US President Donald Trump departed Alaska without securing an agreement to end the Ukraine war after a significant meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump told the media, stating that while “great progress” was made, “we didn’t get there.” During his flight back to Washington, Trump held a call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who announced plans to visit Washington on Monday. European leaders also participated in the call. Despite the high-profile summit and Trump’s optimism for achieving a ceasefire, no concrete progress was made toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Every aspect of the leaders’ arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage was meticulously planned. Putin, facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, was warmly received by Trump after stepping off his aircraft onto a red carpet. Amid the roar of a B2 bomber overhead, the two leaders posed for photos before boarding Trump’s presidential vehicle, known as The Beast. Despite the pageantry and public displays of camaraderie—and the Kremlin’s earlier projection of a six- or seven-hour meeting—Trump and Putin emerged after less than three hours with only a joint statement for the press.
Putin stated that to achieve a “lasting and long-term settlement,” the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine must be addressed. This phrase signaled that Putin remains steadfast in his demand for Ukraine to withdraw from the four regions partially occupied by Russia—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—and abandon its efforts to join the NATO military alliance. Zelensky has dismissed the idea of retreating from these embattled regions, warning that doing so would embolden Russia to mount future offensives. Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine commenced over three years ago, following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Putin also urged Ukrainians and Europeans to not hinder the peace process. Trump remained silent as Putin spoke for about eight minutes to the media.
When given the floor, Trump said he had a “fantastic relationship with President Putin, Vladimir,” using the Russian leader’s first name. Though many points were agreed upon, Trump indicated that a few remained unresolved, with one being the most significant—though he did not specify what it was. Neither leader took questions. They also skipped the planned bilateral “working lunch” scheduled to follow the talks.
A subsequent Fox News interview provided few additional details. Trump described the meeting as going “very well,” expressing optimism for a favorable outcome. Heading into the Alaska meeting, Trump had threatened “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to end the war. In July, Trump warned of imposing 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners if a peace deal wasn’t reached with Ukraine within 50 days. However, when questioned on Fox News about these threats, Trump said, “We don’t have to think about it today.” He added, “Maybe in two weeks, three weeks,” but reiterated that the meeting went very well.
Regarding a possible trilateral summit with Zelensky, Trump said, “They both want me there and I’ll be there,” without committing to a date or location. Notably absent from the Alaska meeting was the Ukrainian leader, who, like Putin, has provoked varying reactions from Trump since returning to the Oval Office. Trump and Zelensky had a lengthy call during Trump’s flight back to Washington DC, with other NATO leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, joining the conversation.
Zelensky announced his intention to travel to Washington on Monday to meet Trump and expressed support for Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting. He noted “positive signals from the American side regarding participation in ensuring Ukraine’s security,” which European allies have advocated for as part of a collaborative effort to prevent another conflict. Those in Ukraine may breathe a sigh of relief that no agreement to cede territory to Russia was reached, yet they may be alarmed by Putin’s continued rhetoric aimed at justifying the original goal of the invasion—to dismantle Ukraine as an independent state.