Navalny's widow tells Putin before summit to release war opponents
As Trump and Putin began their first summit since the start of the Ukraine war, Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, called for the release of Russian political prisoners. While expressing hope for the summit, she was also sceptical of its success.
Moscow (dpa) – Before the US-Russia summit on the Ukraine war, opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release all political prisoners.
"This step will go down in history. Just take it," the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in a penal colony in 2024, said in a video message on Friday to the summit participants in the US state of Alaska.
She said there are 1,000 political prisoners in Russia. Dozens have been sentenced to many years in penal colonies for protesting against Putin's war.
Navalnaya sees opportunity for historic meeting but also sceptical
Navalnaya said there is a chance for a historic summit in Anchorage with a real outcome that could go down in history. At the same time, she expressed scepticism about whether the summit could lead to an end to the war.
She has repeatedly stated that she continues her husband's fight against Putin's authoritarian system while in exile abroad.
US President Donald Trump left the White House early Friday morning. According to the US government's schedule, Trump will land in Anchorage, the biggest city in Alaska, at 11 am (1900 GMT) on Friday.
The meeting will mark his first in-person talks with Putin since beginning his second term in office, with discussions set to focus primarily on Russia's war on Ukraine.
Travelling with Trump are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump posts: HIGH STAKES!!!
Before departing, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform simply: "HIGH STAKES!!!"
The talks could produce momentum toward ending the war, although it remains unclear how much can realistically be achieved. Ukraine will not be represented in Anchorage.
Trump has reiterated that he will not make any agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin without involving Ukraine. "I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he told reporters aboard Air Force One, describing his role as bringing Putin "to the table."
Trump also highlighted his cooperation with European powers on the Ukraine issue.
He described Putin as "a smart guy," and added that he considers himself the same. "There's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said, noting that Putin would be accompanied by numerous Russian business leaders and appeared keen on collaboration with the US.
Putin visits Russian Far East on his way
Putin visited the Magadan region in the Far East of his vast country on his way to the summit.
The head of the Kremlin uses the opportunity afforded by such long-distance trips to also attend to the Russian regions, commented his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Magadan is located about 6,000 kilometres east of Moscow as the crow flies. The sparsely populated area by the Sea of Okhotsk has historically had a sad reputation as a place of camps and prisons. Today, it relies on mining and fishing.
Trump warns of fresh sanctions
Speaking before he left, Trump warned that if Putin does not pursue peace in Ukraine, Moscow could face "economically severe" sanctions.
Putin and Trump were set to meet in person later at a military base near Anchorage for the first time since the start of the Russian war almost three and a half years ago.