A Summit That Promised Peace but Produced… a Photo Op
Key Highlights
• Trump and Putin’s long-awaited Alaska summit ended without any breakthrough on Ukraine or sanctions.
• Zelenskiy was excluded from talks, raising fears Kyiv may be sidelined in future negotiations.
Yello, ParadiseSquad! What happens when you put two presidents in a room for three hours and expect them to solve a war? In Anchorage on Friday, the answer turned out to be: not much.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin wrapped their private summit with no ceasefire, no agreement, and not even a follow-up meeting. The only clear takeaway was the optics, Putin getting a red-carpet welcome and a handshake from Trump, despite being the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant.
Trump’s “No Deal Until There’s a Deal” Mantra
The meeting, billed as potentially lasting seven hours, ended in less than three. Trump described the exchange as “extremely productive” and insisted “many points were agreed to,” but admitted the “significant” sticking points remain. His line of the night: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” Which, translated, means: there’s no deal.
Putin, meanwhile, kept his comments vague, saying Russia was committed to ending the war but warning Ukraine and the EU against “provocations” that might derail “progress”, even though no progress was made.
Zelenskiy Left Out, Missiles Still Flying
Perhaps the biggest absence in the Alaska summit wasn’t an agreement, but Ukraine itself. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wasn’t invited, leaving Kyiv to worry that its interests might be traded away without it at the table.
Those fears weren’t eased by the day’s events: as Trump and Putin smiled for cameras, a Russian missile struck the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one and injuring another. Zelenskiy later posted: “It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America.”
Putin Walks Out With Optics, Trump With Questions
For Putin, the trip delivered what sanctions and isolation had denied him for years: a red carpet, a motorcade, a handshake, and a stage alongside the U.S. president. For Trump, the optics were more complicated. He once vowed he could end the war “in 24 hours,” but Friday showed just how elusive that goal remains.
There was no ceasefire. No roadmap. No documents signed. Just promises, photo ops, and carefully worded lines. The war, with its 1.2 million casualties so far, rolls on, and the “pursuit of peace” banner behind them looked increasingly like a backdrop to nothing.
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Peace talks without Ukraine are like chess without the king, you can move pieces around, but the game is already lost
