Trump-Putin summit ends without breakthrough in Ukraine talks
The highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded on Friday without a concrete agreement on ending the protracted war in Ukraine, dampening hopes for an immediate breakthrough.
The meeting, their first face-to-face encounter since July 2018 in Helsinki, took place in Alaska. Ahead of the talks, Trump had promised “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin failed to agree to a ceasefire. However, even as the leaders greeted each other, reports emerged from Ukraine of incoming Russian drones and aircraft, underscoring the ongoing conflict.
Following the three-hour discussion, President Trump’s tone appeared to soften. In a joint press conference with Putin, he stated that progress had been made on unspecified issues, though he offered no details. “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.”
Trump emphasized that “there is no deal until there is a deal,” and indicated he would brief NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the outcome of the meeting.
President Putin, for his part, described the meeting as “long overdue” and expressed optimism that the agreements reached would “help us bring close that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.” He also voiced hope that Kyiv and European capitals would perceive the progress constructively and avoid any actions that could “throw a wrench in the works” or “torpedo the nascent progress.”
In a separate interview, Trump hinted at a forthcoming trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy, a goal he had expressed before the summit. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that Trump had briefed him on the meeting and that he was ready to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday.
