Elena Teslova
16 August 2025•Update: 16 August 2025
MOSCOW
President Vladimir Putin set off on a journey back to Russia following a summit with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, in the US state of Alaska.
The Kremlin published a video showing Putin ascending the aircraft stairs, turning around, waving his hand, and entering the plane.
The talks lasted almost three hours and focused on Ukrainian settlement, Putin told a news conference, alongside Trump, following the talks.
Putin then visited a memorial cemetery and laid flowers at the graves of Soviet pilots, before returning to the airport.
Putin's five-hour Alaska visit included nearly three hours of talks with Trump, and significantly deviated from the original schedule.
The formal one-on-one meeting gave way to an impromptu discussion after Trump invited Putin into his limousine, where the two leaders began discussions on their way to the venue.
Upon arrival, both presidents maintained silence during protocol footage before beginning three-on-three negotiations.
The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and International Affairs Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, while the US was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
During the restricted-format talks, preparations were made for a subsequent delegation-level meeting scheduled after lunch. But the expanded discussions were ultimately canceled. Putin and Trump instead delivered joint statements to the media without taking questions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained the changes, noting the leaders had made "exhaustive" statements and therefore waived the question and answers session.
"The discussion was indeed very positive, as both presidents confirmed. It is precisely this kind of conversation that allows us to move forward confidently together in search of solutions," he added.
Russian Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiyev later confirmed that follow-up bilateral consultations would soon occur.
The Putin-Trump meeting was the first between Russian and American leaders in four years.
The visit to the US for Putin marks his first trip to the country in 10 years. He previously visited in 2015 when he traveled to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
