Trump and Putin end meeting in Alaska with no deal on Ukraine but insist 'progress' was made
They have indicated they found areas of agreement and improved their relationship at the meeting but offered no news on a ceasefire.
After an abrupt ending to three hours of talks with aides, Trump and Putin spoke to media but took no questions from reporters, something highly unusual for Trump.
'We're not there yet, but we've made progress. There's no deal until there's a deal,' Trump said.
He called the meeting 'extremely productive' with 'many points' agreed, although he did not offer specifics.
'There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,' Trump said without elaborating.
Putin also spoke in general terms of cooperation in a joint press appearance that lasted just 12 minutes.
'We hope that the understanding we have reached will… pave the way for peace in Ukraine,' Putin said.
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As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: 'Next time in Moscow.'
The two presidents shook hands on the runway tarmac in Anchorage, Alaska.
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Putin told Trump he agreed with him that the Ukraine war – which is of Putin's making – would not have happened if Trump had been US president in 2022 instead of Joe Biden.
Trump for his part again complained of a 'hoax' that Russia intervened to help him the 2016 election, a finding which has been backed by US intelligence.
Before the summit, Trump had warned of 'severe consequences' if Russia did not accept a ceasefire.
But when asked about those consequences during a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity after the talks, Trump said that 'because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that now.'
The friendly reception contrasted with Trump's berating of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he met him at the White House in February.
After the meeting, Trump said he would now consult Zelenskyy as well as Nato leaders, who have voiced unease about his warm outreach to Putin.
'Now it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done,' Trump said in the Fox News interview after the summit.
Putin warned Ukraine and European countries to 'not create any obstacles' and not 'make attempts to disrupt this emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigues.'
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Trump and Putin shake hands on the tarmac in Alaska ahead of high-stakes Ukraine summit
The meeting lasted around three hours.
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Ahead of the meeting, the two leaders arrived in Anchorage, Alaska on their respective presidential jets and descended on the tarmac of an air base, with Trump clapping as Putin appeared.
Russia in recent days has made battlefield gains that could strengthen Putin's hand in any ceasefire negotiations, although Ukraine announced as Putin was flying in that it had retaken several villages.
Trump had insisted he would be firm with Putin, after coming under heated criticism for appearing cowed during a 2018 summit in Helsinki.
While he was traveling to Alaska, the White House announced that Trump had scrapped a plan to see Putin alone and he instead held the talks alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his roving envoy Steve Witkoff.
Zelenskyy was not included and has refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia.
'It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,' Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
© AFP 2025
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