Trump and Putin Meet in Alaska Without Breakthrough on Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska this week. While both leaders described progress, they failed to secure a breakthrough on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump remained upbeat, while Putin framed the meeting as a long-overdue reset in U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump Calls Summit a “10 Out of 10”
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump rated the summit a “10 out of 10,” saying the two leaders “got along great.” He predicted that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would eventually meet.
“Now, it’s really up to President Zelenskiy to get it done,” Trump said. However, he admitted that “one or two significant issues” remained unresolved.
At a later press conference, Trump cautioned, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” acknowledging that the outcome was still uncertain.
Putin Calls Talks a Reset for U.S.-Russia Relations
Putin described the Alaska summit as “overdue,” noting that no U.S.-Russia summits had been held for more than four years. He said ties had sunk to their lowest point since the Cold War and stressed the need to move “from confrontation to dialogue.”
Putin emphasized Ukraine as the central topic, saying Trump was personally committed to exploring a solution. He added that Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed and linked the talks to a broader normalization of U.S.-Russia relations.
Putin also highlighted opportunities in trade, energy, digital technology, high tech, and space exploration, as well as cooperation in the Arctic. He said he and Trump established “very good, business-like and trusting contact.”
Mixed Global Reactions
Russian lawmakers praised the summit, calling it proof of Moscow’s commitment to “fair, long-term peace.” However, critics in Europe pushed back.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide criticized Putin’s remarks as “justifications for the illegal invasion of Ukraine.” He urged continued, and even stronger, pressure on Moscow to signal that Russia must pay the price for its aggression.
Trump Calls Zelenskiy After the Summit
The White House confirmed that Trump held a long call with Zelenskiy after leaving Alaska. NATO and European leaders also joined the call, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Leaders from Germany, Finland, Poland, Italy, and Britain participated as well.
According to Axios, Trump spoke with Zelenskiy and European leaders for more than 90 minutes. Zelenskiy later announced he would travel to Washington on Monday.
Energy and Tariff Questions
On trade, Trump said he was not immediately considering new tariffs against countries like China that continue to buy Russian oil. “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that right now,” he told Fox News.
However, he left the door open to future action, saying he could revisit the idea “in two or three weeks.”
China and India are the largest buyers of Russian oil. Trump recently imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian crude. He has not yet taken similar steps against China.
