Trump: Putin summit productive but "we didn't get there" on Ukraine deal
Why it matters: Trump set a ceasefire as the target for this summit, but said that while he and Putin agreed on most of the relevant issues they did not come to an agreement on "the biggest one." He added: "There's no deal until there's a deal."
Putin did claim an "agreement" was reached, however, without offering any details. He urged "Kyiv and European capitals" to "perceive that constructively" and not "torpedo the nascent progress."
Speaking alongside Putin, Trump said the next step was that he would brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders. But it appears his hope of a swift follow-up summit involving Putin and Zelensky has not come to fruition.
"We really made some great progress today. I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir," Trump said.
"Next time in Moscow," Putin quipped in English at the end of the joint appearance. They did not take questions.
What he's saying: Putin lamented the fact that U.S.-Russia relations had fallen in recent years to "the lowest point since the Cold War" and it was time for the U.S. and Russia to move from "confrontation to dialogue."
"Our negotiations have been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect. We had very thorough negotiations that were quite useful," Putin said to open the briefing.
He offered no signals that his position on Ukraine had softened. Putin insisted that the "root causes" of the conflict must be "eliminated" — language he has used before to push for the demilitarization of Ukraine.
Driving the news: Trump and Putin cut the summit shorter than expected, emerging before the press after meeting for around 2.5 hours.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff joined Trump, and Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov joined Putin for that meeting.
That "three on three" format was a last-minute change, as Trump and Putin were originally expected to meet with only translators.
Senior officials from both sides were expected to join for a larger meeting over lunch, but that meeting appears to have been scrapped.
Catch up quick: Trump gave Putin a red carpet welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, complete with a B-2 bomber flyover.
Between the lines: Trump said multiple times ahead of the summit that his goal was to obtain a ceasefire, though he wasn't sure if that was likely.
He also said he hoped Putin would agree to a quick follow-up summit with Zelensky, possibly while they were all still in Alaska.
He warned that Putin would face "severe consequences" if he didn't take any steps toward peace.
The intrigue: Both presidents offered asides about U.S. domestic politics.
Putin concurred with Trump's claim the war in Ukraine would never have started on his watch, while Trump referred to Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election as a "hoax."
The bottom line: Trump's conclusion, at least publicly, seems to be that this meeting was a success. But he did not offer any concrete statements as to what was achieved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
21 minutes ago
- Fox News
From Washington: The Congressional Clash Over DC Crime, Redistricting
This week, President Trump invoked a section of the Home Rule Act, enabling a federal takeover of the D.C. police department. He stated that the move was necessary to restore safety and combat violence in our nation's capital. FOX News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram explains the authority the Act grants to both the President and Congress, and how Republican lawmakers might take further action to support this effort. Later, he looks ahead to the midterms and discusses how the ongoing redistricting battle could impact election outcomes. Later, Congressman Troy Downing (R-MT) explains why he's pushing legislation to overturn limitations on coal, and why it's a necessary power source for America to win the race on artificial intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Rating Plummets With Millennials
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted with millennials, hitting its lowest level of the year in August, according to new polling. According to YouGov/Economist polling, in June, 40 percent of millennials approved of Trump's job performance while 53 percent disapproved—a net rating of -13 points. That slid to 41-57 (-16) in July before plunging to 33-56 (-23) in August. The figures show a 10-point drop in net approval in just two months, underscoring growing dissatisfaction among millennials as the 2025 political season intensifies. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty Why It Matters Trump, who has long highlighted strong polling at rallies and press events, now faces slipping approval ratings that could weaken his influence and hurt Republican prospects in the 2026 midterms. After returning to the White House in January with solid numbers, his support has eroded amid economic concerns, tariff backlash and political discontent. Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris have turned to podcasts and digital outreach to court millennials, a generation wary of legacy media and traditional messaging. Millennials are defined generally as people born from 1981 to 1996. The generation has overtaken baby boomers as the largest age demographic, according to the Pew Research Center. What To Know The poll shows that Trump's declining popularity among millennials is being driven by worsening views on the economy and inflation. "Millennials have yet to see the sweeping national renewal Trump promised," Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London, told Newsweek. On the economy, Trump's approval among millennials slipped from 36 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval in June to 38 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval in August, showing that approval and disapproval has edged up the same. Inflation also appears to be a particular weak spot. Approval in this area dropped from 33 percent in June to 27 percent in August, while disapproval rose from 58 percent to 60 percent. The shift suggests heightened concern among younger voters about persistent price pressures. That comes as inflation rose to 2.7 percent in June despite Trump's previous promise to end inflation on day one of his second term. "Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods," he said during a rally in Bozeman, Montana, in August 2024. President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Center on August 13, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Center on August 13, 2025, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP Meanwhile, job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 new jobs added—down from 147,000 the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. After last month's jobs report was published, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. In a post, Trump accused McEntarfer—without offering evidence—of rigging the numbers to harm his administration. But that move by Trump was not popular among millennial voters, with only 16 percent saying the decision was justified. There are also concerns about Trump's tariff program. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick predicted $50 billion in monthly revenue from the new import taxes, which came into effect this month. But JPMorgan warned that 60 percent of the increased costs are expected to be passed on to American consumers through higher prices. "On the consumer side, many remain burdened by rising prices under his tariffs, while housing in particular continues to be out of reach for a generation still struggling to get a foothold on the economic ladder," said Gift. According to Federal Reserve data, millennials own less than two-thirds of the real estate that baby boomers owned at the same age. But it's not all bad news for Trump. His handling of immigration remains a relative bright spot with this age group. Approval rose from 33 percent to 41 percent over the same period, while disapproval fell from 58 percent to 50 percent, marking an 8-point net improvement. Throughout his second term, Trump has aggressively expanded immigration enforcement—launching mass deportation operations, increasing raids in sanctuary cities and reviving thousands of old deportation cases. His administration has also dramatically scaled up detention capacity, allocating $45 billion to expand ICE facilities and construct large-scale temporary camps, including a facility in Florida nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz." But while Trump has continued to push the hardline immigration agenda that helped him win support in 2024, polls indicate that backing for those policies is fading across other demographic groups. Gallup polling from last month showed that 30 percent of Americans now say immigration levels should be reduced, down from 55 percent in 2024. Support for maintaining or increasing immigration has risen across the board, including among Republicans. More broadly, the number of Americans who view immigration as a "good thing" has reached an all-time high of 79 percent, the same poll shows, reversing a steady decline during Joe Biden's presidency and surpassing levels from Trump's first term. What Happens Next Trump's new nominee to run the BLS, E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, hinted at suspending the monthly release of jobs data. August's numbers are due to be published the first week of September.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
US India Trade Talks Called Off: Reports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A scheduled trip by a U.S. trade delegation to India later this month has been called off, according to reports. Several rounds of talks on a bilateral trade deal between the U.S. — the world's largest economy — and India, the world's most populous nation and itself a major economic power, have so far failed to yield an agreement. An executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, issued earlier this month, slapped India with an additional 25 percent tariffs over its Russian oil purchases, bringing the overall tariff on Indian imports into the U.S. to 50 percent. This will come into effect on August 27. India's foreign ministry called the move "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" at the time. Newsweek has approached the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the U.S. Trade Representative for comment via email sent outside of regular working hours. U.S President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2017. U.S President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2017. Olivier Douliery/ Abaca/Sipa via AP Images U.S. trade negotiators were expected to visit New Delhi between August 25 and 29, and a revised date has not been confirmed, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous source with direct knowledge of the matter. Unnamed sources told Indian broadcaster NDTV Profit that the talks would likely be rescheduled. India's external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, told Newsweek in June he was hopeful for a deal as "very intricate" trade negotiations continued. This is a breaking story. Updates to follow.
