U.S. After nearly three hours of private talks in Alaska on Friday, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they had made “great progress” toward peace in Ukraine. However, despite Trump’s promise to push for a ceasefire, nothing was said. After the meeting, the two leaders spoke briefly to reporters but did not take questions. Trump said he would call Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, and leaders of NATO to talk about what was agreed upon at the meeting, but he did not give any specifics. Trump stated, “There were many, many points that we agreed on — most of them, I would say — and a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite got there, but we’ve made some headway.” Additionally, there were many points that we agreed on. “Until there is a deal, there is no deal.” We didn’t make it, but we have a good chance of making it. In Russian, Putin stated that the talks took place in “a constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere” and that he desired peace in Ukraine only if the “primary causes of that conflict” were addressed. Additionally, he advised Kyiv and its European allies not to “torpedo the nascent progress” by “throwing a wrench in the works.” Putin stated, “I expect that today’s agreements will be the starting point, not only for the solution of the Ukrainian issue but also for us to bring back businesslike and pragmatic relations between Russia and the United States.” Even though Putin calls the war in Ukraine “a tragedy,” the demands Trump said Thursday’s he’s hopeful the meeting with Putin will “set the table” for a future meeting between the two leaders and Zelenskyy, who has said he will only meet with Putin if the Russian leader displays a serious will to end the war.Trump was joined by U.S. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for what was initially anticipated to be a one-on-one meeting with Putin. After the private talks, a planned bilateral lunch was canceled because the meeting was too long. Trump stated that he hoped to achieve a ceasefire in the war “rapidly” and lay the groundwork for a long-term peace agreement as he flew to Alaska. He stated, “I’m not going to be happy if it doesn’t happen today, but I don’t know if it’s going to happen today.” “I just want the killing to stop,” I said. After the meeting, Trump gave the impression of being friendly to Putin. He thanked him and said that Putin wants to stop the killing in Ukraine. The two leaders spoke with the words “Pursuing Peace” behind them.
Trump and Putin make ‘great progress’ in Alaska, but no Ukraine ceasefire
