ANCHORAGE, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shook hands and smiled at an air base in Alaska on Friday as they opened a high-risk summit that will test the United States (US) president’s promise to end the bloody war in Ukraine.

In choreographed drama, Trump and Putin each arrived in their presidential jets and walked under grey skies to greet each other on the tarmac, before walking a red carpet together to an honour guard salute.

As fighter jets circled overhead, a reporter shouted audibly to Putin, “Will you stop killing civilians?”

Neither leader answered as they posed at a podium that said “Alaska 2025” before Putin — in a highly unusual move — followed Trump into the US presidential limousine.

For the Russian president, the summit marks his first foray onto Western soil since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a relentless conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Both leaders have voiced hopes of a productive meeting. But while Trump warned he could judge it a failure after just a few minutes if Putin does not budge, the Kremlin said the two would speak for at least six or seven hours.

In recent days, Russia has made battlefield gains that could strengthen Putin’s hand in any ceasefire negotiations, although Ukraine announced as Putin was flying that it had retaken some villages.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Anchorage, Trump sounded a positive note. “There’s a good respect level on both sides, and I think something’s going to come out of it,” he said.

Trump has insisted he will be firm with Putin, after coming under some of the most heated criticism of his presidency for appearing cowed during a 2018 summit in Helsinki.

The White House on Friday abruptly announced that Trump was scrapping a plan to see Putin alone and instead would be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his roving envoy Steve Witkoff before a working lunch.

Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia.

“It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” Zelensky said in a social media post.

Trump has called the summit a “feel-out meeting” to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019, and said Friday he was not going to Alaska to negotiate.

“I’m here to get them at the table,” he said of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not forecast the outcome of the meeting.

“We never make any predictions ahead of time,” Lavrov told Russian state TV after he reached Alaska, wearing what appeared to be a shirt with “USSR” written across it in Cyrillic script.

Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Putin and the Ukrainian president to “divvy up” territory.