Alaska Summit Live: Putin Breaks Protocol in Meeting With Trump

Alaska Summit Live: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine after their meeting in Alaska on Friday. Putin said he and Trump had an “understanding” on Ukraine, but warned Europe not to “torpedo the progress”. Trump said, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal” and will talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon.

The big summit ended without an agreement to end or even pause the war — the largest land war in Europe since 1945 — which has been going on for more than three years.

Putin repeated Moscow’s long-standing position that it is “sincerely interested in ending” the war in Ukraine but for that to happen “all the root causes of the crisis ... must be eliminated”. He said he agrees with Trump on Ukraine’s security and Moscow is “ready to work on this” but didn’t elaborate.

Also Read: Kangana Ranaut Criticizes Dating Apps & Live-in Relationships as ‘Crude’ and ‘Unwomanly’

Putin spent most of his opening remarks on US-Russia relations and didn’t mention agreements until the end.

He said Russians see Ukrainians as “brotherly people” and Ukraine’s security “must be ensured” but didn’t say how.

The former president will leave Alaska without a deal, something some of his own aides had expected given Ukraine was not included in the talks and would have to agree to any deal involving its territory.

Despite the friendly tone and the symbolism of a joint press conference — the first between Putin and a US president since 2018’s Helsinki summit — Putin’s words suggested he hasn’t budged from his long-held positions.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan Celebrates India’s 79th Independence Day with Pride

He focused on economic cooperation with the US and told European nations not to “torpedo the progress” from the Alaska meeting. Russian state media quoted Ambassador Alexander Darchiev as saying the talks were “generally positive”.

The joint press conference itself was a rarity. The last time Putin stood beside a US president to take questions was in Helsinki when Trump was criticized for siding with Russia over US intelligence on 2016 election interference.

When Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021 he chose to speak alone, denying the Russian leader a chance to share the stage.

By going first at the microphone in Alaska, Putin got to set the narrative even without a signed peace deal to announce.

Also Read: India Strengthens Trade Ties with Singapore & ASEAN Amid US Tariff Pressures