Donald Trump Leaves Vladimir Putin Summit Without a Deal in Hand

At the much-anticipated summit in Anchorage, President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the talks ended without securing the ceasefire in Ukraine that Trump had promised to push for.

The meeting took place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and was notable for being Putin’s first visit to the United States in ten years. The opening included military flyovers, a red-carpet welcome, and even a shared ride in Trump’s armored limousine an unusual display of symbolic diplomacy.

After a two-and-a-half-hour closed-door session, Trump admitted they fell short of a breakthrough:

“We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve got some headway. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

Putin described the discussion as “constructive and useful,” and while he emphasized Russia’s interest in a long-term resolution to the war in Ukraine, he repeated that progress should not be “obstructed by Europe.”

Both sides had high-level delegations. Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. On the Russian side, familiar figures like Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov were present.

Interestingly, Putin spoke first at the press conference a break from diplomatic protocol when on U.S. soil. He stressed that Russia views Ukrainians as “a brotherly nation” and called the war “a terrible wound.” Yet he also said he believes the conflict could be ended sooner rather than later if both sides commit to working toward resolution.

Trump, for his part, highlighted his personal bond with Putin:

“I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin… The Russia hoax made it tougher to deal with, but he understood it.”

Both men struck a hopeful tone, with Trump noting, “The most important thing is that we have a decent chance to achieve peace.” Putin even invited Trump to Moscow for a follow-up meeting, which Trump said he would “possibly” consider despite likely political criticism.

Still, the summit ended without a formal ceasefire or agreement. Both leaders mentioned “progress” and an “understanding,” but neither revealed details. They also declined to take questions, leaving observers with more speculation than clarity about the actual outcomes.