Key Points:

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a highly anticipated summit in Alaska without reaching a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing Ukraine war. The meeting, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, lasted under three hours and ended with vague assurances of “progress,” but no binding commitments.

The summit began with theatrics that underscored the political stakes. Trump remained aboard on his aircraft for some time after landing, while Putin arrived separately to a long red carpet that stretched across the runway. The Russian leader took several minutes to walk its length before being greeted by Trump, who extended his hand first. The handshake, unusually prolonged and was followed by smiles for the cameras.

As the leaders moved toward a podium marked “Alaska 2025,” a U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, escorted by fighter jets, thundered across the sky. The dramatic flyover—featuring an aircraft once used in U.S. strikes against Iran—drew Putin’s attention and was widely interpreted as a deliberate show of American military power.

After the ceremonial opening, Trump and Putin shared Trump’s armored limousine, The Beast. Many observers called this a breach of standard diplomatic protocol. They then began an expanded session that included three officials from each side.

Trump was joined by his Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin brought along his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yury Ushakov. This meeting lasted more than two hours. Reporters were briefly allowed inside the conference hall but the leaders ignored their questions, maintaining a tightly controlled media environment.

At the joint press conference that followed, both leaders had a cautiously positive tone, without announcing concrete results.

Trump declared that the Ukraine war “would never have happened” if he had been in the office earlier and described the talks as “sincere” and “productive.” However, he admitted: “We didn’t get there. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He emphasized that he would brief NATO’s secretary-general, European leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the discussions.

Putin also described the meeting as “productive” and spoke of “progress,” though he acknowledged that no ceasefire had been achieved. He reiterated Russia’s stance that the “root causes” of the conflict needed to be addressed—interpreted as a demand to limit Ukraine’s sovereignty and Western ties.

In a surprise move, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for further negotiations. Trump responded cautiously, saying: “That’s an interesting one… I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening.”

Despite the dramatic and optimistic language, the Alaska summit delivered no breakthrough. Both leaders left without offering a roadmap for peace. This leaves U.S. allies and Ukraine uncertain about the direction of future negotiations. [Rh/Eth/VP]

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