All eyes had been on Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for pivotal talks over the way forward for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine—with out their Ukrainian counterpart on the desk.
Within the days main as much as the summit, Trump appeared to downplay expectations for the talks and any potential diplomatic breakthroughs. However he struck a more durable tone hours forward of the talks, telling reporters aboard Air Drive One: “I wish to see a cease-fire quickly. I don’t know if it’s going to be at this time, however I’m not going to be blissful if it’s not at this time.”
As soon as in Anchorage, the 2 leaders appeared cozy, with Trump actually rolling out a crimson carpet for the Russian chief and even permitting him to trip in Trump’s presidential limousine, referred to as the “Beast.” The nice and cozy reception stood in sharp distinction to the fiery and hostile alternate that occurred when Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the White Home in February.
Whereas Trump and Putin had been initially anticipated to satisfy for one-on-one talks, the 2 leaders had been in the end accompanied by a number of high advisors in a last-minute change of plans. Trump was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White Home envoy Steve Witkoff, whereas Putin introduced Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov. The group met for two hours and 45 minutes, in line with the Kremlin.
However even after a press convention with each leaders afterward, it’s not fully clear what the 2 leaders agreed to, if something. “There’s no deal till there’s a deal,” Trump stated, later including: “We didn’t get there, however now we have an excellent likelihood of getting there.”
Under is the total rush transcript of Trump and Putin’s press convention.
Vladimir Putin: Mr. President, girls and gents. Our negotiations have been held in a constructive environment of mutual respect. We had very thorough negotiations that had been fairly helpful. I wish to thank as soon as once more my American counterpart for the proposal to journey out right here to Alaska. It solely is smart that we’ve met right here as a result of our nations, although separated by the oceans, are shut neighbors. So once we met, after I got here out of the aircraft and I stated, “Good afternoon, expensive neighbor, superb to see you in good well being and to see you alive,” I believe that could be very neighborly, and I believe that’s some variety phrases that we will say to one another.
We’re separated by the Strait of Bering, although there are two islands solely between the Russian island and the U.S. island. They’re solely 4 kilometers aside. We’re shut neighbors, and it’s a truth. It’s additionally necessary that Alaska has to do with our widespread heritage, widespread historical past between Russia and the U.S., and plenty of constructive occasions should do with that territory.
Nonetheless, there may be great cultural heritage again from the Russian America [sic]. For instance, Orthodox church buildings and plenty of greater than 700 geographical names of Russian origin. Throughout the Second World Conflict, it was right here in Alaska that was the origin of the legendary air bridge for the availability of navy plane and different gear beneath the Lend-Lease Program. There was a harmful and treacherous route over the huge vacancy of ice. Nonetheless, the pilots of each nations did every part to deliver nearer the victory. They risked their lives, they usually gave all of it for his or her widespread victory.
I used to be simply within the metropolis of Magadan in Russia. There was a memorial there devoted to the Russian and the uspilots. And there are two flags: the usflag and the Russian flag. And I do know that right here, as effectively, there may be such a memorial. There’s a navy burial place a number of kilometers away from right here. The Soviet pilots are buried there who died throughout that harmful mission.
We’re grateful to the residents and authorities of the U.S. for fastidiously caring for their reminiscence. I believe that’s very worthy and noble.
We’ll at all times bear in mind different historic examples when our nations defeated widespread enemies collectively within the spirit of battle, camaraderie, and allyship—that supported one another, facilitated one another. I’m certain that this heritage will assist us rebuild and foster mutually helpful and equal ties at this new stage, even in the course of the hardest circumstances.
It’s identified that there have been no summits between Russia and the U.S. for 4 years, and that’s a very long time. This time was very exhausting for bilateral relations, and let’s be frank, they’ve fallen to the bottom level for the reason that Chilly Conflict. I believe that’s not benefiting our nations and the world as an entire. It’s crucial, eventually, now we have to amend the scenario to maneuver on from the confrontation to dialogue. And on this case, a private assembly between the heads of state has been lengthy overdue.
Naturally, beneath the situation of great and painstaking work, this work has been accomplished. Generally, me and President Trump have superb direct contact. We’ve spoken a number of occasions. We spoke frankly on the cellphone.
And particular envoy of the president Mr. Witkoff traveled right down to Russia a number of occasions. Our advisors and heads of international ministries stored in contact on a regular basis, and you understand absolutely effectively that one of many central points was the scenario round Ukraine. We see the try [sic] of the administration and President Trump personally to assist facilitate the decision of the Ukrainian battle, and his try to get to the crux of the matter, to grasp this historical past, is valuable.
As I’ve stated, the scenario in Ukraine has to do with elementary threats to our safety. Furthermore, [we] would at all times take into account the Ukrainian nation, and I’ve stated it a number of occasions, a brotherly nation. Nonetheless unusual it might sound in these circumstances, now we have the identical roots, and every part that’s taking place is a tragedy for us and [a] horrible wound.
Due to this fact, the nation is sincerely considering placing an finish to it. On the similar time, we’re satisfied that with a purpose to make the settlement lasting and long-term, we have to remove all the first roots, the first causes of that battle, and we’ve stated it a number of occasions, to contemplate all professional considerations of Russia and to reinstate a simply stability of safety in Europe and in [the] world on the entire. And I agree with President Trump as he has stated at this time, that naturally the safety of Ukraine must be ensured as effectively. Naturally, we’re ready to work on that.
