U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have concluded their high-profile summit in Alaska without reaching a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Despite weeks of buildup and hopes for a breakthrough, the talks ended with only a joint statement and no concrete agreement.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump told reporters, while insisting that “great progress” had been made. He later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his flight back to Washington, with European leaders also joining the call. Zelensky is expected to visit Washington on Monday.
The carefully choreographed summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson featured all the hallmarks of diplomatic spectacle — red carpets, motorcades, and photo ops — but behind the scenes, key issues remained unresolved.
Putin maintained his demand that Ukraine withdraw from four occupied regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — and abandon its NATO aspirations. Zelensky has firmly rejected any territorial concessions, warning it would only embolden Russia further.
Despite Trump’s confidence and public camaraderie with Putin, including referring to him by his first name, the summit ended after less than three hours. A scheduled working lunch was canceled, and neither leader took questions from the media.
The war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, continues with no ceasefire in sight.
