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President tells Fox News that Alaska meeting on Russia’s war on Ukraine was ‘a 10’ despite no apparent ceasefire or details of what was agreed
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the press in Anchorage, Alaska, after their first meeting in six years concerning Russia’s war on Ukraine, with Trump hoping to announce a ceasefire.
Putin said the negotiations were “held in a constructive atmosphere” and implied an agreement had been reached that “will pave the path towards peace.”
When Trump spoke, he said “many points were agreed to,” but “we didn’t get there” on one of the “most significant.” There is no ceasefire agreement.
Putin suggested they meet again, perhaps in Moscow. Trump said he’d “get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.”
They took no questions from reporters. Trump said he had phone calls to make, including to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Earlier, on arrival, the two leaders greeted each other warmly and both got into the back of “The Beast,” the U.S. president’s limousine. They departed separately and boarded their respective planes.
Trump told Fox News he rated “today a 10” on a scale of one to 10 and claimed Putin said the U.S. is now “hot as a pistol.”
Ahead of the highly anticipated summit on Friday, Hillary Clinton said she’d nominate President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he could broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that did not “capitulate” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump hailed the remarks as “very nice” while speaking on Fox News’ Sean Hannity after his meeting with Putin.
“It’s very nice if she said that. That’s very nice. I really appreciate it too, actually,” he said Friday evening on Hannity.
Holly Baxter writes:
Before President Trump’s tête-à-tête with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was already downplaying the stakes.
Wednesday morning, she described the summit as a “listening exercise” — which is, frankly, a relief. After all, when you’re a time-poor autocrat juggling a Monday invasion, a midweek labor camp opening, and a weekend of jailing political opponents, it’s easy to feel unheard.
Sure, Putin invaded Ukraine. And yes, countless people have suffered … on both sides. But perhaps — and I think we can all agree this is the real tragedy here — no one has taken the time to validate his feelings.
So it was heartening, then, to see Vlad and Donald touch down on Alaskan soil midday Friday and greet each other with warmth: a smattering of applause from Trump, a weirdly prolonged handshake, and then the two friends sliding into the same back seat — a notable break in protocol — for the drive to their meeting.
Read on…
The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes:
The backslapping bonhomie that started the day vanished into the stormy sulk and red glower from Donald Trump across a podium from Vladimir Putin who still glowed with success. The Alaskan summit was a humiliation for Trump.
His hopes of winning a Nobel Peace Prize didn’t crystallize in this meeting of super powers dissolved. Even the key word of the whole farrago “ceasefire” had vanished.
Read on…
Russian President Vladimir Putin stroked President Donald Trump’s ego after echoing his claim that if the Republican had won the 2020 presidential election, there would be no war in Ukraine.
The two leaders emerged after Friday’s closed-door talks in Anchorage, Alaska, stretched almost three hours, where they announced that some “great progress” had been made on ending the war but no ceasefire deal was reached.
During his address, Putin, who spoke first, also took aim at former President Joe Biden in a move that likely pleased Trump.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Donald Trump has also claimed he held a “very sincere” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their public remarks in Alaska.
Speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Friday, Trump elaborated on the interaction when asked if they had spent time alone.
He said: “Yeah, I did. I did, actually, after our speeches. He made a very good speech, and I also finished it up. And afterwards we spoke. Right after that, we spoke very sincerely. I think he wants to see it done.”
The White House posted this photo of the two leaders earlier:
Donald Trump said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin were going to set up a meeting to try to reach a ceasefire to end the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity following discussions with Putin in Alaska, Mr Trump offered his potential involvement.
“Now, it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it’s up to President Zelensky… And if they’d like, I’ll be at that next meeting,” Trump remarked.
He added: “They’re going to set up a meeting now between President Zelensky and President Putin and myself, I guess.”
President Donald Trump has suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should “make a deal” with Russia, describing Russia as “a very big power.”
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump acknowledged that Ukraine “maybe they will say no” to such a proposition.
He also reflected on his encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, characterising it as “a very warm meeting between two very important countries.”
Without providing specifics, Trump indicated he believes the parties “are close to a deal, but I don’t like saying it,” suggesting that discussing it further could jeopardize the process.
Trump tells Hannity: “And Vladimir said just a little while ago, I have never seen anybody do so much, so fast. He said your country is, like, hot as a pistol. And a year ago, he thought it was dead.”
President Donald Trump continues to tells Hannity he had “a very good meeting today” with Putin, saying only that “a lot of very good points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine and on behalf of the whole NATO situation.”
Trump appears to indicate that the ball is in Ukraine and Europe’s court, saying: “Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations have to get involved a little bit.”
Sean Hannity asked President Donald Trump what the one big issue he and President Vladimir Putin don’t agree on was: “Are you prepared to go public with that?”
Trump replied: “No, I’d rather not. I guess somebody is gonna go public with it, they’ll figure it out.”
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