Putin, Trump Hail “Extremely Productive” Alaska Summit
Leaders cite progress on Ukraine and U.S.-Russia ties but key issue remains unresolved
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President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump concluded more than two-and-a-half hours of talks at a summit in Alaska, their longest in-person meeting to date, which both men described as “extremely productive.”
Putin opened the joint press conference saying the negotiations were “useful” and held in a “constructive atmosphere.” He claimed an agreement had been reached, though neither side detailed what points were settled or still outstanding. He framed the talks as a starting point for resolving the Ukraine conflict and restoring economic relations between Moscow and Washington, noting “tremendous potential” for investment and business cooperation.
“I would like to hope that the agreements we’ve reached together will help us bring closer that goal and will pave a path towards peace in Ukraine,” Putin said.
Trump confirmed many points had been agreed but stressed that one “most significant” issue remained unresolved. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he told reporters, while expressing confidence the gap could be bridged.
Putin suggested their next meeting take place in Moscow. Trump, noting he might “take some heat” for such a visit, did not commit. Neither leader took questions from the press.
The talks included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov was reported to be “in a great mood” afterward.
Following the summit, Fox News reported that Trump was on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.