(Daily Signal)—President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin both professed to have made progress, but did not reach an agreement on how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, after their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday.
Trump said the two leaders had one or two major details remaining to be worked out.
“There is no deal until there is a deal,” Trump said, standing at lectern next to Putin’s in front of a large background that said “Pursuing Peace.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Trump has made brokering some peace deal between the two countries a priority. He next wants to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization into the talks.
During a joint press conference after a more than three-hour closed-door meeting, the two leaders spoke in vague terms and did not take questions from the press. That’s an unusual circumstance for Trump, who frequently engages in long news conferences and impromptu press gaggles.
Putin spoke in Russian through an interpreter for about six minutes, while Trump spoke for just over three minutes.
Here are the top takeaways from what’s known about the meeting.
1. Putin: No Invasion Had Trump Been President
During the 2024 presidential campaign and during his second term, Trump has said the Russian-Ukraine war would not have happened had he been in office at the time.
Trump blamed weak leadership from President Joe Biden.
Interestingly, Putin confirmed Trump’s assertion.
“In 2022, during the last contact with the previous administration, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return when it should come to hostilities,” Putin said. “I said it quite directly that it’s a big mistake. Today, when President Trump says if he was the president back then, there would be no war, I’m quite sure it would indeed be so.”
He later added, “President Trump and I have built a very businesslike and trustworthy contact.”
2. What’s Next?
Trump said he would next reach out to Zelenskyy and U.S. allies.
He acknowledged sticking points but said he and Putin agreed on most points. Neither leader elaborated on what points they agreed or disagreed on.
“There were many, many points we agreed on, most of them I would say. A couple of big ones, we haven’t quite gotten there, but we made some headway,” Trump said.
“There is no deal until there is a deal,” Trump continued. “I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. I will, of course, call up President Zelenskyy and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them.”
He later added, “We have a very good chance of getting there. We didn’t get there. But we have a very good chance of getting there.”
Trump spoke about the death toll for both countries.
“We are going to stop really five, six, seven thousands of people a week from being killed. President Putin wants to see that as much as I do,” Trump said.
3. US-Russia Trade
Trump and administration officials have alluded to economic incentives to persuade Russia to end the war.
Without specifics of a deal, Putin talked about the potential for increased cooperation and commercial trade between the two countries.
“It is clear U.S. and Russia cooperation has tremendous potential,” Putin said. “Russia and the U.S. can offer each other so much in trade, digital, high-tech, and in space exploration. We see Arctic cooperation is also possible.”
While speaking, Trump had positive things to say about Putin.
“I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir,” Trump said. “We had many, many tough meetings, good meetings. We were interfered with by the ‘Russia, Russia, Russia‘ hoax. That made it a little bit tougher to deal with.”
Toward the end, after Trump brought up a follow-up meeting, Putin said: “Next time in Moscow.”
Trump replied: “That’s an interesting one. I’ll get a little heat on that one. But I can see it happening.”
4. Putin Drops ‘Neighborly’ on US
Putin, known for his ruthlessness on the world stage, used some of the softest language during the press conference.
Trump and Putin met at the Anchorage airport with a warm handshake, speaking to one another with smiles.
They went to a platform that said “Alaska 2025,” before exiting the airport in a limousine together.
While their words weren’t audible, during the news conference, Putin recalled telling Trump, “When I came out of the plane, I said, ‘Good afternoon. You are a neighbor.’ … It was very neighborly. I think those are kind words we can say to each other.”
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