After their Alaska summit, Putin and Trump announced no breakthrough on Ukraine, with Trump saying the onus was “a little bit” on Europe but mainly on Zelensky, who is set to head to Washington on Monday.
US President Donald Trump, fond of calling himself a master deal-maker, rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin at an Alaska air base. For the first time, the Russian leader was allowed on Western soil since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After an abrupt ending to three hours of talks with aides, Trump and the Russian president offered warm words but took no questions from reporters – highly unusual for the media-savvy US president.
“We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said.
He called the meeting “extremely productive” with “many points” agreed, although he did not offer specifics.
“There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,” Trump said without elaborating.
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,” Putin said.
As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: “Next time in Moscow.”
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.
Zelensky heading to Washington
The friendly reception was a stark contrast to Trump’s berating of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he met him at the White House in February.
Trump earlier said he sought a three-way meeting with Zelensky but did not announce one at the summit.
“Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said in a Fox News interview after the summit. He added: “And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it’s up to President Zelensky.”
Zelensky will head to Washington on Monday to discuss “ending the killing and the war”, he announced Saturday after holding a call with Trump, during which he said the US leader informed him about the “main points” of his talks with Putin.
Trump spoke early Saturday for more than an hour with Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, a European Commission spokesperson said.
European leaders held a second call afterwards to discuss the next steps in the Ukraine conflict, the spokesperson said.
Putin warns Western allies
Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries after the summit to “not create any obstacles” and not “make attempts to disrupt this emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigues.”
Trump invited Putin just a week ago and ensured there was some carefully choreographed drama for their first in-person meeting since 2019.
The two leaders arrived in their respective presidential jets and descended on the tarmac of an air base, with Trump clapping as Putin appeared.
US military might was on display with a B-2 stealth bomber flying overhead, as a reporter shouted audibly to Putin, “Will you stop killing civilians?”
Putin, undaunted, grinned widely as Trump took the unusual step of escorting him into “The Beast,” the secure US presidential limousine, before a meeting in a room before a screen that said — in English only — “Pursuing Peace.”
Putin smiled and joked with Russian reporters on the visit, a landmark for a leader who is facing an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court related to the Ukraine war, which has killed tens of thousands of people.
Battlefield gains
Russia, in recent days, has made battlefield gains that could strengthen Putin’s hand in any ceasefire negotiations, although Ukraine announced, as Putin was flying in, that it had retaken several villages.
Trump had insisted he would be firm with Putin, after coming under heated criticism for appearing cowed during a 2018 summit in Helsinki.
While he was traveling to Alaska, the White House announced that Trump had scrapped a plan to see Putin alone, and he instead held the talks alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his roving envoy Steve Witkoff.
Zelensky was not included and has refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia.
He said Friday that Moscow was still killing people and not showing that it wanted to end the war, hours before the start of the summit.
“There is no order, nor any signals from Moscow that it is preparing to end this war… they are also killing on the day of the negotiations,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on social media.
(bms)
