The joint press briefing between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska concluded suddenly, with neither side taking questions from reporters. One striking detail was the absence of the word “ceasefire,” suggesting that the war in Ukraine remains far from resolution.

Putin Opens the Stage

In an unusual move, Putin addressed the press before Trump, even though protocol usually allows the American host to speak first. Standing alongside Trump, he said both sides had found areas of “agreement” during their meeting.

He described the discussions as respectful and useful. “Our negotiations took place in a respectful, constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere, were very thorough and useful,” Putin stated.

Putin’s Optimism After Talks

The Russian president praised Trump for engaging in talks and said the choice of Alaska as the venue made sense. “It is quite logical to meet here, because our countries, although separated by oceans, are close neighbours,” he remarked.

Putin agreed that Ukraine’s security should be guaranteed. “I agree with (US President Donald) Trump that the security of Ukraine must be secured, and of course, we are ready to work on that,” he said. He added, “I would like to hope that the agreement that we’ve reached together will help us bring closer that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.”

However, Putin stressed that deeper issues must be addressed before the conflict can end. “The situation in Ukraine has to do with the fundamental threats to our security,” he said, urging the West to consider Russia’s concerns. He called for restoring a “just balance of security in Europe and the world as a whole.”

Putin also sent a message to Kyiv and European capitals. “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will constructively perceive all this and will not create any obstacles, will not make attempts to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations and behind-the-scenes intrigues,” he warned.

Trump’s Response

Taking the stage after Putin, Trump highlighted progress but maintained caution. He repeated his line that “there is no deal, until there’s a deal.”

“I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I’ll, of course, call up President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them,” Trump said.

He described the talks as “extremely productive” and noted that “many points were agreed to,” though no final breakthrough was reached. “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” he said.

Trump also mentioned his long-standing rapport with Putin, though he said it was strained during his first presidency. “We had many, many tough meetings, good meetings,” Trump explained. “We were interfered with by the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. I’ve made it a little bit tougher to deal with, but he understood it.”

Next Meeting in Moscow?

The press conference ended with Putin suggesting that the next summit should take place in Moscow. Switching briefly to English, he floated the idea directly.

Trump did not dismiss the possibility, though he admitted it would be controversial. “That’s an interesting one, I’ll get a little heat on that one,” Trump said. “But I could see it possibly happening.”