Putin heaps praise on ‘sincere' Donald Trump, hints Russia and US could strike nuclear arms deal
Putin appeared optimistic that forthcoming meetings in Anchorage between Moscow and Washington could 'create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole,' he told senior officials during a briefing on Thursday.
'The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,' Putin said, according to CNN.
A possible peace deal is possible in the 'next stages' of negotiations if the US and Russia can 'reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons,' the 72-year-old said, referring to nuclear arms.
The US and Russia signed a pact in 2011, known as New START, capping strategic nuclear weapons deployments. The deal expires on February 5, 2026.
Here are the latest details on Trump and Putin's meeting in AlaskaThe meeting will take place in Anchorage, Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.Trump said his sitdown with Putin in Alaska will be 'setting the table' for a possible future meeting about the war in Ukraine with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky present.Putin suggested the US and Russia could reach a deal on nuclear arms control.President Trump estimated Thursday there is a 25% chance that his Alaska summit will fail.Zelensky met with European world leaders ahead of the meeting between Trump and Putin.
New START has been tested by Russia's war in Ukraine and has been on life support since Putin announced Russia would no longer comply with its requirements in February.
The treaty limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The pact also called for mutual site inspections, which were paused during COVID-19 in 2020 and have not resumed.
The Kremlin also indicated they want to bring other topics to the table during Friday's meeting — including economic cooperation — alongside conversations about the war on Ukraine.
New START has been tested by Russia's war in Ukraine and has been on life support since Putin announced Russia would no longer comply with its requirements in February.
The treaty limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The pact also called for mutual site inspections, which were paused during COVID-19 in 2020 and have not resumed.
The Kremlin also indicated they want to bring other topics to the table during Friday's meeting — including economic cooperation — alongside conversations about the war on Ukraine.
'Naturally, broader tasks on ensuring peace and security as well as the most pertinent and pressing international and regional issues will be touched upon,' Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday, per Russian state media site TASS.
The Trump-Putin meeting will begin with a one-on-one conversation, with the leaders only flanked by interpreters, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Ushakov said. The leaders will talk over breakfast and then plan to have a joint press conference.
However, Putin — a former KGB agent known as a master manipulator — has repeatedly shown he cannot be trusted.
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the Russian dictator, accusing him of 'tapping' him along and has railed against his 'b*******.'
'We get a lot of b****** thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,' Trump said last month.
'He's very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.'
Trump's main goal for Friday's meetings with the Russian leader is to reach a cease-fire deal, but he is 'not very optimistic' the dictator will budge, a US source familiar with the discussion told The Post.
The president also mainly plans to listen to Putin's demands to get a clearer picture of how to end the war, the White House has indicated.
Putin has reportedly been pushing for Ukraine to give up significant territory Russia has claimed — and not been able to take by force — in order for any lasting peace deal to be reached.
Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders on a call Wednesday that a cease-fire was his top priority and said he would not discuss Ukraine territorial concessions, sources said.
If no cease-fire agreement is reached, Trump vowed there would be 'severe consequences' for the Kremlin.
Zelensky was sidelined for Friday's meeting because it was proposed by Putin himself, the White House said.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had originally proposed a trilateral meeting — with Trump, Putin and Zelensky — at the president's request before Putin countered with the one-on-one idea, according to White House sources.
As Zelensky will not be present, formal discussions to end the Ukraine war will not take place. Both Russia and the US have signaled that future meetings will be needed to reach a resolution.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned against trying to predict the outcome of the Friday talks, but said Thursday that 'given that there will be a joint news conference, the president [Putin] will outline the range of agreements and understandings that can be achieved.'
