Trump, Putin say they made significant ‘progress’ but ‘no deal’ on Ukraine

Tune in to NewsNation to watch live coverage from Alaska of the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (NewsNation) — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday they made significant progress toward resolving the Ukraine conflict during hours of meetings in Alaska, but they acknowledged no deal was reached.

“There is no deal until there is a deal,” Trump told reporters at a joint news conference following the talks. “We really made some great progress. We had an extremely productive meeting.”

The leaders met for several hours with their respective delegations in what was billed as a summit to address Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff on the American side.

Putin invites Trump to Moscow for next talks

Putin, speaking first in Russian, described U.S.-Russia relations over the past four years as hitting “the lowest point since the Cold War” and called the meeting between the leaders “overdue.” He characterized the Ukraine situation as “brotherly” and said Russia was interested in “putting an end” to it.

“We need to eliminate the primary causes” of the conflict, Putin said through a translator. He added that “an understanding has been reached” and expressed hope that “today’s agreement will be the starting point for the Ukraine situation.”

Trump indicated that significant hurdles remain, saying there were “still a few points of disagreement, including one major one.” He emphasized that Europe and Ukraine would need to agree to whatever the two presidents discussed.

Putin endorsed Trump’s repeated claim that the war would not have occurred under his leadership, saying he could “confirm that” Trump’s presidency would have prevented the conflict. The Russian leader praised what he called the “trustworthy” tone of their conversations.

Trump: Will tell Zelenskyy about Putin talks

At the conclusion of the brief news conference, Putin suggested in English that their next meeting take place “in Moscow,” prompting Trump to respond that he would “get a little heat on that one.”

The leaders left without taking questions from reporters after delivering statements in front of a backdrop reading “Pursuing Peace.”

Trump said he planned to call NATO officials, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to brief them on the meeting’s outcomes.

Earlier Friday, the presidents greeted one another on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a U.S. military installation located roughly equidistant — about 4,300 miles — from Moscow and Washington, D.C., marking the first time Putin has stepped on U.S. soil in nearly 10 years.

The two leaders smiled in front of the assembled media before getting into “the Beast,” sitting side-by-side in the back seat en route to the meeting site.

Trump also greeted Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan aboard Air Force One, according to the White House.