Trump and Putin cite progress but offer no details Putin sticks to Russia’s long-held stance on Ukraine Trump says Zelenskiy ‘gotta make a deal’ Zelenskiy restates he’s willing to meet Trump and Putin Europeans say they will maintain or increase pressure on Russia First US-Russia summit since start of Ukraine war

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday Ukraine should agree a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”, after hosting a summit with President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield a ceasefire.

In a major shift, Trump also said he had agreed with Putin that negotiators should go straight to a peace settlement – not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and its European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would travel to Washington on Monday to discuss next steps, while Kyiv’s European allies welcomed Trump’s efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia, and again urged the U.S. to offer security guarantees for Ukraine.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters.

Trump met Putin for nearly three hours in Alaska on Friday at the first U.S.-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“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 posted on Truth Social.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Magadan region’s Governor Sergei Nosov as he visits the far eastern port city of Magadan on the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, August 16, 2025. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

That statement will be welcomed in Moscow, which says it wants a full settlement – not a pause – but that this will be complex because positions are “diametrically opposed”.

Russia’s forces have been gradually advancing for months. The war – the deadliest in Europe for 80 years – has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts.

Before the summit, Trump had said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. But afterwards he said that, after his talks with Zelenskiy, “if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin”.

President Donald Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Monday’s talks will be held in the White House Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a brutal public dressing-down in February, accusing him of ingratitude.

Zelenskiy said after a lengthy conversation with Trump following the Alaska summit that he supported the idea of a three-way meeting.

“Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,” he wrote on social media.

But Putin made no mention of meeting Zelenskiy when speaking to reporters. His aide Yuri Ushakov told the Russian state news agency TASS a three-way summit had not been discussed.

Trump and Putin after their joint news conference on Friday. Photo: Kremlin pool photo

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had “largely agreed”.

“I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” he said, adding: “Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say ‘no’.”

Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: “Gotta make a deal.”

“Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not,” he added. “They’re great soldiers.”

Zelenskiy has underlined the need for security guarantees for Kyiv, to deter Russia from invading again in the future. He said he and Trump had discussed “positive signals from the American side” on taking part.

Putin did not signal any movement in Russia’s long-held positions on the war, but said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine’s security must be “ensured”.

“I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine,” Putin told a briefing where neither leader took questions.

“We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles. That they will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.”

For Putin, the very fact of sitting down with the U.S. president represented a victory. The Kremlin leader had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a joint press conference (Jae C Hong/AP)

Trump also spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington.

Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was closer than ever, thanks to Trump, but added: “In the meantime, until (Putin) stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions.”

A statement from the European leaders said that “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that no limits should be placed on its armed forces or right to seek NATO membership – key Russian demands.

Some European politicians and commentators were scathing.

“Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing. As feared: no ceasefire, no peace,” Wolfgang Ischinger, German ex-ambassador to the United States, posted on X.

“No real progress – a clear 1-0 for Putin – no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.”

Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko wrote: “Putin is a determined opponent, and, yes, he basically won this round because he got something for nothing. Still, Trump did not sell out Ukraine.”

Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said that, by dropping any focus on a truce, “Trump is taking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position”.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s press conference. Photo: Getty

Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence in the 3-1/2-year war, while Kyiv said there had been 139 clashes on the front line over the past day.

Trump told Fox he would now hold off on imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, but that he might have to “think about it” in two or three weeks.

He ended his remarks after the summit by telling Putin: “I’d like to thank you very much, and we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.”

“Next time in Moscow,” a smiling Putin responded in English. Trump said he might “get a little heat on that one” but that he could “possibly see it happening.”

Analysis: Putin called the shots throughout his Alaska visit

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent

For Vladimir Putin, this really couldn’t have gone much better. From the red carpet to the fly-past – the indicted war criminal was feted like a king.

The only other places that have welcomed him like this in recent years are the likes of China and North Korea. Russia’s old friends.

It seems Moscow has now gained a new ally and it was shaped by the body language of bromance.

The Kremlin leader’s most pressing aim in Anchorage was to temper Trump’s frustrations. It was only a week ago that Moscow faced an ultimatum – ceasefire or sanctions.

But there was no mention of either. The word ceasefire and the word sanctions weren’t even uttered once.

The leaders appear to have reached a loose framework. But for what? We don’t know because details were not forthcoming.

But the fact Vladimir Putin spoke of the need to eliminate the “root causes” of the conflict will not fill Ukraine with hope.

That phrase essentially means that Russia’s red lines are as indelible as ever – on territory, neutrality for Ukraine and limits to its armed forces – and Moscow has no intention of watering them down.

Come the press conference, it was abundantly clear who was calling the shots.

Not only did Vladimir Putin speak first but there were also no questions – both things surely unprecedented in the world of Trump’s media relations.

Given how choreographed Putin’s press conferences usually are, I expect the lack of Q&A was a condition laid down by his team.

All the more remarkable was Trump’s willingness and ability to comply with it – a sign of how much he values his relationship with the Kremlin.

“Pursuing peace” was the summit slogan, but it felt like Vladimir Putin was pursuing something else – the start of a new chapter in US-Russia relations that Ukraine will fear may come at their expense.

President Donald Trump has dragged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into an explosive White House showdown after making a land swap pact with Vladimir Putin.

Trump, who held a summit with Putin on Friday, said he agrees the best way to end the war was to go straight to a peace settlement – not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and its European allies, until now with US support, have been demanding.

Trump signaled that he and Putin had discussed potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine, a proposal that has left Europe reeling as analysts brand it ‘deeply disturbing’ and a ‘clear 1-0 for Putin’.

The US also reportedly proposed an agreement that would see Ukraine not join Nato – but instead be offered Nato-esque protections similar to Article 5, diplomatic sources have claimed.

Article 5 on Nato’s founding treaty agrees collective defense – meaning allies see an attack on one as an attack on all of them.

Trump reportedly floated the plan with Zelensky and European leaders during a call after his meeting with Putin.

It is unclear what Ukraine would have to give up to secure the deal but Zelensky is set to meet with Trump in DC on Monday to further discuss the path forward.

Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin for nearly three hours in Alaska on Friday at the first US-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

A firefighter tries to extinguish the fire at the central market in Sumy, Ukraine, caused by the explosion of a Russian drone, in Sumy, Ukraine, on Friday

‘As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with Putin,’ one diplomatic insider said of the proposed agreement.

Another source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the NATO-like guarantees had been discussed.

But that source added: ‘No-one knows how this could work and why Putin would agree to it if he is categorically against NATO and obviously against really effective guarantees of Ukraine’s sovereignty.’

Details of the alleged proposal emerged Saturday after Trump hailed his meeting with Putin as ‘great and very successful’.

He is urging Ukraine to agree a deal to end the war because ‘Russia is a very big power, and they’re not’, and hinted that land swap deals and security guarantees were among the negotiations discussed.

‘I think those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed on,’ Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a post-summit interview.

‘I think we’re pretty close to a deal,’ he said, adding: ‘Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.’

But Trump’s comments have left Europeans reeling, with some political analysts branding the proposal as ‘deeply disturbing’ and a ‘clear 1-0 for Putin’.

