U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday wrapped up a high-stakes summit in Alaska aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, but the meeting ended without a formal agreement.
Speaking after more than two and a half hours of talks at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Trump described the discussions as âextremely productive,â saying âmany pointsâ had been agreed upon. However, he cautioned, âThereâs no deal until thereâs a deal.â
Putin, for his part, spoke of an âagreementâ during the joint press conference, though neither leader offered specifics.
Notably absent from the Alaska summit was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose role Trump later emphasized.
âItâs really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done,â Trump told Fox Newsâ Sean Hannity after the summit. âOne or two pretty significant items are still left, but I think they can be reached. And I would also say the European nations have to get involved a little bit, but itâs up to President Zelenskyy.â
Trump confirmed he would brief NATO leaders and call Zelenskyy directly, adding that he still plans to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and the Ukrainian president in the coming weeks.
Pressed on his advice to Zelenskyy, Trump was blunt: âMake the deal. Gotta make the deal, yeah. Look, Russia is a very big power, and theyâre not.â
Neither Trump nor Putin took questions from the hundreds of reporters at the press conference, instead quickly shaking hands before leaving the stage.
The U.S. president also indicated that any decisions on sanctions or consequences for Russia would be delayed, saying, âBecause of what happened today, I donât have to think about it for two or three weeks.â