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Putin gets validation from Alaska summit. What did Trump take home in an empty-handed return?
US President Donald Trump salutes as he walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac after they arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. - AFP
The Alaska Summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has ended without any breakthrough on ending the Ukraine war.
While Trump returned home empty-handed, Putin took back diplomatic recognition despite Western attempts to isolate him over the Ukraine invasion. This was the Russian president's first visit to a Western nation since 2015.
Despite Trump's erratic outburst against Putin, the Russian president lauded the 'friendly tone' of talks, greeted Trump as a 'dear neighbour,' and proposed a future meeting 'next time in Moscow,' signalling continued engagement.
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The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russia's much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometre) front line.
Trump heaps praise on Putin
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 Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces made gains on the battlefield.
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.
Trump fails to take anything home
Trump arrived with high expectations, aiming to demonstrate dealmaking prowess and end the war, but left without any binding agreements or a ceasefire.
Despite Trump's earlier boasts, he conceded, 'there's no deal until there's a deal,' showing the gulf remaining between the two sides.
The Alaska summit was Trump's biggest test to date as a peace dealmaker. An empty-hand return doesn't boost his CV amid his repeated claims of having ended more wars than any other US president.
Trump placed partial responsibility on Zelenskyy to 'get it done,' signalling limited US leverage or willingness to push harder on Kyiv.
The lavish welcome and Putin's smiles contrasted starkly with the ongoing war and stalled progress.
Trump assured future dialogue but returned empty-handed, with no concrete plan to end the conflict or alter existing sanctions.
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With inputs from AP
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