President Trump emerged from his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday endorsing Russia’s territorial ambitions and agreeing to defer ceasefire talks, a stark departure from his pre-meeting expectation of securing “some form of a ceasefire.”
A European official stated Saturday that Trump had informed European leaders he agreed with Putin’s demand for Ukraine to make territorial concessions to end the conflict. Trump himself posted on social media that the consensus was to pursue a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a ceasefire, which he noted often doesn’t hold.
“If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” Trump wrote. “Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.”
This outcome represents a significant win for Putin. He has sought to leverage Russia’s battlefield advantage, delaying ceasefire discussions for months while Russian forces advance along Ukrainian front lines. Putin received a warm reception on U.S. soil at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, including applause and a ride in Trump’s vehicle, despite international isolation and an International Criminal Court indictment for alleged war crimes.
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Trump stated in a Fox News interview that the meeting went well, but cautioned, “But we’ll see… You know, you have to get a deal.” Analysts were not surprised by the lack of a ceasefire agreement, noting Putin’s control of the battlefield and his apparent unwillingness to de-escalate.
The ongoing conflict raises questions about Putin’s ability to maintain Trump’s goodwill. Just hours before the summit, Russian forces attacked a civilian market in Sumy.
Following the press availability, the Russian delegation departed without comment. Trump promptly left Anchorage for Washington, and the White House released no official statements or fact sheets. Administration officials remained silent.
Why did the summit fail to produce a ceasefire?
Experts suggest Putin aimed to delay meaningful progress while leveraging his battlefield advantage, and appeasing Trump without making substantive concessions. Ceasefires are easily broken, and peace talks can be protracted.
“Putin is going to have to give Trump some kind of concession so that he is not completely embarrassed,” said Darren Kew, dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. “Probably a pledge of a ceasefire very soon — one of Trump’s key demands — followed by a promise to meet the Ukrainians for talks this fall.”
Kew added, “Both serve Putin’s goals of delay and appeasing Trump, while allowing more time for Russian battlefield victories.”
Putin commented that agreements reached with Trump might face opposition in Europe and Ukraine, urging allies not to “torpedo nascent progress.” He expressed hope that the agreements would pave the way for peace, stating, “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively, and that they won’t throw a wrench in the works.”
This implies that any terms negotiated between Trump and Putin are unlikely to be acceptable to Ukraine, which has suffered immense losses in the conflict since February 2022.
Reports indicated that Putin demanded Ukraine cede the eastern administrative divisions of Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a freeze of the current front line. Trump told Fox News that the potential Russian takeover of Ukrainian lands was discussed and “agreed upon,” contingent on Ukrainian approval. This is unlikely, given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s opposition and constitutional provisions against territorial concessions.
“Those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed upon, actually,” Trump said. “I think we’ve agreed on a lot. I think we’re pretty close to a deal. Now, look. Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.”
Europe and Ukraine argue that conceding territory to Putin is insufficient. Following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Putin has pursued further territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, culminating in the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated this week that its war aims remain unchanged.
Putin stated, “We’re convinced that in order to make the settlement last in the long term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict… to consider all legitimate concerns of Russia, and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe, and in the world on the whole.”
“The root causes of the conflict,” he added, “must be resolved.”
In Washington, Trump was scheduled to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary-General and other European leaders. A follow-up meeting with Zelensky was planned for Monday in Washington.
Achieving a peace agreement poses a greater challenge than a ceasefire, requiring extensive negotiations that would permit Russia to continue its offensive operations in the interim. Details of the summit remain scarce, with both leaders mentioning “agreements” but acknowledging the unresolved issue of a ceasefire.
