Warm handshakes, a booming fly-past and a ride in the Beast as the US rolls out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska… and the world waits to see if Trump can bring about peace for Ukraine

History was made in Alaska last night as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin flew in to discuss the future of Ukraine.

They shook hands on the tarmac before sitting down for talks that Washington – and the world – hopes will bring peace to Europe.

But even as the summit got under way, a wave of Russian Shahed drones were said to be heading towards Ukraine – offering little hope that Moscow was ready to end its war.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: ‘We are counting on America.’

The two superpower leaders were expected to slog it out for at least ‘six to seven hours’, the Kremlin said.

In their early exchanges, which Putin seemed to revel in, Mr Trump played the role of showman, giving no sign that he might go ahead with his threat to ‘walk’ if the meeting went badly.

The UK is braced to commit British troops in Ukraine within a week of any ceasefire agreement reached with Russia, it was reported last night.

There are plans for British military trainers and engineers to rebuild its armed forces, according to the Daily Telegraph.

And Sir Keir Starmer has approved the use of RAF fighter jets to police Ukranian skies alongside allies to stop Russia breaching any truce.

Defence Secretary John Healey told Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday: ‘In the circumstances of a ceasefire, we are ready to put boots on the ground. That is, in part, to reassure Ukrainians, but it is also in part to secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces.’

Initially, Mr Trump had favoured a one-on-one with the Russian president, with only their respective translators present in the room at the Elmendorf-Richardson base in Anchorage.

But in a last-minute change of strategy, each man was accompanied by two advisers. This was welcomed by diplomats and security experts, who had feared what former KGB man Putin might achieve if left alone with the impressionable US President.

Putin was joined by foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakova and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, while Mr Trump was joined by secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Before they went into their private discussions, Mr Trump and Putin – meeting for the first time in six years –sat in front of a backdrop bearing the slogan ‘Pursuing Peace’.

Journalists hurled questions at Putin in chaotic scenes, with one shouting: ‘Will you agree to a ceasefire, will you commit to not killing any more civilians…why should President Trump trust your word now?’ 

Putin appeared non-plussed, grinning as he shrugged before making an ‘OK’ gesture, putting his hands around his mouth and pretending to call out to someone at the back.

Secret Service agents then shouted, ‘Everyone – get out of the room,’ and the two delegations were left to get down to business.

Mr Trump was joined in Anchorage by 16 of his most trusted advisers including treasury secretary Scott Bessent, CIA director John Ratcliffe and defence secretary Pete Hegseth. 

Putin’s team included special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, defence minister Andrei Belousov and finance minister Anton Siluanov.

Before boarding Air Force One yesterday, Mr Trump had characteristically set the tone for the day by posting just two words on his Truth Social network: ‘HIGH STAKES!!!’

Mr Zelensky, himself forced to sit out this round and watch from Kyiv, responded with a tweet that it was ‘indeed high stakes’.

The Ukrainian president, who hopes to meet both leaders in a second meeting if this summit goes as Mr Trump hopes, said Moscow had once more carried out ‘deliberate strikes’ on his people just hours earlier.

‘The war continues,’ he added. ‘It continues precisely because there is not only an order, but also signals about Moscow’s preparation to end this war. On the day of the negotiations, they are also killing. And this says a lot.’

After leaving Washington aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump held an interview with Fox News where he said: ‘I think it’s going to work out very well – and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast.’

Asked if he’d walk away if it doesn’t go well, Mr Trump said: ‘I would walk.’

The President said ‘There’s nothing set in stone’ when asked what would represent a victory. 

But in a boon to Ukraine and Europe, which has leant on him to push for a ceasefire at the outset of negotiations to stop Russia’s advance, he said: ‘I want certain things, I want to see a ceasefire.’ Insisting that ‘Europe’s not telling me what to do’, Mr Trump continued: ‘I want to see a ceasefire rapidly.

‘I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if’s not today. Everyone said it can’t be today, but I’m just saying I want the killing to stop. I’m in this to stop the killing.’

In a press conference with reporters on board his plane, he said that ‘something is going to come’ of his meeting.

