US President Donald Trump, who failed to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine during his summit in Alaska with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is now calling for a «peace agreement» to end three and a half years of conflict.
Trump had said he wanted to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine before Friday’s meeting with Putin, which was billed as decisive, but after which neither leader revealed anything about their talks.
«Everyone agreed that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to reach a direct peace agreement that would end the war, rather than a simple ceasefire agreement, which is often not honored,» Trump said on his Truth Social network upon returning to Washington.
He also confirmed that he would receive Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky on Monday afternoon at the White House.
«If everything goes well, we will schedule a meeting with President Putin,» Trump added, suggesting a tripartite summit.
Zelensky, who had not been invited to Anchorage, announced shortly before that he would meet with Trump on Monday, and that Trump had informed him of the «main points» of his conversation with Putin.
«On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington to discuss all the details to end the killing and the war,» Zelensky wrote on X.
US President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac after arriving at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. Putin is in Alaska at Trump’s invitation on his first visit to a Western country since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that has killed tens of thousands of people. Photo: AFP
«I appreciate the invitation. It is important that Europeans participate in every step to provide reliable security guarantees, together with the United States,» he said.
Trump speaks with Zelensky and NATO leaders after meeting with Putin
During his flight back from Anchorage, Trump had a long telephone conversation with Zelensky, according to his spokesperson. The US president also spoke with NATO leaders.
The conversation involved European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to a European Commission spokesperson. Keir Starmer; and NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission.
A diplomatic source in Kiev indicated that Trump, who opposes Ukraine’s request to join NATO, raised during the call a US proposal to grant Kiev a security guarantee similar to that of Article 5 of the Alliance, which provides for mutual defense among its members in the event of an attack.
European leaders say they are willing to work with Trump and Zelensky to achieve peace
In a joint statement, European leaders said they were «ready to work with Presidents Trump and Zelensky toward a trilateral summit, with Europe’s support,» keeping pressure on Moscow.
«We will continue to strengthen sanctions and specific economic measures to curb Russia’s war economy until a just and lasting peace is achieved,» they said.
Macron warned about Russia’s «propensity» to renege on its own commitments, while Starmer said that the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Zelensky.
Before leaving the Cold War-era military base, Trump described the summit as «very productive,» while Putin called it «constructive.»
Trump assured the press that there were «very few» issues left to resolve in order to end the war triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
«One of them is probably the most important,» he added, without specifying which one.
«We haven’t achieved it yet, but we have a good chance of doing so,» Trump emphasized.
EU rules out serious consequences against Russia after failing to achieve ceasefire
Trump, who had threatened Russia with «very serious consequences» if it did not agree to end the war, clarified that he was no longer considering any immediate action.
«Given how things have gone today, I don’t think I should be thinking about that right now,» he told Fox News.
Putin, in the same cordial tone, expressed his hope that the «understanding» reached in Alaska would bring «peace» to Ukraine.
In Russia, the summit was generally well received.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump at the end of a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Photo: by DREW ANGERER. EFE
Near the Kremlin, museum employee Vitali Romanov said the meeting had generated «hope that the situation will improve, for Russia, for the people, and for those fighting on the front lines.»
Ukrainians, on the other hand, seemed disillusioned, such as Laryssa Melny, a pharmacist from Kiev, who does not believe there will be peace in the near future.
«I think it’s a great diplomatic victory for Putin,» said Pavlo Nebroev, director of a theater in Kharkiv.
With this summit, Putin marks a spectacular return to the international stage, while the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II continues.
The Russian army launched 85 drones and a missile against Ukraine during the night from Friday to Saturday, while the summit was taking place in Alaska, according to Kiev, which claimed to have shot down 61 of them in the regions of Sumi (northeast), Donetsk (east), Chernihiv (north), and Dnipropetrovsk (central-east).
Kremlin forces claimed to have captured two cities in eastern Ukraine on Saturday.
