The world’s eyes were on Russia and the United States on Friday, August 15, when President Donald Trump walked out of a high-level summit with Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, without committing to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump had publicly stated this goal before boarding Air Force One for Anchorage.
The summit, held at Elmendorf-Richardson, marked Russian President Putin’s first visit to the United States in 10 years. The event began with a military flyover, a red carpet event, and an unusual, joint ride in the US presidential state car.
The talks ended without a deal after a 2½-hour closed-door meeting, a stark contrast to Trump’s earlier comments to Fox News while flying from Washington to Alaska, in which he said he would be unhappy to leave without some kind of ceasefire.
“We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve got some headway,” President Trump said at a joint appearance with Putin following the meeting. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Putin called the meeting “constructive and effective” and stressed the hope for a long-term solution to the conflict but reiterated that no progress should be hindered by Europe. He said Russia is genuinely interested in ending the Ukraine conflict.
The US delegation at the crucial meeting included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The Russian side included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and the Kremlin’s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev.
Putin Speaks Before Trump
The press conference began in a strikingly unusual way with Putin speaking first, a break from diplomatic protocol for a joint appearance hosted by the United States. The Russian leader praised the atmosphere of the talks.
“Our negotiations have been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect,” Putin said, thanking the US president for hosting the summit.
He also spoke warmly about the prospects for rebuilding bilateral relations between the two countries. “I’m sure that this heritage will help us rebuild and foster mutually beneficial and equal ties at this new stage, even during the hardest conditions,” Putin said.
According to Putin, the war in Ukraine is the result of a fundamental threat to Russia’s security. He described Russia as “a fraternal nation” of Ukrainians. “Everything that’s happening is a tragedy for us. A terrible wound,” he said.
Still, Putin has given a bright signal of his desire to resolve the conflict. “I have every reason to believe that moving down this path, we can come—and the sooner the better—to the end of the conflict in Ukraine,” he said.
He then expressed his views on the security of Ukraine and said, “I agree with President Trump, as he has said today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. Naturally, we’re prepared to work on that.”
What Trump Says
In the speech, Trump praised his personal relationship with Putin, saying he had “always had a wonderful relationship” with the Russian president. And Trump blamed the US investigation into Russian election interference for undermining his ability to work together during his first term.
“I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir,” Trump said. “We were interfered with by the Russia hoax that made it a little tougher to deal with, but he understood it.”
However, Putin did not dispute Trump’s statement.
Trump has expressed his sentiments about ending the Russia-Ukraine war, saying, “We have a good chance of achieving peace.” He said, “President Putin wants to see that as much as I do.”
Putin said “Next time in Moscow” towards the end of Trump’s speech, hinting at an invitation to the US president to visit Russia. Trump responded by calling the invitation “interesting.” He added, “I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.”
Trump also said there had been “some great progress” and that he planned to speak with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin said he and Trump had reached an “understanding.” He warned European countries against “torpedoing the nascent progress.”
Russia and the United States have not disclosed the “understanding” that Putin described, and there has been no formal agreement or ceasefire.
Also Read: The United States and Russia Move Toward a Peace Deal: What to Know
Newsweek’s reporting contributed to this article.