JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (BN24) — Former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for nearly three hours Friday in a high-profile attempt to end the war in Ukraine — but walked away without announcing any agreement or ceasefire.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump told reporters after the closed-door meeting, which took place at a U.S. military base in Alaska. Both leaders delivered brief statements but took no questions before leaving the stage, leaving the substance of their talks unclear.
The summit, hosted by Trump, was billed as a bold first step toward halting a war that has raged for more than three years and claimed about 1.5 million lives. While Trump described the discussion as “productive” and suggested a ceasefire was still possible, he conceded that “we didn’t get there” — though he added, “we have a very good chance of getting there.”
Putin, flanked by his top aides Yuri Ushakov and Sergei Lavrov, told the press the war might not have started if Trump had been in office. Trump, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, listened intently and nodded, but appeared subdued compared to the warm tarmac greeting he gave the Russian leader earlier in the day.
The meeting began with symbolic gestures: a red-carpet arrival, a handshake between the two leaders on the runway, and a flyover featuring a B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets. Inside, they posed in front of a “Pursuing Peace” backdrop before retreating for private talks. Trump had initially said the summit would be one-on-one, but both sides brought additional officials to the table.
Ahead of the talks, Trump had tempered expectations, describing the meeting as part of a “multi-step process” and suggesting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would need to join future negotiations. Still, he made clear his desire for rapid progress, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “I want the killing to stop.”
The war, which began with Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has stalled into a grinding conflict. While Russia holds a slight battlefield edge, Western support has kept Ukraine in the fight. Analysts say Trump could use economic and military leverage to influence both sides — from tightening sanctions on countries buying Russian oil to limiting U.S. aid to Kyiv.
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said Putin is “clearly in a weaker position” and facing a conflict that has “turned out to be a disaster for him.”
The choice of Alaska carried its own diplomatic weight. The U.S. purchased the territory from Russia in 1867, and while Russian commentators have tried to frame the venue as symbolic of former imperial glory, U.S. officials saw Putin’s visit to a onetime Russian colony as a concession in itself.
The talks took place under intense global scrutiny. Critics, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), warned that meeting Putin without securing concrete commitments risks legitimizing him despite accusations of war crimes.
One of the biggest sticking points remains land. Zelenskyy has repeatedly insisted Ukraine will not cede territory, while Trump has floated the idea of territorial “swaps” — a proposal Kyiv has so far rejected.
Zelenskyy posted on X before the meeting that it should “open up a real path toward a just peace” and stressed that “necessary steps must be taken by Russia.”
Despite the lack of a breakthrough, Trump hinted at further diplomacy. “We’ll probably see you again very soon,” he told Putin as they concluded the session.
