Trump and Putin to Convene Summit with Presence of Selensky
Headline: US-Russian Summit in Anchorage Fails to Yield Ceasefire in Ukraine Conflict
The much-anticipated 2025 US-Russian summit held on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska, between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin, focused primarily on the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the meeting ended without a ceasefire deal or peace agreement.
The summit marked the first meeting between Trump and Putin as sitting presidents since 2019 and Putin's first official visit to the US since 2015. The meeting involved high-level diplomatic engagement, with US Secretary of State Rubio, envoy Stevekoff, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in attendance.
The discussions lasted approximately six to seven hours, with personal talks between the leaders and delegation discussions, followed by a joint press conference. Notably absent were Ukraine and European leaders, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz stressed that any peace agreement must involve Kyiv and start with a ceasefire, highlighting concerns about excluding key stakeholders from negotiations.
Despite intensive discussions, no ceasefire or immediate peace plan was reached. President Trump stated he would soon determine if Putin genuinely desires a peace deal, but no concrete agreements emerged by the summit's conclusion.
In the aftermath of the summit, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Zelensky agreed that Russia must end its violation of international law by ending its war. Trump has expressed a desire to expand his meeting with Putin to include Zelensky. Putin suggested that the United Arab Emirates could be a suitable venue for the summit.
The fighting in Ukraine continues unabated, despite Trump's ultimatum for a ceasefire. Russia will inform its international partners about the upcoming summit, but the date and location have not yet been confirmed. Putin has stated that conditions must be right for a three-way summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow, and their talks were described as constructive and useful. Zelensky also called for courage from Moscow in ending the war, which has been ongoing for more than three years.
[1] BBC News. (2025, August 16). US-Russia summit ends without breakthrough on Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58245478
[2] The New York Times. (2025, August 16). Trump and Putin Meet for Six-Hour Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/us/politics/trump-putin-summit.html
[3] CNN. (2025, August 16). Trump-Putin summit ends without agreement on Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/16/politics/trump-putin-summit-ukraine/index.html
- Despite the US-Russian summit focused on the Russia-Ukraine war, a ceasefire deal or peace agreement was not reached during the meeting, suggesting ongoing challenges in war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation efforts.
- The US-Russian summit highlights the complex dynamics of politics, as key stakeholders such as Ukrainian President Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were not present for the meeting, but both have shown concerns and interest in general-news updates related to the conflict.
