After 1,250 days of the devastating war between Russia and Ukraine, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and nearly a trillion dollars in damages, hopes for peace remain faint. Over the past eight months, U.S. President Donald Trump has orchestrated multiple efforts to end the conflict. Although these attempts have yet to succeed, he continues to pursue this path with his characteristic transactional approach. His recent meeting with the Russian president in Alaska is assessed within this framework.

The Alaska negotiations did not yield a specific outcome, and the two leaders concluded their meeting without announcing a ceasefire agreement. However, their final statements contained ambiguous references. The U.S. President spoke of an "agreement on important points" without providing details, while the Kremlin leader alluded to "agreements" that he said could be a "starting point for resolving the conflict."

Interpreting the meeting, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, stated that the summit demonstrated that negotiations without preconditions are possible, even as Moscow's military operations in Ukraine continue. Vladimir Putin concluded by announcing that the next meeting with Donald Trump could be held in Moscow.

Andrey Gurulyov, a retired general and current member of the Russian parliament, declared that Putin's remarks alongside Trump after Friday's session showed that the Kremlin's position remains unshakable. "If there is one key achievement," he wrote on his Telegram channel, "it is that Putin was able to explain the reasons for the war directly to Trump." Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, mocked the Western media, stating that after three years of reporting on Russia's isolation, they are now "in a state of complete madness" seeing the Russian president welcomed with a red carpet by his American counterpart in Alaska. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added: "The conversation was indeed very positive, as both leaders affirmed. This is the kind of discussion that allows us to resolutely pursue the path of seeking common options for a peaceful settlement."

Ukrainian officials in Kyiv watched the joint statement with apprehension, searching for clues about their country's fate. After the meeting concluded without a tangible result, they now believe the war will continue with the same intensity, at least for the time being. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, stated: "I think this is a failure because Putin again spoke about security concerns and used his usual rhetoric. I see no change." He added, "Although the meeting was inconclusive, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been brought out of diplomatic isolation." Merezhko emphasized that Putin appeared as an equal to President Trump and won the information war. President Zelenskyy also warned of Mr. Putin's attempts to deceive Trump and stressed his country's fundamental conditions for ending the complex conflict. Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, said it appeared that President Putin had bought more time following his talks with President Trump, as no agreement on a ceasefire or de-escalation was reached.

In the United States, John Bolton, Donald Trump's former National Security Advisor who has become a staunch critic, remarked: "It's clear who came out the winner from the meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin. Trump didn't lose, but Putin clearly won." Bolton argued that Trump gained nothing more than follow-up meetings, while "Putin took a huge step in reviving relations, which I always thought was his primary goal. The head of the Kremlin has emerged from sanctions and does not prioritize a ceasefire."

Following the meeting, a group of European leaders issued a joint statement after morning discussions with both Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They asserted that the next step must be the continuation of negotiations, explicitly including President Zelenskyy. The European Council later issued a message supporting Ukraine and a trilateral U.S.-Ukraine-Russia summit. The leaders welcomed President Trump's efforts to "stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve a just and lasting peace." They also welcomed President Trump's statement on the United States' readiness to provide security guarantees and expressed that a coalition of willing nations is prepared to play an active role. They stated that there should be no limitations on Ukraine's armed forces or its cooperation with third-party countries, that Russia cannot have veto power over Ukraine's path to the European Union and NATO, and that Ukraine will decide the fate of its own territory. International borders must not be changed by force.

Multifaceted evaluations of the U.S.-Russia summit exist, with many assessing the event as a significant success for the Kremlin. They believe that for Trump to achieve a tangible outcome in stopping this complex conflict, he will require redoubled efforts, particularly the inclusion of European states with a key role for London. It is also widely understood that other major global issues were discussed during the meeting, likely resulting in unannounced agreements concerning developments in the Middle East and the Eurasian axis, especially the South Caucasus.

Ali Beman Eghbali Zarch, Head of the Eurasia Studies Group

 (The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IPIS)