Trump said he would hold talks at the White House with Zelensky (pictured together in the Oval Offie in February) on Monday as he urged Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement

Trump hailed his meeting with Putin as ‘great and very successful’ and is now urging Ukraine to agree a deal to end the war

‘Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing. As feared: no ceasefire, no peace,’ Wolfgang Ischinger, an ex-German ambassador to the United States, posted on X.

‘No real progress – a clear 1-0 for Putin – no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.’

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said: ‘Now Trump seems to be shifting most of the responsibility to Kyiv and Europe, but reserving some role for himself.’

She said, however, that Putin had apparently not succeeded as far as he had hoped in getting Trump to publicly side with him and put pressure on Kyiv.

Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko wrote: ‘Putin is a determined opponent, and, yes, he basically won this round because he got something for nothing. Still, Trump did not sell out Ukraine.’

After Trump returned to Washington, the White House said he spoke to NATO leaders following the lengthy conversation with Zelensky.

Espen Barth Eide, foreign minister of NATO member Norway, told reporters in Oslo: ‘We must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it.’

Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said the summit had not yielded significant progress toward ending the war but ‘confirmed that Putin is not seeking peace, but rather an opportunity to weaken Western unity and spread his propaganda.’

Workers remove debris in a block of flats damaged by overnight shelling in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city of Ukraine, on Saturday morning

Trump met Putin for nearly three hours in Alaska on Friday at the first US-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

‘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 touted early Saturday morning in a post on his Truth social platform.

The war – the deadliest in Europe for 80 years – has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts.

Trump said he would hold talks at the White House with Zelensky on Monday, adding: ‘If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.’

Zelensky said after a lengthy conversation with Trump following the Alaska summit that Ukraine was ready for constructive cooperation, and he supported the idea of a trilateral meeting.

‘Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,’ Zelensky wrote on social media.

But Putin made no mention of meeting Zelensky when speaking to reporters earlier. Russian state news agency TASS quoted Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov as saying the possibility of a three-way summit including Zelensky had not been discussed.

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire in a municipal park following a Russian artillery attack on the city of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on Friday

Emergency services extinguish a fire at the central market in Sumy, Ukraine caused by the explosion of a Russian drone on Saturday

Trump revealed during his interview with Hannity that the peace agreement with Putin could involve land swaps – something Zelensky has openly opposed.

When asked by Hannity what he would advise Zelensky, Trump said: ‘Gotta make a deal.’

‘Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not. They’re great soldiers,’ he added.

Zelensky has repeatedly underlined the importance of security guarantees for Kyiv as part of any deal, to deter Russia from launching a new invasion at some point in the future.

‘We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security,’ he said after his call with Trump.

Before the summit, Trump had set the goal of agreeing on a ceasefire in the war and said he would not be happy without it.

Putin signaled no movement in Russia’s long-held positions on the war, but said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine’s security must be ‘ensured’.

‘We are ready to work on this. I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine,’ Putin said at a brief media appearance after the summit where neither leader took questions.

He added: ‘We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles. That they will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.’

For Putin, the very fact of sitting down face-to-face with the US president represented a diplomatic victory.

The Kremlin leader had been ostracized by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had been facing a threat of new sanctions from Trump.

Trump said he agreed with Putin (pictured together in Alaska on Friday) that the best way to end the war was to go straight to a peace settlement – not via a ceasefire

Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence in the three-and-a-half-year war.

Russia launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile targeting Ukraine’s territory, Ukraine’s Air Force said on Saturday. It said its air defense units destroyed 61 of them.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said 139 clashes had taken place on the front line over the past day. Russia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Trump told Fox that he would hold off on imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil after making progress with Putin. He did not mention India, another major buyer of Russian crude, which has been slapped with a total 50 percent tariff on US imports that includes a 25 percent penalty for the imports from Russia.

‘Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,’ Trump said of Chinese tariffs. ‘I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now.’

Trump ended his remarks on Friday by telling Putin, ‘I’d like to thank you very much, and we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.’

‘Next time in Moscow,’ a smiling Putin responded in English. Trump said he might ‘get a little heat on that one’ but that he could ‘possibly see it happening.’

Hours before meeting Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Donald Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire in Ukraine and was “not going to be happy” if it wasn’t agreed today. The US president appears to have left Alaska with no such agreement in place.

“We didn’t get there”, Trump told reporters, before later vaguely asserting that he and Putin had “made great progress”. Trump is likely to return to the idea of engaging Putin in the coming weeks and months, with the Russian leader jokingly suggesting their next meeting could be held in Moscow.

A land-for-ceasefire arrangement, an idea Trump has repeatedly raised as an almost inevitable part of a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine, could still reemerge as a possible outcome. In fact, in an interview with Fox News after the summit where Trump was asked how the war in Ukraine might end and if there will be a land swap, Trump said: “those are points that we largely agreed on”.

Securing territorial concessions from Ukraine has long been one of Moscow’s preconditions for any negotiations on a peace deal. Putin is likely betting that insisting on these concessions, while keeping Ukraine under sustained military pressure, plays to his advantage.

Public fatigue over the war is growing in Ukraine, and Putin will be hoping that a weary population may eventually see such a deal as acceptable and even attractive. Russia launched a barrage of fresh attacks against Ukrainian cities overnight, involving more than 300 drones and 30 missiles.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who was excluded from the Alaska summit, has maintained that Kyiv will not agree to territorial concessions. Such a move would be illegal under Ukraine’s constitution, which requires a nationwide referendum to approve changes to the country’s territorial borders.

The assumption behind a land-for-ceasefire deal is that it would enhance Ukrainian and European security. Trump sees it as the first step in bringing Putin to the negotiation table for a broader peace deal, as well as unlocking opportunities for reconstruction. In reality, such a deal would do little to diminish the longer-term Russian threat.

Moscow’s efforts to shore up and modernise its defence capabilities and neo-imperial ambitions would remain intact. Its hybrid attacks on Europe would also continue, and Ukraine’s capacity to secure meaningful reconstruction would be weakened.

Whether or not Russia ever opts for a direct military strike on a European Nato member state, it has no need to do so to weaken the continent. Its hybrid operations, which extend well beyond the battlefield, are more than sufficient to erode European resilience over time.

Russia’s disinformation campaigns and sabotage of infrastructure, including railways in Poland and Germany and undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea, are well documented. Its strategic objectives have focused on deterring action on Ukraine and sowing disagreement between its allies, as well as attempting to undermine democratic values in the west.

Europe is under pressure on multiple fronts: meeting new defence spending targets of 5% of GDP while economic growth is slowing, reducing the dependence of its supply chains on China and managing demographic challenges.

These vulnerabilities make it susceptible to disinformation and have deepened divisions along political and socioeconomic fault lines – all of which Moscow has repeatedly exploited. A land-for-ceasefire deal would not address these threats.

For Ukraine, the danger of such a deal is clear. Russia might pause large-scale physical warfare in Ukraine under a deal, but it would almost certainly continue destabilising the country from within.

