Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up their long-awaited summit in Alaska on Friday without reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
The three-hour meeting, held with top aides, produced friendly gestures and broad pledges of cooperation but stopped short of delivering a breakthrough. Both leaders praised the talks as “productive,” though they declined to provide specifics.
“We made progress, but there’s no agreement until everything is settled,” Trump said after the meeting. He described the summit as “extremely productive,” hinting that only one key issue remains unresolved but offering no details.
Putin struck a similar tone, saying the discussions created “understanding” that could help pave the way for peace. Smiling at Trump, he even suggested their next meeting be held in Moscow.
Ahead of the summit, Trump had warned Moscow of “serious consequences” if it refused a ceasefire. But in a later Fox News interview, he indicated those threats may no longer be necessary, saying the day’s discussions had changed the situation.
The meeting was the pair’s first face-to-face encounter since 2019. Their arrivals were staged with heavy symbolism, including presidential jets on the tarmac, Trump welcoming Putin into the U.S. presidential limousine, and a B-2 stealth bomber flying overhead.
Despite the warm atmosphere, the Alaska summit left Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines. He was not invited to attend and has resisted Trump’s calls to surrender territory taken by Russian forces. “Ending this war depends on Russia’s actions, and we are counting on America’s support,” Zelensky wrote in a post during the summit.
Putin, under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, warned Ukraine and European nations not to “provoke or obstruct” what he described as emerging progress.
While Russian troops have made recent gains, Ukraine also announced it had recaptured several villages as Putin traveled to the United States.
Trump, under pressure to show firmness after being criticized for appearing deferential to Putin in 2018, insisted he had been tough in Alaska. But for now, the war grinds on, with no peace deal in sight.
