In a symbolic moment, Putin, in English, said “Next time in Moscow?”, taking Trump by surprise. The latter replied: “It’s an interesting idea… They’ll criticize me for that, but it could happen.” The proposal is seen by observers as an attempt to keep Ukraine off the table and to orient the dialogue towards bilateral US-Russia relations.
By The Times
The long-awaited summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without an agreement on a ceasefire in Ukraine and with more questions than concrete results. The meeting, which lasted about three hours and was followed by a brief press conference devoid of any political substance, was described by analysts as a “disappointment in Anchorage.”
THREE HOURS OF TALK, NO AGREEMENT
The presidents spoke at length about the war in Ukraine, but failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire. In the press conference that followed, Putin repeated his usual complaints about Ukraine and emphasized strengthening ties with the United States and future economic opportunities. Trump, on the other hand, spoke of a “fantastic relationship” and “great progress” but acknowledged that some “big issues” remained unresolved. He did not elaborate, except for one cryptic comment: “One of them is probably the most important.”
NO QUESTIONS, NO ANSWERS
To the surprise of many, the press conference lasted only three and a half minutes and Trump did not take any questions from reporters. He appeared tired after the seven-hour trip and intense talks and quickly left the room with the American delegation. In an interview with Fox News, given shortly after departing on Air Force One, Trump declared: “There is no deal.” He added that everything now depended on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
PRESSURE ON ZELENSKY
In the same interview, Trump increased the pressure on Zelensky, publicly advising him to “make a deal,” describing Russia as a “great power” with “great soldiers.” Asked about the possibility of a land swap between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said that “those are points that we have generally agreed on.” Whether Zelensky agrees remains to be seen.
PUTIN LEAVES AS A WINNER?
In a symbolic moment, Putin, in English, said “Next time in Moscow?”, taking Trump by surprise. The latter replied: “It’s an interesting idea… They’ll criticize me for that, but it could happen.” The proposal is seen by observers as an attempt to keep Ukraine off the table and orient the dialogue towards bilateral US-Russia relations.
LACK OF SANCTIONS, A LET-OFF FOR MOSCOW?
Beyond the optimistic statements, Trump did not even mention the imposition of the announced sanctions on Russia, which were postponed to pave the way for talks. John Herbst, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, called this a mistake: “Putin has no intention of stopping the war. Only maximum pressure can force him. Trump made a mistake by not implementing the sanctions he himself had warned about.”
MEDIA COVERAGE, BUT LITTLE CONTENT
The day began with a grand ceremony at the Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, where the two leaders met for the first time on American soil in a decade. The group photos, the presidential car “The Beast,” the flyovers of fighter jets, and the smiles were all part of a well-thought-out choreography for the cameras. But the political content remained thin. Although the one-on-one meeting was limited to a short car ride, the main talks were held with three advisers to each president. Trump was accompanied by Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, while Putin was flanked by Sergey Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov.
MELANIA TRUMP FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN
An interesting detail was later revealed: Trump handed Putin a letter from his wife, Melania Trump, about the fate of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia — an issue the Ukrainian president wants addressed in any negotiations. The letter, according to the White House, was personal, but its contents were not made public.
THE FUTURE: MORE UNCERTAINTY
Although Trump tried to paint an optimistic picture, giving the summit a “10 out of 10,” the summit ended without any tangible progress on peace in Ukraine or on U.S.-Russia relations. Observers like David Ignatius summed up the day as “disappointing.” While Putin left unscathed and with an invitation to the next summit in Moscow, Trump returned to Washington to make phone calls to Zelensky and European allies. It now remains to be seen whether the U.S. president will decide to toughen up his stance on Russia or continue to pursue his priority of an economic resumption with Moscow. For now, the peace initiative is still alive, but in dire straits.