Next Time in Moscow?: What You Need to Know About Trump-Putin Alaska Summit

Morocco World

19 hours ago

Marrakech – The highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without a ceasefire agreement for Ukraine after nearly three hours of talks in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday.
The meeting marked Putin's first appearance on Western soil since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump welcomed the Russian leader with a red carpet reception and a warm handshake, dramatically elevating Putin's international standing after years of isolation.
Summit ends without breakthrough
Despite earlier expectations, no ceasefire deal was reached. 'There's no deal until there's a deal,' Trump declared during brief remarks to the media following the talks. 'We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.'
Both leaders departed without taking questions from the assembled press corps, who had anticipated a full press conference. Instead, they delivered prepared statements before promptly leaving.
Putin, speaking first, characterized the meeting as 'long overdue' and claimed that 'the agreement that we've reached together will help us bring close that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.' However, he offered no concrete details about any agreements reached.
Trump described the talks as 'extremely productive' and claimed they made 'great progress,' noting that 'many points were agreed to,' while adding there were 'just a very few that are left; some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant.' He declined to elaborate on these points or provide any specifics about the discussions.
The summit ended earlier than scheduled, with a planned luncheon between a broader group of officials canceled. Trump returned to Washington overnight while Putin departed Alaska – a territory that once belonged to Russia before the United States purchased it in 1867 – without the ceasefire that Trump had previously insisted was necessary for peace talks to advance.
Kremlin stance remains firm
Throughout the summit, Putin showed no signs of retreating from Russia's established position on Ukraine. He pointedly referred to addressing the 'root causes' of the conflict – diplomatic language that has consistently signaled his maximalist demands, including recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territories, Ukraine's demilitarization, and blocking Ukraine's path to NATO membership.
'We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively and that they won't throw a wrench in the works,' Putin stated. 'They will not make any attempts to use some backroom dealings to conduct provocations to torpedo the nascent progress.'
The Russian president made no direct mention of potentially meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. His aide Yuri Ushakov later told Russian state news agency TASS that a three-way summit had not been discussed during the talks, contradicting subsequent claims by Trump.
Russian forces have continued their gradual advance on the battlefield for months, potentially strengthening Putin's negotiating position. According to analysts, the war has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians.
Ahead of the summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with 'CCCP,' the Soviet Union's initials. The not-so-subtle sartorial choice, widely seen as deliberate trolling, drew global attention and underscored Moscow's willingness to needle Washington on symbolism as much as substance.
Trump pivots on Ukraine strategy
Trump's post-summit rhetoric revealed a substantial reversal in US policy toward Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump bluntly stated that Zelensky 'gotta make a deal' because 'Russia is a very big power, and they're not.'
The US president also announced on Truth Social that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which oftentimes do not hold up.'
This represents a fundamental departure from previous US policy that had aligned with Ukraine and European allies in demanding a ceasefire before peace negotiations could begin. The pivot aligns more closely with Moscow's longstanding position that comprehensive peace talks, not temporary ceasefires, are the path forward.
Trump told Hannity that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had 'largely agreed' on terms. 'I think we're pretty close to a deal,' he claimed, though he acknowledged that 'Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'.'
The president also stated he would not immediately implement the economic sanctions he had previously threatened against Russia if an agreement wasn't reached by early August. Instead, he said he 'may have to think about' enacting sanctions 'in two weeks or three weeks or something.'
Next steps
Following the summit, Trump announced that Zelensky would arrive at the White House on Monday for high-level talks. 'If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,' Trump stated on Truth Social, suggesting a potential pathway to further negotiations.
