Russian President Vladimir Putin’s final words at the Alaska summit were delivered with a smile, spoken in an uncharacteristic burst of English.

President Donald Trump walked into a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin pressing for a ceasefire deal and threatening “severe consequences” and tough new sanctions if the Kremlin leader failed to agree to halt the fighting in Ukraine.

"The Trump administration is making vigorous efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine," Putin said during a meeting of his top officials to prepare for the Alaska summit.

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,

In a summit meeting marked by red carpets, handshakes and military flyovers, President Vladimir Putin made his first trip to the United States in a decade and was greeted warmly by President Donald Trump.

One key party not be in attendance Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said after his meeting with the Russian president that he would call Zelenskyy and update him on the talks.

Yes, Putin once took a dog to meet Angela Merkel, who is famously afraid of dogs. No, he did not ride a rollercoaster with Kim Jong Un.

The two world leaders sat down together in Anchorage on Friday, Aug. 15, to discuss the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine