Alaska – With handshakes on the red carpet and the roar of Air Force One on the tarmac, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a long-anticipated closed-door summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The rare meeting, aimed at resolving Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine, stretched for hours but ended without a final agreement.
Trump, speaking alongside Putin, said progress had been made but the “biggest issue” remained unsettled. “There is no deal until there is a deal,” he told reporters, calling the talks “extremely productive” yet unfinished. Putin, by contrast, suggested that an outline agreement was possible, even teasing a potential new nuclear arms control pact.
The White House confirmed the two leaders discussed U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine outside NATO, prisoner exchanges and even land swaps. “Those are points we largely agreed on,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity, while cautioning that Kyiv must still approve. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly dismissed concessions, warning “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.”
The summit drew passionate reaction. Ukrainian-American Volodymyr Valchuk, living in California, said he was “speechless” at the lack of a breakthrough. Demonstrators in Anchorage waved blue-and-yellow flags and chanted “peace for Ukraine,” while lawmakers in Washington expressed doubt that Putin would halt his aggression. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the best outcome would be a “believable ceasefire,” though she was skeptical of a sweeping peace deal.
Both leaders arrived with history hanging over the talks. Alaska, once part of Russia until its 1867 sale to the United States, underscored the geopolitical symbolism of the venue. Analysts stressed that Trump sought leverage with threats of new tariffs on nations buying Russian oil, while Putin hoped to extract recognition of Russia’s territorial claims. The Kremlin even hinted the talks could last six or seven hours, raising expectations of a breakthrough.
Instead, Trump left signaling the possibility of a second round, this time with Zelenskyy present. “It’s not for me to negotiate Ukraine’s deal, but I can set the table,” Trump said. He added he would call European leaders to brief them on the discussions. Putin warned Europe not to “throw a wrench” into peace efforts, accusing Western capitals of plotting provocations.
Meanwhile, Moscow reportedly prepared a new test of its nuclear-capable Burevestnik missile, a move analysts said was meant to strengthen its bargaining position. Trump, a longtime advocate of arms control, said he remained open to a broader nuclear deal but would “walk” if Putin was not serious.
For now, the summit leaves the war grinding on. “We didn’t get there,” Trump admitted, though he voiced hope for progress. As demonstrators in Alaska held banners declaring “We stand with Ukraine,” the human cost of the conflict weighed heavily. “I just hope it’s not going to cost Ukraine some of its land and more lives,” Valchuk said.