Trump Departs white House for Alaska Ahead of Ukraine Talks with Putin

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1516 EAT on Friday 15 August 2025

President Donald Trump ascended the steps of Air Force One on Thursday morning, pausing briefly at the top to turn and wave to the assembled crowd. He made no public remarks before boarding the aircraft bound for Alaska, where he is set to hold high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine.

A short but charged social media post from President Donald Trump—“HIGH STAKES!!!”—has added to the anticipation and drama surrounding today’s landmark summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump is expected to land at a Cold War-era U.S. air base in Anchorage, Alaska, shortly before Putin’s arrival. For the Russian leader, it marks a symbolic end to years of diplomatic isolation. Stepping onto U.S. soil for the first time in two decades—outside of UN meetings—Putin is re-entering the global stage as far from Europe as possible, flanked by the American president.

Even before the two leaders exchange a word, officials in Kyiv are expressing concern. For Ukraine, the optics alone represent a diplomatic win for Moscow—and a potential warning sign that their future could be negotiated without them at the table.

The White House has released the names of officials set to accompany President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One as he travels to Alaska for high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Among the 16 officials listed are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Also traveling are White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

President Donald Trump has suggested that a follow-up meeting — potentially involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — could take place if today’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska are “good.”

While Zelensky has not commented publicly today, he has been actively engaged in recent days with European leaders, including during a multilateral video call on Wednesday that Trump also joined.

Following Trump’s initial announcement of the Alaska summit, Zelensky responded in a pointed video address, warning against any decisions made about Ukraine without Ukraine at the table.

“President Trump announced preparations for his meeting with Putin in Alaska — very far away from this war, which is raging on our land, against our people, and which cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

He added that any decisions taken without Ukraine’s participation are “stillborn decisions” and “unworkable.”

After Wednesday’s video call with European leaders and Trump, Zelensky reiterated his message: “The path to peace cannot be determined without Ukraine.” However, he also expressed gratitude for continued U.S. support, stating that Trump had reaffirmed America’s commitment to backing Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump has just posted a brief but pointed message on his Truth Social platform: “HIGH STAKES!!!”

The post comes as Trump prepares to depart Washington, D.C., for high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin on U.S. soil—a leader indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court—delivers a setback to Western efforts to keep him isolated as a global pariah.

Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, told me this week that Putin is likely to “appeal to Trump’s ego with flattery and the prospect of a big deal.”

“If that ‘big deal’ eventually includes renewed limitations on nuclear weapons,” McMaster added, “then at least that would be a silver lining.”

Russia, China, and the U.S. have already entered a dangerous and costly strategic arms race. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty—which restricted ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers—collapsed earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the New START treaty, which caps the number of nuclear warheads each side can deploy at 1,550, is set to expire in February.

Putin has indicated interest in renewing nuclear arms limitation talks. While this should not serve as an excuse to delay a ceasefire in Ukraine, progress on arms control could, over time, contribute to making the world a somewhat safer place.

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