President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, for high-stakes discussions about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The summit concluded with the two leaders striking a positive tone in statements to the media, but they did not announce a ceasefire or any other breakthroughs from the three-and-a-half hours of talks.
“There were many, many points that we agreed on,” Mr. Trump said at their joint press appearance, but also “a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there.” He added, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska summit, but Mr. Trump said earlier in the week that another round of talks with both Russia and Ukraine may happen next. No plans for a further meeting were announced Friday, however.
Zelenskyy spoke with Mr. Trump and European leaders on Wednesday and said he hoped an “immediate ceasefire” will be the main focus of the meeting. But Zelenskyy has also warned that “talks about us, without us, will not work” for Ukraine. He said he told Mr. Trump and allied leaders that “Putin is bluffing” and “doesn’t want peace.”
Mr. Trump told reporters there would be “very severe consequences” for Russia if it doesn’t agree to end the war, but did not elaborate on what that that might entail.
Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, igniting a bloody war that continues to grind on along front lines in the east and in drone and missile attacks that have terrorized Ukrainian cities.
When was the Trump-Putin meeting?
Presidents Trump and Putin greeted each other on the airport tarmac a little after 3 p.m. EDT (Alaska is 4 hours behind Eastern Time). They then headed inside to begin their meeting with a small contingent of top advisers. At about 7 p.m. EDT the emerged from the talks and held what was billed as a joint press conference, though they did not take any questions from reporters.
President Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. / Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
Where was the Trump-Putin meeting?
The meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents is taking place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska. The location is roughly midway between Washington, D.C., and Moscow.
How to watch coverage of the Trump-Putin meeting What: President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in AlaskaDate: Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 Location: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, AlaskaOnline stream: Watch CBS News 24/7 on your mobile or streaming device Follow: Latest updates on cbsnews.com
The CBS News team in Anchorage for the summit includes “CBS Evening News” anchor John Dickerson; “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan; chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes; and White House reporter Willie James Inman. Senior foreign correspondent Debora Patta joins from London.
Coverage also includes insights and analysis from CBS News contributors including former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan; former Homeland Security official Samantha Vinograd; and Lt. Gen. HR McMaster, former national security adviser to President Trump.
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