Alaska summit ends without breakthrough as Putin appears to dominate stage

The much-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, ended Friday without significant agreements, leaving analysts questioning whether the talks achieved more symbolism than substance.

DW’s Washington Bureau Chief Ines Pohl described the atmosphere as “uncomfortable,” with Trump appearing hesitant while Putin took control of the room.

Despite high expectations, there were no concrete deals on key issues such as security guarantees for Ukraine or a potential ceasefire.

“There was a real lack of meaningful outcomes,” Pohl noted, warning that the optics favored Putin, who seemed to score a symbolic victory simply by securing the meeting on US soil.

During their joint press conference, which was closed to questions, Trump admitted that while the discussions had been “productive,” major sticking points remained unresolved.

“Some of the points are not so significant and one is very significant,” he said, without elaborating. “We’ve made some headway,” he added, promising to brief NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump also expressed optimism that “a resolution to end the war would come soon,” asserting that both he and Putin wanted the killing to stop.

Putin, reading from prepared notes, described the negotiations as “constructive” and “useful,” praising his “good direct contact” with Trump.

He emphasized the centrality of Ukraine in the talks and portrayed the encounter as a sign of improving relations after what he called the “all-time low” under the previous US administration.

The cordial tone between the two leaders — marked by smiles, clapping, and even a public invitation from Putin for Trump to visit Moscow — was striking given the backdrop of war.

Pohl pointed out the irony of the meeting’s location: a US military base originally built to defend against Russian aggression, now hosting the Russian president, who faces international accusations of war crimes.

European powers, according to DW’s Chief International Editor Richard Walker, have been working behind the scenes to maintain a voice in the negotiations.

Increased defense spending and a controversial EU-US trade deal have helped them “earn more of a seat at the table,” though there are fears that Ukraine’s interests could be sidelined in favor of a US-Russia arrangement.

For now, the Alaska summit will be remembered more for its optics than for its achievements — a historic handshake, cordial exchanges, and a lingering sense that Putin managed to frame the narrative, while the substantive work of forging peace remains unfinished.

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