US President Donald Trump on Saturday shifted his campaign to halt the Ukraine war to securing a full peace agreement after a summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin failed to secure a ceasefire.
Three hours of talks between the White House and Kremlin leaders at an Alaska air base produced no breakthrough but Trump and European leaders said they wanted a new summit that includes Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky will now go to Washington on Monday while European leaders said they were ready to intensify sanctions against Russia after Trump briefed them on the summit.
Trump remained upbeat, calling the summit “a great and very successful day in Alaska!” in a Truth Social post. The US president added that European leaders had backed his plan for a new summit.
“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 added.
Zelensky in Washington
He confirmed Monday’s meeting with Zelensky and said he hoped a Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit would follow. “Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved,” Trump commented.
Before the summit, Trump had warned of “severe consequences” if Russia did not accept a ceasefire.
When asked about this by Fox News after the talks, Trump said that “because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now”.
Putin has repeatedly said only a full peace deal could halt the war he ordered in February 2022, which has left tens of thousands dead and widespread destruction in Ukraine.
Putin again spoke of addressing the “root causes” of the conflict at the summit and some analysts said Trump may have conceded ground.
“Faced with what appears to be Putin’s stonewalling, lectures on history, or other dodges, Trump backed away again,” said Daniel Fried, a former US ambassador to Poland and now a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank.
Flying back to Washington, Trump spoke first with Zelensky, the White House said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders later joined the call, officials said.
The Europeans, who had been wary of the Alaska meeting, held their own talks on Saturday and afterwards expressed support for a new summit.
Their statement did not mention a ceasefire, just the need for more action to force Russia into “a just and lasting peace”.
“As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia. 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,” they said.
The war went on despite the summit. Ukraine announced Saturday that Russia launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile during the night. Russia said it had taken two more villages in Ukraine.
Trump and Putin emerged from their talks to offer warm words at a 12-minute press briefing but took no questions.
“We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said.
He called the meeting “extremely productive” with “many points” agreed, but did not offer specifics.
‘Next time in Moscow’
Putin also spoke in general terms. “We hope that the understanding we have reached will… pave the way for peace in Ukraine.”
Putin warned Ukraine and European countries to “not create any obstacles” and not “make attempts to disrupt this emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigues”.
As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: “Next time in Moscow”.
Putin warns Western allies
Trump, whose tone with Zelensky has changed since he berated the Ukrainian leader at the White House in February, told Fox that “Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done”.
Zelensky, who has rejected Russian demands that Ukraine give up territory, was not invited to Friday’s talks. But he said Saturday that he supported the American efforts.
“It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation,” he said.
Russia in recent days has made battlefield gains that could strengthen Putin’s hand in any negotiations.
Although Ukraine announced as Putin was flying in that it had retaken several villages, Russia’s army on Saturday claimed the capture of Kolodyazi in Ukraine’s Donetsk region and Vorone in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region.
