(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump personally welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the site of their crucial summit on Friday.

Trump, arriving aboard Air Force One just before his counterpart, greeted Putin beside a red carpet flanked by four American fighter jets and a large “Alaska 2025” display.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the summit is expected to last six to seven hours. The first stage will involve only the two leaders and close aides, with full delegations joining later, followed by a joint press conference.

While the Ukraine conflict will dominate discussions, Moscow noted the agenda also covers broader issues such as US-Russia relations, potential economic cooperation, and other international and regional matters.

The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, and economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has played a central role in Ukraine negotiations.

On the US side, participants include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will also join during an expanded meeting and working lunch.

This is Putin’s eighth trip to the US and his first in nearly a decade, his last visit being in 2015 for the UN General Assembly in New York, where he held talks with then-President Barack Obama.

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