Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the United States is making “energetic and sincere efforts” to end the war in Ukraine, striking an unusually conciliatory tone toward Washington on the eve of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska. Addressing senior ministers and generals in Moscow, Putin credited the Trump administration with actively seeking a settlement “acceptable to all parties” and suggested that the two countries could begin work on a new arms-control accord if Friday’s talks in Anchorage yield progress on Ukraine. Putin argued that a follow-on agreement to the New START treaty—which limits each side to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and lapses on Feb. 5, 2026—would “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, in Europe and in the world as a whole.” The Kremlin said the Alaska agenda will center on the Ukraine conflict, strategic offensive weapons and bilateral economic ties, with a joint news conference expected after the meeting. The White House has not detailed its position, but Trump warned earlier this week of “very severe consequences” if Moscow fails to agree to a cease-fire.