Overview
- The scheduled one-on-one meeting expanded into a three-on-three session at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, featuring red carpets, a B-2 bomber flyover and a ride for Putin in the presidential limousine.
- Neither president unveiled a ceasefire or territorial agreement, with Putin calling the talks “thorough and useful” and Trump insisting “there is no deal until there’s a deal.”
- Ukrainian officials and European leaders were excluded from the negotiations and voiced alarm that sidelining Kyiv could undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- Trump pledged immediate calls with President Zelenskyy, NATO and key European leaders and proposed a trilateral meeting to negotiate a formal settlement.
- Domestic Democrats and EU officials criticized the summit’s warm optics and lack of concrete outcomes, warning that granting Putin legitimacy without enforceable terms threatens Ukraine’s security.