Global media slam Trump-Putin talks as fruitless

Although the American and Russian leaders described their roughly three-hour meeting as “constructive” and “positive,” U.S. media reported that “the Trump-Putin summit ended without an agreement on Ukraine.”

CNN, hours after the summit that Trump had previously called “historic,” cited the U.S. President’s post-meeting press conference, describing the talks as inconclusive and resulting in no agreement.

According to CNN’s analysis, “The most difficult parts of negotiations are precisely those left for agreement at the end, and Trump’s remarks that major issues remain unresolved indicate that discussions on key matters—such as the territories Putin demands and the possibility of a ceasefire—made practically no serious progress.”

The report described Trump as frustrated and tired due to “Putin’s refusal to back down and insistence on his own narrative of the war’s origins,” and added, “Putin even issued warnings, tinged with threats, to Kyiv and its European allies not to obstruct a process he believes Trump has been drawn into.”

Fox News reported that the atmosphere of the meeting was highly unusual and did not feel positive, suggesting that Putin “only spoke about his demands and left.”

Jacqui Heinrich, a Fox News reporter who was present at the press briefing in Alaska, stated: “The feeling in the room was not good. It didn’t seem like things went well. It appeared that Putin came in, did his business, spoke directly about what he wanted to say, took a photo next to the President, and then left.” The reporter also noted that Trump told her he would rate the meeting with Putin a 10 out of 10.

American journalist Lara Rosen wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “From the U.S. perspective, they seem disappointed. And it seems Witkoff didn’t understand what the Kremlin told him last week when it agreed to hold the meeting, probably thinking they could reach an agreement to announce.” She added that the three-person meeting did not go well enough to extend it or hold a working lunch, noting that they issued their joint statements and left.

The New York Times reported that Trump had previously threatened Putin that rejecting a ceasefire would result in “very severe consequences,” including tougher economic sanctions, but “today’s summit ended without any agreement.”

The Wall Street Journal wrote that the U.S. President stated he and the Russian President had made “some progress” in their talks but acknowledged that “no agreement had been reached.” The outlet added that Trump did not provide further details of the discussions but said he would contact European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform them.

The Wall Street Journal continued that both sides described the meeting as “constructive” and held in a “mutual atmosphere of respect,” but offered no indication of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The roughly three-hour summit took place at the joint Elmendorf-Richardson base on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, with both Presidents giving brief statements afterward and not answering reporters’ questions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian media strongly criticized the Alaska summit, calling it shameful and meaningless.

Kyiv Independent published an article on Saturday stating that the meeting was weak, meaningless, and embarrassing. The Ukrainian newspaper noted that Donald Trump did not follow through on his warnings about serious consequences for Russia and highlighted that Vladimir Putin used the summit to his advantage.

The online outlet reported that Trump did not act on his warning about “severe consequences” for Russia and emphasized Putin’s gains from the meeting. The report also claimed: “Putin, no longer an international outcast, has finally been accepted and respected by the leader of the free world. The former U.S. President once called Putin a ‘killer,’ but Trump welcomed him as a ‘king.’”

Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskyk echoed this view in a Facebook post, writing: “Hundreds of praises for Putin, a red carpet for him, fighter jets in the sky to intimidate, and in the end, nothing.” She added that Donald Trump “failed” to achieve a ceasefire at this summit.

Other Ukrainian politicians and activists also questioned the effectiveness of the meeting.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, wrote on Telegram early today: “It seems we have witnessed another magnificent and beautiful American folly…!”