The nearly three-hour meeting, the first between the two leaders since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, produced no ceasefire deal, though both men claimed progress.
A high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday ended without a concrete agreement on halting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The nearly three-hour meeting, the first between the two leaders since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, produced no ceasefire deal, though both men claimed progress. “We’ve made some headway,” Trump said, adding, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Trump later told Fox News he would delay imposing tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil, citing “progress with Putin.” He also suggested a possible future meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Putin, however, made no mention of engaging Zelenskiy directly, stressing that “root causes” of the conflict must be addressed for peace.
Zelenskiy, not invited to the talks, said Kyiv was relying on U.S. support. “It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” he posted on Telegram.
Despite the diplomatic pageantry, fighting raged on in Ukraine, with fresh Russian drone strikes and Ukrainian counterattacks reported overnight. The summit closed with Trump hinting at another meeting, and Putin smiling: “Next time in Moscow.”