Trump and Putin declare "great progress" after 3 hours of talks

(Dan Tri) - US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both confirmed that their 3-hour closed-door meeting was positive and made "great progress".

- US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska, for the first time in 6 years

- The summit took place at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base.

- Two officials from each side attended the meeting with the President.

- The conference lasted 3 hours, the focus of discussion was the Ukraine issue.

- The two Presidents held a joint press conference after the conference, announcing "great progress"

- President Putin proposes next summit in Moscow

- Mr. Putin left Alaska nearly an hour after the conference.

Russia-US Summit

NewestOldest

Watch the event unfold

Russia-US summit ends

The Kremlin's Telegram channel said the US-Russia summit in Anchorage, Alaska, had ended. The Kremlin also released a video showing President Trump and President Putin chatting backstage at the press conference.

According to the original plan, the conference would be divided into two parts, initially a closed meeting between the two Presidents in a 1-1 format, followed by a 5-5 expanded meeting of the two delegations. However, the plan changed, instead of a private meeting, President Trump and President Putin met in a 3-3 format, with three people on each side.

The meeting lasted about three hours and was followed by a short press conference by the two leaders.

After the press conference, Mr. Putin visited the graves of Soviet pilots buried near the base where the summit took place.

Nearly an hour after the press conference, President Putin was seen boarding a plane leaving Alaska.

Putin proposes next summit in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AFP).

Just as Mr Trump said they needed further discussions to end the Ukraine conflict, Mr Putin proposed holding the next summit in the Russian capital Moscow.

“Next time will be in Moscow,” Mr. Putin said in English.

“That’s an interesting proposition, I would be under a little pressure on that. But it could happen,” Mr. Trump replied.

Mr Trump described the meeting as "very productive"

US President Donald Trump at a press conference (Photo: Reuters).

For his part, President Trump said that the talks with Mr. Putin were “very productive,” but that more needed to be done to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

“There are many, many things that we agree on, most of them, I would say. There are some big things that we haven’t quite got there yet, but there has been some progress,” Mr. Trump said.

Trump said he would call NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the meeting.

“Ultimately, it’s up to them,” President Trump said, apparently referring to Mr. Zelensky.

Mr Trump ended his brief remarks at the joint press conference by thanking the Russian leader and saying they would meet again soon.

“Next time in Moscow,” Mr. Putin replied in English.

Mr Trump then announced the end of the press conference without taking any questions from reporters present, nor giving any details about what Mr Putin called the agreement they had reached after three hours of negotiations.

Mr. Putin: Reached an agreement with Mr. Trump

The Russian leader stressed that he had reached an agreement with President Trump and hoped that Ukrainian leaders “will not disrupt” the process of ending the conflict.

“I agree with President Trump that Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed, and of course we are ready to work to achieve that,” he said. “I hope that the agreement we have reached together will bring us closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine.”

He also reiterated his frequent call for addressing the root causes of conflict.

Mr. Putin said he agreed with Mr. Trump's statement that a full-scale Russia-Ukraine conflict would not occur in 2022 if Mr. Trump were US president.

“Russia is genuinely interested in ending the conflict in Ukraine”

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a press conference (Photo: Reuters).

Mr Putin said Russia was “genuinely interested” in ending the fighting in Ukraine.

“The situation in Ukraine involves fundamental threats to our security. Moreover, we have always considered Ukraine a brotherly people,” he said.

“As strange as it may sound in the current context, we have the same roots, and all that is happening is a tragedy for us. It is a terrible wound. So our country really wants this to end,” he added.

The two leaders began the press conference.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a joint press conference in Alaska (Photo: AFP).

The press conference between President Trump and his Russian counterpart Putin has begun. Mr. Putin spoke first.

Mr. Putin said that the talks with the US leader took place in a positive atmosphere.

President Putin also thanked President Trump for the invitation to Alaska, and acknowledged the Trump administration's efforts to help resolve the Ukraine crisis.

