Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska for the first time in years on Friday, but the US president appeared stunned by the Russian leader's Moscow invite.

"Thank you very much, Vladimir," President Trump said as the joint remarks came to an end. Speaking in English, his Russian counterpart said: "Next time in Moscow." Replied Trump: "Oh, that's an interesting one.

Vladimir Putin switches to English in a rare public moment, personally inviting US President Donald Trump to visit Moscow. Watch the video to learn more. #Putin #DonaldTrump #Moscow #Diplomacy #ViralM

Ukraine has occasionally targeted the Russian capital, but has doubled down on drone strikes on Moscow in recent days.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war.

A trial has begun under tight security for 19 defendants accused of involvement in last year’s shooting rampage in a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people and wounded over 600 in one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in years.

After Trump concluded his remarks at the joint press conference by thanking Putin, he said in English: "Next time in Moscow," to which Trump responded that the remark would get him "a little heat," but that he "could see it possibly happening.

WhatsApp accused Moscow of trying to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication after calls on the messaging app were restricted, as Russia promotes home-grown social media platforms and seeks greater control over the country's internet space.