Trump: with Putin 'no deal on Ukraine' but summit 'productive'. President boasts progress amid smiles and handshakes

Trump said he would now get in touch with allies to report on the face-to-face. "I will now call Volodymyr Zelensky (the Ukrainian president, ed) and the appropriate allied leaders to inform them of what happened. We have made great progress, I have always had a great relationship with Vladimir."

The press conference, at the end of a summit between the two leaders accompanied by a couple of close aides before further expanded talks between delegations, was the culmination of an intense day, which began at around 11am local time in Alaska when Trump and Putin descended almost simultaneously from the steps of the official planes that took them to Anchorage, Alaska. Meta chosen for a summit that had been described as "high stakes" with the US President's stated aim of discussing a ceasefire in Ukraine after three years of war.

Everything on paper had been carefully choreographed: warm handshakes amidst smiles and photos on the red carpet laid out on the runway of the military airport, amidst parked and overflying military aircraft. The two leaders squeezed into the armoured White House limousine together without interpreters to start talking immediately. Putin left his own car unused on the runway. The choreography thus gave way to an unusual start to a summit - the two leaders in a single vehicle - symbolic of a face-to-face meeting with little precedent for the many unknowns about the outcome.

 Trump had said before he started that he did not know what would happen but added: "I will not be happy" if the Russians do not show willing. He had said he wanted to see the truce "today" and not to try to negotiate instead of Kiev, rather he wanted to bring Ukraine to the table in a three-way summit as soon as possible.

Putin, for his part, had praised the American 'sincere efforts' and opened up the possibility of also including a nuclear agreement.

The absence of Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited, had raised criticism from Kiev and European capitals, which have long feared unilateral concessions to Moscow by an unpredictable Trump. For Putin, the visit certainly broke the diplomatic isolation of recent years and the Russian strongman seemed pleased and smiling upon arrival in Alaska.

The Ukrainian leader, who pressed along with European capitals to warn Trump against giving in to Putin, instead seemed to hint at the risks: he said he was 'counting on American strength' for a successful outcome of the summit and condemned the continued Russian attacks in Ukraine even in the last few hours.

Criticism of Trump's reception of Putin also came from members of the US Democratic opposition. "The photo-op itself legitimises war crimes," said Senator Chris Murphy.

The summit took place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base, one of the outposts of the US security system to confront Russia since the Cold War years. It was now the scene of controversial diplomacy tests: the Kremlin had not ruled out six or seven hours in all, even though Trump had planned to leave for Washington at 5:45 a.m. local time, 9:45 a.m. in New York and 3:45 a.m. in Italy. In the end it all ended early.

Trump had indicated that he could figure out even within a few minutes whether the conditions for understandings existed and threatened otherwise that this could be the last ever talks with severe consequences for Moscow. That tough language with Moscow then vanished. It was no surprise to the ctitics: he had not hidden his admiration for Putin in the past and even now complimented him as very intelligent.

The summit in Alaska was orchestrated with an initial restricted meeting between Trump and Putin each accompanied by two aides, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Crisis Envoy Steve Witkoff for Trump and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Advisor Yuri Ushakov for Putin. This was followed by an extended meeting of the broader delegations, which included several economic ministers, starting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well as Defence Secretary Petet Hegseth.

Trump's position seemed fluid at the opening of the summit. The President, who boasts great dealmaker skills, had indicated that economic or business agreements with Russia were not at stake in the absence of an end to the war. Russia 'will not do business until a resolution of the conflict', he had declared. And he had spoken of possible American and allied security guarantees for Kiev, though not through NATO membership.

During the trip to Alaska, however, he had also spoken on the phone with a close ally of Putin and his aggression against Ukraine, the leader of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, describing the conversation with a 'highly respected president' as wonderful. And he repeatedly hinted at territorial exchanges between Ukraine and Russia, although saying it would eventually be up to the parties to negotiate them.