JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — President Donald Trump walked away from a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday August 15th 2025 without securing a deal to end the war in Ukraine, despite presenting the encounter as a bold diplomatic push to halt the bloodshed.
After hours of talks in Anchorage, Trump conceded that no agreement had been reached. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he told reporters, even as Putin suggested they had reached an “understanding” and cautioned Europe not to “undermine the fragile progress.” Trump said he would brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on the discussions.
The meeting, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, was Trump’s most ambitious attempt yet to deliver on his campaign pledge to resolve the war. But after months of harsh exchanges with Zelenskyy and wavering U.S. military support for Kyiv, the president left without extracting even a temporary ceasefire from Moscow — as Russian forces continue to press their advantage on the battlefield.
Carrots, Sticks — and Concessions to Putin
Trump had entered the summit with a mix of threats and courtesies: promises of punishing sanctions paired with a red-carpet welcome for Putin on American soil. The result, however, was neither sanctions nor a settlement — but rather a symbolic victory for Putin, who gained long-sought legitimacy on the global stage after years of isolation.
Instead of a joint press conference, the leaders cut short their appearance and refused questions, a sign that talks had fallen short. Later, Trump told Fox News that Zelenskyy “might need to take the lead” in pushing peace, raising eyebrows since Ukraine was excluded from the meeting altogether.
Putin, for his part, cast the talks as a breakthrough. He praised Trump’s “understanding” of Russia’s interests and expressed hope that the summit would reset U.S.-Russia ties. “I expect that today’s agreements will become a reference point not only for resolving the Ukraine issue, but also for restoring pragmatic relations between our two nations,” he said.
A Stage-Managed Encounter
The optics of the summit drew as much attention as its outcome. Trump greeted Putin with a lengthy handshake on a red carpet, before the pair shared a ride in the presidential limousine. Overhead, U.S. warplanes once built to counter Moscow roared across the Alaskan sky — a stark reminder of the decades-long rivalry between the two nations.
The cordial welcome stood in contrast to the grim reality of the war in Ukraine, where civilian cities remain under bombardment and Kyiv struggles to match Russia’s manpower along a 600-mile front. European allies have voiced concern that Trump’s approach prioritizes U.S. interests over Ukraine’s survival.
Guardrails This Time
Unlike their 2018 meeting in Helsinki — when Trump was widely criticized for siding with Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies — Friday’s session included additional officials. Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin brought Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Still, Ukraine’s absence at the table broke sharply with the West’s principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
War Grinds On
Russia and Ukraine remain deadlocked. Putin continues to reject a ceasefire unless Western nations halt arms deliveries and Kyiv suspends mobilization — demands the Ukrainian government and its allies refuse to accept. Meanwhile, the war, now in its fourth year, has inflicted staggering casualties and strained resources on both sides.
Despite the lack of progress, Trump closed the summit with optimism, thanking Putin and hinting at another meeting — possibly even in Moscow. “That’s an interesting one,” Trump mused when Putin extended the invitation, acknowledging that the idea would be controversial.
For now, the war shows no signs of slowing, and Trump’s signature promise to broker peace remains unfulfilled.
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