Trump, Putin hold 'historic' talks in Alaska as ceasefire in Ukraine tops agenda

Alaska [US], August 16 (ANI): US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are holding talks along with their top officials on Friday (local time).

Putin is accompanied by foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Trump is joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The summit is underway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

They could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, CNN reported.

Before the meeting began, members of the press shouted questions at Putin regarding a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He was seen mouthing and shouting something in the direction of the press, but it's unclear what he said, CNN reported.

Earlier in the day, the two leaders greeted each other on the red carpet after deplaning their respective aircraft, shook hands, posed for photographs, and, in an unusual move, departed together in Trump's presidential limousine to the venue. They did not take questions from reporters, CNN reported.

Before they landed, the White House said the one-on-one meeting that had been planned between the two leaders will now include advisers to the two men. The Russian officials accompanying Putin are foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's "number one" demand of the Alaska summit is for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

Only a ceasefire can provide the basis for meaningful peace talks, Ukraine and its European allies said. Following a call between Trump and European leaders on Wednesday (local time), two European diplomats familiar with the matter told CNN that Trump suggested he would push for a ceasefire at today's talks, which are currently underway.

"Everything concerning Ukraine must be discussed exclusively with Ukraine," Zelenskyy said after Wednesday's call with Trump. "We must prepare a trilateral format for talks."

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The White House said that Trump was "Pursuing Peace," and that the meeting between the two leaders was "Historic".

Earlier this week, as per CNN, Trump said he would know within a couple of minutes if Putin was actually interested in pursuing peace. He also said if the summit goes poorly, he "would walk."

"I may leave and say, 'good luck,' and that'll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled," Trump said before the summit, as quoted by CNN. (ANI)

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