Trump, Putin End Summit Without Ukraine Ceasefire

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended their high-stakes summit in Alaska on Friday without securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, though both leaders spoke of progress and areas of agreement.

The meeting marked Putin’s first visit to Western soil since ordering the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump, who has often called himself a master deal-maker, welcomed him with full ceremonial honours at an Alaska air base.

After three hours of talks with aides, both leaders offered warm words but no specifics, declining questions from reporters.

“We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said, calling the discussions “extremely productive” with “many points” agreed upon. Putin expressed hope the talks would “pave the way for peace in Ukraine.”

The cordial tone contrasted sharply with Trump’s earlier meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February. While Trump said he would now consult Zelensky and NATO leaders, he suggested the Ukrainian president must “get it done.”

Putin warned Ukraine and European nations not to “create obstacles” or “disrupt emerging progress.”

The summit, the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since 2019, featured a carefully staged arrival with military displays and a joint ride in the US presidential limousine.

Despite the warm reception, battlefield developments continued, with Russia recently making gains while Ukraine claimed to have retaken several villages. Zelensky reiterated that ending the war required concrete steps from Russia and rejected any surrender of territory.