US Russia Alaska Summit highlights: European leaders back Putin-Trump-Zelensky meeting

US Russia Alaska Summit Live Updates: Zelensky stated he plans to meet Trump following a call in which the US president briefed him on the "main points" of his discussions with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

US Russia Summit Alaska highlights: The high-stakes meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday lasted over two hours, with Trump describing it as a “very productive meeting.” However, no clear position emerged on resolving the war in Ukraine, which Trump characterised as just one among several issues discussed, alongside prospects for expanded trade and business cooperation.

The talks commenced on Friday at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska’s largest US military installation. It has historically served as a Cold War surveillance site monitoring the Soviet Union.

Alongside Trump were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the Russian side hopes to continue this “useful conversation” during Friday's Russia-US summit in Alaska.

This marked Putin’s first visit to Western soil since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with Russia showing no signs of slowing its military advances just prior to the summit.

What happened in the Trump-Putin meeting?

At the event, Putin spoke first, describing the talks as useful and saying they took place “in a constructive atmosphere.” He referred to unspecified agreements with Trump and indicated that Ukraine was just one of several topics raised, highlighting the potential for greater trade and business ties, along with cooperation in the Arctic and space exploration.

Putin thanked Trump for the “friendly” tone of their discussions and stressed that Russia and the United States should “turn the page and go back to cooperation.”

He commended Trump as someone who “has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests.”

This came after the longest ever face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. Yet, despite their extensive conversation, neither offered clarity on what was discussed or where common ground was reached — a vagueness likely to heighten concerns in European capitals and in Kyiv about being sidelined in any agreement.

“We had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on — most of them I would say — a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway,” Trump said, adding that he would brief Zelenskiy and NATO allies on the summit’s outcome.

Trump closed his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, “we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.” When Putin smiled and suggested, “next time in Moscow,” Trump replied, “that's an interesting one” and admitted he could face criticism but “I could see it possibly happening.”

The summit on Friday began with a carefully staged scene, with Trump welcoming Putin to American soil — his first US visit in nearly ten years. The two met on the tarmac, where Trump applauded as Putin approached, greeting him with a firm handshake and a pat on the arm. For Putin, the occasion offered an opportunity to reset ties with Washington, and it suggested his charm offensive before the summit could prove effective. He is also keen to drive a wedge between the US and Europe, while seeking relief from sanctions at a time when Russia’s economy risks sliding into recession.

Despite the high-profile nature of the meeting, it ended without an agreement to stop — or even pause — the ongoing conflict, the largest land war in Europe since 1945, which has dragged on for over three years. The two leaders were expected to address the press jointly, but instead gave separate brief remarks. Putin spoke first, followed by Trump, before both departed without taking questions.