White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that President Donald Trump will not initially meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska alone, as previously planned, but will instead be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Putin will also be joined by two other high-ranking Russian officials, CNN reported.
Why It Matters
Trump and Putin will meet on Friday to discuss bringing an end to Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which Putin launched in February 2022. The White House said the Russian leader reached out to request the meeting, to which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited.
The Trump administration sought to temper expectations around the president’s meeting with Putin heading into Friday.
Trump said in the past that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of being elected or shortly after being inaugurated. Neither promise came to fruition and the White House this week framed talks between Trump and Putin as a “listening exercise” and a “fact-finding” mission.
What To Know
Trump and Putin touched down around 3 p.m. ET in Alaska for their pivotal summit that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.
In a late shift, Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One that the session will be a “three-on-three” meeting rather than a one-on-one.
Putin will be joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yury Ushakov, a diplomatic adviser. Lavrov and Ushakov took part in the first in-person Russia-U.S. talks in February this year.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrive before President Donald Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrive before President Donald Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Associated Press
Trump’s planned working lunch with Putin will also include Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov make up the rest of Putin’s delegation.
Earlier Friday, Trump put high stakes on the meeting, saying he would “walk” away if does not go well with Putin.
In a clip posted on X from an interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News‘ Bret Baier, which will be aired in full tonight on the network’s Special Report with Bret Baier, Trump predicted the talks would “work out very well—and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast.”
“I would walk, yeah,” he added in response to a follow-up question.
Trump also shared another video from a press gaggle aboard the plane. Asked what would define a successful summit, he replied: “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don’t know if it’s going to be today but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Friday: “Everyone said it can’t be today, but I’m just saying I want the killing to stop. I’m in this to stop the killing.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti he believes there will be some easing of U.S. sanctions on Russia after the meeting: “They will definitely be lifted for some, that’s for sure.”
A European official told CNN it was a “relief” Trump and Putin are not meeting one-on-one, adding in part: It’s “probably a reassuring development.”
What Happens Next?
Trump is expected to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which Russia invaded without provocation three years ago. The Kremlin said earlier Friday that it expects the talks to last for up to seven hours.
A joint press conference will take place after the summit.
Update 8/15/25, 3:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.