US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a long-awaited meeting in Alaska, but no formal announcement regarding a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war was made.
The talks took place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska and lasted nearly four hours. Both leaders described the discussion as constructive, yet a concrete decision on a ceasefire in Ukraine did not emerge.
Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska within minutes of each other. President Trump stepped off Air Force One, welcomed Putin on the red carpet, and drove him in his limousine to the meeting venue. Without translators present in the car, the two leaders engaged in some one-on-one conversation. Formal negotiations later included the foreign ministers and two senior officials from each side.
At the joint press conference, President Putin called the talks constructive, stating that he considers the Ukrainian people as brothers and emphasized that Ukraine’s security must be ensured. He stressed that lasting peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict. Putin also remarked that if Trump had been president in 2022, the Ukraine war would not have happened.
President Trump described the meeting as positive, noting progress on several issues. He announced plans to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and consult NATO leaders, expressing hope that a compromise with Russia over Ukraine could be reached. However, he admitted that agreement on the most crucial point was not achieved.
In a significant gesture, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for a future meeting, which Trump accepted with interest. Meanwhile, President Zelensky reacted by saying that even before the Trump-Putin meeting, Russian attacks on Ukraine were continuing and there was no sign of Moscow halting its aggression.
The historic meeting ended with both leaders addressing the media but avoiding direct questions from journalists.
