Trump declares 'significant advancements' with Putin; plans to converse with European rulers and Zelenskyy of Ukraine imminently
In a highly anticipated meeting, President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin convened at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Friday. However, the summit ended without a deal to end or pause the conflict in Ukraine, which has been raging for more than three years and is the largest land war in Europe since 1945.
Despite nearly three hours of talks, Russian forces continued their assault during the meeting, and Putin made no concessions toward pausing the conflict. Trump stated no deal was made, though he claimed "great progress" had been made, a sentiment viewed as overstated by analysts given the lack of concrete results.
Trump had raised and lowered expectations for the summit, characterizing it as a "feel-out meeting" but also warning of "very severe consequences" for Russia. Despite the lack of agreement, Trump and Putin shared a ride in the U.S. presidential limousine, indicating a certain level of cordiality.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was excluded from the discussions between Trump and Putin. Zelenskyy expressed concern that the war continues due to a lack of signals from Moscow indicating an end to the conflict. In a video address, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to work productively to end the war and expressed hope for a "strong position from the U.S."
Putin, on the other hand, stated that he and Trump had come to an "understanding" on Ukraine, but he did not respond to questions about killing civilians during the meeting. Trump saw the summit as his best chance to date to get the fighting to stop, but he came up short.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, Trump plans to speak with Zelenskyy and European leaders in an effort to find a resolution. The possibility of another meeting between Trump and Putin was mentioned, but no firm commitments or progress toward ending the war were achieved.
Politicians and analysts scrutinized talks between Trump and Putin for any signs of progress towards resolving the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, despite the summit resulting in no tangible deals or pauses. general-news outlets reported that the exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the discussions fueled concerns about the future of political negotiations.