Having never been punished for violating past agreements to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, such as when it annexed Crimea in 2014, Moscow would have little incentive to honour new ones. The government in Kyiv, and Ukrainian society more broadly, would see any accompanying security guarantees as fragile at best and temporary at worst.

The result would probably be a deepening of Ukraine’s vulnerabilities. Some Ukrainians might support doubling down on militarisation and investment in defence technologies. Others, losing faith in national security and reconstruction, could disengage or leave the country. Either way, in the absence of national unity, reconstruction would become far more difficult.

Making reconstruction harder

Ukraine’s reconstruction will be costly, to the tune of US$524 billion (£387 billion) according to the World Bank. It will also require managing a web of interconnected security, financial, social and political risks.

These include displacement and economic challenges brought on by the war, as well as the need to secure capital flows across different regions. It will also need to continue addressing governance and corruption challenges.

A permanent territorial concession would make addressing these risks even more difficult. Such a deal is likely to split public opinion in Ukraine, with those heavily involved in the war effort asking: “What exactly have we been fighting for?”

Recriminations would almost certainly follow during the next presidential and parliamentary elections, deepening divisions and undermining Ukraine’s ability to pursue the systemic approach needed for reconstruction.

Ongoing security concerns in border regions, particularly near Russia, would be likely to prompt further population flight. And how many of the over 5 million Ukrainians currently living abroad would return to help reconstruct the country under these conditions is far from certain.

Financing reconstruction would also be more challenging. Public funds from donors and international institutions have helped sustain emergency energy and transport infrastructure repairs in the short term and will continue to play a role. But private investment will be critical moving forward.

Investors will be looking not only at Ukraine’s geopolitical risk profile, but also its political stability and social cohesion. Few investors would be willing to commit capital in a country that cannot guarantee a stable security and political environment. Taken together, these factors would make large-scale reconstruction in Ukraine nearly impossible.

Beyond fundamental issues of accountability and just peace, a land-for-ceasefire deal would be simply a bad bargain. It will almost certainly sow deeper, more intractable problems for Ukraine, Europe and the west.

It would undermine security, stall reconstruction and hand Moscow both time and a strategic advantage to come back stronger against a Ukraine that may be ill-prepared to respond. Trump would do well to avoid committing Ukraine to such an arrangement in further talks with Putin over the coming months.

In an interview, Trump advised Zelensky to “make a deal” with Russia, later suggesting the two countries should “go directly” to peace rather than sign a ceasefire first

Sir Keir Starmer said Trump had brought the world closer to peace after a call with the US president

President Zelensky said he would visit Washington on Monday after calling Trump this morning

Presidents Trump and Putin failed to reach a Ukraine ceasefire deal at their summit in Alaska

Sir Keir Starmer will co-chair a meeting with European allies on Sunday before President Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Monday.

The prime minister will join a video call at 3pm with President Macron of France and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor.

The meeting involves Kyiv’s allies, described as the “coalition of the willing“, a loose partnership of Western countries pledging support for Ukraine.

The group was created by France and the UK in February, and is made up of dozens of nations. It is expected to deploy a peacekeeping force to Ukraine after a potential cessation of hostilities.

Reporting and analysis from The Times

Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit came to an inconclusive end, but the details that have emerged from the talks and since point to a change in direction for negotiations over Ukraine.

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After phone calls with President Zelensky and European leaders on Trump’s flight back to Washington, the Ukrainian leader announced he would visit the US capital on Monday.

George Grylls, The Times’ Washington correspondent, identified four key moments from the 12-minute press conference jointly held by the two leaders.

David Charter, assistant US editor, writes that the “anticlimax in Anchorage” ended without a deal and left the door open for US-Russia relations to either improve or falter.

For Ukraine, anger at the red-carpet welcome for Putin has reinforced fears that Russia is strengthening its hand, writes Catherine Philp in Kyiv.

Patel: Trump will want to see action from UK

Dame Priti Patel has said that Trump will want to “see action” from the UK and possibly British troops in Ukraine to guarantee its security.

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The shadow foreign secretary praised the outcome of Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin. “You’ve got to have action. Trump’s an action type president, he’ll want to see action from us,” she said.

Patel added: “This is about security guarantees. Because it’s our security that’s at stake here, as well as Ukraine’s.

“We’re not there yet. We’re clearly not there. So it’s about all the measures and all the steps that would take place before we even get to that stage and we get to that level.”

Russia ‘may increase attacks’

Russia may step up frontline attacks in the coming days to create more favourable political circumstances for talks, President Zelensky has said.

“We are documenting the movement and preparations of Russian troops. Of course, we will counteract, if necessary, asymmetrically,” he wrote on X.

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He added: “I asked the Commander-in-Chief to speak with combat commanders. Ukraine needs strong positions and truly tangible resistance to the enemy.”

The warning comes after Russia launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile overnight. The attack was aimed at targets in the Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Meloni takes credit for Nato-style guarantee

The idea to offer Ukraine a Nato-style security guarantee was first suggested to President Trump by Italy, the country’s prime minister has said.

Giorgia Meloni praised the outcome of the summit on Saturday and appeared to take some credit for what could become a key plank of a future peace deal.

Meloni said: “The crucial point remains security guarantees to prevent new Russian invasions, and this is the aspect where the most interesting developments were recorded in Anchorage.”

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She added: “President Trump today took up the Italian idea of security guarantees inspired by Article 5 of Nato.”

Under this idea, Ukraine would not become part of Nato, but “a collective security clause” would allow it “to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the US, ready to take action if it is attacked again”.

Von der Leyen calls for security pact

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said that “strong security guarantees” for Ukraine and Europe were “essential” in any peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

She added: “The EU is working closely with Zelensky and the United States to reach a just and lasting peace.”

‘Nato-style’ protection, but no membership

The US has offered Ukraine Nato-style security guarantees in the event of a peace deal but without officially joining the military bloc.

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It would mean that the US and Ukraine’s European allies would be obliged to respond to a future attack on Ukraine in some way, similar to the Article 5 mutual defence clause that underpins Nato.

European leaders were seeking clarity on what kind of role the US would play if such a clause is included in any future peace deal, Reuters reported.

The suggestion was raised during a call President Trump held with President Zelensky and European leaders early on Saturday, according to the news agency.

Nato regards any attack launched on one of its 32 members as an attack on all under its Article 5 clause.

Former defence secretary scores Trump one out of ten for summit

Ben Wallace has said he would give Trump a score of “one out of ten” after the US president’s meeting with Putin.

The former defence secretary was asked how he would rate the summit after Trump described the talks as “ten out of ten”.

Wallace told Times Radio: “Probably one out of ten [for Trump], I think. Putin’s probably got ten out of ten — he got exactly what he wanted.

“He didn’t change one iota his ambitions and his constant, to be fair to him, his constant position on Ukraine. He got a red carpet treatment, which contrasted extremely differently from the treatment of President Zelensky when he met the US president.”

He added: “At the same time, he managed to effectively, in the sort of communications, almost downplay Ukraine war as if it was something minor, and he was really about rebuilding superpower status of Russia and the United States. So ten out of ten, Putin got what he wanted. And I think President Trump got a trip to Alaska.”

