Trump says Ukraine talks with Putin, but there is no deal but “progress made”

Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia have departed Alaska without agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia have departed Alaska without agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Following an almost three-hour discussion, the leaders gave a joint statement to the media and then departed without answering any questions.

Three BBC journalists in Anchorage for the summit evaluate the implications for Russian and American leaders and the future of the conflict in Ukraine.

Donald Trump stated early in his post-summit statements here in Anchorage that “there is no deal until there is a deal.”

The tacit admission that there was no deal after hours of negotiations was made. Not a cease-fire. Nothing concrete to share.

The public is left to speculate about what the president and Vladimir Putin made, although he said that they achieved “some great progress.”

Before leaving the room without answering any questions from the hundreds of reporters present, he later remarked, “We didn’t get there.”

Even if Ukrainian authorities and America’s European allies are happy that Trump did not make unilateral agreements or concessions that may have jeopardized future negotiations, he went a long way to produce only such whimsaries.

It seems that Trump, who frequently portrays himself as a mediator and a dealmaker, will not bring any of these qualities to Alaska.

Even though Putin joked that their next meeting would be “next time in Moscow,” there are no signs that a future summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is imminent.

Trump’s domestic and international reputation will suffer despite the fact that he had less at stake in these negotiations than Russia or Ukraine, despite his prior claims that the meeting had a mere 25% probability of failing.

Furthermore, Putin began the news conference that wasn’t with lengthy opening statements, and the president was forced to endure the seeming humiliation of remaining mute. The US president usually holds court while his foreign colleague watches silently, but this was a significant departure from the usual practice in the Oval Office.

Putin seems more at home in what his officials like to say was once “Russian America” before it was sold to the US in the 19th century, even though Alaska is American territory. The American president may be irritated by that in the days ahead, as well as by press reports portraying this summit as a failure.

The key question at hand, which reporters were unable to ask on Friday, is whether Trump will choose to penalize Russia with his much-discussed new penalties.

Before taking off, the president gave a cordial Fox News interview in which he somewhat addressed the issue, stating that he would think about making such a move “maybe in two weeks, three weeks.” But such a vague response would raise more concerns than it answers, especially because the president threatened “severe consequences” if Russia did not move toward a truce.

Putin has his turn to be the center of attention.

By Russia editor Steve Rosenberg

What constitutes a “press conference” and what does not?

when inquiries are absent.

Presidents Trump and Putin abruptly left the podium after making their remarks, without answering any questions, which caused a noticeable astonishment in the hallway.

Additionally, members of the Russian delegation quickly departed the room without responding to any of the questions that reporters were yelling at them.

It is evident that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin continue to hold significant disagreements on the war in Ukraine.

A truce with Russia has been pushed by Donald Trump. It was not given to him by Vladimir Putin.

The atmosphere was completely different in the morning. Vladimir Putin was given the red carpet by President Trump, who treated the head of the Kremlin like a valued guest.

Today, the president of Russia shared the platform with the head of the most powerful nation in the world, giving him his moment in the geopolitical spotlight.

But how is Trump going to respond to this? He still hasn’t succeeded in getting Putin to stop Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

He had previously warned of a more severe strategy for Russia, including deadlines, ultimatums, and the possibility of additional sanctions if Moscow disregarded pleas for a ceasefire.

He hasn’t done it yet.

A breath of relief from Ukraine, but anxiety about the future

By Vitaliy Shevchenko, BBC Monitoring’s Russia Editor

The events in Anchorage may seem like a letdown to many, but in Kyiv, people will be relieved that no “deal” that would cost Ukraine territory has been disclosed.

The Ukrainian people would have been skeptical even if one had been announced here in Anchorage because they will also be aware that all of their important agreements with Russia have failed.

However, Vladimir Putin again mentioned the “root causes” of the war during the joint appearance in front of the media, and Ukrainians would be concerned because he claimed that only their removal would bring about a sustainable peace.

According to Kremlin jargon, this indicates that he is committed to achieving his “special military operation’s” initial goal, which is to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state. He has not changed his stance despite Western efforts for three and a half years, including the Alaska summit.

Another concerning aspect is the lingering ambiguity following the meeting. And what comes next? Will there be no stop to Russia’s attacks?

In recent months, there have been a number of Western deadlines that have passed with no repercussions and threats that have never materialized. This is perceived by Ukrainians as a call for Putin to carry out more strikes. They might view Anchorage’s seeming lack of advancement in the same way.