The summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska has concluded. In the subsequent press conference, both world leaders remained very vague about what was discussed.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Donald Trump said cryptically.
A ceasefire in Ukraine? Not a word was mentioned during Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s press conference. Yet, that’s precisely what the US president intended: on the flight to Alaska, he said that no ceasefire agreement would make him “very unhappy.”
Those negative feelings weren’t evident during the press conference. On the contrary, Putin and Trump exchanged compliments and reflected on “very constructive conversations.” They reportedly discussed post-war economic deals and the relationship between Russia and the US, but the intentions of both presidents regarding how to restore peace to Ukraine remained vague.
Deal or no deal?
Putin is the first to speak at the press conference. “We have always considered Ukraine a nation of brothers,” he says. Putin says he wants to achieve peace in Ukraine as quickly as possible, but according to the Russian president, certain conditions must be met.
Putin emphasised that a lasting solution “must eliminate all causes of the conflict” and that “all Russia’s concerns must be taken into account.” He said he agreed with Trump that “Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed” and expressed the hope that “mutual understanding will bring peace to Ukraine.”
Putin is open to peace, or so he claims, provided the root causes of the conflict are first addressed. In other words, peace is possible, but only if our core demands are met.
And then we return to the well-known Russian demands: no NATO membership for Ukraine, the incorporation of the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, the demilitarisation of Ukraine, and the recognition of Crimea. These are things Zelenskyy himself says he will never agree to.
The Russian president claims to have reached a deal with the United States on this matter, but remains vague about its precise content. Things become even more confusing when US President Trump later states that there is no deal at all.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” they say. According to Trump, important steps have been taken, and both men agree on many things, but some key details still need to be worked out. Again, the details remain very vague.
“Next time in Moscow”
When both leaders discuss the post-war situation, there appears to be some agreement. Trump, on stage, once again acts like a true businessman. He emphasised that, in his view, there are “tremendous opportunities” for economic cooperation once the conflict is resolved.
Now on Trump’s agenda: calls to NATO (probably Secretary General Mark Rutte), European leaders, and Ukrainian President Zelensky. “Ultimately, it’s up to them,” Trump says.
Trump concludes by saying he’ll “probably” see the Russian leader again soon, to which Putin replies, “Next time in Moscow.” The remark is somewhat awkwardly laughed off by the American president.
But concrete solutions to the conflict in Ukraine remain incredibly vague. Trump says that “great progress” was made during the meeting and that many points have already been agreed upon. He acknowledges that some issues remain, one of which is “very important,” but that he sees “a good opportunity” for reaching an agreement.
Conclusion: the meeting is a step towards more. It’s certainly not a step backwards, but we can’t call this meeting a major step forward either. Peace in Ukraine certainly doesn’t seem to be in the offing anytime soon.