Trump ends Putin’s isolation without reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine |
Fine words, but no tangible results.
The much-anticipated Anchorage summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin —launched with great pomp, circumstance, and a red carpet laid out on the tarmac for the Russian leader— ended after two and a half hours almost in a whisper: no agreement on Ukraine, nor on how to proceed from here. Similarly, no commitment to a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, much less a ceasefire. But both leaders expressed interest in meeting again “soon” and described the talks as “productive.” Trump declared that although “the most important” goal had not yet been achieved, he believed it could eventually be reached. His Russian counterpart, making it clear he was not budging on his positions, suggested that the next meeting might take place in Moscow.
In some ways, the meeting at Elmendorf–Richardson base, just north of Anchorage, Alaska, ended to everyone’s liking. Putin got what he wanted most of all: the photo alongside the U.S. president, on U.S. soil, with American planes and soldiers saluting him —a demonstration to the world that his status as an international pariah, in place since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is over. All of this without having to make a single concession.
Trump, for his part, promoted the image he seeks: that of a statesman pursuing peace. Thousands of miles away, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders could breathe a sigh of relief: there was no trilateral summit on the horizon, but neither had the two leaders reached a deal that would pressure Kyiv to accept the loss of territory or other unacceptable peace terms. This was the great fear in Ukraine and in European capitals, that Putin would use the face-to-face to persuade the American to back his territorial demands.
“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but 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 declared in the joint press-conference that followed the almost three-hour meeting.
Whether his words reflected reality or were just an attempt to put a good face on a bad outcome is unclear. The Republican had said beforehand that it would take him only a few minutes to determine whether the Russian was serious about peace or simply bluffing to buy time. If it was the latter, he assured, he would go home and be done with it, but Putin would then face “serious consequences.”
The summit didn’t last just a few minutes, but at two and a half hours it was shorter than the informal schedules prepared by the White House, and far shorter than the six or seven hours anticipated by the Kremlin. Although details remain elusive, the meeting seems to have been limited to its first part: the conversation between the two leaders, almost alone, accompanied only by their foreign ministers. There were no broader negotiations with the rest of the delegations, and no working lunch. Even Trump’s remarks were shorter than usual for his press appearances.
Neither leader took questions in their joint appearance before the press. Putin spoke first, highlighting that the two countries are “neighbors” and share “a broad common cultural heritage.” He claimed that in greeting Trump on arrival, he welcomed him “as a neighbor,” “with warm words,” expressing his pleasure at seeing him again.
“We have developed a very good working and trusting relationship with President Trump. I have every reason to believe that if we continue on this path, we can reach the end of the conflict as soon as possible,” Putin declared, in remarks longer than those of his host.
He also made clear that he had not shifted a single inch from his positions, the same ones he has held since the invasion began. He voiced hope that “the understanding we reached here will help bring us closer to peace in Ukraine” and repeated that “Russia sincerely wants to end the conflict” in the occupied country. But —and here lies the greatest obstacle— “all the root causes of the conflict must be resolved.” For Putin, resolving those causes means definitively blocking any Ukrainian aspiration to join NATO; restricting the Western weaponry Kyiv can access; and placing under Russian control the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, including the areas still held by Ukrainian forces. This is something Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European allies categorically reject.
Putin also made an appeal to Kyiv and its European partners, saying he hoped they would “take all this constructively, and not start putting up obstacles or trying to halt progress with behind-the-scenes provocations and machinations.”
The Russian leader ended with a provocative invitation: “Next time, in Moscow?” he asked, throwing down a gauntlet that Trump did not completely dismiss. “It’s an interesting proposal,” Trump replied. Shortly after, the two presidents departed the military base for their respective capitals —Putin leaving first, Trump almost immediately after.
Trump’s next step, for the moment, was a round of phone calls. First to Zelenskiy, to brief him on the meeting. Then to European leaders, who in recent days had mounted a flurry of diplomatic efforts —from a gathering at Chevening, the British foreign minister’s country residence, with Vice President J.D. Vance and other top U.S. officials, to a videoconference with Trump himself— in hopes of preventing the former KGB officer from persuading the White House occupant with his arguments. Trump stressed in his remarks that it would be up to the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to decide what proposals they want to put forward to end the war.Whether his words reflected reality or were just an attempt to put a good face on a bad outcome is unclear. The Republican had said beforehand that it would take him only a few minutes to determine whether the Russian was serious about peace or simply bluffing to buy time. If it was the latter, he assured, he would go home and be done with it, but Putin would then face “serious consequences.”Neither leader took questions in their joint appearance before the press. Putin spoke first, highlighting that the two countries are “neighbors” and share “a broad common cultural heritage.” He claimed that in greeting Trump on arrival, he welcomed him “as a neighbor,” “with warm words,” expressing his pleasure at seeing him again.
“We have developed a very good working and trusting relationship with President Trump. I have every reason to believe that if we continue on this path, we can reach the end of the conflict as soon as possible,” Putin declared, in remarks longer than those of his host.
He also made clear that he had not shifted a single inch from his positions, the same ones he has held since the invasion began. He voiced hope that “the understanding we reached here will help bring us closer to peace in Ukraine” and repeated that “Russia sincerely wants to end the conflict” in the occupied country. But —and here lies the greatest obstacle— “all the root causes of the conflict must be resolved.” For Putin, resolving those causes means definitively blocking any Ukrainian aspiration to join NATO; restricting the Western weaponry Kyiv can access; and placing under Russian control the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, including the areas still held by Ukrainian forces