I wish to hope that the settlement that we’ve reached collectively will assist us deliver nearer that objective and can pave the trail towards peace in Ukraine. We anticipate that Kyiv and European capitals will understand that constructively and that they received’t throw a wrench within the works and won’t make any makes an attempt to make use of some backroom dealing to conduct propositions to torpedo the nascent progress.
By the way, when the brand new administration got here to energy, bilateral commerce began to develop. It’s nonetheless very symbolic. Nonetheless, now we have a development of 20 %. As I stated, now we have plenty of dimensions for joint work, and it’s clear that the U.S. and Russian funding and enterprise cooperation have great potential. Russia and the uscan provide one another a lot in commerce, digital, high-tech, and in area exploration. We see that Arctic cooperation can also be very potential in our worldwide context, for instance, in between the Far East of Russia and the West Coast of the U.S.
Total, it’s essential for our nations to show the web page, to return to cooperation. It’s symbolic that not far-off from right here, within the water between Russia and [the] U.S., there’s a so-called worldwide dateline. I believe you’ll be able to step over actually from yesterday into tomorrow, and I hope that we’ll reach that in [the] political sphere.
I wish to thank President Trump for our joint work, for the well-wishing and reliable tone of our dialog. It’s necessary that either side are result-oriented, and we see that the president of the U.S. has a really clear concept of what he wish to obtain. He sincerely cares in regards to the prosperity of his nation.
Nonetheless he understands that Russia has its personal nationwide pursuits. I anticipate that at this time’s agreements would be the start line, not just for the answer of the Ukrainian challenge but in addition will assist us deliver again businesslike and pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S.
And ultimately, I wish to add yet one more factor. I’d wish to remind you that in 2022, over the last contact with the earlier administration, I attempted to persuade my earlier American colleague that the scenario shouldn’t be delivered to the purpose of no return when it will come to hostilities. And I stated it fairly straight again then that it’s an enormous mistake.
Immediately, when President Trump was saying that if he was the president again then, there might be no conflict, and I’m fairly certain that it will certainly be so. I can affirm that. I believe that total, me and President Trump have constructed an excellent businesslike and reliable contact, and I’ve each motive to imagine that transferring down this path, we will come, the earlier the higher, to the top of the battle in Ukraine. Thanks. Thanks.
Donald Trump: Thanks very a lot. Mr. President, that was very profound, and I’ll say that I imagine we had a really productive assembly. There have been many, many factors that we agreed on, most of them, I might say, a few huge ones that we haven’t fairly gotten there, however we’ve made some headway. So there’s no deal till there’s a deal.
I’ll name up NATO in a short time. I’ll name up the assorted those that I believe are acceptable, and I’ll after all name up President Zelensky and inform him about at this time’s assembly. It’s in the end as much as them. They’re gonna should agree with what Marco [Rubio] and Steve [Witkoff] and among the nice folks from the Trump administration who’ve come right here, [U.S. Treasury Secretary] Scott [Bessent] and [CIA Director] John Ratcliffe. Thanks very a lot. We’ve got a few of our actually nice leaders. They’ve been doing an exceptional job.
We even have some great Russian enterprise representatives right here. And I believe you understand, all people desires to take care of us. We’ve develop into the most well liked nation anyplace on the earth in a really quick time frame. And we look ahead to that—we look ahead to dealing. We’re going to try to get this over with. We actually made some nice progress at this time.
I’ve at all times had a implausible relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. We had many, many powerful conferences, good conferences. We had been interfered with by the “Russia, Russia, Russia” hoax that made it a bit bit more durable to take care of, however he understood it. I believe he’s in all probability seen issues like that in the course of the course of his profession. He’s seen all of it, however we needed to put up with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. He knew it was a hoax, and I knew it was a hoax, however what was accomplished was very prison, nevertheless it made it more durable for us to deal as a rustic by way of the enterprise and all the issues that we’d wish to have handled, however we’ll have a superb likelihood when that is over.
So, simply to place it in a short time, I’m going to start out making a couple of cellphone calls and inform him what occurred, however we had a particularly productive assembly, and plenty of factors had been agreed to. And there are only a only a few which are left. Some usually are not that important; one might be essentially the most important. However now we have an excellent likelihood of getting there. We didn’t get there, however now we have an excellent likelihood of getting there.
I wish to thank President Putin and his complete workforce whose faces who I do know, in lots of instances, in any other case apart from that whose faces I get to see on a regular basis within the newspapers. You’re virtually as well-known because the boss, particularly this one proper over right here [pointing to Lavrov].
However we had some good conferences over time, proper? Good, productive conferences over time, and we hope to have that sooner or later. However let’s do the most efficient one proper now. We’re going to cease, actually, 5, 6, 7,000, hundreds of individuals every week from being killed, and President Putin desires to see that as a lot as I do, so, once more, Mr. President, I’d wish to thanks very a lot, and we’ll communicate to you very quickly and doubtless see you once more very quickly. Thanks very a lot, Vladimir.
Putin: Subsequent time in Moscow.
Trump: Oh, that’s an attention-grabbing one. I don’t know, I’ll get a bit warmth on that one, however I, I can see it probably taking place. Thanks very a lot, Vladimir, and thanks all. Thanks.
