Russian President Vladimir Putin was not shy about showing apparent disdain for members of the press who clamored to ask him questions at the high-stakes summit in Alaska.
For President Donald Trump, such media scrutiny was nothing out of the ordinary, but Putin appeared to make it clear he was unhappy with the display. As reporters tried to grab the leaders’ attention, Putin — a former Soviet KGB intelligence officer — seemed to be visibly annoyed.
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Heading into the summit, Trump faced pressure from leaders at home and abroad to secure a deal with Putin and end the hostilities. Even former Trump rival Hillary Clinton acknowledged the gravity of the moment, saying she would nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he secured a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Despite a rocky relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump has managed to coordinate with both him and Putin.
Before Friday’s U.S.-Russia summit, Zelenskyy met with European leaders and took part in a session of the “Coalition of the Willing,” which Vice President JD Vance also attended. Additionally, on Wednesday, Trump met virtually with European leaders to prepare for the pivotal talks.
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Although Putin and Trump failed to reach a deal Friday, the meeting was widely viewed as a successful step forward.
Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview that the meeting was “very good” and that Putin “wants to see it done.” However, the president declined to share what sticking point stopped them from reaching a deal.
European leaders praised Trump in a joint statement signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and others.
“Leaders welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace,” the statement read. The leaders also reiterated their stance that “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday. He said in a post on X that he and Trump will “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”
Trump and Zelenskyy — who was not invited to the Alaska summit — have signaled willingness for a trilateral meeting with Putin. But Putin has shown no movement toward such talks.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy said he urged Trump to strengthen sanctions if Putin refuses to join a trilateral meeting, echoing Trump’s earlier warning that Russia would face “very severe” economic consequences if it derailed the peace process.
