ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – US President Donald Trump departed Alaska Friday afternoon following a brief summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaving the outcome of talks unclear. Air Force One left Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson around 4:20 p.m. local time, concluding Trump’s six-hour visit.
Both leaders described the discussions as productive, though no concrete agreement on ending the war in Ukraine was reached. Trump said he and Putin “made some headway” but added that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He said he planned to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO officials to update them on the meeting.
Putin opened the press briefing, noting that US-Russia relations had suffered in recent years and saying the primary causes of the war in Ukraine must be addressed for peace. He also reiterated that the security of Ukraine should be ensured and claimed the conflict might have been avoided had Trump been president in 2022.
Russian economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the summit “productive” and said the two countries would continue building relations despite “resistance.” However, some US officials were critical. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal described the summit as a “nothing burger,” citing ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine. Former US national security adviser John Bolton said Putin “clearly won” the talks, while Trump “achieved very little.”
Prior to leaving, Putin visited the Fort Richardson Memorial Cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of Soviet soldiers who died transporting equipment from the US during World War II. Both leaders did not take questions from the press before departing, though Putin suggested a future meeting in Moscow to continue dialogue.
Trump said he had “a few phone calls” to make to key international leaders following the summit. The precise outcomes of the discussions remain closely guarded.
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