The 2025 Alaska Summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened Friday with a symbolic handshake and military flyover before the two leaders sat down for talks.
At 11:08 a.m. local time, both leaders deplaned separately, walking down red carpets rolled to their respective planes. They met where the carpets formed a T, with Trump arriving first and clapping as Putin approached. The two shook hands, exchanged brief greetings, and walked side-by-side to a riser about 50 feet from the press pool.
As they stood in front of a backdrop reading “Pursuing Peace,” B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 fighter jets performed a flyover. Trump and Putin shook hands again but did not respond to shouted questions from reporters.
The leaders then moved inside for the summit session. When reporters entered the meeting room at 11:26, Trump and Putin sat silently at the center table, flanked by their respective delegations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe were spotted nearby.
Putin’s aircraft touched down at roughly 10:50 a.m. and came to a stop at 10:58 a.m. The carefully choreographed arrival marked the formal start of a day of high-stakes talks expected to cover Ukraine, sanctions, and potential U.S.–Russia economic cooperation.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump spoke to traveling press on Air Force one about his exceptions for the meeting.
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