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Originally published as Putin heaps praise on 'sincere' Donald Trump, hints Russia and US could strike nuclear arms deal
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Trump leaves Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed
Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's obvious what Putin got from this meeting – for Trump, not so much
Others will give Trump more credit. He always said this was going to be about listening – 'feeling out' Putin, gauging his sincerity about peace. He played down expectations, saying it was about 'setting the table' for a second meeting, this one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Indeed, it's difficult to see how much of consequence could have come out of a meeting that excluded the Ukrainian leader and Europe. However, Putin could have pretended to make concessions. He could have thrown on the table a temporary ceasefire until a second meeting could be arranged. He could have publicly committed to meeting Zelensky. Trump could have secured some sort of pledge about returning the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This summit was always unusual because it was convened hastily and without largely pre-determined results. But as much as Trump might have played down expectations, if you are going to hold an event like this, people will expect you to walk away with something to show. After the meeting, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity he believed a deal was close. 'It's now up to Zelensky to get it done,' the president said. 'And I would say the European nations have to get involved.' Well, many would point out the Europeans are intimately involved, and say Zelensky should have been invited to Anchorage too. Loading The danger for Ukraine is that Trump may have bought into Putin's pretence of wanting peace. He came away saying as much. Previous US presidents have made that mistake; notably George W. Bush in 2001, who said he looked the Russian in the eye and saw his soul. We might yet learn details about the apparent progress that was made in Alaska on Friday (Saturday AEST). You cannot discount the possibility this summit will pay dividends later. Lisa Murkowski, the Republican senator from Alaska who is sometimes at odds with Trump on multiple issues, said she was cautiously optimistic. 'It was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings, which I hope will include Ukraine,' she said. On that point, Putin ambushed Trump at the end of the news conference, suggesting in English that their next rendezvous should take place in Moscow. Trump smiled and said it was a possibility but noted correctly that he would cop a bit of heat if he agreed to that. The meeting also featured Trump's trademark obsession: everyone wanting to do business with the United States. And both men sounded bullish about that prospect. Loading It's clear what Putin got out of this exercise: a global stage, a warm welcome and the prospect of thawing relations with the world's biggest economy. What Trump got out of it is much less clear, at least for now. On the way home, he confessed to Hannity that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was proving to be much harder to resolve than he imagined. 'I thought this would be the easiest of them all, and this was the most difficult.' Perhaps the one thing Trump took away from Anchorage was a dose of humility.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
It's obvious what Putin got from this meeting – for Trump, not so much
Others will give Trump more credit. He always said this was going to be about listening – 'feeling out' Putin, gauging his sincerity about peace. He played down expectations, saying it was about 'setting the table' for a second meeting, this one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Indeed, it's difficult to see how much of consequence could have come out of a meeting that excluded the Ukrainian leader and Europe. However, Putin could have pretended to make concessions. He could have thrown on the table a temporary ceasefire until a second meeting could be arranged. He could have publicly committed to meeting Zelensky. Trump could have secured some sort of pledge about returning the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This summit was always unusual because it was convened hastily and without largely pre-determined results. But as much as Trump might have played down expectations, if you are going to hold an event like this, people will expect you to walk away with something to show. After the meeting, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity he believed a deal was close. 'It's now up to Zelensky to get it done,' the president said. 'And I would say the European nations have to get involved.' Well, many would point out the Europeans are intimately involved, and say Zelensky should have been invited to Anchorage too. Loading The danger for Ukraine is that Trump may have bought into Putin's pretence of wanting peace. He came away saying as much. Previous US presidents have made that mistake; notably George W. Bush in 2001, who said he looked the Russian in the eye and saw his soul. We might yet learn details about the apparent progress that was made in Alaska on Friday (Saturday AEST). You cannot discount the possibility this summit will pay dividends later. Lisa Murkowski, the Republican senator from Alaska who is sometimes at odds with Trump on multiple issues, said she was cautiously optimistic. 'It was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings, which I hope will include Ukraine,' she said. On that point, Putin ambushed Trump at the end of the news conference, suggesting in English that their next rendezvous should take place in Moscow. Trump smiled and said it was a possibility but noted correctly that he would cop a bit of heat if he agreed to that. The meeting also featured Trump's trademark obsession: everyone wanting to do business with the United States. And both men sounded bullish about that prospect. Loading It's clear what Putin got out of this exercise: a global stage, a warm welcome and the prospect of thawing relations with the world's biggest economy. What Trump got out of it is much less clear, at least for now. On the way home, he confessed to Hannity that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was proving to be much harder to resolve than he imagined. 'I thought this would be the easiest of them all, and this was the most difficult.' Perhaps the one thing Trump took away from Anchorage was a dose of humility.
