ANCHORAGE, ALASKA; After days of anticipation, the highly watched press conference between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin lasted only a few minutes, with no agreements announced and no questions taken from the press.
Putin struck a conciliatory tone toward Trump, saying he welcomed what he described as a “new footing” in U.S.–Russia relations. “I’m sure this foundation will help us rebuild and foster mutually beneficial and equal ties at this new stage, even under the hardest conditions,” he said. He expressed optimism that both sides could work toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, adding, “The sooner, the better.”
Trump acknowledged that while progress had been made, some major issues remained unresolved. “There were many, many points that we agreed on—most of them, I would say. A couple of big ones we haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’ve made some headway,” he said. One of these unresolved points, he suggested, was particularly significant.
The former U.S. president confirmed that he would be speaking with NATO leadership and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy following the talks. When Putin proposed hosting the next meeting in Moscow, Trump replied, “Oh, that’s an interesting one. I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.”
Putin, echoing Trump’s remarks on Ukraine, said Russia was prepared to ensure Ukraine’s security as part of peace efforts. He reiterated Moscow’s long-standing view of Ukrainians as a “brotherly nation,” despite the ongoing war. “The situation in Ukraine is tied to fundamental threats to our security. We have the same roots, and what’s happening is a tragedy for us—a terrible wound. Russia is sincerely interested in putting an end to it,” he said.
Opening the press conference, Putin said their discussions had been “constructive” and “useful,” conducted in a spirit of mutual respect. He thanked Trump for his proposal to hold the talks in Alaska, where the meeting took place.
