US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a three-hour summit in Alaska aimed at discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine. While Trump described the talks as productive, admitting “we didn’t get there,”

Putin left the meeting with much more, gaining public validation and avoiding any major concessions, all without taking questions from the press.

After the meeting, Trump confirmed that progress was made, but no ceasefire deal was reached.

“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. He added that this would be more effective than “a mere ceasefire agreement.”

The Russian leader, on his part, said he was “sincerely interested” in ending the war. But beyond words, there was no indication of any compromise from his side.

Shortly after the summit, Trump boarded Air Force One and held a phone call with NATO leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while flying back.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also on the call, described the conversation as “long and substantive.”

There is quiet relief in Kyiv that no side agreement was made without Ukraine’s involvement. Trump later announced that Zelensky would travel to Washington for talks in the Oval Office on Monday.

“If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved,” Trump said.

While Trump had hoped to walk away from the summit with a ceasefire agreement, a demand he has made of Putin since March, he did not get it. He insisted there was progress, though he did not offer details or explain what was agreed upon.

Putin, meanwhile, came away with clear advantages.

As the key figure behind the conflict, he received what many viewed as a warm welcome from the American president, including red-carpet treatment and public recognition, without offering anything concrete in return.

The summit’s outcome was seen by observers as a political win for Putin.

During the talks, Putin also sent a message to European countries, warning them not to interfere with his relationship with Trump.

This appeared to be part of his ongoing effort to drive a wedge between Washington and its European allies.

But his messaging went further. In an unusual move, Putin echoed Trump’s frequent claim that the war in Ukraine would not have happened if Trump had been in office instead of Joe Biden.

By repeating this line on American soil, Putin used the opportunity to speak to Trump’s supporters directly, reinforcing a narrative that continues to divide Americans politically.

The moment not only allowed Putin to push his version of events but also showed how he continues to exploit tensions between the US and Europe, and within the United States itself by using Trump's platform to reach a broader audience.