US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were seen shaking hands warmly as the two leaders arrived in Alaska on Friday for their crucial summit, aiming to end the Ukraine conflict. Upon their arrival, the two leaders greeted each other and later were seen using the same vehicle to reach the location where the summit is being held in Anchorage.
Take a look at the video here:
High-stake US-Russia summit
Last week, Trump had announced about his in-person meeting with Putin, with the Kremlin later confirming about the Russian leader's participation. Trump was also considering inviting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the meeting, but later he announced he would soon hold another trilateral meeting involving the Ukrainian President and Putin if the Alaska summit is 'successful'.
It must be noted that this is the first in-person meeting between Putin and a sitting US President since the beginning of the Ukraine war that has claimed thousands of lives till now.
Trump hopeful of a solution, but warns Putin
Trump is hopeful of a solution to the Ukraine war, but he has issued a stern warning to Putin, saying Moscow would face "severe economic consequences" if the Russian President shows no interest of finding a solution. He also noted that he is not participating in the summit on behalf of Ukraine, but to get the two sides on the table.
Trump further stressed that he is organising this summit to "save a lot of lives". "There's a good respect level on both sides, and I think something's gonna come of it. I noticed he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the war (Russia-Ukraine war) settled," he told reporters onboard the Air Force One.
Why this meeting is important for Trump, Putin?
The meeting is crucial for Trump as it gives him a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. Similarly, for Putin, this meeting provides an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains.
