Alaska: President Donald Trump said he and Vladimir Putin did not reach an agreement on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine during their meeting on Friday. While the two leaders showered each other with praise and did not provide details about what they discussed, Putin said they had “reached an understanding.”
In a brief speech after a nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Putin said he and Trump had “reached an understanding” on Ukraine. He also warned that Europe should not “destroy progress.”
But Trump said “there is no deal until there is a deal” and said he plans to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders about the talks soon.
“We had a very productive meeting, and we agreed on a lot of things,” Trump said. “There are only a few things left. Some are not very important. One is probably the most important, but we have a good chance of getting there.”
“We are not there yet,” he continued.
The brutal conflict, Europe’s biggest war since 1945, has been raging for more than three years. The high-level summit ended without an agreement to end or suspend it. The two had been expected to hold a joint news conference, but instead gave brief speeches. First Putin, then Trump, spoke, but both left without taking questions. His return to the United States for the first time in a decade was a victory for Putin, who has sought to isolate the United States and much of the world. Agreeing to come to Alaska to meet Trump has put on hold economic sanctions that Trump had promised to impose if Moscow did not do more to end the war.
Friday’s meeting could be a boon for the Russian leader, as it could lead to more meetings in the future. The Russian military is making good progress on the battlefield, and further talks with Trump would give them more time to continue this while avoiding sanctions.
Putin thanked Trump for the “friendly” tone of the conversation and said Russia and the United States should “forget the past and return to cooperation.”
“Trump is a person with a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved and a sincere interest in the prosperity of his country, who also understands that Russia has its own national interests,” Putin praised Trump.
“I hope that today’s agreements will become a reference point for resolving the Ukrainian problem and will be a starting point for restoring practical relations between Russia and the United States,” Putin said.
Trump ended his speech by thanking Putin and saying, “We’ll talk to you soon, maybe see you again soon.” “Next time in Moscow,” Putin said with a smile, to which Trump said, “That’s an interesting thing,” adding that he might face criticism but “I can see that it’s possible.”
With input from TNIE
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