U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for nearly three hours behind closed doors in Alaska on Friday, with Trump pledging he would seek an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

The two leaders shook hands on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage and posed for photographers, but did not take questions before leaving for their meeting.

The White House said as Trump arrived that the meeting, originally expected to be a one-on-one with Putin, will now be “three-on-three.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will join Trump in the closed-door talks.

As the two groups sat down together, Trump and Putin did not directly answer repeated shouted questions from reporters about the prospect for a ceasefire. The words “Pursuing Peace” were displayed behind them as they sat.

At one point, Putin cupped his hands around his mouth and appeared to say something, although his voice could not be heard. Reporters were then quickly ushered out of the room.

The private talks lasted nearly three hours, the Kremlin said, and a joint press conference was expected to take place shortly afterwards.

Trump’s demand for a ceasefire sets new stakes for the summit that could reset the trajectory for the war. Putin is expected to hold firm to his long-term goals in Ukraine, including cementing territorial gains and eventually pulling the former Soviet republic back under Russia’s control.

Ukraine and its European and Canadian allies — as well as Ukrainian diasporas in Canada and around the world — are pushing to ensure Trump doesn’t make a deal with Putin without Kyiv’s involvement.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One he’s “not here to negotiate for Ukraine” and that further diplomacy will be necessary, but made clear he’s looking for “certain things” — including an end to the fighting.

“I want to see a ceasefire rapidly,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s going to happen today, but I’m not going to be happy if it doesn’t happen today. … I’m just saying I want the killing to stop.”

Russian forces this week have breached the Ukrainian front lines in the eastern Donetsk region, one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday on Telegram that Russian attacks continued overnight as the Alaska summit drew near.

“HIGH STAKES!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social before boarding Air Force One.

In Anchorage, protesters were split among ideological lines, with pro-Ukraine demonstrations featuring signs calling both Putin and Trump “criminals” and declaring Trump a Russian asset. Pro-Trump rallies held American flags and “Trump 2028” banners.

Trump vowed throughout his re-election campaign last year that he would solve the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office. Yet he acknowledged Thursday that the war was “the most complicated” among other global conflicts his administration has sought to end.

“I think President Trump has finally figured out that Putin is not his friend, that Putin indeed is the obstacle,” Bill Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told Global News in an interview.

For Putin, the invitation to Alaska effectively ended the years-long western strategy of isolating the Russian leader that was spearheaded by former U.S. president Joe Biden.

Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a former U.S. NATO representative, said it’s also “significant” that Putin is arriving on American soil as he faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine — specifically the forced removal of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

The U.S. is not a signatory to the ICC, but Daalder noted that while Trump “may not care” about the charges against Putin, “the world certainly does.”

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“This is bringing an isolated Putin no only just out of isolation, but into the mainstream, into the American mainstream,” he said. “And that is a significant concession.”

Putin said Thursday the talks could set the stage for a new long-term nuclear arms treaty with the U.S., after he scuttled the previous deal amid mounting U.S. and European sanctions and as NATO steadily increased its military aid to Ukraine.

Moscow is also seeking to restore economic ties with the U.S. as its domestic economy struggles under high inflation and a focus on its military industries.

Trump said Friday that business deals with Russia were possible, but “they’re not doing business until we get the war settled.”

The U.S. president has promised additional sanctions on Russia and other “severe consequences” if Putin doesn’t demonstrate a willingness to make peace. Previous deadlines for a ceasefire deal set by Trump have come and gone without any action from the U.S.

A sanctions package endorsed by Republicans and Democrats has stalled in the U.S. Senate until Trump explicitly endorses it, something he has yet to do.

Trump said Friday his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions.

“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump told reporters travelling with him to Alaska.

Trump had previously said “land swapping” would likely be included in any peace deal and that Ukraine would get at least some of its territory occupied by Russia back.

Zelenskyy had repeatedly said ceding territory is an unacceptable concession for Ukraine, whose borders are enshrined in its constitution. Changing them would require a referendum among the Ukrainian people.

Trump also said there’s “a possibility” of the U.S. offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.”

Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.

The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported this month that the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine in July was the highest on record since May 2022.

Prime Minister Mark Carney took part in talks Wednesday with European leaders and spoke directly with Zelenskyy on Monday. He said Canada’s partners are “united on shared principles,” particularly that Ukrainians must decide on their own future.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand spoke with her Ukrainian counterpart Thursday and said borders can’t be changed by violence.

“We will continue to support Ukraine through diplomatic measures, military assistance and economic aid to hold Russia accountable for its illegal war,” she wrote on social media, adding that Canada’s support is “unwavering.”

Ukrainian Canadian community leaders and humanitarian advocates say they’re cautiously optimistic that Trump is listening to the pressure from Canada and Europe to stand up for Ukraine’s interests — warning that appeasement will only embolden Putin and Russia.

“I think we’re going to find out, is President Trump there to be an ally of Russia or an ally of Ukraine, or some third option,” said Ihor Michalchyshyn, CEO and executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

—With files from Global’s Reggie Cecchini, The Associated Press and Reuters