Putin will drag out peace talks, EU chief warns

Russia has no intention of ending its war in Ukraine “any time soon”, the EU’s top diplomat has said.

Kaja Kallas, a fierce Putin critic, who is on Russia’s most-wanted list, warned that Moscow would try to drag out negotiations with the US.

She said: “President [Donald] Trump’s resolve to get a peace deal is vital … Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments.

“The US holds the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. The EU will work with Ukraine and the US.”

Russia accuses Ukraine of shelling city block

Emergency workers carried injured civilians out of the building in Donetsk ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS

Russia’s military claimed that a block of flats was damaged by a Ukrainian strike overnight, as Trump and Putin met for their summit in Alaska.

Images showed workers removing debris from the area in the city of Donetsk, which was seized by Russia in October 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.

The damage was evident in the morning light ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS

Meanwhile Ukraine claimed that Russia had launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile overnight.

Zelensky: Sanction Putin if he avoids peace

President Zelensky said he had urged President Trump to impose stronger sanctions on Russia if President Putin tried to avoid a three-way summit or “an honest end to the war”.

In a statement on social media after speaking to European leaders, the Ukrainian president called for “a real peace that will last”, including an end to attacks by land, air and sea, the release of prisoners and the return of abducted children.

Zelensky also said that the security of Ukraine needed to be guaranteed in the long term by both Europe and the US and repeated his insistence that Ukraine must be involved in any negotiations over territory.

He added: “In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia evades an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool.”

No ban on Ukraine joining Nato, Europe demands

European leaders have laid out their conditions for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

They called for “ironclad” security guarantees for Ukraine, the involvement of the “coalition of the willing” in postwar Ukraine’s security, no limits on Ukraine’s army or co-operation with third countries and no Russian veto on Ukraine joining Nato or the EU.

The statement, signed by leaders including Sir Keir Starmer, did not mention Trump’s new claim that peace talks were preferable to a ceasefire.

Russia would prefer an immediate peace deal because it would allow the war to continue while talks take place. A ceasefire would be likely to favour Ukraine because it could offer a reprieve from Russian attacks.

Starmer praises Trump’s ‘leadership’

Sir Keir Starmer has praised President Trump for making progress towards a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia at the Alaska summit.

He said: “President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.”

However, Starmer warned that peace could not be decided without President Zelensky and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, which he said would be “crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more”.

Starmer added: “In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his [Putin’s] war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.”

European leaders pledge to ‘uphold pressure’ on Russia

Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders have issued a joint statement declaring their continued support for a “strong” Ukraine.

“As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia,” the statement said. “We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy until there is a just and lasting peace.”

The leaders rejected any question of a Russian veto on Ukraine’s potential membership of Nato or the EU, and said a European “coalition of the willing” was ready to take part in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.

The statement was signed by President Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, President Stubb of Finland and Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, as well as the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

‘Zero chance’ of progress, warns ex-ambassador

President Trump’s failure to pressure President Putin at the summit in Alaska means there is “zero” prospect of any progress in peace talks, a former British ambassador to Ukraine has said.

Leigh Turner told Times Radio that the meeting in Anchorage seemed to be more about “backslapping and hugging” between two people who see themselves as “big men”.

“We are not going to see any sanctions on Russia, so the prospects of any progress are zero,” he said. “President Trump seems very inclined to make a deal over the heads of the Ukrainians, make a bilateral deal with Russia and then to put pressure on Ukraine to agree to it.”

Turner said Europe must “stand firm” and support Ukraine economically and militarily to ensure that its borders cannot be changed by force, “because if that happens, none of us are safe”.

Glimmer of hope for peace, says Meloni

The prime minister of Italy was among several European leaders to praise the outcome of Trump’s summit with Putin on Saturday.

Giorgia Meloni said in a statement: “A glimmer of hope has finally opened to discuss peace in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part, along with its western allies.”

Trilateral summit could be next step

Trump added that a further summit with Putin would be arranged “if all works out” during Zelensky’s visit to Washington.

“Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved!” the US president added.

In February Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at the White House ended abruptly after a row on live television. The Ukrainian leader was effectively thrown out without signing a proposed agreement on mineral rights. The deal was eventually signed in April.

Skip ceasefire and secure peace, says Trump

President Trump said the best way of ending the war in Ukraine was to “go directly to a peace agreement” rather than a ceasefire.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president suggested that President Zelensky and other European leaders also backed this approach, which contradicts their previous calls for a ceasefire before any talks on a possible settlement.

Trump wrote: “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.”

He confirmed he would meet Zelensky in Washington on Monday and said that his meeting with President Putin “went very well”. It was, he said, “a great and very successful day in Alaska!”

‘World is a safer place’ after summit

Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, said that “the world is a safer place” after the summit in Alaska.

Orban, a strong ally of both Trump and Putin, wrote on X: “For years we have watched the two biggest nuclear powers dismantle the framework of their co-operation and shoot unfriendly messages back and forth. That has now come to an end. Today the world is a safer place than it was yesterday. May every weekend be at least this good!”

European leaders meet without Trump

Sir Keir Starmer has joined a second call with President Zelensky and other European leaders, this time without President Trump.

It follows an earlier call during which Trump outlined his discussions with President Putin in Alaska.

The cast list of the second call is believed to be similar to the first, which involved Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and the leaders of France, Italy, Finland, Germany and Poland.

Ukraine remains whole, but Putin’s hand gets stronger

Ukrainians woke up with a strong sense of relief that their country had not been carved up thousands of miles away in Alaska (writes Catherine Philp in Kyiv).

But the nothing-burger, in local parlance, that was served up carries its own jeopardy.

On Air Force One Trump suggested the ball was in Zelensky’s court, with no mention of the “serious consequences” with which he had threatened Putin.

The call for more talks tracks Putin’s preferred form of this game: stretch them out to avoid blame while continuing to fight for the military victory the Kremlin believes is possible.

With time on his side and no punitive measures, Putin emerged as the winner in Alaska, even if he didn’t get to stay for lunch. He got the red carpet treatment, he was welcomed as a statesman, not a pariah and indicted war criminal unable to set foot in 125 countries for fear of arrest.

Ukraine’s worst nightmares did not come true overnight — but a strengthened Russian-US relationship on other matters, and an American president losing interest in the conflict or indeed confidence in his ability to solve it, may point to nightmares yet to come.

Watch: Ukrainians shocked by Putin’s red-carpet reception

Residents of Ukraine said that they were horrified by how the Russian leader had been treated

Ukraine optimistic on US security guarantees

Zelensky said that the US had given “positive signals” about its involvement in security guarantees for Ukraine after any ceasefire deal.

He said that European involvement was important “for the sake of reliable security guarantees together with America”.

“We discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing security for Ukraine. We continue to co-ordinate our positions with all partners. Thank you to everyone who helps!”

Zelensky to visit Washington next week

President Zelensky released this image with a message about his call with Trump

President Zelensky said he wanted a three-way meeting with Presidents Trump and Putin to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.

