President Vladimir Putin reportedly told Donald Trump during their Alaska summit that Russia would agree to a peace agreement, rather than a temporary ceasefire, if Ukraine surrendered control of the Donetsk region, a demand that would require Kyiv to cede territory not currently under Russian occupation.
Putin reportedly offered to freeze the frontlines in Ukraine's south and make unspecified territorial concessions in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions in exchange for Ukraine ceding the entire Donetsk region, which is 70% occupied by Russia. He described the Alaska meeting as a "starting point for resolution" and emphasized Russia's "sincere interest" in ending the conflict.
Following the summit, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, and indicated that a trilateral meeting between himself, Zelenskyy, and Putin is forthcoming.
Zelensky, who was not invited to the summit, has made it clear he is not willing to discuss ceding any territory, especially land not already controlled by Russian forces, as he believes such a move would embolden further Russian aggression. He has demanded that any future negotiations include Ukraine and that Russia be held accountable.
The Ukrainian leader said he will meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, and has warned that sanctions on Russia should be strengthened if a trilateral meeting does not occur or if Russia attempts to evade a genuine peace process.
Trump confirmed Zelensky's upcoming visit and declared that the best path to ending the war is a direct peace agreement, instead of a ceasefire.
"A great and very successful day in Alaska!" Trump wrote on Truth Social early Saturday. "The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
On his part, Zelensky wrote on X, "We had a long and substantive conversation with @POTUS. We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump.
"Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion. It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation.
"We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.
"On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation.
"It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. We continue to coordinate our positions with all partners. I thank everyone who is helping."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement Saturday also praised Trunp's effort to end the Ukraine-Russia war, and called for talks involving Zelensky.
First Lady Melania Trump wrote a "peace letter" to Putin ahead of his meeting with her husband in Anchorage, Alaska, the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021, which was under former President Joe Biden’s administration and only eight months before Putin invaded Ukraine.
"Dear President Putin," the first lady’s letter begins. "Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger."
"As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope," the letter continued. "As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few."
"Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all—so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded," read the letter. "A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity—an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology."
The first lady continued that "in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them—a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future."
"Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter," the first lady wrote. "In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone—you serve humanity itself."
"Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today," she wrote. "It is time."
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President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit on Friday, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, for high-stakes discussions on Russia's war in Ukraine. The meeting lasted approximately three hours, beginning after 3 p.m. EDT when the two leaders greeted each other on the airport tarmac, and concluded around 7 p.m. EDT with a joint press appearance.
Trump described the talks as "very profound" and "extremely productive," stating that "many points were agreed to" and that he and Putin were in agreement on "most points". He acknowledged that "a couple of big ones" remained unresolved but expressed optimism, saying, "We have a very good chance of getting there". Trump emphasized, "There's no deal until there's a deal," and noted he would contact NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to brief them on the discussions.
Putin also struck a positive tone, hinting that the two sides had reached "agreements," though he did not specify their nature. He stated that U.S.-Russia relations have "fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War" and claimed Trump wanted to address the "crux of the matter" in Ukraine.
The Russian leader asserted that the conflict relates to "fundamental threats to our security" and argued that lasting peace requires eliminating the conflict's root causes. He expressed hope that the agreements reached would serve as a starting point not only for resolving the Ukrainian issue but also for restoring "business-like and pragmatic relations" between the two nations.
Putin confirmed that the war in Ukraine would not have started if Trump had been president in 2022. He stated, "Today, when President Trump says that if he was President back then, there would be no war. And I'm quite sure that it would indeed be so. I can confirm that," adding that he had previously warned the Biden administration against allowing the situation to escalate to hostilities.
Neither leader took questions from reporters at the Alaska press conference. Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the summit, had previously warned that "talks about us, without us, will not work" and told Western leaders he believed Putin was "bluffing" and did not genuinely seek peace. No plans for a follow-up meeting involving Ukraine were announced.
Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity after the press conference with Putin, Trump said Ukraine could possibly not agree to a deal with Russia because former President Joe Biden “handed out money like it was candy,” referring to the billions of dollars in military aid.
“I think we're pretty close to it. And look, Ukraine has agreed to it," Trump told Hannity. "Maybe they'll say no because Biden handed out money like it was candy. And Europe gave them a lot of money. You know, we gave $350 billion. Europe gave them much less, but still a lot. $100 billion.”
The United States has given Ukraine billions in military aid, weapons and training as since the war started. Ukrainian forces continue to battle Russian's military.
Trump said he believed the deal was close to being agreed upon but that “so many things can happen.”
“But I think President Putin would like to solve the problem," he said. "And it was a problem that should have never happened.”
