In an eagerly anticipated summit held on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, United States President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
As Putin arrived, he was greeted with a red carpet and a lengthy handshake from Trump, setting a positive tone for the negotiations ahead.
However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically by the end of the meeting, with both leaders departing without a clear resolution on the war in Ukraine.
The meeting, initially scheduled to last around seven hours, concluded in under three.
Afterward, Trump and Putin addressed the media with brief pre-prepared statements, avoiding questions from reporters.
Putin affirmed Russia’s commitment to ending the conflict, emphasizing the need to address the “primary causes” of the war for a lasting peace agreement.
He warned both Ukraine and the European Union against interfering in the peace process, cautioning against any attempts to sabotage the negotiations through backdoor tactics.
In his remarks, Trump described the discussions as “extremely productive,” stating that they had reached agreement on many points, yet acknowledged significant sticking points that remained to be addressed.
He articulated the reality that any potential deal hinged ultimately on the decisions of both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Despite the hopeful rhetoric, no formal agreement was reached by the time the leaders departed Alaska.
The summit provided a public relations victory for Putin, who has faced increasing isolation in the West due to the ongoing war in Ukraine that began in February 2022.
The warm welcome from the United States and its accompanying fanfare, including a flypast by US fighter jets, was a notable contrast to the prevailing narrative of Russian isolation.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed satisfaction with the reception, highlighting the symbolic implications of the red carpet welcome as a rebuttal to claims of Russia’s diplomatic isolation.
Prior to the summit, there were expectations that Putin might steer the conversation toward discussions of bilateral trade.
However, Trump had made it clear that business topics would not be on the table until significant progress was made on achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Interestingly, after their discussions, Putin mentioned that topics related to collaboration in technology and space had been part of their talks.
He noted the enormous potential for trade and business cooperation between the two nations in various sectors, such as digital technology, high-tech industries, and space exploration.
This suggestion comes amidst Russia’s efforts to showcase its reserve of rare earth minerals, which are essential for many advanced technologies.
As the meeting concluded, Trump expressed hope for future discussions, indicating a willingness to meet again soon, to which Putin humorously suggested that the next meeting should be in Moscow.
This proposal elicited laughter, as Trump acknowledged the potential challenges of such a location.
Trump, who has previously mentioned the possibility of a trilateral peace meeting that includes Zelenskyy, emphasized the importance of cooperation moving forward.
He stated that he would reach out to NATO officials and Zelenskyy to discuss the next steps in the peace process.
In an interview with Fox News following the summit, Trump rated the meeting a “10 out of 10,” asserting that he and Putin had established a good rapport.
However, he underscored that the onus was now on Zelenskyy to facilitate a resolution, adding that European nations also needed to play a role in the negotiations.
Trump reiterated a straightforward message for Zelenskyy: “Make a deal.”
In summary, while the summit between Trump and Putin was marked by cordiality and optimistic statements, it ultimately failed to produce a concrete agreement on the critical issue of the Ukraine conflict.
image source from：aljazeera