“We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia,” he said on social media.

“Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”

He added that he had a “long, meaningful conversation” with Trump for about an hour before European leaders joined for a further 30 minutes.

The Ukrainian president confirmed that he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday.

Zelensky and Trump hold call

President Zelensky spoke to Trump in a one-on-one phone call after the summit, before European leaders joined in the discussion, the Ukraine president’s office has confirmed.

“It was a lengthy call — initially between Presidents Zelensky and Trump, after which the European leaders joined in,” the office said in a statement.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he advised Zelensky to “make a deal”. He also raised the possibility of a three-way summit involving Putin, Zelensky and himself.

Starmer speaks with Trump and Zelensky

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to President Trump and President Zelensky after the summit in Alaska, Downing Street said.

Also on the call were the Nato chief, Mark Rutte, the leaders of Italy, France, Finland, Germany and Poland, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.

No 10 said that Starmer would speak with European leaders again this morning.

Kremlin shares video of US jets escorting Putin

The Kremlin has issued a video of American jets escorting President Putin out of Alaska.

In a post on Telegram, the official press office account said: “F-22 fighter jets accompanied the Russian President’s aircraft on its way from Alaska to Russia.”

One of the most-tracked flights on the FlightRadar tracking website is a Russian government Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft travelling from Anchorage to Moscow, where it is due to arrive at 5.31pm local time.

Trump disembarks Air Force Once

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

President Trump has left the plane and got into a waiting car without making any comment.

The US president emerged from Air Force One and slowly walked down the stairs, giving a brief thumbs up to the assembled journalists.

Trump called Zelensky and Nato leaders during flight

President Trump spoke to President Zelensky in a “lengthy call” during his flight back to Washington, the White House said.

Video from Joint Base Andrews showed Air Force One stationary on the tarmac as reporters waited for the president to emerge from the plane.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Trump was on the phone with Nato leaders.

Trump keeps quiet on Air Force One

President Trump did not speak to reporters on his return flight from the summit in Alaska, but his Fox News interview played on the aircraft’s televisions.

Air Force One touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 2am local time (7am UK time)

Missiles and drones strike Ukraine overnight

While President Putin was negotiating in Alaska, Russia launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones overnight, according to Ukraine’s military.

Air defences shot down at least 61 drones in the north and east of Ukraine from 7.30pm on Friday until 8am on Saturday, the armed forces said.

The barrage included a short-range Iskander missile as well as attack drones, which were launched against targets in the Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine.

Key takeaways from the leaders’ meeting

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

After private talks lasting almost three hours, President Putin and President Trump’s joint press conference at the Elmendorf base in Alaska was uncharacteristically brief.

George Grylls, Washington correspondent for The Times, writes about the four key moments from the 12-minute session, which included statements from both leaders but no questions from the assembled journalists.

Perhaps the most memorable comment came from Putin about the possibility of a second summit: “Next time in Moscow?”

• Read more: Four key moments from an unusually brief press conference

Analysis: Summit raises more questions than it answers

Trump did not answer questions during the joint press conference DREW ANGERER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

President Trump’s highly anticipated summit with President Putin began with smiles and banter but ended as the “anticlimax in Anchorage” — with no ceasefire for Ukraine or even an agreement on where to meet for the follow-up summit at which the US president had wanted to make a peace deal.

The Times’s David Charter notes that Trump uncharacteristically refused to take questions before heading back to the east coast. He writes: “Trump’s waning energy was felt in the military-base ballroom that served as the venue for a press conference which he seemed keen to leave just as soon as he could.”

• Read more: Trump’s summit with Putin raises more questions than it answers

Trump: A lot of points were agreed on

Trump claimed that a deal to end the war in Ukraine was “pretty close” in an interview with Fox News after the summit.

The US president told Sean Hannity, one of his favourite TV presenters, that “a lot of points were agreed on” but there were “one or two pretty significant items” left to resolve.

He added: “I think we are pretty close to a deal. Now look, Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they will say no … Now it’s up to President Zelensky to get it done.”

Trump stays off social media on return flight

President Trump was uncharacteristically quiet on his Truth Social platform after his much-anticipated summit with President Putin.

Trump posted a video of their joint press conference in Anchorage but did not share any further insights into the meeting.

Air Force One left Alaska at 4.21pm local time. The flight back to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is roughly six hours, meaning he would be touching down at about 2.20am Eastern Time (ET), or 7.20am UK time.

Russia explains lack of questions in press conference

The US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin skipped answering questions at Friday’s joint press conference because their statements said it all, according to the Kremlin’s spokesman.

“Exhaustive statements were made,” Dmitry Peskov said while explaining why the floor was not opened to reporters, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.

Peskov said: “The conversation is really very positive, and the two presidents spoke about it. This is the very conversation that allows us to confidently continue moving forward together on the path of seeking resolution options.”

Trump softens stance on tariffs

There appears to have been a softening of Trump’s stance following the meeting with Putin.

Before the summit he repeatedly warned of “severe consequences” for Russia if he was not satisfied by the outcome of the talks.

Speaking to Sean Hannity, Trump said he was not immediately considering tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy.

“I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now,” Trump said. “I think the meeting went very well.”

Melania wrote to Putin about abducted children

Melania Trump, the first lady, raised the plight of Ukrainian and Russian children affected by the war in a personal letter to President Putin, according to the White House.

President Trump hand-delivered the note to Putin during Friday’s summit in Alaska, two officials told Reuters.

The letter reportedly concerned the abduction of children during the war. Ukraine has called the abduction of tens thousands of its children into Russian-occupied territory or Russia itself a war crime that meets the UN treaty definition of genocide.

Moscow has said it has been protecting children from a warzone.

Russian envoy hails meeting

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian economic envoy, said the summit had gone well from Moscow’s perspective.

“The US side without doubt received the Russian side very well,” he said in a statement on Telegram.

“It’s also important that President Trump noted the significant potential of economic co-operation between Russia and the US.”

Maga base celebrates summit

As Trump tells Fox News “the meeting was a ten”, the Maga base is rallying behind the president (Katy Balls writes).

After suggestions in the media that Trump failed his own test for the summit given Putin did not agree to a ceasefire, several figures in the Make America Great Again movement have come out to praise Trump.

The activist Charlie Kirk has taken to X to say “anything the media says about the Alaska summit must be immediately discredited because they are mad Trump met with Putin at all”.

The congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said: “President Trump is moving us toward PEACE after talks with Putin on Ukraine. Strong leadership ends wars. Not endless checks to foreign countries. America is back and leading the way. America First!”

It’s worth noting that these figures have long been critical of ongoing US support for the Ukraine war so are keen for as quick an end to the conflict as possible — even if the terms were unsatisfactory to Ukrainians.

Trump to be ‘in the room’ for Zelensky-Putin summit

Wrapping up the interview, Trump said both Zelensky and Putin want him “in the room” if they hold a meeting to discuss ending the war.

Pushed by Hannity when the summit could be held, Trump said in a “fairly short” time period.

