U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday for a high-stakes summit but failed to reach any concrete agreement on ending the war in Ukraine. While the two leaders highlighted areas of cooperation and renewed personal rapport, the summit produced no clear progress toward a ceasefire.
The three-hour meeting, held with aides present, ended abruptly and was followed by a brief joint press appearance. Notably, neither leader took questions—an unusual move for the typically media-friendly Trump.
“We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said, calling the talks “extremely productive” and claiming “many points” of agreement—though he offered no specifics. He added that only a few issues remain unresolved, with one being “probably the most significant,” but did not elaborate.
Putin echoed Trump’s vague optimism, saying: “We hope that the understanding we have reached will… pave the way for peace in Ukraine.”
The Russian leader also hinted at a future meeting, telling Trump with a smile, “Next time in Moscow.” He went on to flatter Trump, suggesting the war in Ukraine would not have happened if Trump had been in office instead of President Joe Biden.
Trump, in turn, once again downplayed U.S. intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 election on his behalf, calling it a “hoax.”
Before the summit, Trump had warned of “severe consequences” for Russia if it did not agree to a ceasefire. But after the meeting, in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, he softened his stance, saying: “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now.”
The warm tone stood in contrast to Trump’s earlier public criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he had hosted at the White House in February. Trump had previously proposed a three-way meeting with Zelensky and Putin, but no such gathering occurred at the summit.
“I’ll now consult with President Zelensky and our NATO allies,” Trump told Fox News. “But now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done.”
Putin, for his part, warned Ukraine and its European allies not to disrupt what he described as “emerging progress,” cautioning against “provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigues.”
The summit, arranged only a week prior, was carefully choreographed to convey a sense of drama and significance. Both leaders arrived on their presidential jets at a U.S. air base, where Trump was seen clapping as Putin disembarked. A B-2 stealth bomber flew overhead, while a reporter shouted at Putin, “Will you stop killing civilians?”—a question he ignored.
In a rare gesture, Trump personally escorted Putin into “The Beast,” the armored U.S. presidential limousine, before they entered a room marked by a sign reading “Pursuing Peace.”
Putin, under an active arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the Ukraine invasion, appeared unfazed and joked with Russian reporters during the visit.
The summit comes amid recent Russian battlefield gains, which may have bolstered Putin’s leverage. However, Ukraine announced the recapture of several villages on the same day Putin arrived.
Although Trump had vowed to take a tougher stance with Putin than in their widely criticized 2018 Helsinki meeting, he ultimately chose not to meet one-on-one. The talks included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Zelensky was not involved and has resisted U.S. pressure to cede occupied territory.
“It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media.