ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – A highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded on Friday without a formal agreement to end the war in Ukraine, though both leaders described the nearly three-hour talks as productive.
In a significant development following the meeting, President Trump announced he would hold off on imposing threatened tariffs on China for its purchases of Russian oil, citing “progress” made during his discussions with Putin.
The two leaders made brief, separate statements after the summit, offering no specific details on the “headway” they claimed to have made. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump stated, taking no questions from the press.
While the primary goal of securing a ceasefire in Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years was not achieved, the direct engagement was seen as a diplomatic victory for Putin, who has been largely isolated by Western leaders since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the summit, Trump confirmed the tariff reprieve for Beijing. “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” he said, while cautioning that the issue could resurface in a few weeks. He made no mention of lifting the existing 50% tariffs on India, another major buyer of Russian crude.
Pressure Shifts to Ukraine
President Trump also suggested that the next step would be a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which he might attend. He indicated that key points, including potential land swaps and security guarantees, were discussed with Putin.
“I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” Trump told Hannity, adding a crucial condition: “Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.”
When asked what his advice to President Zelenskiy would be, Trump was direct: “Gotta make a deal.”
Putin, for his part, repeated Moscow’s long-standing position that a lasting peace requires addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, signaling no change in his core demands. There was no immediate official reaction from Kyiv.
War Rages On
As the diplomatic talks unfolded, the conflict on the ground continued unabated. Air raid alerts were active across eastern Ukraine, and both nations reported drone attacks on their territories overnight. Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have intercepted 29 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine’s Air Force said it downed 61 of 85 drones launched by Russia.
Despite the anticlimactic end to the summit, it began with significant fanfare, including a red-carpet welcome for Putin. The meeting concluded with a smiling Putin inviting Trump to Moscow, an offer the U.S. president said he could “possibly see happening.”
