No Breakthrough as Trump and Putin Conclude Alaska Summit Without Ukraine Ceasefire Deal

August 16, 2025 MTIMES 4 min read Alaska Summit, Ceasefire Prospects, Global News, International Relations, Putin, Trump, U.S.-Russia Talks, Ukraine war

A long-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended Friday without any agreement on halting Russia’s war in Ukraine, although both leaders described their talks as “productive” and hinted at progress on several issues.

Speaking briefly to the press after nearly three hours of closed-door discussions, Trump said the two sides had “made some headway” while emphasizing that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” Neither leader provided details and no questions were taken, with Trump walking away as reporters shouted queries.

The absence of any meaningful steps toward a ceasefire disappointed observers, particularly after Trump had made ending the conflict a key objective heading into the summit — the first face-to-face talks between the two leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. For Putin, however, sitting alongside the U.S. president again marked a notable diplomatic win after years of isolation by Western powers.

In a follow-up interview on Fox News, Trump said progress made with Putin convinced him to delay planned tariffs against China over its purchase of Russian crude. He also indicated that a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could soon be organized and that he may participate personally.

Putin, however, did not mention any such meeting when addressing reporters. Instead, he repeated Moscow’s long-standing position that the fundamental causes of the war must be addressed for a long-term peace to emerge, and stated his expectation that Ukraine and its allies accept the results of U.S.-Russia negotiations.

Kyiv has not issued an official response. Asked what advice he would give Zelenskyy going forward, Trump said Ukraine must “make a deal,” stressing Russia’s superior power. The conflict has already claimed more than one million lives and wounded many more, with civilians making up a large share of the casualties.

Alaska Trump Putin Summit Draws Criticism Over Lack of Progress Toward Peace

As the leaders spoke, fighting continued across eastern Ukraine, with Russian officials in Rostov and Bryansk reporting Ukrainian drone strikes. Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Telegram that Putin appeared merely to have won more time and that no real de-escalation occurred.

The anticlimactic outcome contrasted sharply with the ceremonial opening of the summit. Putin arrived at an Air Force base in Alaska to a red-carpet reception and military flyover, where Trump greeted him warmly. Putin remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, a charge Moscow calls politically motivated and void.

What the Alaska Trump Putin Summit Means for Ukraine’s Next Moves

Before the summit, Zelenskyy warned that any informal recognition of Russian-occupied territory would be unacceptable. Trump, meanwhile, said he planned to brief NATO allies and contact Zelenskiy following the meeting, reiterating that he wanted “rapid” steps toward a ceasefire.

The meeting also included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Trump acknowledged Thursday that ending the conflict had proved more difficult than he had originally believed, and hinted that a three-way summit involving Zelenskiy could follow if the Alaska talks went well.

Closing the meeting, Trump thanked Putin and suggested they would likely meet again soon. “Next time in Moscow,” Putin responded — to which Trump joked that he might “take some heat” for such a visit, but did not rule it out.

Ahead of the talks, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that Ukraine still expects “a just peace” and emphasized that “necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America.”

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