ALASKA, Aug16 — A highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded on Friday with no agreement to halt or resolve Moscow’s war in Ukraine, though both leaders described the nearly three-hour talks as constructive.
Speaking briefly to reporters after the meeting, Trump said, “We’ve made some headway,” standing in front of a backdrop reading, “Pursuing Peace.” He added, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” but declined to take questions, ignoring shouted queries from the press.
Putin, likewise, offered few specifics. He told reporters he expected Ukraine and its European partners to view the results of the talks constructively and avoid disrupting any emerging progress. He repeated Russia’s longstanding position that resolving what Moscow describes as the “root causes” of the conflict is essential to achieving lasting peace, signaling continued resistance to a ceasefire.
While Trump had set a goal of moving toward a ceasefire, Friday’s talks yielded no apparent steps in that direction. Simply securing a face-to-face meeting represented a diplomatic win for Putin, who has been largely isolated by Western leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a later interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump said he would pause plans to impose tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil, citing progress in his discussions with Putin. He also noted India, another major buyer of Russian crude, faced a proposed 25% U.S. import tariff. “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” Trump said of the Chinese tariffs, adding, “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.”
Trump, who has threatened sanctions on Moscow in the past but has not acted on them, suggested a future meeting could include both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, though he provided no details on timing or organization. Putin made no mention of such a meeting when addressing reporters.
When asked what advice he would give Zelenskiy, Trump said, “Gotta make a deal. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.” The war has already claimed or injured more than a million people on both sides, including thousands of civilians, primarily in Ukraine.
Zelenskiy, who was not invited to Alaska, has consistently ruled out ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia and seeks security guarantees backed by the United States. Trump told reporters he planned to call Zelenskiy and NATO leaders to brief them on the Alaska discussions. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them at a table,” Trump said ahead of the summit.
During the meeting, most eastern Ukrainian regions remained under air raid alerts, and Russian governors in Rostov and Bryansk reported Ukrainian drone attacks on their territories. Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko criticized the summit’s outcome on Telegram, saying, “It seems Putin has bought himself more time. No ceasefire or de-escalation has been agreed upon.”
The summit began with ceremonial pomp, including a red-carpet reception at an Air Force base in Alaska, where Trump greeted Putin as U.S. military aircraft flew overhead. Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court for the alleged deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children—a charge Russia denies—was met with a warm welcome despite the ongoing conflict.
The day before the talks, Putin suggested that discussions could touch on a new nuclear arms control deal to replace the last remaining treaty, set to expire in February, though it was unclear whether the issue was addressed on Friday.
Trump, who had pledged during his presidential campaign to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours, acknowledged the challenge was greater than anticipated. He had said the potential follow-up summit involving Zelenskiy could be more consequential than his one-on-one meeting with Putin.
Friday’s meeting concluded with Trump thanking Putin and hinting at another encounter. “I’d like to thank you very much, and we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon,” Trump said. Putin replied, “Next time in Moscow.” Trump noted he might “get a little heat on that one” but said it could “possibly see it happening.”
Zelenskiy, ahead of the summit, urged that the talks lead to a “just peace” and three-way discussions, emphasizing that Russia must take necessary steps to end the war. “It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” he wrote on Telegram.
