Trump Pulls out Red Carpet For Putin But Returns Empty Hand | Full Address

Anchorage: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin made brief remarks at a joint press conference following a nearly three-hour meeting, but departed without announcing any agreement or ceasefire. 

Both leaders spoke for only a few minutes and declined to take questions from the press. While no resolution was reached to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Trump described the talks as “very productive.”

“There were many, many points that we agreed on,” Trump said. “I would say a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite got there, but we’ve made some headway. So there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He added, “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.” Turning to Putin, Trump remarked, “We’ll probably see you again very soon.”

In his brief comments, Putin expressed confidence that Ukraine and its European partners would accept the outcome of U.S.–Russia negotiations, cautioning them not to “torpedo” the progress made toward a resolution.

The two leaders, accompanied by their top foreign-policy advisers, held discussions in a conference room at an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, their first in-person meeting since 2019. Behind them, a blue backdrop carried the phrase “Pursuing Peace.”

Trump’s stated goal ahead of the talks was to secure both a halt to hostilities and a commitment from Putin to meet promptly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate an end to the war, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

However, Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the summit, and several European allies had voiced concerns that Trump might effectively cement the current battle lines, tacitly acknowledging Russian control over roughly one-fifth of Ukraine.

Addressing those concerns while boarding Air Force One, Trump insisted any territorial decisions would be left to Ukraine. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them to a table,” he told reporters. Asked what he considered a successful outcome, Trump said, “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly… I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today… I want the killing to stop.”

Although the White House had initially announced a press conference after the closed-door meeting, both leaders exited the stage without taking any questions.

Concluding his remarks, Trump voiced optimism about the path forward. “I’m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened,” he told reporters, noting that he would soon brief NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the discussions.  

While reaffirming that “there is no deal until there is a deal,” he emphasised that the two sides had managed to find “several points of real common ground.”

For now, Trump pulls out all stops, but no deal has been reached, leaving the status quo continue with the Ukraine war for now. Still, the optics were striking. Putin gets the white house handshake, sheds russian isolation, even as Putin sets terms on Russia’s interests in Ukraine, no deal reached.

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