A high profile meeting in Anchorage ended with no concrete agreements, no press questions, and no breakthrough on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The much anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday (August 15, 2025) after more than two hours of talks. Despite the warm welcome and dramatic military flyover that marked Putin’s arrival, the meeting ended without any agreement on halting the Russia-Ukraine war.
Both leaders described their discussions as “productive,” but no announcements or details followed. In fact, the joint news conference that had been billed as a major diplomatic moment ended after less than 15 minutes and with no questions taken from reporters.
A Red Carpet Welcome for Putin
Putin’s visit his first to the U.S. in a decade was staged with pomp and ceremony. He rode in Trump’s presidential limousine from the tarmac to the summit venue at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Inside, each leader was joined by senior aides: Trump was flanked by Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin brought Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and national security adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Speaking first, Putin praised the “historical ties” between Russia and the U.S., even invoking World War II cooperation. He reiterated a common Russian talking point that the two nations “share values,” and noted Trump’s past claim that the Ukraine war would never have started if he had won the 2020 election.
“I think that would have been the case,” Putin said a remark likely to resonate with Trump’s supporters.
Trump Claims Progress but No Breakthrough
Trump entered the summit hoping to secure at least a commitment from Moscow toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Instead, he admitted that “we haven’t quite got there” and promised to consult Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies about next steps.
“I believe we had a very productive meeting,” Trump told reporters. “We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve made some headway. So, there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Still, he declined to offer specifics. Later in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump again avoided detailing what progress if any had been made.
Time Appears to Be on Putin’s Side
With the war now in its fourth year, Russia continues to leverage its larger military to wear down Ukrainian defenses in the east. Analysts noted that the summit handed Putin a symbolic win: a warm reception from the U.S. president, no mention of Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians, and no binding commitments to change course.
Putin described the tone of the talks as “friendly” and praised Trump for “understanding that Russia has its own national interests.” He also suggested “turning the page” in U.S.-Russia relations, which remain at their lowest point since the Cold War.
Moscow portrayed the visit as proof Russia was no longer isolated. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on social media that the West had “lost their minds” after watching Putin receive a red carpet welcome in the United States.
No Questions, No Details, No Clear Path Forward
Despite the build-up, the joint appearance produced no new agreements. The leaders avoided taking press questions a move Trump has made a feature of his second term and their prepared remarks revealed little beyond the fact that major gaps remain.
Trump had previously said there was a “25 percent chance” the summit could fail, calling it a “feel-out meeting.” He had even floated the idea of inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska for a three-way discussion if things went well. But with no deal reached, it remains unclear what comes next for U.S. efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.
