Trump, Putin summit in Alaska ends without deal on war in Ukraine

Washington (Web Desk): US President Donald Trump said Friday evening that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not reach an agreement to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine after a nearly three-hour summit in Alaska, though he characterized the meeting as “very productive.”

Following a lengthy closed-door conversation on a military base in Anchorage, both leaders emerged briefly to address reporters, offering vague optimism but no concrete breakthrough.

Trump, speaking in restrained tones, described the dialogue as constructive, yet he acknowledged that they had not finalized any deal to end the war that has devastated Ukraine for over three years.

“There were many, many points that we agreed on,” Trump said. “I would say a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite got there, but we’ve made some headway. So there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

Despite his reputation for off-the-cuff remarks, Trump remained tight-lipped after the session. Reporters called out with questions, but neither he nor Putin responded. They each spoke briefly before stepping away without taking any queries.

During a brief appearance before the media following the summit meeting, the two leaders said they had made progress on unspecified issues. But they offered no details and took no questions, with the normally effusive Trump ignoring shouted questions from reporters.

Putin, through a translator, warned that Kyiv and its Western partners should not undermine what he called a step toward resolving hostilities. He suggested that the outcome of the US–Russia dialogue must be accepted internationally, though he did not elaborate on what agreements—if any—had been made.

“There were many, many points that we agreed on,” Trump said. “I would say a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite got there, but we’ve made some headway. So there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

Trump entered the discussions hoping to secure a halt in combat and encourage Putin to sit down directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for talks on ending the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Trump and Putin each spoke for a few minutes to reporters and took no questions. There was no immediate indication of whether the discussions brought the sides closer to a truce. The absence of tangible results left observers wondering if the summit was more symbolic than substantive.

It was not clear whether the talks had produced meaningful steps toward a ceasefire in the deadliest conflict in Europe in 80 years, a goal that Trump had set at the outset.

With tensions still high, Zelenskiy and European leaders had worried Trump might legitimize Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories by freezing the conflict in place—effectively handing Putin an informal victory.In brief remarks, Putin said he expected Ukraine and its European allies to accept the results of the U.S.-Russia negotiation, warning them not to “torpedo” the progress toward a resolution.

Trump appeared mindful of those concerns as he boarded Air Force One, telling reporters that the decisions about any concessions would be left to the Ukrainians themselves.

Trump and Putin, along with top foreign-policy aides, conferred in a room at an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska in their first meeting since 2019. A blue backdrop behind them had the words “Pursuing Peace” printed on it.

“I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them at a table,” he said. When pressed on what he hoped would come from the session, he answered: “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly … I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today … I want the killing to stop.”

Trump’s publicly stated aim for the talks was to secure a halt to the fighting and a commitment by Putin to meet swiftly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to negotiate an end to the war, which began when Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.

Zelenskiy, though left out of the Alaska meeting, expressed cautious hope that the summit could lay the groundwork for a genuine peace process. Writing on Telegram, he insisted that any end to the war must begin with Russia taking concrete steps toward de-escalation.

Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the summit, and his European allies had feared Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognizing – if only informally – Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine.

“It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” he posted, calling for inclusive talks involving all three leaders.

Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial concessions.

Trump, for his part, said he would reach out to Zelenskiy and NATO officials soon to debrief them on the summit. A follow-up meeting, this time including the Ukrainian president, could come quickly if Friday’s encounter was deemed productive enough.

“I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them at a table,” he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly … I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today … I want the killing to stop.”

When Putin arrived in Alaska, Trump greeted him warmly, shaking hands and briefly placing a hand on the Russian president’s arm. The two then rode together to the summit venue in Trump’s motorcade.
Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States.

For Trump, brokering a halt to the war could solidify his global leadership image and potentially earn him accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize, for which Pakistan has reportedly submitted a formal nomination.

Trump said he would call Zelenskiy and NATO leaders to update them on the talks with Putin.
From Putin’s perspective, the meeting alone was a diplomatic success, signaling a break in Western efforts to isolate Moscow. He is likely to use the summit as evidence that Russia remains a central player on the world stage, despite international sanctions and condemnation.

Once on the ground in Alaska, Trump greeted Putin on a red carpet on the base’s tarmac. The two shook hands warmly and touched each other on the arm before riding in Trump’s limo to the summit site nearby.

While the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over allegations of forcibly relocating Ukrainian children, both the U.S. and Russia reject the court’s jurisdiction. Moscow has called the warrant invalid.

Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war that Putin started will bring peace to the region as well as bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, for which Pakistan has formally nominated him.

Officially, both Kyiv and Moscow deny attacking civilian populations, though the conflict has left thousands of Ukrainian civilians dead and millions displaced.

For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the high table of international diplomacy.

According to Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, the total number of military and civilian casualties from both nations combined stands at approximately 1.2 million.

Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court, accused of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Russia denies the allegations, and Moscow has dismissed the ICC warrant as null and void. Russia and the United States are not members of the court.

Present at the closed-door discussions were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian aide Yury Ushakov, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the war. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority Ukrainian.

Should the initial Alaska meeting bear fruit, Trump has indicated that the next step would be a three-way summit with Zelenskiy and Putin, which he believes could be more critical than Friday’s talks.

A conservative estimate of dead and injured in the war in Ukraine – from both sides combined – totals 1.2 million people, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said three months ago.

Zelenskiy reiterated that peace must be grounded in justice and Ukraine’s sovereignty, emphasizing that Russia’s ongoing attacks contradict any claims of seeking peace.

The meeting also included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Trump’s special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff; Russian foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov; and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Earlier, Trump had said if Friday’s talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be more important than his encounter with Putin.

Zelenskiy said Friday’s summit should open the way for a “just peace” and three-way talks that included him, but added that Russia was continuing to wage war.

“It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.