Putin told Trump he won Biden election ‘by so much’

Trump said it was “very nice” of Hillary Clinton to say he should be nominated for a Nobel peace prize if he negotiates a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Returning to the theme of the 2020 election, which he insists was stolen, Trump said Putin told him “your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting”.

The Russian president allegedly told Trump that it was a “rigged election” and “you won that election by so much”.

Presidents ‘largely agreed on land swap’

Asked by Hannity how the war in Ukraine might end and if there will be a land swap, Trump said “those are points that we largely agreed on”.

“The meeting was a very warm meeting,” Trump said. “He’s a strong guy,” he said of Putin. “He’s tough as hell and all of that, but the meeting was a very warm meeting between two very important countries.”

Asked what his advice would be to Zelensky, Trump said, “Make a deal,” adding that Russia is a “very big power” and Ukraine is not. Putin “would like to solve the problem”, he added.

‘I seem to have an ability to end wars’

Trump said that Putin told him “your country is hot as a pistol” and that he thought America was “dead” a year ago.

Asked by the Fox News host why he was so dedicated to ending conflicts around the world even when they do not directly involve the US, Trump said: “Number one, to save lives.”

“Number two is everything else,” he said. “Wars are very bad … and I seem to have an ability to end them.”

Trump touts record on ending conflict

Trump said that the US and Russia were the most powerful nations in terms of nuclear weapons but it was dangerous to rattle sabres.

“It could be the end of the world,” he said.

Trump again touted his record on ending wars since he returned to office and said he was particularly proud of his strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Zelensky-Putin meeting ‘will be set up’

SPUTNIK/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV

Trump said “they’re going to set up a meeting” between Zelensky and Putin. He gave his meeting with Putin a “ten” on a scale of one to ten “in the sense that we got along great”.

Trump: Putin wants war ‘done’

Trump said he spoke “very sincerely” one-on-one with Putin following the press conference.

“I think he wants to see it done,” Trump said, referring to the war.

The US president declined to give specifics over what was and was not agreed upon between the two sides.

Trump said that Zelensky has to agree to any deal.

Trump tells Hannity of ‘great things’ done

Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News in his first interview after the summit, Trump said he and Putin would have done “great things together” as he praised Russia’s natural resources.

He blamed the “Russia hoax” for poor relations between Washington and Moscow.

“We’ll see,” Trump said of the outcome of the summit, adding that “we had a very good meeting today”.

Trump said he was happy that Putin announced the war would not have happened had he been in office in 2022 and not Joe Biden.

Alaska senator ‘cautiously optimistic’

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska who has previously clashed with Trump, said she is “cautiously optimistic” following the summit.

She said that it seemed “some level of progress was made”.

Murkowski added: “It was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings, which I hope will include Ukraine. Ukraine must be part of any negotiated settlement and must freely agree to its terms as we seek an end to the violent, unlawful war being waged against it.”

Watch: leaders chat after conference

Putin ‘humiliated’ Trump

From Marc Bennetts

Putin lays flowers to the graves of Soviet soldiers who died during the Second World War at Fort Richardson National Cemetery, Alaska after the summit SERGEI BOBYLEV, SPUTNIK, KREMLIN POOL PHOTO VIA AP

Russian opposition figures were dismayed by the outcome of the briefer-than-expected summit in Alaska.

“Putin has achieved his primary goal: he is no longer an outcast,” wrote Yevgenia Albats, an exiled Russian journalist. “Putin will return to Moscow a victor, having made a fool of the president of the most powerful country in the world.”

Alexander Nevzorov, another well-known Kremlin critic, was equally as downbeat, saying that Putin has managed to “buy time” for his war in Ukraine and evade the fresh sanctions that Trump had threatened unless he agreed to a ceasefire by August 8. The Russian leader, he said, would be “happy” as he returned to Moscow.

Trump rates meeting ‘a ten’

While many pundits have determined that the summit was inconclusive, Trump is attempting to put a positive spin on the meeting.

He has conducted an interview with the Fox News host Sean Hannity scheduled to be broadcast in primetime. Trump sat for the interview before departing Anchorage.

Aishah Hasnie, a Fox reporter, said Trump told Hannity he would rate the meeting with Putin a “ten” on a scale of one to ten.

Watch: Putin invites Trump to Moscow

Trump heads home after six hours

Trump boards Air Force One AP/JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

President Trump boarded Air Force One at 4.10pm local time without stopping to talk to reporters, according to the White House pool.

He waved at the top of the steps. Trump was in Alaska for about six hours.

Putin’s plane was taxiing a short way away from Air Force One on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Putin returns to plane

President Putin waved after climbing the stairs back on to his official plane as the Russian delegation prepared to leave Alaska.

Trump should be getting back on to Air Force One soon. CNN reported that he would phone Zelensky on his way back to Washington DC.

Putin ‘aims to exclude Zelensky’

From George Grylls

GETTY IMAGES

By inviting Trump to Moscow, Putin has established how negotiations will proceed. He wants to exclude President Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president cannot go to Moscow. He would risk humiliation and — potentially given the way Putin tends to deal with his enemies — assassination.

By deftly switching to English with his final words, Putin has gained the upper hand in ceasefire talks, leaving Trump unsure what to say and the US president’s plans for a second summit in doubt.

“Thank you very much, Vladimir,” he eventually concluded.

Analysis: Putin canny as ever

From George Grylls

Putin rarely speaks English in public. But at the end of the press conference with Trump, he suddenly switched.

As Trump addressed the crucial question of whether or not there would be another summit — one where a ceasefire might actually be agreed — Putin interjected. “Next time in Moscow?” he said, adopting the expression of someone making a good-natured joke.

Trump appeared caught off guard: “Oh, that’s an interesting one. I don’t know. I’d get a little heat on that one. I could see it possibly happening.”

Nothing Putin said was unscripted and his remarks, however offhand he made them appear, were clearly calculated.

A fluent German speaker, he is a proficient linguist and has a good level of English comprehension. His avoidance of English is generally seen as a negotiating tactic. His decision to embarrass Trump with a final request was a way of setting the terms for what comes next.

Obama-era official: Ramp up pressure on Putin

A former Obama administration official called on President Trump to ratchet up the economic and military pressure on Putin after failing to agree a ceasefire in the summit.

Evelyn Farkas, deputy assistant secretary of defence covering Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia under Obama, said: “Putin was always just stalling. Looks like cold water tossed on the US ideas. Putin doesn’t want peace, won’t compromise.

“Time to arm up Ukraine fast, slap on some more sanctions. Russia must be defeated militarily for Kremlin to negotiate.”

Watch: Trump heralds ‘great progress’ in talks

Talks were a ‘nothing burger’

Philip Breedlove, Nato’s former supreme allied commander in Europe, told Times Radio that the talks between Trump and Putin were a “nothing burger” and a “swing and a miss”.

He said that the two leaders did not take questions from reporters “tells me nothing good happened in that meeting”.

Breedlove added: “Trump went into that meeting saying, ‘no ceasefire, no second meeting’. He came out and said ‘no ceasefire and maybe a second meeting’.”

