Overview

• The first one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin in seven years ended without a public or verifiable ceasefire agreement.
• Social media users turned Putin’s puzzled and bewildered facial expressions into viral memes just minutes into the summit, spawning workplace jokes and darker quips about press safety.
• Video clips captured Putin mocking a shouting US reporter with exaggerated expressions while President Trump remained silent at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson.
• Diplomatic follow-up consultations have been initiated with Kyiv, NATO and European Union leaders to address Ukraine’s exclusion from the initial talks.
• Protests in Anchorage reflected global unease over Ukraine’s absence, and European and NATO officials have insisted Kyiv be central to any settlement.