Asked about Moscow’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine in the hours before the meeting, Mr Trump said: ‘I think they’re trying to negotiate, in [Putin’s] mind it helps him make a better deal. But it actually hurts him… but I’ll be talking to him about it later.’

He said that territorial swaps ‘will be discussed, but I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision’, adding: ‘I think they’ll make a proper decision. But I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get him at the table.’

Mr Trump praised Putin as ‘a smart guy’ who has ‘been doing it for a long time’ adding: ‘But so am I. We get along. There’s a good respect level on both sides.’

He also said that the US could be involved in offering security guarantees ‘along with Europe and other countries’ but said that won’t mean Nato membership for Ukraine.

He added of Putin: ‘He’s bringing business people from Russia… but we’re not doing business until we get the war settled.’

US rolls out red carpet for Putin 

Vladimir Putin came in from the cold in Alaska last night as he shook hands with Donald Trump ahead of their extraordinary and historic peace summit.

The American President arrived first on Air Force One and waited patiently on the runway for the Russian dictator who touched down in his Presidential Aircraft 30 minutes later.

As the eyes of the world watched, the two leaders appeared at the respective doorways. Mr Trump raised his fist for cameras and sauntered slowly down the steps while Putin marched down his.

A red carpet was laid out for each and the tyrant, walking with his characteristic limp, smirked as he stepped foot on American soil for the first time since his illegal full-scale of Ukraine that has left hundreds of thousands dead and driven millions from their homes.

Then they came together. Putin, who could not stop laughing to himself, held out his hand which Trump grabbed and, in pulling him in, effectively ended three-and-a-half years of isolation.

The former KGB man who has overseen the systematic rape, torture, and mass murder of the Ukrainian people, grinned from ear to ear as he chatted to the leader of the free world.

As they strolled towards the waiting press pack, though, the deafening roar of a US Air Force fly past did momentarily knock Putin off his stride.

Washington had selected five aircraft for his arrival, at the centre of which was their feared B2 stealth bomber – the aircraft used to drop the devastating bunker-buster bombs on the nuclear facilities of Russia’s ally Iran earlier this summer.

America had laid on a huge sign of US strength in a heavily choreographed show, just how Mr Trump likes it, forcing Putin to walk past a brace of their finest fighter jets, including F22s.

Both men stopped to shake hands once more in front of waiting journalists, who were heard shouting at the dictator: ‘Will you stop killing civilians, Mr Putin?’ and ‘How can the US trust your word?’

Unsurprisingly, he did not respond. It was hoped that these were not the last pointed questions he was asked while back on US soil.

After posing for the cameras, Mr Trump put his hand on Putin’s back and ushered him towards the US Presidential car – the famed ‘Beast’.

In barely believable scenes that brought scorn across America, the two men climbed in the back together and the Russian butcher was seen grinning like a Cheshire cat as they were driven into the entrance of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just outside the city of Anchorage, for talks.

The pair next appeared in their meeting room, where chairs were arranged around a white table topped with small flower arrangements.

Chaos ensued as the pair, with their aides sat by their sides, were swarmed before Presidential aides stepped in, demanding: ‘Everyone – get out of the room.’

Then they got down to business.

It marked the crescendo of mind games that had started hours previous with the arrival of Putin’s favourite stooge, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Russian Foreign Minister set the tone when he was seen climbing out of his car wearing a top with the letters CCCP clearly visible across the front. The Cyrillic acronym for the USSR left no-one in any doubt this was being seen as empire building by the Kremlin.

Putin’s international attack dog then strolled into a hotel and held court with friendly journalists where he showcased his trademark bravado, brushing off questions of his nerves and responding: ‘Nervous? What’s that?’

‘It says that Russia would like things to be as they were in the past, between the USSR and the US – no international order, and Big Boys deciding everything as they saw fit,’ Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko said.

It provoked fury from Ukrainians, with Oleg T, 33, a special forces soldier who is fighting in eastern Ukraine, describing it as ‘a middle finger the size of the Statue of Liberty’ to Kyiv and Washington.

‘That’s not a message – it is trolling the Americans,’ he told the Mail.