‘No major breakthroughs’

The Russian ambassador to Washington said there were “no major breakthroughs” from the meeting between Trump and Putin, according to the Interfax news agency.

“We are trying, we are working. So far there have been no major breakthroughs and, apparently, there cannot be any,” Alexander Darchiev said, according to a translation of his comments.

Two issues remain stumbling blocks, he said — including Russian diplomatic properties that were “confiscated” by the Obama administration.

The other issue is direct air travel between the US and Russia, which was stopped after the invasion of Ukraine.

A presidential love-in — but no answers

From Katy Balls

REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE

There were no questions in Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s joint press conference. In fact, the short joint appearance raised more questions than it answered. The one thing it was big on was praise for one another.

The Russian president complimented his US counterpart several times and spoke about co-operation. Trump spoke about their fantastic relationship and suggested progress has been made and it has been a very productive meeting. However, there was nothing in the way of detail of what had been agreed.

Trump did say a few issues remained unsolved — adding “one is probably the most significant… We didn’t get there”. The one thing that did seem to be confirmed as very likely was a second meeting.

However, even then the location remains up in the air. Putin suggested it could take place in Russia but the president was non-committal. If that meeting is meant to include Ukraine’s Zelensky, such a location could prove very problematic indeed.

‘Just a few points left’

Trump said “many points were agreed to” and “just a very few were left” following the almost three-hour sit-down.

One of the remaining points is “probably the most significant”, Trump said. He thanked Putin who replied, “Next time in Moscow?”

Trump joked he would receive “heat” for travelling to Russia before the men shook hands and left the stage.

Trump: We’ve made headway

Trump described the meeting as “very productive” and said “we’ve made some headway”.

However “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said, adding that there are “a couple of big” areas where disagreement remains.

The US president said he would call Nato leaders and President Zelensky of Ukraine. “We’ve made some great progress today,” Trump said.

War would ‘not have happened with Trump in power’

Putin said he believes there would not have been a war had Trump been in power in 2022.

Putin: I hope Kyiv will not throw a spanner in the works

Putin said relations between the US and Russia had fallen to their lowest point since the Cold War in recent years, a state of affairs he described as bad for the world.

“Sooner or later we had to mend the situation,” Putin said, adding that the meeting with Trump was “long overdue”.

Putin said the “situation in Ukraine” involved threats to Russian security and lamented that his country was at war with a “brotherly nation”.

He repeated a claim he has made before and said for a lasting peace Russia’s concerns had to be addressed. Putin said he hoped the “agreement” from today would “pave the path towards” peace.

Putin added that he hoped Kyiv and European capitals would not “throw a spanner in the works”.

Putin: Negotiations ‘constructive’

President Putin opened the press conference and described negotiations as “constructive” and held “in an atmosphere of mutual respect”.

He said that he greeted Trump after departing his plane by saying “good afternoon dear neighbour, very good to see you”.

Putin described the greeting as “kind words” and “very neighbourly”.

Press room packed

Hundreds of journalists from around the world are packed into the press room waiting for Trump and Putin to take to the stage.

The Kremlin confirmed on Telegram that Putin would speak. The wall behind the lecterns reads “Pursuing Peace”.

It will be the first time the American and Russian presidents have appeared together for a full news conference since a 2018 summit in Helsinki.

Steve Witkoff ignores reporters’ questions DREW ANGERER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, ignored questions from journalists as he walked into the press room and sat down.

Putin looks set to take part in press conference

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian envoy, walks into the briefing room ahead of a press conference DREW ANGERER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Reporters prepare for the leaders to appear DREW ANGERER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Two lecterns with microphones have been set up on stage and a Russian translator has performed a sound check, suggesting Putin will join Trump at the press conference.

Reporters have also been given translation headsets and the Russian press corps is in the room.

Meeting ends after nearly three hours

The meeting between Trump and Putin has ended after almost three hours, Fox News said.

Reporters covering the summit have been called into the press conference room and preparations are under way for a briefing to begin.

Russian religious leaders pray for summit

From Marc Bennetts

Russia’s religious leaders have urged believers to pray for a successful summit meeting between President Putin and President Trump.

Patriarch Kirill, the head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, said at a service in Moscow: “Let us turn to the Lord with sincere prayer, that the Lord will show His mercy, so that He would facilitate this interaction between the leaders of the two most powerful countries on the planet.”

Kirill has been a vocal supporter of the war in Ukraine, which he has portrayed as a holy war against “dark forces”.

The Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia also organised “collective prayers in support of Putin and the success of the Russia-US talks in Alaska” at mosques across the country on Friday, Russia’s RBC media outlet said.

Russian foreign ministry mocks Western media ‘frenzy’

From Marc Bennetts

The sight of Putin bring greeted by Trump on the runway in Alaska has sparked a spot of trademark trolling from Moscow.

“Western media are in a state that can be called frenzy, turning into complete madness: for three years they talked about Russia’s isolation, and today they saw a red carpet that greeted the Russian president in the United States,” said Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman.

Ukraine sources: US ‘rolling out red carpet for war criminal’

Ukrainian sources have been critical of the red-carpet welcome that greeted Putin when he exited his plane at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

Olga Rudenko, editor of the Kyiv Independent, posted an image to X showing soldiers, apparently American, preparing the carpet at the bottom of steps leading to the Russian plane, which had the country’s name painted on the side.

“This is Putin’s new phone wallpaper,” Rudenko said. “American soldiers kneeling under the big letters reading RUSSIA. To fix the red carpet. For a war criminal.”

The make-or-break summit between Presidents Trump and Putin has been under way for two hours, with little indication of how the talks are going.

Before sitting down with the Russian leader Trump said he would know within minutes if it was going to be a “good meeting or a bad meeting”.

“If it’s a bad meeting, it’ll end very quickly, and if it’s a good meeting, we’re going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Optimists may view the fact that the meeting did not end immediately as a good sign.

Putin ‘nods’ at prospect of Zelensky meeting

Putin appeared to nod in the affirmative when asked by a Russian-speaking journalist if he was ready for a three-way meeting with Zelensky and Trump before the bilateral talks began.

Putin said last week that “certain conditions” would have to be met before he would be ready to sit down for talks with the Ukrainian leader. “Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions,” he said.

Military flyover includes bombers used on Iran

A B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets fly overhead ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Russian president was treated to a red-carpet welcome, a ride in the presidential limousine and military flyover by a B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets as he arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson a few hours ago.

In June, seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers conducted a bombing raid on nuclear facilities in Iran.

The bombers flew in a co-ordinated 18-hour mission from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, refuelling in mid-air, before dropping 14 massive ordnance penetrator (MOP) bombs on Fordow and Natanz which were designed for deep penetration of fortified underground structures.

At the time, Putin said the US strikes on Russia’s close military ally were unjustified, and pushed the world towards great danger.

Putin envoy’s prophetic meeting with Alaskan bear

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special economic envoy, posted a video to X of an encounter with a black bear hours before the summit began.

“Hopefully a good sign,” Dmitriev wrote.

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The bear is widely recognised as a symbol of Russia, and has been depicted in cartoons, articles and dramatic plays since the 16th century.

