Trump, Putin Hold ‘Productive’ Alaska Talks but No Breakthrough on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for more than two hours at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska on Friday, in the Russian leader’s first visit to Western soil since launching the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both leaders described the summit as “constructive” and “productive,” but offered no clear path forward on ending the war.

Flanked by top aides — including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — the two leaders discussed Ukraine alongside trade, business cooperation, Arctic issues, and space exploration. Putin thanked Trump for the “friendly” tone of the talks, saying both sides had reached “unspecified agreements,” and praised Trump as a leader who “sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country.”

Trump echoed the positive tone, saying, “There were many, many points that we agreed on — most of them I would say — a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there but we’ve made some headway.” He added that he would brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO allies on the meeting’s outcome.

The summit ended without a joint press conference and without any sign of progress toward halting the largest European land war since 1945. Both leaders delivered separate remarks before leaving without taking questions.

Putin suggested their next meeting could take place in Moscow, to which Trump replied, “That’s an interesting one… I could see it possibly happening,” while acknowledging it could spark criticism.

For Putin, the trip itself was a diplomatic win, allowing him to present Russia as a player back at the global negotiating table despite sanctions and a grinding war. For Trump, the summit offered the chance to project himself as a dealmaker, though it leaves Kyiv and European capitals uneasy about being sidelined.