- The Alaska summit ended without a cease-fire or formal agreement on Ukraine; both leaders said they would keep talking.
- Trump called the session “productive” and said he will brief President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders; Putin spoke of an “understanding.”
- The core meeting ran roughly three hours in a three-on-three format that included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff alongside Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and Yury Ushakov.
The Big Picture
Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage ended without a deal to halt the war in Ukraine. Trump said “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” while Putin described an “understanding” and warned Europe not to “torpedo” progress.
What’s New
After about three hours of closed-door talks, the leaders appeared side-by-side for roughly 10 minutes to offer brief remarks but took no questions. Trump said he would call Zelenskyy and key European allies to give a readout of the summit and discuss next steps. The core session was held in a small-group format that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff for the U.S., and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov for Russia, as reported by Reuters.
What They’re Saying
Context
The war — Europe’s largest land conflict since 1945 — is entering its fourth year. Even without a breakthrough, the summit gave Moscow a high-visibility platform and tested allied red lines on any cease-fire terms, analysts noted, as reported by Reuters. Kyiv and European capitals have pressed Washington to avoid any arrangement that trades Ukrainian territory for a pause in fighting.
What’s Next
Trump said he will consult with Zelenskyy and European leaders before outlining further steps. Both sides signaled openness to additional talks; Reuters reported the working format could continue, keeping the focus on whether any follow-on session narrows differences on territory, security guarantees, and enforcement.
The Bottom Line
No cease-fire and no map were announced. The Alaska summit kept diplomacy alive but left the hardest questions unresolved — what concessions, what security guarantees, and how any deal would be enforced.
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