Trump, Putin tout 'productive' Alaska talks without apparent breakthrough

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from over two and a half hours of talks in Alaska on Friday afternoon, declaring progress made but no deal for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. They did not answer any questions from reporters at a joint press conference.

The two leaders met in a three-on-three format with top advisers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in what both described as a "constructive", "businesslike" encounter.

Trump referred to the Russian leader repeatedly as "Vladimir", while Putin opened with a reminder that "though separated by the oceans, we are close neighbors".

Trump told Fox News following Friday's meeting that he gave "today a 10" on a scale of one to 10.

The meeting at the military base was the first meeting between US and Russian heads of state since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in February 2022.

Putin called the war "a tragedy for us and a terrible wound", and insisted that his "country is sincerely interested in putting an end to it". But he stressed the need to address "all legitimate constraints of Russia" while ensuring Ukraine's security.

"Naturally, we are prepared to work for that," he said, expressing the 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".

The Russian president warned against "backroom dealings" or provocations that could "torpedo the nascent progress" and said Moscow expected "that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles".

The Russian leader said the choice of Alaska "makes sense" because of geography and shared history, noting the Bering Strait is only about 4 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and invoking Alaska's "tremendous cultural heritage" from Russia's past presence there.

He recalled World War II cooperation, including the "legendary air bridge" that ferried US aircraft to Soviet forces.

"We will always remember… when our countries defeated common enemies together" he said. "I'm sure that this heritage will help us rebuild… even during the hardest conditions."

Putin also said that US and Russian investment and business cooperation has tremendous potential.

"I expect that today's agreements will be the starting point not only for the solution of the Ukrainian issue, but also will help us bring back businesslike and pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," he said.

Trump followed Putin by calling the meeting "very productive", saying "many, many points" were agreed on but "a couple of big ones" remained unresolved.

"One is probably the most significant... We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there," the US president said without elaborating.

"There's no deal until there's a deal," he said, promising to brief NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin — with Vladimir," Trump said, adding that past efforts were hampered by the "'Russia, Russia, Russia' hoax. He knew it was a hoax, and I knew it was a hoax… but it made it harder for us to deal as a country."

Both men emphasized the human toll of the conflict as a reason for putting an end to it. "We're going to stop… thousands of people a week from being killed, and President Putin wants to see that as much as I do," Trump said.

Throughout the press conference, Putin spoke through an interpreter, but toward the end, he spoke in English, "Next time in Moscow" when the US president said he would "probably see you again very soon".

"Oh, that's an interesting one," Trump said. "I'll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening."

The two leaders ended the press conference without taking questions.

Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-American Studies in Washington, said that what transpired in Alaska was more press statements than a press conference. "Obviously, a lot was left unsaid at the press meet, including on a near-term ceasefire in Ukraine. And it is clear that while progress was made, there are important gaps on the most significant issues," he said.

But he also noted that it is a big plus that the US and Russian presidents have met this early into the Trump presidency.

"Constructive major power relations are essential for global peace and stability, and such peace and stability include but also transcend the situation in Ukraine. The hope is that the US and Russian presidents will build on this meeting and strike up a coexistent relationship that facilitates a more forward-looking and enlightened management of European and global affairs," he added.

After the meeting with Putin, Trump said Zelensky and Putin were going to set up a meeting to try to reach a ceasefire to end the conflict in Ukraine.

"Now, it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it's up to President Zelensky... And if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting," Trump told Fox News.

Ahead of the talks, Trump had greeted Putin on a red carpet on the tarmac of a US Air Force base. They exchanged a warm handshake and touched each other on the arm before riding in Trump's limo to the summit site nearby.

Instead of the previously announced one-on-one meeting with Putin, Trump held a meeting that also included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's special envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff, foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

A blue backdrop behind them bore the words "Pursuing Peace".

Earlier Friday, Zelensky, who was not invited to the summit, expressed his hope that the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska could pave the way for three-way talks.

"The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States and the Russian side," Zelensky wrote on X.

Yifan Xu in Washington contributed to the story.