Despite extending a red-carpet welcome to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose actions sparked the ongoing Ukraine war, US President Donald Trump failed to secure an agreement to end the conflict during their Alaska summit on Friday.
Putin stated that both sides had reached an “understanding” on Ukraine and cautioned European leaders not to “torpedo the nascent progress.” However, Trump stressed, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” signalling no concrete resolution yet. The US president added that he would speak with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to update them on the peace negotiations.
On his first day back in the White House, Trump, who has long objected to US assistance for Ukraine and shown admiration for Putin, had boldly promised to stop the war. As his forces advance on the battlefield, Trump was unable to persuade Putin to even halt the Ukraine war seven months after rebuking Zelenskyy in the White House and blocking the delivery of certain US military aid to Kyiv.
The US president gave Putin a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday. Earlier, he had threatened to impose harsh economic sanctions on Russia, but he seemed to leave Alaska without making any real headway in putting an end to the Ukraine war, which is currently in its fourth year.
Instead, Trump avoided the prospect of further US sanctions on Russia and gave Putin the international recognition he had long craved, following years of Western attempts to demonise him over the Ukraine war and his suppression of opposition.
The two leaders abruptly ended what was intended to be a joint press conference without answering any questions from reporters, indicating that the discussions did not produce the outcome Trump had hoped for.
In an interview with Fox News Channel prior to his departure from Alaska, Trump stated that Zelenskyy may have some responsibility going forward “to get it done,” but that European countries will also play a role. The Ukrainian president’s exclusion from Trump Putin summit made that noteworthy.
While Putin sought to negotiate an agreement that would solidify Russia’s gains, thwart Kyiv’s attempt to join the NATO military alliance, and ultimately reintegrate Ukraine into Moscow’s orbit, Trump had hoped to demonstrate his ability to make deals.
The US president stood behind Putin and remarked, “We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to.” Additionally, just a small number remain, he added. Trump also noted, “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,” he added.
After being isolated following his invasion of Ukraine, Putin viewed his first visit to the US in over a decade as a sign of renewed acceptance. Russia and the US should “turn the page and go back to cooperation,” Putin said.
Speaking of Trump, the Russian president said he has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, but at the same time “shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests.”
Putin said he anticipated that the agreements reached at the Alaska summit will serve as a benchmark for resolving the Ukrainian issue as well as “mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US.”
Trump thanked Putin and concluded his remarks by stating, “We’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.” The Alaska summit between Trump and Putin failed to make any significant progress.
in response to Putin’s smile and offer of “next time in Moscow,” Trump remarked, “That’s an interesting one.” He acknowledged that he may receive criticism, but “I could see it possibly happening.”
Meanwhile, Trump boasted in an interview with Fox News that Putin shared many of the American president’s long-standing complaints, particularly those pertaining to the 2020 election. This implies that even though Trump went empty-handed, Putin, a former KGB officer, would have given him the idea that he had won a significant battle.
In his Fox News interview, Trump boasted that Putin repeated some of his usual grievances, particularly those pertaining to the 2020 election. This makes it seem like Putin, a former KGB officer, gave Trump the impression he had won, even though he left empty handed.