Russia and Putin · Second term · № 114
Hosted Putin on a red carpet in Alaska, praised their 'fantastic relationship' and left without a ceasefire
“I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. We had many, many tough meetings, good meetings.”
- Said
- , Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska
- Subject
- Alaska summit
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
He greeted Putin on a red carpet laid on the runway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, applauded as he approached, and Putin rode with him to the talks in the presidential limousine. It was Putin's first visit to the United States since 2015 and his first meeting with a U.S. president since the 2022 invasion; Putin faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, which the United States does not recognize. After about three hours the two gave statements without taking questions. Trump said 'there's no deal until there's a deal,' did not mention Ukraine's requested ceasefire or the 'severe consequences' he had threatened days earlier, and said of Putin's suggestion of a next meeting in Moscow, 'I could see it possibly happening.' Putin repeated that the war's 'root causes' had to be addressed. In a Fox News interview afterward he said it was 'really up to President Zelenskyy' to 'make the deal.'