Aug. 15—The Russian delegation to the U.S.-Russian summit in Anchorage, Alaska, was announced yesterday by the top aide to President Vladimir Putin, Yury Ushakov. Joining Putin and Ushakov will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. He said that the American delegation of six is known, but he would defer to Washington to announce their team. (On the U.S. side will be Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.)
Ushakov said that the two sides have agreed on a “program for the leaders’ meeting.” Ushakov said the summit will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time, at the U.S. military Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and will commence with a one-on-one conversation between Putin and Trump, accompanied by interpreters. “Then, there will be negotiations in the format of delegations, and these negotiations will continue over a working lunch.”
“Preparations for the meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States have entered their final stage. Given that the meeting was announced just five days ago—that is, overnight into Saturday—all arrangements are being made under intense pressure.
“After the talks, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will hold a joint news conference to sum up the results of the negotiations. Regarding the summit’s agenda, it is evident to all that the central topic will be the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including considerations from the discussions held in the Kremlin on August 6—as you may recall—with the participation of the U.S. President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. However, broader issues related to ensuring peace and security, as well as pressing international and regional matters, will also be addressed. An exchange of views on the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic spheres, is also expected. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilized, potential.
“One additional point of significance: near the military base where the talks will take place, a memorial cemetery holds the remains of nine Soviet pilots, two military personnel, and two civilians who perished between 1942 and 1945 while ferrying aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. Thus, the meeting will unfold near a site of profound historical importance—one that underscores the wartime camaraderie between our nations. This symbolism is particularly resonant in this year, the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory over Nazi Germany and militarist Japan.” (There are also a considerable number of Alaska residents of Russian descent, and there is a very active Orthodox community in the state. Russian is still spoken by some in communities with Russian heritage.)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated this morning on “Fox and Friends,” as reported by ABC News, that Trump and Putin would hold a joint press conference. Trump “will engage in a one-on-one meeting with President Putin, which will be followed by a bilateral lunch with a respective delegation from both countries, and then a press conference.” Asked by the reporter if this will be “a joint press conference where both sides get to ask Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump?” she answered: “Yes, that is the plan.”