Putin Changes Speech During Alaska Press Conference, Puts Four Pages Aside

At the Alaska summit, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed long-term solutions to the Ukraine conflict, with U.S. envoy Steven Witkoff later announcing a breakthrough on security guarantees.

Putin Alters Speech at Press Conference

During the press conference following talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly set aside four pages of prepared text.

This adjustment came after Putin declared that Moscow expects Kyiv and European countries to refrain from sabotaging progress in the peace process through provocations or political intrigues. The Russian leader emphasized the need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, insisting that a sustainable and long-term settlement must reflect Russia’s legitimate concerns and restore a fair balance of security in Europe and globally.

High-Level Talks in Anchorage

The U.S.-Russia summit was held on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska, and lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes in a “three-on-three” format. Alongside Trump were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steven Witkoff, while Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov.

After the meeting, Donald Trump placed a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to reports, their exchange was tense, as they discussed the positions presented by both leaders during the Alaska talks.

Breakthrough on Security Guarantees

On August 17, U.S. special envoy Steven Witkoff publicly described the summit agreements as a “historic breakthrough.” He announced that Russia and the United States had reached a joint solution on collective security guarantees for Ukraine, likening the arrangement to NATO’s Article Five.

“We agreed on reliable security guarantees,” Witkoff stated, emphasizing that Russia had committed to refraining from attacks on European countries and that U.S. negotiators acknowledged Moscow’s firm opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, which Russia considers a red line.

According to Witkoff, these commitments should satisfy Ukrainian leadership while paving the way for broader peace arrangements.

Territorial Concessions Discussed

Witkoff also hinted that Moscow had shown flexibility regarding five Ukrainian regions. While details were not immediately disclosed, subsequent reports suggested that Russia may withdraw its forces from Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions, and that it would not insist on controlling the entirety of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The possibility of partial troop withdrawals marks the first time Russia has formally entertained territorial concessions within the framework of direct U.S.-Russian negotiations on Ukraine.