Anticlimax of Trump's 'peace summit' is mainly a gain for Putin

No ceasefire. No Russian commitments. No new nuclear non-proliferation deal. No trade agreements. Not a word about sanctions. No redrawing of borders. No prospect of peace in Ukraine. Absolutely nothing in Anchorage.

After meeting at a military base near the Alaskan capital on Friday, both US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin delivered several-minute speeches expressing positivity about their first meeting of Trump's second term, and the first with a US president since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Putin spoke of “an understanding” that should pave the way to peace in Ukraine, as long as “Kyiv and European capitals (…) do not put up obstacles or try to disrupt the emerging progress with provocations or intrigues behind the scenes.”

No concrete success

Trump added: "We agreed on a great many things, I would say most. On a couple of key points where we're still a bit further along, we did make some progress. There's no deal until there's a deal." Speaking to Fox News, Trump gave the meeting "a 10, we got along great," but he didn't elaborate on what agreements were reached, nor why no concrete successes could be presented.

It's possible that details about what the presidents, flanked by their foreign ministers and key negotiators, discussed for nearly three hours will leak out in the coming hours and days. Perhaps, after consulting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a historic meeting between all three presidents could be planned, as Trump suggested on Fox. But based on Friday's spectacle, Putin can celebrate his return to the world stage, while Trump, as a self-proclaimed "peacemaker and unifier," will be left empty-handed.

There was some relief from Ukraine that Trump at least didn't seem to have further weakened the beleaguered country's position by publicly promising Putin territory. But the contrast between this summit with Putin in Alaska and Zelensky's insult in the White House in February was enormous.

Image creation contest

The summit kicked off with a bit of a competition for the American and Russian home crowds—and the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Donald Trump (79) was the first to descend the steps of his plane. A bit stiff, holding onto the railing and focused on the tips of his shoes. Not as wobbly as his predecessor, Joe Biden, but certainly not as smoothly as Vladimir Putin (72) who then rushed out of his plane.

Trump's height, handshake, and the overhead American bombers helped him in front of the cameras. But he seemed too eager to receive the Russian dictator wanted by the International Criminal Court. Putin was given a full welcome at the military base: a red carpet, a ride in the presidential limousine, "The Beast," and even brief applause from Trump as he waited on the runway. "Hello, my neighbor," were, according to Putin, Trump's greeting.

The Russian president easily found his way to Trump's heart and ego by confirming the Republican's claim that he would never have invaded Ukraine in 2022 if Trump had been president instead of Biden. It seems that flattery is Trump's primary achievement: if he had agreed to something tangible with Putin, he likely would have bragged about it. A planned lunch with several ministers was scrapped.

Before the meeting in Alaska, Trump had, for his part, set the bar for success remarkably low . On Wednesday, Trump promised "serious consequences," such as economic sanctions, if Putin didn't accept ceasefire steps by Friday. After the summit, he didn't mention it again.

Instead, Trump didn't reject Putin's suggestion, in English, that the next meeting be held in Moscow. "Interesting," the American president responded. "I'm going to get some nagging about that, but I can see it happening." Putin isn't yet eager for peace for Ukraine, but the meeting with Trump has left him wanting more.