Putin Says Alaska Talks With Trump Focused on Ending Ukraine War ‘on a Fair Basis’
Putin stressed that such high-level direct negotiations had not taken place “for a long time” and described the discussions as “frank, substantive” and a step toward reaching “the necessary decisions.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska were “very useful” and focused on finding ways to end the war in Ukraine “on a fair basis,” according to AFP.
Speaking to senior officials in Moscow a day after the meeting, Putin stressed that such high-level direct negotiations had not taken place “for a long time” and described the discussions as “frank, substantive” and a step toward reaching “the necessary decisions.”
The Alaska summit came amid intensifying fighting in Ukraine, where Kyiv reported that Russian forces launched 85 drones and one missile overnight from Friday to Saturday, while Moscow claimed to have captured two villages in the east.
According to AFP, despite appeals from Ukraine and European leaders for an immediate ceasefire, no such agreement was reached. Trump said the summit determined that “the best way to end the horrific war is to go directly to a Peace Agreement… and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.” The stance was widely seen as a win for Putin, who has pushed for a settlement addressing what he calls the “root causes” of the conflict, particularly Ukraine’s NATO aspirations.
Ahead of the talks, Trump had threatened “severe consequences” if Putin refused to agree to a ceasefire, including tariffs of up to 500 percent on any country aiding Russia’s war effort. However, he later told Fox News that “because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now.”
European leaders vowed to maintain pressure on Moscow through additional sanctions until a “just and lasting peace” is reached. Meanwhile, Ukraine expressed concern that Washington might pressure Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russian forces — about 20 percent of the country excluding Crimea, annexed in 2014. Neither Trump nor Putin raised the land issue publicly, although Trump said “very few” matters remained unresolved.
The joint declaration after the summit did not outline security guarantees for Ukraine, but Trump reportedly told President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies that NATO-style assurances could be considered — without granting Kyiv full NATO membership. France, Britain, and others have signaled they might contribute troops as peace guarantors, though not on the frontline.
Trump is expected to meet Zelensky in Washington on Monday, with the possibility of arranging three-way talks involving Putin at a later stage.