Live Updates: Trump Says There Is ‘No Deal’ on Ukraine After Summit With Putin
President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia offered vague statements about progress after their nearly three-hour meeting. But they took no questions.
President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia concluded their summit in Alaska on Friday without declaring agreement on any issue, much less the one Mr. Trump said was at the top of his agenda, ending the war in Ukraine.
At a joint appearance after their nearly three-hour meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Mr. Trump gave vague but positive assessment that progress had been made, saying, “Many points were agreed to, and there are just a very few that are left.” But he did not describe those points, or even specify that they had to do with Ukraine. “We’ve made some headway,” he added. “So there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Moments earlier, Mr. Putin had signaled no change in his hard-line position on Ukraine, claiming that it “has to do with fundamental threats to our security.”
“We’re convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long-term, we need to eliminate all of the primary causes of the conflict,” he said, repeating the phrasing he and other Russian officials have used to refer to a list of Kremlin positions that Ukraine — and, for the most part, the West — have called unacceptable.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede a large part of its land to Russia, disarm, swear off joining NATO and change governments.
Mr. Putin referred obliquely to agreements between him and Mr. Trump, without elaborating, and added, “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively and will not throw a wrench in the works.”
The Russian leader also gave the U.S. president a major public relations boost, endorsing Mr. Trump’s oft-stated claim that if he had been in the White House, Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Before they left without taking questions from the hundreds of journalists assembled, Mr. Trump said, “Probably see you again very soon.”
“Next time in Moscow,” Mr. Putin replied in English.
“Ooh, that’s an interesting one,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know, I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.”
Mr. Trump then flew back on Air Force One, touching down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland in the early hours of Saturday.
During the flight, he had a lengthy call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, and also spoke with leaders of NATO countries, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.
An unclear U.S. stance: Mr. Trump has been vague about his negotiating position on Ukraine, wavering on continued backing for Ukraine and on whether he would punish Russia economically for prolonging the war. He said on Air Force One ahead of the summit that he expected to discuss land swaps between Ukraine and Russia — which Ukraine vehemently opposes — but added, “I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision.” He also said that security assurances for Ukraine were possible as part of an eventual peace deal but “not in the form of NATO” membership.
A summit cut short: The summit broke up ahead of schedule. After their first meeting with a few aides and a meal break, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin were expected meet again with a larger circle of people. The second session appears not to have taken place. Russian officials had said they expected the summit to last six or seven hours.
Ukrainian concerns: Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Ukrainian Parliament, said the meeting had been a public relations victory for Mr. Putin, who appeared as an equal to Mr. Trump, and “used Trump to show that he is not isolated.” Earlier in the day, Mr. Zelensky, who has warned Mr. Putin did not want peace and would try to “deceive America,” released a video in which he said of Russia: “On the day of negotiations, they are killing, as well. And that speaks volumes.”
The Trump-Putin relationship: The meeting was at least the seventh face-to-face encounter between the two leaders, and the first of Mr. Trump’s second term. His first term was shadowed by questions over Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which Mr. Trump has repeatedly referred to as “the Russia hoax.” It was the first U.S. visit in a decade for Mr. Putin.
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