A highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a breakthrough on the Ukraine war, despite both leaders insisting the talks were “productive.” The nearly three-hour meeting produced no concrete agreement to stop Moscow’s full-scale invasion, leaving Ukraine’s deadliest conflict in 80 years grinding on.
Standing before a backdrop that read “Pursuing Peace,” Trump told reporters, “We’ve made some headway. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” The leaders avoided questions and offered only vague assurances of progress.
The absence of tangible results left Trump’s key goal pushing for a ceasefire unfulfilled. Yet the very fact that Putin, ostracized by much of the West since launching the war in 2022, sat face-to-face with an American president was seen as a symbolic win for Moscow.
Trump later told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he would pause on imposing tariffs against China for purchasing Russian oil, citing “progress” made with Putin. He stopped short of mentioning India, another major buyer of Russian crude that already faces a heavy 50% tariff on U.S. imports. “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” Trump said.
He also hinted at plans for a possible meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which he himself might attend. However, Putin made no reference to such talks, instead urging Ukraine and Europe to “constructively accept” the results of U.S.-Russia negotiations.
Moscow continues to insist that what it describes as the “root causes” of the war must be addressed before any long-term peace is possible. That position underscores Putin’s resistance to an immediate ceasefire, even as the war has killed or injured more than a million people and displaced millions more.
Trump suggested potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine had been discussed, saying, “I think we’re pretty close to a deal. Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.” He added bluntly, “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”
Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the idea of handing over Ukrainian territory to Moscow and continues to push for U.S.-backed security guarantees. Ahead of the Alaska summit, he warned that any peace deal must be “just” and not a disguised concession to Russia.
As Trump and Putin talked, the war continued to escalate. Air raid alerts sounded across eastern Ukraine, while Russia reported drone attacks on its Rostov and Bryansk regions. Moscow claimed to have intercepted 29 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Kyiv said it destroyed 61 of 85 Russian-launched drones targeting frontline regions.
The anticlimactic close to the summit contrasted sharply with its dramatic start. Putin was greeted with a red carpet reception at a U.S. Air Force base, with Trump welcoming him warmly as military aircraft flew overhead.
Still, Putin’s global isolation loomed in the background. He remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, specifically the mass deportation of Ukrainian children, a charge Russia denies. Neither Russia nor the United States recognizes the ICC.
European leaders and Zelenskiy had feared Trump might “sell out” Ukraine by freezing the war and effectively legitimizing Russia’s occupation of nearly one-fifth of the country. Trump had tried to calm those concerns, saying only Ukraine could decide on territorial concessions.
“I want to see a ceasefire rapidly,” Trump told reporters before the meeting. “I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today. I want the killing to stop.”
The summit included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Russia envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. Trump, who once vowed he could end the war in 24 hours, conceded that the conflict was proving far more difficult to resolve than he had imagined.
The meeting concluded with a moment that raised eyebrows: “Next time in Moscow,” Putin said in English, smiling. Trump responded that he might “get a little heat on that one,” but hinted he could “possibly see it happening.”
Zelenskiy, excluded from the talks, reiterated on Telegram that Russia must take the “necessary steps” to end the war. “It’s time to end the war. We are counting on America,” he wrote.
For now, however, the Alaska summit leaves Ukraine’s war grinding on with no sign of peace in sight—just a promise that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
