Trump and Putin Meet in Alaska: Friendly Tone, But No Breakthrough on Ukraine War

In a highly anticipated summit held in Alaska on Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin rekindled their personal rapport but failed to reach any concrete breakthrough on ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The two leaders met behind closed doors for roughly two and a half hours before appearing together briefly to address the media. However, they avoided taking questions and provided few details about the substance of their discussions.

Speaking first, Trump described the meeting as "extremely productive" and said the two sides had agreed on many points — though the most critical issues remained unresolved.

“We didn’t get there,” Trump admitted, while emphasizing the potential for progress. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he said, suggesting that further discussions would be necessary.

He also indicated plans to speak soon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to brief them on the outcome of the summit.

“There are just a very few points that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant,” Trump said. “But we have a very good chance of getting there.”

Putin struck an optimistic note, claiming that the two leaders had reached an “understanding” on Ukraine, though he didn’t elaborate on what that entailed. He warned European countries not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”

Thanking Trump for the “friendly” tone of the meeting, Putin expressed hope that the summit would help restore a more cooperative relationship between Moscow and Washington.

“Trump has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country,” Putin said. “At the same time, he understands that Russia has its own national interests.”

He added, “I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but also for restoring pragmatic, businesslike relations between Russia and the U.S.”

### **Talk of a Future Meeting in Moscow**

The summit ended on a warm note, with Trump thanking Putin and hinting at the possibility of another meeting in the near future. When Putin suggested holding the next round of talks in Moscow, Trump smiled and replied, “That’s an interesting one. I could see it possibly happening,” while acknowledging he might face criticism for it.

While the summit failed to produce immediate results, it marked a return to dialogue between the two leaders — and, perhaps, the beginning of a new chapter in U.S.-Russia relations.