Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin praised each other, but there was no agreement on Ukraine.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—From global anticipation of the historic Alaska summit to uncertainty, U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Vladimir Putin failed to reach an agreement Wednesday to end the war in Ukraine , although the Russian president claimed they had reached an “understanding” in a meeting about which they provided few details but effusively praised each other.
In a joint appearance after their nearly three-hour meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage , Trump also said he planned to speak soon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to brief them on the talks.
“ There’s no deal until there’s a deal ,” Trump said, noting that while there were many points on which agreement was reached, there were others where they failed to agree.
Trump and Putin spoke with reporters for a few minutes each and did not take questions.
It was unclear whether the talks had produced significant steps toward a ceasefire in Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years, a goal Trump had set out from the start.
Trump and Putin, along with top foreign policy advisers, met at an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, for their first meeting since 2019. A blue backdrop behind them bore the words “ Pursuing Peace .”
Putin showed no signs of changing his hardline stance on Ukraine. "This is about fundamental threats to our security," he said during the appearance.
“ We are convinced that for the agreement to be durable and long-term, we must eliminate all the root causes of the conflict ,” he said, repeating the phrase he and other Russian officials have used to refer to a list of Kremlin positions that Ukraine—and, for the most part, the West—have called unacceptable.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede much of its territory to Russia, disarm, withdraw from NATO membership, and change its government.
Putin indirectly referred to the agreements between him and Trump, without going into details, and added: “ We hope that Kiev and European capitals will perceive this constructively and not spoil it .”
The Russian leader also gave the US president a significant boost by backing his claim that if Trump had been in the White House, Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022. “ Today, President Trump said that if he had been president back then, there would be no war, and I am sure that would be the case ,” Putin said. “I can confirm that.”
Trump said he would soon call NATO leaders, Zelensky, and others to inform them of what was discussed at the meeting.
Before leaving without taking questions from the hundreds of journalists gathered, Trump said, “We’ll probably meet again very soon.” “ Next time, in Moscow ,” Putin responded in English. “ Oh, how interesting ,” Trump said. “I’m going to get some criticism, but I think it’s possible.”
That morning, aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump had told the press: “I want to see a ceasefire quickly. I don’t know if it will be today. But I won’t be happy if it’s not today.” The Russians will want to do business, he added, but that won’t happen “until we resolve the war.”
In a separate air interview with Fox News, Trump said he would " walk away " if Putin opposed a deal to end the fighting. But as they left the meeting without reaching an agreement, he and Putin sounded optimistic and praised each other.
The press conference followed a surprisingly warm welcome for Putin, who has been shunned for years by Western leaders. While Putin is under US sanctions and subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine, Trump's greeting on the tarmac bore the hallmarks usually reserved for a respected leader.
For Putin, the summit is already a major victory that he can present as proof that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have collapsed and that Moscow is regaining its rightful place in the highest sphere of international diplomacy.
Zelensky, who was not invited to the summit, and his European allies feared that Trump would betray Ukraine by freezing the conflict and recognizing—even if only informally—Russian control over a fifth of Ukraine.
Trump tried to allay those concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any potential territorial concessions. “ I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to bring you to the table ,” he said.
Zelensky has ruled out formally handing over any territory to Moscow and is also seeking a US-backed security guarantee.
The meeting was also attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ; Trump's special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff ; Russian foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov ; and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov .
Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, acknowledged Thursday that it had turned out to be a more difficult task than he expected.
AP and Reuters agencies, and The New York Times newspaper
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