JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President Donald Trump said he and Vladimir Putin didn’t reach a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after meeting on Friday — despite Putin saying they had come to “an understanding” — as the two leaders offered scant details on what was discussed while heaping praise on each other.
In brief remarks as they shared a stage after meeting for about 2 1/2 hours in Alaska, Putin said he and Trump had reached an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”
But Trump then said, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal” and said he planned to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon, to brief them on the discussions.
“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Trump said. “And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”
He continued: “We didn’t get there.”
The high-profile summit ended without a deal to end, or even pause, the brutal conflict — the largest land war in Europe since 1945 — which has raged for more than three years. The two were expected to hold a joint news conference but instead took turns giving brief remarks. Putin went first and then Trump, but both left without taking questions.
Just getting back to the U.S. for the first time in a decade was a win for Putin, whom the U.S. and much of the world had long been attempting to isolate. Agreeing to come to Alaska to meet with Trump also stalled economic sanctions that Trump had promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring fighting to a close.
The outcome could also benefit Russia’s leader since Friday may simply lead to more meetings in the future. Russia’s forces are making fair progress on the battlefield, and more discussions with Trump gives them more time to keep that up while avoiding sanctions.
Putin thanked Trump for the “friendly” tone of their conversation and said Russia and the United States should “turn the page and go back to cooperation.”
He praised Trump as someone who “has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests.”
“I expect that today’s agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S.,” Putin said.
Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, “we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.” When Putin smiled and offered, “next time in Moscow,” Trump said “that’s an interesting one” and said he might face criticism but “I could see it possibly happening.”
Michelle L. Price And Will Weissert, The Associated Press
