Trump Hails ‘Successful’ Alaska Talks with Putin, Plans Zelensky Meeting in Washington
President Trump called Alaska talks with Putin "successful," announcing Zelensky will visit Washington Monday to discuss a potential peace deal. European leaders joined coordination calls amid ongoing war concerns.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday described his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “great and very successful day,” stressing that discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have opened a potential path toward a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said the talks with Putin “went very well,” followed by a late-night phone call with Zelensky and conversations with several European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote.
He announced that President Zelensky will travel to Washington on Monday to meet him in the Oval Office. “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” he said, adding that such steps could “potentially save millions of lives.”
According to the European Commission, Trump first held a one-on-one call with Zelensky, later joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO chief Mark Rutte, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
A spokesperson confirmed that the leaders discussed the Alaska summit and the way forward, while European capitals held a follow-up call of their own to coordinate positions.
Diplomatic sources noted unease in Europe over Trump’s direct outreach to Putin, but confirmed that Washington and its allies remain in close consultation.
Trump and Putin opened their talks in Anchorage on Friday, meeting in a hall marked with banners reading “Seeking Peace.” Journalists were ushered out shortly after the delegations—comprising senior officials including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s top aides—took their seats.
The two leaders exchanged a formal handshake on the tarmac upon arrival, with a red-carpet welcome extended to the Russian delegation.
While the summit did not produce an immediate framework to end the war, Trump described it as constructive. Ahead of the talks, he had told Fox News Radio that his priority was “an immediate peace deal — a quick peace agreement — between Russia and Ukraine.”
The summit comes as the war, now in its third year, continues to exact a heavy toll. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, demanding Kyiv abandon its aspirations for NATO membership—conditions Ukraine firmly rejects as violations of sovereignty.
Since then, tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and international pressure has mounted for a negotiated settlement.
Trump’s latest push, placing emphasis on a permanent peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire, signals a potential shift in diplomatic efforts—though the path ahead remains fraught with uncertainty.