Positive signs before press conference

Close-up of the press conference room (Photo: AFP).

According to observers, the two podiums prepared for the press conference were another sign that the meeting went well.

Previously, Mr. Trump said he could downgrade the joint press conference to a single speech if he felt the negotiations were not going as expected.

Two podiums have been prepared for the upcoming press conference for the two US and Russian leaders.

Russian envoy: "The negotiations went very smoothly"

The two Russian and US leaders at the meeting (Photo: Reuters).

Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Russian state television that talks in Alaska between President Putin and President Trump went “extremely” well.

Russian Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev also said that the exchange between Russian and US leaders was constructive and result-oriented.

“The tone of our discussions with the US side is businesslike, focused on results,” Mr. Darchiev said.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin prepare for joint press conference

The Kremlin said that after the closed-door meeting lasting about 3 hours in a 3-3 format ended, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a joint press conference.

The press conference room was prepared for the participation of about 200 reporters.

This will be the first time in seven years that Mr. Putin has held a joint press conference with a US president.

The most recent was a joint press conference with President Trump during his first term in 2018 in Helsinki, Finland.

 

End the meeting in a "3 - 3" format

The Kremlin said in a short statement that talks with the US delegation in the "3-3" format had ended.

Russian officials declined to comment specifically on the outcome of the meeting, but said the working atmosphere was positive and constructive.

The conference lasted 2 hours.

The bilateral meeting between President Trump and President Putin lasted more than 2 hours. This was a "3-on-3" meeting with 3 people from each delegation attending the meeting.

The lunch, which is part of the expanded delegation meeting, has not yet begun, according to a White House official.

Mr Trump has previously said he would know the direction of the talks within the first few minutes of sitting down with Mr Putin.

"If it's a bad meeting, it'll be over very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we'll have peace in the near future," Trump said.

Meanwhile, preparations for the joint press conference of the two leaders are underway.

The White House describes the meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin as "historic"

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 (Photo: Reuters).

The White House's official social media account posted a picture of President Trump and President Putin on the red carpet with the caption: "History".

Previously, the White House also posted a photo of the two leaders shaking hands with the caption: "In pursuit of peace." This message was also printed in many areas from the conference room to the press conference room.

Ukraine's expectations from the Russia-US summit

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's "number one" wish at the summit in Alaska was for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

According to Kiev, only a ceasefire can create the basis for substantive peace talks.

Ukraine also hopes that the conference in Alaska will be a stepping stone to a trilateral summit between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

“All issues related to Ukraine must be discussed directly with Ukraine. We must prepare a trilateral negotiation format,” Mr. Zelensky said earlier.

The meeting between the Russian and American delegations is taking place.

The “3 by 3” meeting between the Russian and US delegations is underway after journalists were invited outside. Previously, neither President Trump nor President Putin made specific statements related to the conference.

Secretary of State Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff and President Trump are discussing with Foreign Minister Lavrov, Assistant Ushakov and President Putin.

The meeting marked the first time President Putin met face-to-face with a US president since 2021. It was also the first time Mr Trump met Mr Putin since 2019.

Russian and US delegations prepare to participate in the "3 with 3" meeting (Photo: AFP).

The summit begins

The bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking place.

The bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking place (Photo: Reuters).

President Trump and President Putin get into the US President's Cadillac

After shaking hands and taking photos, the two leaders got into President Trump's car and left.

US updates changes in meeting

The previously scheduled one-on-one meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin will now be a "3-on-3" format, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The US delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. According to the Kremlin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov will take part in the meeting.

President Trump has landed in Alaska

Air Force One carrying US President Donald Trump has landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.

President Trump: Mr. Putin is a smart man

On Air Force One, Mr. Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible.

"I don't know if it's going to happen today, but I won't be happy if it doesn't happen today," he said.

Mr Trump said that ahead of the talks “nothing was set in stone”, but he wanted “certain things” from the meeting, including a ceasefire.

