US President Donald Trump wrapped up talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday at a high-stakes summit in Alaska that could shape the future of the Ukraine war.The three-on-three meeting between the two presidents and senior aides lasted around three hours. It was not immediately clear if there would be further discussions as journalists were seated for a scheduled news conference.In choreographed drama, the two leaders arrived in their respective presidential jets and descended on the tarmac of an air base, with Trump clapping as Putin stepped on Western soil for the first time since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.US military might was on display with a B-2 stealth bomber flying overhead, as a reporter shouted audibly to Putin, “Will you stop killing civilians?”Putin, undaunted, grinned widely as Trump took the unusual step of escorting him into “The Beast,” the secure US presidential limousine, before a meeting in a room before a screen that said — in English only — “Pursuing Peace.”Putin smiled and joked with Russian reporters on the visit, a breakthrough for a leader who is facing an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court related to the Ukraine war, which has killed tens of thousands of people.- ‘Good respect level’ -Russia in recent days has made battlefield gains that could strengthen Putin’s hand in any ceasefire negotiations, although Ukraine announced as Putin was flying in that it had retaken several 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 heated criticism 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 he instead entered the talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his roving envoy Steve Witkoff. The White House planned a working lunch with a larger entourage.Every word and gesture was being 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.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 television 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 any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Putin and the Ukrainian president to “divvy up” territory.- ‘Severe’ consequences -Trump has boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war, and vowed before his return to the White House in January that he would be able to bring peace within 24 hours.But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise.Saying he “would walk” from the table if the meeting didn’t go well, Trump told reporters he “wouldn’t be happy” if a ceasefire could not be secured immediately.The talks were taking place at Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War facility for surveillance of the former Soviet Union.Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia — a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps.Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine.The summit marks a sharp change in approach from Western European leaders and Biden, who vowed not to hold discussions with Russia on Ukraine unless Kyiv was also involved.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced Friday that its Starship megarocket is scheduled to blast off on a new test flight next weekend after recent attempts have ended in fiery explosions.The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle in history is planned to return Americans to the Moon — and is central to the dreams of colonizing Mars envisioned by Musk, the world’s richest person.But repeated explosions that sent debris raining down over Caribbean islands and disrupted flights have piled pressure onto SpaceX to pull off a smoother trial run.The rocket’s 10th test flight is set to launch as soon as August 24 from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas, SpaceX said on its website.During two test flights earlier this year, the rocket’s upper stage — which is the spacecraft intended to carry crew and cargo — erupted in fiery cascades not long after launch.Starship managed to make it to space during the last test in late May, however it then blew up when a fuel leak caused it to lose control.The rocket’s propulsion system was also supposed to execute a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico — but it disintegrated before reaching the water.Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, the black-and-white behemoth is designed to eventually be fully reusable and launch at relatively low cost.SpaceX has been betting that its “fail fast, learn fast” ethos — which helped it dominate commercial spaceflight — will once again pay off.But the latest string of setbacks, which also includes an explosion during a routine ground test in June, has raised serious questions about Starship’s progress.Musk — who is known for making extremely ambitious proposals — maintains that the rocket will launch its first uncrewed missions to Mars next year.SpaceX has also been sharply criticized over the impact its launches have on people and the environment near where its rockets blast off. In June, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue SpaceX over falling debris and contamination from its launches.More Starship tests are expected in the coming months, however, after the US aviation regulator approved the number of its annual launches increasing from five to 25.