Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia have departed Alaska without agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The leaders gave a joint statement to the media following a nearly three-hour meeting but then left without answering any questions.
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| How the Trump-Putin summit unfolded |
Trump's reputation as a dealmaker is damaged by the meeting
Donald Trump stated early in his post-summit statements here in Anchorage that "there's no deal until there's a deal."
It was a convoluted way of admitting that after several hours of negotiations, there is no agreement. No pause. There is nothing concrete to report.
The president stated that he and Vladimir Putin achieved "some great progress," but there are few details about what that might be, leaving the world to speculate.
He later remarked, "We didn't get there," and left the room without answering any questions from the hundreds of reporters there.
Trump went to great lengths to only make things more unpredictable, even though his European friends and Ukrainian officials may be glad he didn't make any unilateral concessions or agreements that could have hurt future talks.
Trump, who frequently portrays himself as a mediator and a dealmaker, seems unlikely to leave Alaska with one of those qualities.
There are also no signs of a future summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite Putin's "next time in Moscow" remark about their next meeting.
Despite Trump's prior claims that this meeting had a 25% chance of failing, the fact that it nevertheless happened will damage his reputation both at home and abroad, even though his stakes were lower than those of Russia or Ukraine.
Furthermore, the president was forced to endure the seeming humiliation of remaining mute while Putin gave lengthy opening statements to begin the news conference that never happened. It was a significant departure from the customary practice in the Oval Office, where the US president usually sits in court while his foreign colleague observes silently.
Alaska is American territory, but Putin appeared more at home in "Russian America" before its 19th-century surrender to the US. Both that and press coverage portraying this conference as a failure could be detrimental to the US president in the days ahead.
Now, the big question that reporters couldn't ask on Friday is whether Trump will put his much-threatened new sanctions on Russia as a punishment.
Partially answering that question in a Fox News interview before leaving, the president said that he might think about doing something like that "maybe in two weeks, three weeks." However, because the president threatened "severe consequences" if Russia did not pursue a truce, such a vague response would raise more questions than it does answers.
Putin's moment in the world's limelight
What constitutes a "press conference" and what does not?
when no inquiries are made.
There was palpable surprise in the hall when Presidents Putin and Trump left the podium immediately after delivering their comments, without taking any questions.
Additionally, members of the Russian delegation quickly departed the room without responding to any of the questions that reporters were yelling at them.
There are undeniable indications that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump continue to hold significant divergences of opinion regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Donald Trump has advocated for a truce with Russia. He did not receive it from Vladimir Putin.
An entirely different atmosphere prevailed earlier in the day. President Trump had thrown out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, treating him like an honored guest.
Today, the Russian president had his moment in the geopolitical spotlight, sharing the stage with the leader of the world's most powerful country.
However, how will Trump respond to this? He has yet to convince Putin to halt Russia's conflict in Ukraine.
He had previously suggested a more severe strategy against Russia, including deadlines, ultimatums, and the possibility of additional penalties if Moscow disregarded pleas for a ceasefire.
He hasn't done anything.
Will he?
Ukraine's relief, but anxiety over what comes next
What transpired in Anchorage may have felt like a letdown for many, but in Kyiv, people will be relieved that no "deal" has been revealed that would result in the loss of territory for Ukraine.
Ukrainians know that all of their main accords with Russia have failed, so even if one was announced in Anchorage, they might be highly skeptical.
However, during the joint appearance in front of the media, Vladimir Putin once again mentioned the "root causes" of the war and claimed that only their elimination would bring about enduring peace, which would worry Ukrainians.
In Kremlin-speak, this indicates that he is committed to pursuing his "special military operation"'s initial goal, which is to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state. Three-and-a-half years of Western efforts have failed to persuade him to change his mind, including the Alaska meeting.
Another concerning aspect is the lingering ambiguity following the meeting. What follows? Will Russia's assaults go unchecked?
A string of Western deadlines that passed with no repercussions and threats that were never fulfilled have occurred in recent months. This is perceived by Ukrainians as a call for Putin to carry out more strikes. They might view Anchorage's seeming lack of advancement in the same way.
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