‘If Trump doesn’t see that, then he has chosen to be blind. The world, hopefully, is not blind and can see the game Russians are playing.’

Ukrainian scientist Vasyl Melnichenko, 76, who was called in to liquidate the Chernobyl nuclear plant while living under Soviet rule, said: ‘Lavrov’s action is no accident.

‘The USSR is their cherished dream, their desire to regain power, to force everyone to kneel before Moscow, to make everyone their slaves again.’

Chief Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, Editor in Chief of Putin’s favourite mouthpiece, RT, then stepped up the provocations.

She told followers on messaging app Telegram that the Russian press pool flying to Alaska were served Chicken Kyiv on board the plane chartered by the Kremlin.

Her jingoistic fans replied cheering it on as ‘symbolic’ with one using the Russian spelling of the Ukrainian capital and writing: ‘Kiev is a Russian city!’

Pro-Kremlin commentator Sergei Markov piled in, writing: ‘Putin and Trump should turn Zelenskyy into a chicken kyiv. There’s no shortage of humour in the Kremlin.’

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the mood ahead of the Alaska talks as ‘combative’.

He said that the talks would involve discussions over wider Russia-US relations, not just the war in Ukraine.

Dmitri Trenin, a member of Russia’s foreign and defence policy council, told state television in Moscow that Putin would be insisting on the ‘denazification and demilitarisation’ of Ukraine.

He said confidently: ‘We talk about denazification as the goal of the special military operation, but what exactly it will include is a possible subject of discussion.

‘Or demilitarisation – how many tanks or planes Ukraine will have.’

Protesters gathered at Anchorage waving placards saying ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine’ and ‘We demand POWs swap – all for all’.

Among them was Ukrainian Hanna Correa, 40, who left her country in 2019 who said: ‘Putin is supposed to be in jail, and he just comes to Alaska like that.’

Christopher Kelliher, a 53-year-old military veteran and Alaskan native, said: ‘It’s gross, it makes you want to take a shower.

‘Putin doesn’t need to be in our state, much less our country.

Putin’s huge motorcade was seen rolling through the Alaskan city hours before his arrival.

But the dictator took his time making it to America, visiting a fish factory and ice hockey game in Magadan, eastern Russia, on his way – as if it was just a normal day at the office.

His final stop was to lay flowers at a statue in the city depicting Russian-American cooperation during World War Two – something Russian state TV said was ‘very symbolic’.

Meanwhile his biggest ally, Hungarian strongman Aleksandr Lukashenko, scored a big win by getting a phone call with Mr Trump as he was on his way to the summit.

The US leader left Western leaders shaken when posted on social media that he had ‘just spoken with ‘the highly respected President of Belarus’.

It was a worrying development – almost certainly choreographed by the Kremlin – given the US President is known to be heavily influenced by the last person he speaks to.

In more worrying signs, Lukashenko said afterwards he invited Mr Trump to visit Belarus – and he had accepted.

Anchorage, home to 289,000 people, was overrun by journalists with 200 members of the Western press and a plane full of the Kremlin’s favourite reporters.

A Sky News team came across sanctioned Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov leaving dinner the night before the summit and peppered him with questions, but he declined to answer.

John Foreman CBE, former British defence attache to Moscow and Kyiv, shared the footage and wrote: ‘The *sanctioned* Russian finance minister and enabler of Russia’s war machine strolling around Anchorage.

‘They’re rubbing Trump’s nose in it.’

A total of three Russian special flights were chartered with the Kremlin pool arriving in one at 3.09pm local time on Thursday.

The USA had to temporarily lift certain sanctions for 72 hours for them to attend and there were concerns as many had visiting Russian allies North Korea and Iran – usually an automatic rejection.

But if they had been high spirited enjoying Chicken Kyiv on the plane, they were soon knocked back when they saw their digs.

As there are few hotels in the remote location, they have been made to sleep on camper beds on the floor at the local Alaska Airlines Center Stadium.

One disgruntled journalist recorded a video tour which showed they had just a semi-transparent curtain for privacy in the sports hall.

‘Well, the conditions here are pretty spartan,’ he is heard moaning of the local Alaska Airlines Center Stadium.