No truce as Trump pins hope on Putin-Zelensky summit
US President Donald Trump talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their post-summit press conference. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made no apparent breakthrough on Ukraine in a high-stakes summit, pointing to areas of agreement and rekindling a friendship but offering no news on a ceasefire.
Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity after the summit on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin were going to set up a meeting to try to reach a ceasefire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
"Now, it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done," he said. "And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it's up to President Zelensky... And if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting."
Trump said he and Putin negotiated on issues that included Nato, security measures and land, and advised Zelensky to get a deal done with Putin.
He told Hannity he will not have to think of retaliatory tariffs on countries buying Russian oil right now but may have to "in two or three weeks".
"Well, because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that," he said. "Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well."
Trump, fond of calling himself a master deal-maker, rolled out the red carpet for Putin at an Alaska air base in the first time the Russian leader was allowed on Western soil since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After three hours of talks with top aides, Trump and Putin offered warm words but took no questions from reporters – highly unusual for the US president.
"We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said. "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. We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there."
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," he said.
As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: "Next time in Moscow."
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".
The former KGB agent quickly tried to flatter Trump, who has voiced admiration for the Russian leader in the past. Putin told Trump he agreed with him that the Ukraine war, which Putin ordered, would not have happened if Trump were president instead of Joe Biden. Trump for his part again complained of a "hoax" that Russia intervened to help him the 2016 election – a finding backed by US intelligence.
But Trump said he would soon consult Zelensky as well as Nato leaders, who have voiced unease about the US leader's outreach to Putin. (AFP/Reuters)
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