US President Donald Trump beamed as Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke first during their joint press conference in Alaska on the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The meeting, which lasted roughly two hours and 45 minutes, concluded with Putin describing the summit as conducted in a “constructive atmosphere of mutual respect.”
It is unusual for a visiting foreign leader to address a joint press conference before a US president.
Trump confirmed that no formal deal was reached during the summit.
“We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve got some headway,” he said.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he added.
Following Trump’s remarks, Putin invited him to a follow-up meeting in Moscow, an offer that appeared to catch the US president slightly off guard.
Trump responded, saying he would “get a little heat on that one.”
Neither leader mentioned the word “ceasefire,” a detail likely to concern Ukrainian officials.
After the statements, neither president took questions from the media.
The Alaska summit began with Trump clapping for Putin as the two met on a red carpet ahead of high-stakes talks.
The US and Russian leaders shook hands and exchanged cordial words on the tarmac in Anchorage.
Trump’s trip to the remote US state aimed to discuss a potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which has continued for more than three years.
The two leaders began face-to-face talks after posing for photographs and riding together in the presidential limousine, “The Beast.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously expressed hopes to end the conflict by 2023, while Trump promised to end the war within “24 hours” if re-elected last year.
Trump and Putin met for the first time in six years, holding a three-on-three discussion on Ukraine’s future that notably excluded Zelensky.
The summit carried high stakes, with Trump posting “HIGH STAKES!!!” on his Truth Social account prior to departure for Alaska.
Trump arrived at Elmendorf-Richardson military base at approximately 10.20am local time, ahead of Putin, who landed at 10.54am.
The presidents stepped out of their respective jets and greeted each other on the red carpet before heading to a working breakfast.
The breakfast began around 11.30am local time (8.30pm BST), attended by both delegations and photographed for the press.
Reporters asked Putin, “Will you commit to not killing any more civilians?” The Russian leader cupped his hands to respond but no clear answer was recorded.
The meeting was initially planned as a private one-on-one with only interpreters present.
However, it expanded into a three-on-three discussion. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff joined from the American side.
On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov participated.
Following the small group session, the two presidents were expected to meet with wider delegations, after which Trump would call Zelensky and other European leaders, and a joint press conference would be held.
Trump’s position on the war has fluctuated in recent months, alternating between criticism of Zelensky and condemnation of Putin.
By contrast, Putin has remained cautious, offering few public insights into his objectives for the talks.
Zelensky has expressed dissatisfaction at being excluded from the bilateral summit, warning that meaningful progress is unlikely without Ukraine’s participation.
“We understand Russia’s intention to try to deceive America – we will not allow this,” Zelensky said over the weekend, signalling his concerns about the meeting’s outcomes.
