Trump without a deal and rules out a ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump left the Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin without achieving any tangible results. While the two leaders exchanged pleasantries and took photos, the talks did not yield clarity on the future of the war in Ukraine. Trump ruled out the possibility of reaching a ceasefire, emphasizing instead that only a comprehensive peace agreement could end the conflict.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said that a ceasefire is not a reliable solution because such agreements are often violated. He insisted that the optimal path is a comprehensive agreement that ends the war permanently. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would travel to Washington to meet with Trump and discuss potential steps to stop the violence. Zelensky also supported Trump's idea of holding a trilateral meeting with Putin, emphasizing the need to involve Europeans, especially regarding security guarantees for Ukraine.
Reports indicate that Trump and Zelensky had a lengthy phone call, which was later joined by several European leaders. Trump briefed them on the key points of his discussion with Putin. The European leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia cannot dictate Ukraine's future or prevent it from joining the European Union or NATO. They also welcomed Trump's willingness to consider security guarantees for Kyiv, but stressed that any agreement should not impose restrictions on the Ukrainian military or its international partnerships.
According to Ukrainian sources, the United States offered Kyiv security guarantees similar to NATO, without granting it full membership in the alliance. The initiative was described as a form of protection similar to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which obliges allies to defend each other in the event of an attack. Although the offer was partially coordinated with Moscow, doubts remain about why Putin agreed to such terms, given his opposition to NATO and any measures that enhance Ukraine's sovereignty.
Both Trump and Putin described their talks in Alaska as constructive, but they did not provide any specific outcomes. Trump confirmed to reporters that progress had been made, but a final agreement had not yet been reached. For his part, Putin expressed hope that the summit would be a starting point for resolving the conflict in Ukraine and improving relations between the United States and Russia. However, Russian officials later clarified that the issue of holding a trilateral summit with Ukraine was not officially discussed during the meeting.