President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended their long-awaited summit in Anchorage on Friday without a cease-fire deal on Ukraine, though the two struck a friendly tone during a joint press conference afterward, and Trump called the meeting “extremely productive.” Details of any possible future framework, however, were elusive.
“We haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway,” Trump said during his remarks. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He said there are still points to be worked out, without giving specifics.
The press conference was short, with both heads of state making brief remarks, and neither president took questions from the press. The summit, however, lasted over three hours.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and others will be informed of the progress, according to Trump. He had yet to call allies before the press conference.
“It is very important for our countries to turn the page and go back to cooperation,” Putin said in his statement, speaking before Trump.
“We have always considered the Ukrainian nation, and it’s weird to say in this situation, a brotherly nation,” Putin said.
Putin also said he hopes that Kyiv will not slow the progress of these negotiations.
The Russian president referenced the close geographic proximity between the United States and Russia, calling the two countries “close neighbors.”
The summit was a originally to be a one-on-one between the presidents, but according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, advisers from both nations joined.
The meeting, characterized by Leavitt as a “three-on-three,” included advisers from both sides. Trump was flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin brought Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yury Ushakov, a diplomatic adviser to the Russian president.
Trump, however, made it clear on Friday that he would not be negotiating on Ukraine’s behalf at his summit with Putin.
While traveling to Alaska for the summit, Trump told reporters that Ukraine would have to make its own decision on territorial swaps as part of any peace agreement to end Russia’s war against its smaller neighbor.
“They’ll be discussed, but I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump said.
“I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them on the table.”
Instead, the meeting was expected to focus on a discussion of the war in Ukraine and the economic relationship between the U.S. and Russia.
Zelensky did not attend the summit. He said his war-torn country is “counting on America” and hopes the summit will help facilitate three-way talks that include Ukraine.
“It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible,” Zelensky said in a statement.
Trump has indicated that his goal for the Friday summit was to secure an agreement to hold a second meeting, with Zelensky in attendance.
“The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that’s going to be a meeting where they make a deal,” Trump said Thursday.
“HIGH STAKES!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday morning, alluding to the summit with Russia.
Lavrov arrived in Anchorage wearing a sweater with Soviet lettering, a non-subtle message about Russia’s attitude heading into the summit.
The vital summit comes after repeated attempts by the Trump administration to broker temporary cease-fire deals and get the ball rolling on broader peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The war began over three years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 with the goal of annexing it. Putin’s forces currently occupy roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory in what has become a brutal war of attrition.
Trump has threatened to impose harsher economic sanctions and tariffs on Russia if Moscow continues to be unwilling to negotiate a deal with Ukraine. He has also criticized Putin for his willingness to attack Ukrainian civilians and his duplicity in peace negotiations.
U.S. economic ties with Russia have cratered since the war began, but last year the U.S. still imported $3 billion of goods from Russia, according to government data. On Air Force One, Trump reiterated his interest in economic punishment for Russia if negotiations continue to stall.
“Yes, it will be very severe,” Trump said of potential economic measures against Russia.
Ahead of the summit, Trump spoke on the phone with Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, about the summit and a prisoner release.
“The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one. We discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Zelensky is set to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron after the U.S.-Russia summit, Macron’s office announced. The details of the meeting were not made known.