By Andrew Haruna | Washington DC
The much-anticipated meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without any concrete agreement on how to end the war in Ukraine, although both leaders claimed that “important progress” had been made, The Bureau News reports – Nigeria News Today.
The three-hour closed-door talks, which took place on Friday at a U.S. air base in Anchorage, marked Putin’s first visit to Western territory since he ordered Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The red-carpet welcome and warm reception Putin received from Trump stood in sharp contrast to the more reserved treatment Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received during his last visit to Washington in February.
Putin, appearing upbeat at a post-meeting news briefing, said the talks had been “long overdue” and expressed hope that the “agreement we’ve reached together will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.”
He did not provide any details about the nature of the agreement.
The Russian president also warned Kyiv and its allies against “torpedoing the nascent progress” with further military actions or political pressure.
Trump, speaking alongside Putin, described the talks as “very productive” but admitted that no ceasefire or final settlement had been reached. “There are just a very few [issues] left; some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,” Trump added, without elaborating further.
Appearing later on Fox News, Trump advised President Zelenskyy to pursue a deal with Moscow: “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not. They’re great soldiers… Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done.” He also suggested that he might personally attend a future Zelenskyy–Putin meeting.
Analysts Say Summit Gave Putin More Time
International observers quickly labelled the summit as a diplomatic win for Moscow, noting that the Kremlin gained global legitimacy, more time for its military campaign, and no concessions were extracted in return.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow, said Russian officials were already celebrating the meeting as a success even before Putin’s plane landed back in Russia. In Anchorage, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett described the outcome as “much ado about nothing”, suggesting the meeting may ultimately prolong the war.
James Bays, the network’s diplomatic editor, said that European allies who had demanded a ceasefire would likely view the Alaska summit as “a big win for President Putin.”
Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko reacted on Telegram: “It seems Putin has bought himself more time. No ceasefire or de-escalation has been agreed upon.”
Zelenskyy Not Left Behind — But Questions Remain
While some Western analysts expressed disappointment, others noted that Kyiv might at least take relief from the fact that Trump did not endorse any land-swap proposals or territorial concessions, which had been seen as a potential worst-case scenario.
Still, questions remain over Trump’s apparent willingness to bypass Ukraine and NATO partners in pursuit of a personal rapport with Putin.
The U.S. president ended the joint press appearance by thanking the Russian leader and hinting at another meeting “very soon.”
Putin replied with a quick invitation: “Next time, in Moscow.”
Trump, smiling, responded: “I might get a little heat on that one,” but did not rule it out.
For ongoing reports on global politics and international security, readers can visit the International section of The Bureau News.
External source for verification: https://www.aljazeera.com/