A moose and a black bear were also spotted roaming the grounds outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday. It’s far from an uncommon site in Anchorage; the city is home to about 1,500 moose and as many as 350 black bears.

Trump ‘could target Russian oil if no ceasefire’

Putin and Trump in Alaska on Friday X

The Trump administration is considering sanctions against the Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire, according to Bloomberg.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, noted that measures aimed at squeezing the Russian energy sector may be implemented gradually. US officials have largely avoided targeting Russia’s oil sector over fears that doing so could raise domestic energy prices.

Hillary Clinton and a Nobel peace prize

Fox News has released a brief clip of an interview with Trump conducted by its chief political anchor Bret Baier on board Air Force One. “Hillary Clinton said that if you got this deal done and not capitulate to Putin, she would nominate you for the Nobel peace prize,” Baier said.

Trump responded: “Well that was very nice. I may have to start liking her again.”

• How Trump hopes to win the Nobel peace prize

Can Putin speak English?

Trump and Putin appeared to engage in a friendly discussion on their way to the summit without the presence of interpreters, leading many to wonder about the Russian leader’s proficiency in the English language.

Putin rarely speaks English in public, but world leaders including George W Bush and Tony Blair have remarked that he is capable of holding informal conversations. There are clips online of the Russian leader greeting people, making jokes and giving brief remarks in English.

During a series of interviews in 2017 with the American film-maker Oliver Stone, Putin used English and Russian interchangeably. In 2021 his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, claimed he was so proficient that he often corrected his own interpreters.

Putin is fluent in German, having been stationed in Dresden, East Germany, from 1985 to 1990 while serving as a KGB officer.

Who is in the room?

1: Yury Ushakov, a top foreign policy aide in the Kremlin

2: Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister

3: An unidentified translator

4: President Putin

5: President Trump

6: A second unidentified translator

7: Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state

8: Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy

Analysis: What’s on the agenda?

The two sides are in a room and talking about the war in Ukraine. Here are five things they are likely to be discussing — and one they almost certainly won’t be.

A moment of confusion

The two leaders have arrived at a building on the military base where they will hold a three-on-three meeting.

As they took their seats in front of a blue backdrop with the words “Pursuing Peace”, US reporters shouted questions at Putin, asking: “Mr Putin, will you commit to not killing any more civilians?” and “President Putin, why should President Trump trust your word now?”

Putin made an inaudible comment, and put his hands round his mouth in a gesture that appeared to indicate he could not hear what was being said.

“Thank you very much,” Trump said, before the press was ushered out of the room.

A car ride for two

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

UNPIXS

Despite assurances from the White House that the two leaders would not hold one-on-one talks, the two men drove off accompanied only by Secret Service agents. Putin could be seen smiling in the backseat of the US president’s armoured limousine, known as the Beast.

Trump said earlier today that he would know within a few minutes of meeting Putin if the meeting would be a success.

Applause, handshakes and questions ignored

KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

KEVIN LAMAQUE/REUTERS

The two leaders disembarked from their respective planes and walked down a red carpet on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Trump applauded his Russian counterpart before shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. The two leaders stood on a stage marked “Alaska 2025”, as Putin ignored reporters’ questions whether he would agree to a ceasefire. The two leaders then entered a US presidential limousine.

What does Putin want?

Putin leaving Magadan and his plane on the tarmac, below ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/EPA

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Putin’s plane has just landed at Elmendorf-Richardson base in Anchorage, a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Trump is yet to emerge from Air Force One, and has apparently been waiting for Putin’s arrival. The US president has been meeting on board the aircraft with Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Alaska’s Republican senators, as well as Mike Dunleavy, the state governor, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.

What does the Russian leader want from these talks? Marc Bennetts analyses his motivations, from land deals to history lessons — and why he is already at an advantage.

Zelensky: Russia is still bombing us

Shortly before Trump arrived in Alaska to meet his Russian counterpart, President Zelensky released a videotaped statement in which he reiterated that Russian military strikes were continuing across Ukraine.

“On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes,” he said. “Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end, and we count on a strong position from America. Everything will depend on this.”

No longer a one-on-one meeting

F-22 fighter jets on the tarmac with Air Force One ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Trump will no longer have a one-on-one meeting with President Putin, the White House has said. Instead, the US president will be accompanied by Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio for a three-on-three meeting. The two Russians joining Putin will be Sergey Lavrov, his foreign minister, and Yury Ushakov, his top foreign policy aide.

This meeting will be followed by a working lunch at which Trump, Witkoff and Rubio will be joined by Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary and Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff.

Susie Wiles appeared in high spirits ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

Trump lands

KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

Trump has landed in Anchorage for his summit with Putin. Air Force One touched down at 10.25am local time (7.25pm BST).

The view from Anchorage

DREW ANGERER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Two podiums are set up in a ballroom on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in front of the words “Pursuing Peace” (David Charter writes in Anchorage).

The arrangement suggests a joint press conference will take place later with both Trump and Putin. About 300 journalists, photographers and TV camera crews crammed into a media tent next door awaiting the arrival of Air Force One. One half of the room is for “US Press”, including international media based in the United States, and one half for “RU Press”.

The day began for media members covering the summit with a 5am local time meet up in a shopping centre car park on the edge of Anchorage to load into buses for the short drive into the base. After a few hours of delays and a thorough screening with security wands, bag searches and sniffer dogs, we arrived in the media tent at 9.45am local time (6.45pm BST).

What Trump has said today

President Trump leaving for Alaska on Air Force One

Trump made a series of comments about the summit earlier today as he took questions from reporters on Air Force One. Here is a summary:

On a ceasefire: “I want to see a ceasefire. This has nothing to do with Europe, Europe’s not telling me what to do. But they’re going to be involved in the process obviously, as well as Zelensky. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today. Everyone said it can’t be today, but I’m just saying I want the killing to stop.

On territorial concessions: The president said these would be discussed at the meeting but would have to be approved by Ukraine. “I have to let Ukraine make that decision,” Trump said. “I think they’ll make a proper decision, but I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them at a table.”

On security guarantees for Ukraine: “Along with Europe and other countries, not in the form of Nato. Because that’s not going to, you know, there are certain things that aren’t going to happen. But yeah, along with Europe, there’s possibility [of security guarantees].”

On continuing Russian drone strikes: “[Putin] is trying to set a stage. In his mind, it helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him,” Trump said. “But in his mind that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing. Maybe it’s a part of the world, maybe it’s just his fabric, his genes, his genetics. I’ll be talking to him about it.”

On “economic incentives”: “I notice he’s bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that’s good. I like that because they want to do business, but we’re not doing business until we get the war settled. We have the hottest country on Earth. We have the hottest economy on Earth.

“He wants a piece of that, because his country is not hot economically. In fact its the opposite. I want everybody to do well. But the war’s got to stop and the killing’s got to stop.”

The two entourages compared

Putin and Trump arrived in Alaska with several key members of their administrations in tow. The US contingent is full of familiar faces.

The delegation from the Kremlin, however, may surprise — it includes a poet, Harvard student and sanctions-buster, as Marc Bennetts explains.