Regarding President Putin, Mr. Trump said the Russian President is “a smart guy.”

“We get along. There is a certain level of respect between both sides,” the White House owner said.

First image of the press conference room of the two presidents

Russian media published a photo inside the press conference room of the two US and Russian presidents, with the caption: "In pursuit of peace".

Photo inside the press conference room of the two Russian and American Presidents, with the words: "In pursuit of peace" (Photo: RT).

 

America rolls out the red carpet to welcome President Putin

Images from the airport show that the US has rolled out the red carpet to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to RT, this is the first time in history that the red carpet has been rolled out to welcome Mr. Putin on US soil.

President Vladimir Putin plans to lay flowers at a memorial to Soviet pilots in Alaska after his summit with US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

America rolls out the red carpet to welcome President Putin (Photo: Sputnik).

Plane carrying Russian President lands in Alaska

According to Flightradar24, the plane carrying President Vladimir Putin and other Russian government officials landed in Anchorage, Alaska.

Plane carrying President Putin enters US airspace

Data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that President Putin's Tu-214 plane entered US airspace and was en route to Anchorage, Alaska.

Nearly 150,000 people are said to have been watching the flight online.

President Putin's Tu-214 plane flew into US airspace on its way to Anchorage (Photo: FlightRadar24).

Russian and US presidents will discuss many issues

The talks in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be limited to the Ukraine conflict and economic issues, according to Russia's top negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.

"We are also working to restore relations between Russia and the United States, so it is important that not only economic issues, not only the Ukrainian issue, are on the agenda," Dmitriev told Russian state news agency RIA.

Another source told Russian state news agency TASS that the two leaders will touch on global strategic security issues.

Security tightened as Russia-US summit takes place

When the US President and his Russian counterpart sit down at the negotiating table in Alaska, both leaders will be under tight security, according to national security sources.

Federal agents and military personnel responsible for managing security for high-profile events were deployed to Anchorage this week ahead of the summit.

Although the US Secret Service is primarily responsible for security at the Alaska summit, it is working closely with the Russian delegation's security team.

Online flight tracking information shows a Boeing E-3C military surveillance plane took off on the morning of August 15. The plane, with its large radar dome, can detect threats, including aircraft and missiles.

Trump will arrive in Alaska before Putin

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy told Fox News in an interview that President Trump will arrive at the summit site in Alaska first and will personally greet President Putin on the tarmac.

"The US president will arrive there, at the base (in Alaska), then the Russian president will land, and the US president will be on the tarmac, ready to welcome the Russian president to Alaska," Governor Dunleavy said.

“I think it's going to happen pretty quickly,” the Alaska governor added.

After that, the Russian and US presidents will begin bilateral meetings and joint talks between the two delegations in Alaska.

President Putin visits Magadan

President Putin lays flowers at a memorial monument during a visit to the city of Magadan in the Far East on August 15 (Photo: Reuters).

President Putin has made an official visit to the Russian Far Eastern city of Magadan ahead of his trip to Alaska to meet President Trump.

President Putin talks with Magadan region leader Sergei Nosov during a visit to the Omega-Sea enterprise factory in Magadan city (Photo: Reuters).

The Russian leader met with local representatives and laid flowers at the "Heroes of Alsib" Monument.

President Putin greets members of a youth hockey team as he visits a sports and recreation center in the city of Magadan (Photo: Reuters).

Mr Putin also visited an industrial plant, chaired a meeting of local authorities and visited schoolchildren at a hockey rink.

Mr. Trump stated the content he will discuss with Mr. Putin.

Aboard Air Force One en route from Washington to Alaska, President Trump said he planned to discuss the territorial issue with President Putin and believed Ukraine should make a decision on the matter.

President Trump expressed hope that “something” would be achieved at the summit in Alaska. Mr Trump said Mr Putin was “a smart guy”.

