Trump gives Putin red-carpet welcome in Alaska, summit ends without deal

Darwin, 16 August-

In Alaska, after nearly three hours of closed-door talks, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to reach any agreement on the Ukraine war. However, both leaders described the much-anticipated summit as “constructive.”

At a brief press conference after the meeting, they mentioned “some progress” but revealed no details and did not take any questions from reporters. Trump, usually known for his remarks, avoided the press this time. Standing before a banner reading “Pursuit of Peace,” Trump said, “We made some progress. No deal means no deal.”

Trump’s stated goal before the summit was to find a path toward a ceasefire in Europe’s bloodiest conflict in 80 years, but no such breakthrough emerged. Still, simply sitting face-to-face with the U.S. president was a major diplomatic success for Putin, who has been largely shunned by Western leaders since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity after the summit, Trump said that due to “progress” with Putin, he would suspend plans to impose tariffs on China’s purchases of Russian oil.

However, he threatened India—one of Russia’s biggest oil buyers—with a 25% tariff on its exports to the U.S.

“Because of what happened today, I don’t have to think about it now,” Trump said of the China tariffs. “Maybe two or three weeks later, but not now.”

Although Trump has threatened new sanctions on Russia, he has not yet implemented them, even though Putin ignored the ceasefire deadline Trump had previously set.

Trump also revealed that a possible trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is under consideration. He did not say when or by whom it might be arranged. Putin, in his remarks, made no mention of such a meeting. Instead, he urged Ukraine and its European allies to view the U.S.-Russia dialogue positively and not “obstruct” the progress.

Reiterating Moscow’s long-held stance, Putin said that without addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, lasting peace is impossible—an indication of his unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire.

This was the first meeting between a U.S. president and Putin since the war began. Kyiv has not issued an immediate response. Asked by Hannity what advice he would give Zelenskyy, Trump said: “You have to make a deal. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they [Ukraine] are not.” Analysts note that millions on both sides have suffered in the war, including thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

Red-carpet welcome

Zelenskyy has already ruled out giving up any Ukrainian territory and has insisted on U.S.-backed security guarantees. Trump said he would brief Zelenskyy and NATO leaders about the summit.

Meanwhile, the war raged on during the talks. Air raid sirens sounded across much of eastern Ukraine, while Russian governors in Rostov and Bryansk reported drone attacks from Ukraine. Ukrainian opposition MP Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Telegram: “It looks like Putin just bought himself more time. No deal on a ceasefire or de-escalation.”

Despite the quiet ending, the summit began with pomp. At a U.S. Air Force base in Alaska, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin, as American military aircraft conducted flyovers.

Putin remains under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the alleged abduction of hundreds of Ukrainian children—a charge Russia denies, dismissing the warrant as “invalid.” Neither the U.S. nor Russia are members of the ICC.

On the eve of the summit, Putin hinted at a new nuclear arms control deal, since the current treaty expires in February. It was unclear whether this was discussed on Friday.

‘Dependence on America’

Zelenskyy and his European allies feared that Trump might accept Russia’s de facto control of nearly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. But ahead of the meeting, Trump reassured that he would not impose any settlement on Ukraine.

“I’m not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine,” Trump said. “I just want to bring them to the table.”

Asked how to measure success, he replied: “I want a ceasefire quickly. If it doesn’t happen today, I won’t be happy. I want the killing to stop.”

The talks included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Policy Adviser Yuri Ushakov, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

On the campaign trail, Trump had promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. On Thursday, he admitted the task was “harder than I thought.” He now sees a trilateral summit with Zelenskyy as more important if Friday’s talks are successful.

At the end of his remarks, Trump told Putin: “Thank you very much, we will talk again very soon and probably see each other very soon.” Putin replied: “Next time in Moscow.” Trump acknowledged, “There might be some criticism, but it’s possible.”

Zelenskyy, ahead of the summit, expressed hope it would open the way for a “just peace” and that he would be included. But he warned: “Russia continues the war.” On Telegram, he wrote: “Now is the time to end the war, and Russia must take the necessary steps. We depend on America.”

[Source: Reuters]