Donald Trump’s desire to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was left unfulfilled as the two world leaders waved goodbye to each other in Alaska.
The meeting at the US military’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the outskirts of Anchorage marked the first time Putin had visited the US in a decade.
Prior to the conference, Trump had told reporters he wanted to leave with a truce agreed, and warned of “very severe consequences” in the event of no deal.
He later said: “I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today.”
Yet despite the US President rolling out the red-carpet for the Russian leader, no real progress had been made by the time the pair walked into the room for a final press conference.
The two men refused to answer questions from journalists, and instead read pre-prepared statements.
Putin said that a “lasting and long-term” settlement would necessitate “eliminating the roots causes of the conflict” in Ukraine, hinting that the very question of Ukraine’s sovereignty would have to be addressed.
Trump said that “great progress” had been made in the “extremely productive meeting”, but was clear that they had not reached an agreement.
“We didn’t get there”, Trump added, “But we have a very good chance of getting there.”
What are the next steps?
The US President announced a U-turn in his ambitions for a ceasefire shortly after the meeting had ended, saying that peace would have to come first.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold.”
Putin suggested the next meeting between the two leaders could take place in Moscow, which would rule Ukraine out of having a seat at the negotiating table.
It remains unclear whether there will be a trilateral but the Ukrainian President will hope to push for a second summit when he meets Trump in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon. European leaders have also been invited to Washington.
He has argued that that there should be further sanctions on Russia in the absence of a three-way summit, but Trump’s willingness to do this remains uncertain.
When asked about his tariff threats on Fox News, he said: “We don’t have to think about it today. Maybe in two weeks, three weeks.”
Trump even pulled back from issuing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil in light of the summit.
“Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” Trump said.
After the summit Trump suggested that Europe and Ukraine would be responsible for what happens next.
Sir Keir Starmer will host a call with leaders of the coalition of the women on Sunday ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky trip to Washington and praised Trump for bring the conflict closer to an end.
The next scenarios for Ukraine
In the aftermath of the meeting, Zelensky said he expects Russia to “increase pressure and strikes” on Ukraine in the coming days to “create more favourable circumstances for talks with global actors”.
Zelensky has made clear that Ukraine needs “lasting peace” rather than “another pause between Russian invasions”. Zelensky has called for US guarantees in the event of a ceasefire, and although not confirmed, it was reported that Trump may offer a Nato-style security guarantee to Ukraine.
It is understood that the deal would see the US and European allies obliged to respond to future attacks without Ukraine being admitted to the alliance.
It had been suggested that there could be an air ceasefire until a three-way meeting between the leaders, but Ukraine’s presidential office have since rejected that scenario.
In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump had said that a peace settlement would require some “swapping on territory”, fuelling concerns that Ukraine would be forced to cede occupied land in return for a deal.
There were also reports, via the Financial Times, that Putin plans to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region as a condition for ending Russia’s war.
One of Moscow’s key demands was an assurance that Ukraine would not join the Nato military alliance.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was prepared to place more sanctions on Russia to “keep tightening the screws on his [Putin’s] war machine”.
Starmer has been threatening to put boots on the ground in Ukraine since February, and he reiterated the need for “robust security guarantees” from the Coalition of the Willing.
What have the world leaders said?
Leaders from the international community have expressed their support for Ukraine in the aftermath of the talks, and repeated calls for Zelensky to be involved in decisions about his nation’s future.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden said on X: “The EU is working closely with Zelensky and the United States to reach a just and lasting peace. Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential”.
Meanwhile, a joint statement released by European leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, “welcomed” Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but said further talks with Zelensky would be crucial to agreeing a deal.
“We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky towards a trilateral summit with European support”, the statement read.
They added, however, that security guarantees for Ukraine would have to be “ironclad” and that it would be “up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory”.
“International borders must not be changed by force”, the leaders said.
