Trump and Putin fail to reach agreement on ending Ukraine war
A meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has not resulted in a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
While Putin said they were interested in ending the war, Trump confirmed he had not yet agreed to a deal.
They did not reveal any details of their negotiations, and the press conference ended without any questions.
A meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and President Trump has not resulted in a deal to end the war in Ukraine, following a two-and-a-half-hour talk in Alaska. (Nine)
Putin said the country was “legitimately interested” in ending the war, however, he still held concerns about the nation’s security.
“The situation in Ukraine has to do with the fundamental threats to our security,”
“We’ve always considered the Ukrainian nation, and I’ve said it multiple times, a brotherly nation.
“However strange it may sound, in these conditions, we have the same roots and everything that’s happening is a tragedy for us, and a terrible wound.
“Therefore, the country is sincerely interested in putting an end to it… At the same time, we are convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long-term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots. The primary causes of that conflict.”
Trump said the pair agreed on some things but have yet to agree on a few key points.
“I’m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened…but we had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to,” he told the media.
“And there are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting here.”
“We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance.”
The leaders greeted each other warmly before speaking briefly before entering into the summit that was expected to last several hours. (AP)
Putin started the press conference by thanking Trump for inviting him to Alaska.
“Our negotiations have been held in an atmosphere of constructive of mutual respect,” Putin said.
“Negotiations that were quite useful.”
Putin said discussions between Russia and the US had been “long overdue”
“It is known that there have been no summits between Russia and the US for four years, and that’s a long time.”
“This time (without communication) was very hard for bilateral relations, and let’s be frank, they have fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War.
“I think that’s not benefiting our countries and the world as a whole…it is apparent that sooner or later we had to amend the situation to move on from the confrontation to dialogue.”
Meeting starts with a handshake outside Air Force One
Trump and Putin kicked off their Alaska summit with a warm handshake, greeting each other like old friends before heading into hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington
After descending from Air Force One, Trump applauded as Putin approached along a red carpet.
They gripped hands for an extended period of time, with both men smiling, and Putin eventually grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead to mark the moment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump shake hands on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP)
Reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” and Russia’s leader put his hand up to his ear but didn’t answer.
Trump and Putin then both climbed in the US presidential limo, with Putin grinning widely as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.
The pair’s chumminess, while not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, was striking given the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine — the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.
It was likely to raise concerns from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump will primarily focus on furthering US interests and fail to press hard for Ukraine’s.
Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Friday’s meeting, and Ukraine’s president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a “strong position from the US.”
“Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war,” he said, later adding, “The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war.”
Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby. (AP)The red carpets were set up to connect the two presidents from their planes they had just arrived on. (AP)
The summit was a chance for Trump to prove he’s a master dealmaker and peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close — something he used to boast he could do quickly.
For Putin, it was an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit.
Not meeting one-on-one anymore
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin was now a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin met privately just with their interpreters for two hours and where Trump shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over US intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign.
The leaders smiled as they shook hands, as B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew over to mark the moment. (AP)
Trump and Putin began their discussions Friday by sitting with their aides in front of a blue backdrop printed with “Alaska” and “Pursuing Peace.”
Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit.
There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto US soil — America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 3 Australian cents per acre — the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracisation following his invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago.
Zelenskyy’s exclusion is a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.
Any success is far from assured since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace.
Officials erected a special stage, with a large “Alaska 2025” sign flanked by parked fighter jets and red carpets on the tarmac. (AP)
Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilisation efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds, he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent meeting with himself and Putin.
Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly.
That seemingly echoes Putin’s longtime argument that Russia favours a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, and not a temporary halt to hostilities.
Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals
Trump previously characterised the sit-down as ” really a feel-out meeting.” But he’s also warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war.
Trump said before arriving in Alaska that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal.
He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (AP)People attend a rally outside the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, ahead of Trump and Putin’s meeting. (AP)
“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump told reporters travelling with him to Alaska.
Trump said there’s “a possibility” of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.”
Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.
General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasn’t authorised to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
People hold a large Ukrainian flag during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP)
His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv’s head.
Potentially far-reaching implications
Foreign governments are watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the US president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships.
The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources.
Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russia’s much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 1000-kilometre front line.
Members of the media outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP)
Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 5 kilometres and the International Date Line.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into US airspace.
