Trump and Putin Leave Alaska Without Ceasefire Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their meeting in Alaska without securing a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The nearly three-hour discussion ended with both leaders issuing brief statements to the press before exiting without answering questions. BBC correspondents in Anchorage examined the implications for both leaders and the future of the conflict.
Trump’s Image as a Deal Maker Takes a Hit
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Donald Trump remarked in his post-summit comments, a roundabout admission that the talks had produced no concrete results.
Despite describing the discussion with Putin as having made “some great progress,” he offered no details, leaving observers with little to go on. Later he added simply, “We didn’t get there,” before leaving the room without taking any questions from the press.
For a president who prides himself on being a negotiator and peacemaker, the trip ended with neither outcome. While U.S. allies in Europe and officials in Kyiv may feel reassured that Trump did not make unilateral concessions, the lack of substance still weakens his domestic and international standing—especially after he had earlier insisted there was only a 25% chance the summit would fail.
There was also a symbolic blow. During the joint appearance, Trump remained silent while Putin spoke at length—a stark reversal of the usual White House dynamic, where American presidents typically take the lead.
Although the talks took place on U.S. soil, Putin appeared strikingly at ease in Alaska, territory once owned by Russia before its 19th-century sale to the United States. This detail may not be lost on Trump, who will also have to contend with media portrayals of the summit as a failure.
Attention now turns to whether Trump will impose the new sanctions on Russia he had threatened if no ceasefire was reached. In a later Fox News interview, he suggested that decision might come “maybe in two weeks, three weeks.” Given his earlier warnings of “severe consequences,” such vague timing raises more questions than answers.
Putin Takes the Stage
What is a press conference without questions? That was the scene in Anchorage, where both presidents delivered statements and left immediately, ignoring shouted questions from journalists.
Even the Russian delegation declined to engage, reinforcing that major differences remain between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine.
Trump came to the summit pressing for a ceasefire, but Putin offered nothing in return.
This stood in contrast to the morning’s tone, when Trump welcomed Putin with pomp, treating him as a distinguished guest. By the end of the day, however, it was the Russian leader who had gained the spotlight, standing shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. president on the world stage.
The question now is how Trump will respond. He has so far failed to persuade Putin to halt the war. His earlier threats of ultimatums and further sanctions have not been enforced. Whether he chooses to act on them remains to be seen.
Relief in Kyiv, but Deep Uncertainty Ahead
For many, the summit may feel like an anticlimax. But in Ukraine, there is some relief: no agreement was struck that might have forced Kyiv to cede territory.
Ukrainians remain skeptical of any deal with Moscow, given Russia’s record of breaking past agreements. Still, Putin’s remarks in Anchorage were troubling. He once again emphasized the so-called “root causes” of the war, suggesting that only addressing them could bring lasting peace. In Kremlin language, this points to his unchanged goal of dismantling Ukraine’s sovereignty.
More than three years of Western resistance have not shifted Putin’s objectives, and the Alaska summit did nothing to alter that trajectory.
For Ukrainians, the outcome leaves pressing questions. Will Russian assaults continue at the same intensity? Western threats of consequences have repeatedly gone unenforced, encouraging Moscow to press on. The lack of progress in Anchorage may only reinforce that perception.
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