President Trump also said he saw Russia's interest in America's economic potential. Mr. Trump said he was willing to discuss business issues with Mr. Putin if progress could be made on the Ukraine issue.

“We’re getting along. There’s a good level of respect on both sides. I see he’s bringing in a lot of business people from Russia and that’s a good thing,” Trump added.

Issues on the agenda

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that during the four-hour flight from the Russian city of Magadan to the city of Anchorage in the state of Alaska, President Putin will carefully study and consider all the issues included in the agenda of the talks with President Trump.

These issues include the Ukrainian conflict, as well as problems in Russia-US bilateral relations, potential joint economic projects, and other regional and international issues, Peskov said.

Mr. Trump will welcome Mr. Putin at the airport.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Alaska on time for a summit with US President Donald Trump.

"The president is always on time," Mr Peskov said on a plane in Magadan in Russia's Far East.

On his way to Alaska, President Putin stopped in the city of Magadan, where he visited an industrial plant, held a meeting with local authorities and visited schoolchildren.

Magadan is about a 4 hour flight from Anchorage, Alaska.

Mr Peskov said President Putin's flight from Magadan would depart "on time" and was expected to land in Anchorage at 11am on August 15 (local time). At the airport in Alaska, Mr Putin will be received by Mr Trump.

President Trump speaks by phone with the President of Belarus

US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ahead of a summit with the Russian leader in Alaska.

"I had a great conversation with President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus," Trump wrote on social media, adding that the purpose of the call was to thank the Belarusian leader for releasing prisoners earlier.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting could last at least 6-7 hours.

The Kremlin spokesman said the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could last "at least 6-7 hours".

"The Russian side hopes that the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska will end productively," state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

According to RIA, Mr. Peskov also said that private talks between President Trump and President Putin "will be held with the participation of assistants", but did not specify which assistants would participate.

Elmendorf-Richardson Air Base in Alaska, where the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is about to take place (Photo: BBC).

President Trump shakes hands with President Putin (Photo: AFP).

One of the key goals of the meeting is to find common ground that could lead to a lasting ceasefire in the more than three-year war in Ukraine.

This is the first time in a decade that Mr. Putin has visited the United States, and also the first trip to Alaska by a Russian President.

This is also the first direct meeting between the two heads of state of Russia and the United States since June 2021, when President Putin met then-US President Joe Biden in Geneva.

According to the Kremlin's previous announcement, the summit will begin with a private conversation between the two leaders, in which only they and two interpreters will be present. Afterwards, members of the delegation, each side consisting of five people, will join the meeting.

According to the White House, the two leaders will meet at the US military's Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base in Anchorage, Alaska, at 11 a.m. on August 15, Alaska time (2 a.m. on August 16, Vietnam time).

The Russian delegation includes: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov and Special Presidential Envoy for Investment and Economic Cooperation Kirill Dmitriev. The US has not announced the composition of the delegation.

The two leaders are expected to discuss topics related to the war in Ukraine such as: ceasefire terms, security and guarantees for Ukraine.

In addition, the two leaders may discuss issues related to economic cooperation in the Arctic and a new nuclear agreement between the world's two leading military powers.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting would be an opportunity for President Trump to “sit down with the Russian president and see if progress can be made to end the war in Ukraine and restore peace.”

She stressed that the US has many tools to help end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including sanctions. However, she stressed that Mr. Trump always prioritizes diplomacy and negotiations.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump estimated the success rate of his upcoming meeting with Mr. Putin in Alaska at 75%.

Meanwhile, President Putin appreciated the efforts of the Trump administration to find a lasting peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

Mr. Putin also hopes that in the next stages of negotiations, Russia and the US can reach an agreement on nuclear arms control.

Before the meeting took place, Ukraine made clear its position that it did not want to cede territory and wanted security guarantees.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ong-trump-va-ong-putin-tuyen-bo-dat-tien-trien-lon-sau-3-gio-dam-phan-20250815160704535.htm