President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, describing the talks as “extremely productive” but acknowledging that no final agreement has been reached to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking first at a joint press conference, Putin called the meeting a “constructive atmosphere of mutual respect” and said “agreements” had been reached, without providing details. Neither leader took questions from reporters.
The summit lasted about three hours—more than an hour shorter than initial estimates and significantly less than the Kremlin’s expectation of a six-hour discussion.
Putin said the talks would serve as a starting point not only for a resolution in Ukraine but also for restoring business ties between the U.S. and Russia.
He referred to Ukraine as a “brotherly nation” and repeated language about addressing the “primary roots” of the conflict, terms he has previously used to justify Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Progress Made, But Work Remains
Trump echoed the positive tone but stressed that the two sides were “not there yet” on a peace deal.
“There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say. A couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway,” he said. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
The president said he intends to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO leaders about the summit’s discussions.
He expressed hope that the next step would be a face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, though it remains unclear if the summit brought that possibility closer.
