US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a “very productive” summit in Alaska, aimed at finding a way to end the ongoing war in Ukraine which began on February 24, 2022. Despite the positive tone of the discussions, no formal agreement was reached during the meeting.
Trump made it clear that “there is no deal until there is a deal,” maintaining that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin made “great progress” but did not emerge from today’s summit with an deal on the war in Ukraine.
Putin, who has demanded full control of four Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine, and Trump, who reportedly agreed to a framework involving land swaps and US-backed security guarantees, still face significant hurdles in finalizing an agreement.
Trump agreed that “big” issues remain unsettled, notably the territorial concessions Putin seeks and the terms for a ceasefire that are important to be agreed during the negotiations. While both leaders agreed on many points, the ‘most difficult parts of the negotiations were left unresolved’. Trump emphasized that there was still a “very good chance” of reaching a deal, even though no immediate resolution was achieved.
“I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I’ll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them,” Trump said after today’s summit in Anchorage, Alaska.
“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Trump said, adding, “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”
Vladimir Putin characterized the talks as “positive” and said, “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles, will not make attempts to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations and behind-the-scenes intrigues.”
“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed upon,” Trump added. “There are just a very few that are left. We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”
During the press conference both leaders refused to take questions from mediapersons, Trump mentioned the “wide areas of agreement” between the two leaders, though he offered little insight into how this would impact the ongoing war. Putin reiterated the need for greater US-Russia cooperation and mentioned that the talks were positive, but he did not provide specific details on how any breakthroughs would materialize. As he exited the stage, Putin said, “Next time in Moscow.”
The summit took place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, a major US military base with Cold War significance, previously tasked with monitoring Soviet activity. Trump and Putin arrived in their presidential jets, and Trump was seen clapping as Putin stepped onto US soil for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine began.
After the summit, Trump shifted the responsibility to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He revealed that a meeting would be arranged soon between Zelensky, Putin, and potentially himself.
“Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said in a Fox News interview. “They’re going to set up a meeting now between President Zelensky and President Putin and myself, I guess.”
Trump declined to go into detail about the final sticking points preventing an agreement but stated, “I want to see what we can get done.” Despite the lack of a deal, he rated the summit a “10 out of 10? in the sense that we got along great.”
Putin, for his part, described the discussions as “thorough and useful” and emphasized that Russia is “sincerely interested in putting an end” to the war in Ukraine. However, he raised “legitimate concerns” that need to be addressed before any resolution could be reached.
Crucial issues surrounding territorial concessions, security guarantees, and the potential for a ceasefire remain unresolved. The war in Ukraine continues with no immediate breakthrough in sight.
