US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for nearly two and a half hours on Friday at a summit in Alaska, beginning with a warm handshake, smiles, and even a ride together in the presidential limousine — a striking reception for a leader widely seen as America’s chief adversary.
The two later appeared at a joint news conference after closed-door talks with their top advisers, which focused largely on the war in Ukraine. However, they left without taking questions and provided little detail on their discussions.
Trump said no deal had been reached on ending the conflict, despite Putin claiming the two leaders had come to “an understanding.” Trump stressed, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” adding that he would soon speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to brief them.
Putin, meanwhile, warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress,” signaling that he believed some ground had been made in the talks.
Melania Trump, who did not travel to Alaska, sent a handwritten letter to Putin that her husband delivered during the summit. According to US officials, the letter raised concerns about the plight of children in both Ukraine and Russia, particularly mentioning abductions linked to the war.
Speaking afterward, Trump described his exchanges with Putin as candid and warm. “We spoke very sincerely,” he told Fox News. “I think he wants to see it done,” he said, referring to ending the war.
The Kremlin also highlighted the positive tone. “The conversation was indeed very positive, and the two presidents spoke about this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax. “This is the very conversation that allows us to confidently move forward together along the path of searching for settlement options,” he added, without specifying what those options might be.
The Alaska meeting marked one of the most closely watched encounters between the two leaders, raising questions about whether their warmth will translate into real progress on Ukraine.
