Trump kicked off his latest headline-grabbing move with a summit that felt more like a Cold War throwback than modern diplomacy. The setting? Anchorage, Alaska—remote, chilly, and right next door to Russia. It was the first time Vladimir Putin set foot in a Western country since his 2022 Ukraine invasion, and Trump gave him the red carpet.
The summit had all the flash of past meetings. But once again, the substance fell flat. Trump started the talks, pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He left echoing Putin’s talking points about a “peace agreement” instead.
Trump’s first real sit-down with Putin happened back in 2017 at the G20 in Hamburg. Cameras caught a firm handshake and some awkward smiles. Trump brought up Ukraine and Crimea, but also praised Putin’s political chops.
Getty Images / Instagram / The Russian and American supremos have held 4 major meetings over the last 10 years.
Then came the Helsinki summit in 2018. This one made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Trump stood next to Putin and cast doubt on his own intelligence agencies. “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia,” he said about election meddling. It was a jaw-dropper. Putin even gave him a soccer ball from the World Cup, which many saw as a calculated move to build rapport.
In between, they met on the sidelines of G20 events. Vietnam in 2017. Japan in 2019. Those talks were less dramatic but still telling. Putin loved to talk. Trump liked to wing it. At one point, Trump canceled a meeting altogether after Russia seized Ukrainian ships.
The 2025 Alaska Summit
Trump picked a spot that carried Cold War weight. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage has a history. It is close to Russia, and it is military turf. The setting alone told the world this was serious. But the seriousness ended there.
Putin’s arrival came with cameras, limos, and the kind of treatment reserved for trusted allies. Trump played host like he was welcoming an old friend. They skipped the traditional press conference and took a shared ride in Trump’s armored SUV. It looked good for Putin—real good.
Getty Images / Instagram / One of the standout moments of this year’s summit was when Putin switched to English and said, “Next time in Moscow,” inviting President Trump for talks in Russia.
Trump had gone in demanding a ceasefire in Ukraine. After the talks, that idea was gone. Now, he talked about a long-term peace agreement, a vague promise that lined up more with Moscow’s goals than Kyiv’s. Ukraine wasn’t thrilled. Neither was Europe.
Inside the meeting, Putin set the tone fast. He wanted Ukraine to stay out of NATO, give up parts of Donbas, and declare neutrality. Trump didn’t argue, at least not publicly. He stuck to phrases like “we’re making progress” and “productive conversations.”
The only thing Trump admitted was, “We didn’t get there.” Which pretty much summed it up. Putin made his pitch. Trump didn’t push back hard. And again, the power balance tilted east.
After the summit, Trump stirred the pot even more. He floated the idea that Ukraine should consider giving up territory to end the war. That was music to Putin’s ears and a nightmare for Kyiv. President Zelenskyy quickly responded, saying security, not surrender, was the way forward.