The high-stakes meeting between Trump and Putin concluded without a breakthrough on the Ukraine war, but there is a glimmer of hope as now at least they are talking
After three years of prolonged war in Ukraine an opportunity came to end the war in the form of Alaska Summit, where Putin and Trump met to discuss the resolution of the crisis. Unfortunately, hopes were dashed to the ground as not much happened and breakthrough remained as elusive as ever. The Summit concluded with optics, symbolism and strong words — but no concrete agreement could be hammered out. Putin described the meeting as a “new understanding” and Trump called it as “progress,” but beyond these statements not much headway could be made. It was indeed not a good idea from the beginning to exclude Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, the key stakeholder in the conflict. Zelensky, will now meet Trump in Washington on Monday. He is likely to press for security guarantees and reject any settlement that undermines Ukrainian sovereignty or ceding of its territory. However, the Trump-Putin encounter was notable on other counts: The first in-person meeting between the two leaders since 2019 and had all the optics one needed to make it headlines across the world. But there was little to take home from it. On substance, both leaders agreed to continue direct dialogue.
Putin emphasised that the talks were “very frank, substantive, and timely,” suggesting the meeting had brought Moscow and Washington “closer to decisions.” Trump echoed that view, saying, “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” But these are misleading jargon hiding the failure to reach an agreement.
The glaring absence was a ceasefire or roadmap to peace. Reports suggest Putin demanded full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk in exchange for freezing hostilities along other front lines, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Trump conveyed this proposal to Zelensky in a private briefing, but the Ukrainian leader firmly rejected it.
European leaders, wary of any unilateral US-Russia bargain, quickly pledged to strengthen sanctions on Moscow and insisted Ukraine must be a full party to future negotiations.
For Zelensky, Monday’s meeting with Trump in Washington may be decisive. Zelensky’s challenge will be to anchor Ukraine firmly in the diplomatic process before any Trump-Putin follow-up summit sets terms over his country’s head. No durable peace is possible without Kyiv’s direct involvement. Any deal negotiated solely between Washington and Moscow risks collapse and will lack legitimacy on the ground. Ukraine seeks binding commitments, not vague assurances. This could involve NATO frameworks, US-led guarantees, or multilateral European-American backing. Sanctions remain one of the few levers available to the West. Easing them prematurely, without verifiable steps from Moscow, risks emboldening further aggression. While Putin’s demand for Donetsk was flatly rejected, intermediate steps such as humanitarian corridors, prisoner exchanges, or localised ceasefires could build momentum toward a wider settlement. The true test comes on Monday, when Zelensky arrives in Washington to ensure Ukraine’s voice is not only heard but central to any future deal. Only then will the fragile “understanding” claimed in Alaska face the hard realities of war, sovereignty, and peace.
