President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin landed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Friday morning, with Putin arriving from Moscow by way of a refueling stop in Magadan in Russia’s Far East.
Trump was accompanied aboard Air Force One by senior adviser Dan Scavino, part of the president’s close-knit team traveling to Alaska for the summit. Others on Air Force One include Monica Crowley, as earlier reported by Must Read Alaska.
The two leaders are meeting at the base to negotiate a potential end to the Ukraine conflict, now in its fourth year. Trump has said his primary goal is securing a ceasefire, although he has also signaled willingness to discuss possible “land swapping” as part of a settlement framework.
The summit schedule includes a private one-on-one meeting with translators, followed by expanded talks involving members of each leader’s delegation. The day will conclude with a joint press conference. Discussions are set to begin around 11:30 am local time and wrap up later the same day.
Also on the schedule is a meeting between Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the president, with the likely topic being the gasline that both are committed to building from the Arctic.
A rally in support of the president’s efforts for peace is set to begin at the Midtown Mall, on the corner of Seward Highway and Northern Lights Blvd.