This upcoming meeting carries significant weight given the contentious history between Trump and Zelensky. Their previous Oval Office encounter in February quickly 'descended into insults and chaos,' according to CBS News, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticizing the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky responded to the Alaska summit by expressing support for a three-way meeting. 'Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,' he posted on X. The Ukrainian president stressed the importance of involving European partners, stating: 'It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America.'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted that the most promising developments from the summit concerned potential security guarantees for Ukraine inspired by NATO's Article 5 collective defense principle.
'The starting point of the proposal is the definition of a collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the USA, ready to take action in case it is attacked again,' she explained.
Putin's diplomatic triumph
For the Russian leader, the summit itself represented a significant diplomatic victory regardless of its concrete outcomes. After being shunned by Western nations for over three years, Putin received a red carpet welcome on American soil, complete with fighter jet escorts and a ride in Trump's armored presidential limousine.
'This was being labelled as a victory even before Putin left the tarmac,' reported Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid from Moscow. 'Getting the US administration to hold this meeting away from Ukrainians and Europeans was already being seen as something of a win for Putin.'
The meeting showcased Putin's adept handling of Trump, according to observers. 'Putin has understood the pulse of Trump, giving him what exactly he wanted to hear and not giving anything in return,' noted Bin Javaid.
Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko assessed the outcome bluntly: 'Putin is a determined opponent, and, yes, he basically won this round because he got something for nothing.'
As the summit concluded, Putin casually suggested hosting their next meeting in Moscow – a rare moment where he spoke English. 'Next time in Moscow,' he said with a smile. Trump responded that he might 'get a little heat on that one' but that he could 'possibly see it happening,' further reinforcing the impression of warming relations between the two leaders.
War continues despite diplomatic efforts
The war in Ukraine showed no signs of abating during or after the summit. While Trump and Putin were meeting, most eastern Ukrainian regions remained under air raid alerts, and Russian regional governors reported Ukrainian drone attacks on their territories.
In the hours following the summit, both nations conducted overnight air strikes – Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 29 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Sea of Azov, while Ukraine's air force reported that one ballistic missile and 85 Shahed drones were fired at parts of Sumy, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions, with 61 drones intercepted.
A Ukrainian soldier in Sumy told CBS News that 'things get even more terrifying on the front line' when there are peace talks. 'They try and seize more territory,' the soldier explained, pointing out the disconnect between diplomatic engagements and battlefield realities.
European allies have maintained their support for Ukraine while cautiously welcoming Trump's diplomatic initiative. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged that an end to the war was closer than ever thanks to Trump's efforts, but insisted: 'Until [Putin] stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions.'
A joint statement from European leaders emphasized that 'Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees' and that Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to the EU and NATO. 'International borders must not be changed by force,' the statement declared, reaffirming core Western principles in the conflict.
Gulf energy producers watch closely
Behind the diplomatic theater, the summit has triggered careful calculations among oil-producing Gulf states, who have profited substantially from the geopolitical tensions caused by the Ukraine war.
In the background, Gulf oil and gas producers are monitoring the developments between Putin and Trump with strategic concern.
These energy exporters recognize that any genuine rapprochement between Washington and Moscow could spell the end of the golden price wave – the premium pricing that years of sanctions and tensions have fueled in global energy markets.
While maintaining public neutrality, these producers have benefited from the status quo; though never stated openly, they prefer the conflict to persist, as each day of turmoil pumps additional billions into their treasuries through elevated oil and gas prices.
Any comprehensive political or peace agreement could trigger a significant market correction, pushing oil prices onto a downward path and stripping these nations of the financial leverage and influence that great power turmoil has temporarily afforded them.
This economic dimension, not talked about much in the media, adds another layer of complexity to the geopolitical dynamics surrounding the Ukraine conflict, as regional powers weigh their unstated preferences against the public calls for peace and stability.
As diplomatic maneuvers continue in the coming weeks, the true impact of the Alaska summit remains to be seen – whether it represents a substantive step toward ending the bloodshed in Ukraine or merely another chapter in a protracted conflict that continues to reshape the international order.
Read also: The Shockwaves of the Ukraine-Russia War in North Africa Tags: Donald Trumprussia-ukraine warUS and RussiaVladimir Putin