Ladies and gentlemen,” Putin began. That Putin spoke first at a U.S.-hosted summit was highly unusual. Trump gestured to the sanctioned Russian leader as they took the stage that he should lead the way.

That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” Trump’s

Russian President Putin speeches during their joint press conference with U.S. Persident Donald Trump after their meeing on war in Ukraine at U.S. Air Base In Alaska on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage,

Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the U.S. and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war.

The meeting marks the first time leaders from the U.S. and Russia have met in-person since Putin launched his deadly invasion of Ukraine more than three-and-a-half-years ago.