U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-level meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska, which lasted nearly four hours, but no formal announcement on a Ukraine ceasefire was made.
Both leaders described the talks as “highly constructive”, focusing largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, energy security, and regional stability. The summit began with a warm welcome from President Trump, who greeted Putin at the red carpet and personally escorted him in his presidential limousine to the meeting venue.
According to officials, there was a brief one-on-one exchange between the two leaders without translators. Though informal, the conversation was possible due to Putin’s fluency in English.
Formal discussions were attended by each side’s foreign ministers and two senior officials. The meeting began with a brief photo session, with both presidents declining to answer any media questions beforehand.
Sources confirm that Ukraine and the possibility of a ceasefire dominated the agenda. President Trump expressed his desire to end the conflict but stressed that further negotiations would be required. He emphasized the need for a follow-up meeting to continue the momentum.
At the end of the meeting, both leaders addressed a joint press conference, calling the talks “respectful and constructive.”
President Putin referred to the war in Ukraine as a “tragedy”, saying Russia views the Ukrainian people as “brothers.” He said long-term peace was only possible by addressing the root causes of the conflict and insisted that Russia was prepared to work towards that goal.
Putin added that had Trump been in office in 2022, the war might not have happened. He also warned European nations not to obstruct any future peace efforts. The Russian leader invited Trump to a second summit in Moscow, an offer Trump said was “interesting” and would be considered.
President Trump, meanwhile, acknowledged that no immediate ceasefire was achieved, but added that “several points of agreement” were reached. He said he would soon speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders to further the peace dialogue.
In response, Ukrainian President Zelensky reiterated that Russian attacks continued even as the summit was underway. He said any effective solution must include tripartite talks involving Ukraine.
Notably, no questions were taken from the media at the press event, and no joint statement was issued.
Alongside President Trump were U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while President Putin was accompanied by senior Russian diplomats and military officials.
Putin thanked Trump for hosting the summit in Alaska, calling it symbolically significant due to the region’s historical ties to both nations. He said the atmosphere was friendly, and that “many points of understanding were achieved.”
President Trump ended the session by saying:
“My next step will be to call President Zelensky. We’ve made progress on several issues — we’ll be talking again soon.”
While no ceasefire was reached, both leaders agreed that ongoing dialogue could pave the way for peace and emphasized that communication must continue to reduce tensions.
