US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have just wrapped up their joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. According to Putin, the two leaders reached an agreement during their more than 90-minute meeting, which Trump will present to Ukraine and NATO in the coming hours.
‘I agree with (US President Donald) Trump that the security of Ukraine must be secured, and of course, we are ready to work on that,’ Putin said, speaking first and breaking with diplomatic tradition. He added: ‘I would like to hope that the agreement that we’ve reached together will help us bring closer that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.’
Trump agreed, noting that ‘many points’ had been settled, although ‘significant points’ still required further negotiation. ‘We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,’ he said. He also acknowledged that there had been no progress on ‘one big one,’ possibly alluding to the ceasefire in Ukraine. He added that he will call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO, and others—most likely German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—following the summit to present the terms discussed with Putin.
Both Trump and Putin stressed that Ukraine must agree to the negotiated points. ‘We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles, will not make attempts to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations and behind-the-scenes intrigues,’ Putin said.
Concluding his remarks, Putin said: ‘I have every reason to believe that by moving along this path, we can reach—and the sooner, the better—the end of the conflict in Ukraine,’ adding that if Trump had been president in 2022, the war would never have started.
The two leaders characterized their talks as constructive and praised their good and trustworthy working relationship. At the end of the press conference, Putin invited Trump to Moscow. While avoiding a direct endorsement, Trump stated that he could ‘see it possibly happening’.
Ahead of the summit, European leaders, EU and NATO leadership, and Zelenskyy held a videoconference with Trump, presenting their red lines for any deal in Alaska: an immediate ceasefire before further talks; Ukraine’s direct participation in all discussions involving territory or sovereignty; no unilateral territorial concessions; no legal recognition of Russian control over Ukrainian land; and robust Western security guarantees, though not necessarily formal NATO membership. While the details of the Trump–Putin agreement remain unknown, the ‘significant points’ Trump referred to most likely concern territorial concessions—something both Ukraine and its European allies firmly reject.
The meeting was precisely choreographed, with President Trump showcasing US military power in full view. After President Putin arrived in Anchorage and shook hands with Trump, the US Air Force put on a display featuring a B–2 stealth bomber and four F–22 fighter jets flying overhead. The two leaders then entered the Beast, the US president’s limousine, and rode past a lineup of many more F–22s.
Future generations will surely see countless photos of the grand reception—images that not only underline the significance and expectations surrounding the summit but also mark an early victory for Putin, a man many Western leaders would prefer to see before The Hague rather than walking a red carpet in Alaska to meet the American president. On 15 August, Putin officially returned to the stage of Western diplomacy, ending more than three years of isolation.
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