Welcome to The Logoff: We’re coming to you a little later than normal after the conclusion of a summit between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, today. The two men spoke for almost three hours at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in what Trump described as a “very productive meeting,” but ultimately announced no concrete progress toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
What do we know so far? The big headline: There is no Russia-Ukraine peace deal in place, and no temporary ceasefire. Both leaders made only vague remarks about negotiations, suggesting that there could be a long way to go — if there’s a deal to be had at all.
Trump spoke for just over three minutes, following longer remarks by Putin, and told reporters that “there were many, many points that we agreed on” with a few “big ones” still outstanding; however, he offered no specifics. He also said he would speak with NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the meeting, noting it was “ultimately up to them.”
What comes next? Trump and Putin are likely to speak again soon, Trump said, and may hold a second summit. It’s unclear if Zelenskyy would attend — Trump has previously expressed hope that he would, but he didn’t comment on that in his remarks Friday evening.
What’s the context for all this? Trump returned to office promising to end the conflict within 24 hours of being sworn in; nearly seven months later, it has unsurprisingly proved intractable. Trump has seemed increasingly impatient in recent weeks, including threatening “severe consequences” for Russia if there is no progress toward a deal. On Friday, however, he appeared more conciliatory.
