The long-anticipated U.S.-Russia summit in Anchorage, Alaska, has come to a close. What was originally planned as a private one-on-one exchange between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump instead unfolded in a «three-on-three» format. Alongside Trump sat U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. The talks lasted just under three hours, totaling two hours and forty-five minutes.

At the end of the meeting, neither leader engaged with journalists’ questions, choosing instead to make short remarks. Trump described the conversation with his Russian counterpart as constructive. He noted that while no final agreement had been reached, progress had been made on several points related to Ukraine, giving what he called «a good chance» for further breakthroughs.

Putin, for his part, expressed gratitude for the invitation to Alaska, highlighting the geographical closeness of Russia and the United States. He referred to Ukrainians as a «brotherly people» and called the ongoing conflict a tragedy. Putin said Russia remained fully committed to ending the hostilities as quickly as possible and emphasized that progress would depend on Kyiv not obstructing the emerging opportunities for peace. He also proposed hosting the next round of talks in Moscow. Trump responded that the idea was «interesting.»

Following the summit, Trump gave an interview in which he spoke of what he described as major progress during his first meeting with Putin since 2018. He stressed that Russia’s nuclear capabilities must be acknowledged, warning that any use of such weapons would mean the end of the world.

The U.S. president added that the next steps toward resolving the conflict now rested with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, while European countries should also «do their part» in contributing to a settlement. Trump announced preparations for a future three-way meeting involving himself, Putin, and Zelensky. He underlined that Zelensky needed to recognize how much his country was losing in the confrontation with Russia.

When asked about previously promised sanctions against Moscow, Trump suggested there was currently no need to consider them.