Trump-Putin Alaska meeting leaves Ukraine conflict unresolved

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on Friday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, but the high-stakes talks ended without a ceasefire agreement.

President Trump personally welcomed President Putin on a red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage before escorting him to the meeting venue in his car.

The talks, which lasted three hours, were not one-on-one. Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff, also participated.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Trump had expressed optimism that Russia and Ukraine might move toward a peace deal.

He suggested a second round of talks that would bring together himself, Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and possibly several European leaders.

However, the Alaska talks did not deliver a breakthrough. In a press conference, President Putin stressed that resolving the conflict required addressing what he called the “root causes” of the war.

“We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive that constructively, and that they won’t throw a wrench in the works, will not make any attempts to use some backroom dealings to conduct provocations to torpedo the nascent progress,” he said.

Trump, meanwhile, warned of “severe consequences” for Russia if it refuses to move toward peace.

He also hinted at economic measures, saying they would be “very severe” if Moscow remained unwilling to compromise.

The White House confirmed that 16 senior officials accompanied Trump, including Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Commerce Secretary Howard Latnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Press Secretary Caroline Luet.

No Ukrainian officials were invited to the summit, despite calls from Kyiv and its European allies for representation at the table.

Protests in support of Ukraine were also held outside the meeting venue in Anchorage, as demonstrators demanded stronger US pressure on Russia.

Despite the lack of a ceasefire agreement, Trump reiterated his intention to pursue a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky in the near future.