U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is flying to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on a separate military aircraft rather than aboard Air Force One, the Pentagon said Friday. His independent travel arrangement ends speculation that he would miss President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is focused on securing a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine. Hegseth will join Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who commands both U.S. European Command and NATO forces, to provide military advice during the talks. A NATO official said Grynkewich has been central to a U.S.-backed plan under which five European allies have agreed to purchase $1.5 billion in American weapons for Kyiv, with additional pledges expected. Traveling with Trump on Air Force One are Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and several senior White House aides, according to administration officials. The president has warned of “economically severe” consequences for Moscow if Putin shows no interest in a peace deal and has left open the possibility of security guarantees for Ukraine outside the NATO framework.