefire plan, however, will require at least tacit agreement from Kyiv. That’s why parallel consultations with Ukraine’s leadership and European allies are already underway. French President Emmanuel Macron, for instance, has emphasized the need for this kind of coordinated approach earlier this week.
Experts say there are several key points to watch. First, whether specific front-line sectors, timelines, and military communication channels will be named. Second, whether a roadmap will emerge linking the pause to political negotiations — and who will guarantee compliance. Third, whether there will be a connection between partial sanctions relief and the implementation of ceasefire conditions. Finally, the language leaders use when addressing the press will matter greatly: if both sides articulate the same goals and success criteria, a temporary pause will stand a better chance of evolving into a genuine process.
