Aug 14, 2025, 5 PM (local time)
Details of the Russia-USA Summit were revealed a day before the summit
The day before the meeting in Anchorage, the Kremlin broke its long silence: Vladimir Putin gathered officials and security personnel to tell them what (trump cards) he is bringing to Alaska. In turn, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov held the first briefing for journalists since the summit was announced. Until then, all information had come either from the host country or from various foreign media sources.
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump appeared on the political calendar when all the plans for August were already laid out. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin went on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin left for Pyongyang. On the day of the Russian-American summit, only Valentina Matviyenko will remain "on the farm" in the country: as speaker of the Federation Council, she occupies the third line in the Russian table of ranks. A number one (President), two (Prime Minister) and four (the head of the lower house ) will be absent. This doesn't happen very often in Russia.
Moreover, the holiday season left journalists without daily briefings from President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, and consequently, without official information or comments. While foreign (and Russian) media outlets were busy quoting Donald Trump, European politicians, and various sources, the Kremlin remained silent. Apart from confirming the fact of the negotiations in Alaska and stating that the location was logical, no other announcements were made after August 10.
However, the work behind closed doors was in full swing. Representatives of the Foreign Ministry literally spent days and nights at the US Embassy to settle all the necessary formalities in record time. This is not just about visa processing. But first of all, the issue of payments (for hotels for the delegation, transport, parking and refueling of aircraft, etc.). Since the problem could not be resolved manually, the American authorities (in an unprecedented move!) had to authorize all operations prohibited under anti-Russian sanctions until 20 August, ‘which are necessary for organizing the meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States.’ However, there were no hotels available for journalists in Anchorage, as August is the peak tourist season in Alaska, and the agreement on the summit, as we know, was reached suddenly.
It was only on Thursday that the Kremlin decided to break its long silence. Vladimir Putin convened a meeting to prepare for negotiations with Donald Trump, inviting members of the government, representatives of the presidential administration, and security officials, while Yuri Ushakov held a briefing for journalists. However, both the president and his assistant were relatively brief in their remarks. During the open part of the meeting, Putin announced that he intended to inform the attendees about the progress of the negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis.
"Many people know, of course, in general terms, but I will tell you in more detail. This is the first thing," he said. The second topic is the negotiations with the American administration, which, "as everyone knows, is making a lot of effort to stop the fighting" and "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in the conflict."
However, the dialogue with the United States is not limited to the Ukrainian conflict. According to the president, the next step is to reach an agreement on strategic offensive arms control. This will create "long-term conditions for peace in general," Putin emphasized.
Yuri Ushakov, in turn, provided details about the location and format of the negotiations. "The meeting will take place at the Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base and will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time (22:30 Moscow time), said the Kremlin representative, outpacing his colleagues at the White House (who had previously provided all the details about the summit). The meeting will begin with a private conversation between Putin and Trump, with the participation of translators. This will be followed by a working breakfast for the delegations. Since the topics to be discussed are very important and sensitive, the number of participants in the negotiations is limited, as Ushakov noted. On the Russian side, the negotiations will be attended by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Presidential Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev. The composition of the "American Five" is also known, but according to unwritten diplomatic rules, it must be announced by the White House. Typically, negotiations are conducted on a parity basis, meaning that the members of the delegations hold similar positions. In addition to the officials, a large group of experts in all possible fields is traveling to Alaska. According to Ushakov, they will be "somewhere nearby."
According to local media reports, the United States tried to avoid holding the negotiations at a military base. However, they were forced to agree to this option when it became clear that, despite the availability of other options (Alaska has a well-developed hospitality infrastructure), there was no alternative. This closed territory was the only place that could provide the necessary level of security for the Russian-American meeting. (This is not the first time that the base has hosted high-ranking guests, as it has previously hosted Emperor Hirohito of Japan and Pope John Paul II.)
Yuri Ushakov noted that the base is not only a military facility, but also a memorial site. Nearby are the graves of Russian pilots who died in 1942-45 while transporting aircraft and other cargo from the United States to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. "Therefore, the meeting will take place near this historically significant site, which serves as a reminder of the military brotherhood between our nations. This is particularly symbolic in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan," said the Kremlin spokesperson. Yuri Ushakov named the Ukrainian crisis as the central topic of the meeting. The discussion of possible resolutions will take place in light of the preliminary negotiations involving Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, which took place in the Kremlin on August 6. The assistant to the head of state did not provide details about the Russian position. However, immediately after the negotiations, both sides stated that they had heard proposals that make a face-to-face meeting between the Russian and American presidents possible. (It should be noted that Moscow had previously stated for six months that the conditions for a summit were not ripe.)
Donald Trump initially said that he planned to discuss a "territory exchange" with Vladimir Putin, but after speaking with Vladimir Zelensky and European leaders, he took back his words. Now, the US president is calling the meeting in Alaska a "trial" and expects to understand within two minutes whether the Russian president is ready for peace or not. Experts suggest that the meeting may involve both an exchange and a freeze on hostilities along the entire contact line in exchange for the recognition (de facto) of the territories of Donbas and Novorossiya that are already controlled by the Russian Federation. The option of a deal is also possible, in which case, if the terms are rejected (regardless of whether the rejection comes from Moscow or Kiev), the United States will withdraw from the settlement process. When asked about the mood of the Russian delegation as it flies to the US, Yuri Ushakov did not show excessive optimism, let alone promise a breakthrough. ‘We are primarily in a business mood,’ he emphasised.
In addition to the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian delegation intends to discuss "broader issues of peace and security" with its American counterparts (and Putin personally with Trump), as well as pressing international and regional problems. Bilateral cooperation is also on the agenda. "It has a huge potential that has not yet been fully realized," lamented the Kremlin spokesman.
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