Trump: ‘Deal Happens Only When It’s Final’; Putin Proposes Holding Next Summit in Moscow

Anchorage, Alaska: After a private meeting that went on for more than three hours, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the media. The press conference was short—only about 12 minutes—but both leaders highlighted the key points of their discussion.

Trump: Progress Made but No Final Deal

Trump said that some of the major disagreements are still unresolved, though he called the talks “positive and useful.” He explained that discussions had moved forward but stressed, “There is no agreement until we have a complete agreement.” Trump also confirmed that he would update NATO leaders and other global figures about the progress.

Trump to Reach Out to Zelenskyy

The U.S. President noted that he would soon be making phone calls to NATO officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and other world leaders to brief them on the meeting. “I’ll be reaching out with calls to explain what was discussed,” Trump informed the press.

Putin Suggests Moscow for Next Summit

Putin suggested holding their next meeting in Moscow. He made this suggestion in English. In response, Trump said the idea might not be popular and could draw criticism, but he did not reject it entirely, adding, “It’s possible.”

Putin: Russia and America Are Close Neighbors

Putin underlined the geographic closeness of the two countries, pointing out that only four kilometers separate Russian and American islands across the Bering Strait. “We are neighbors in reality,” he said. Putin recalled greeting Trump at the airport with the words, “Hello, neighbor.”

He also spoke about Alaska’s past as Russian territory 158 years ago, mentioning the Russian Orthodox churches still present in the state. He said this shared heritage could help build equal and mutually beneficial relations between the two nations.

Time to Replace Confrontation With Dialogue

Putin added that U.S.–Russia relations had fallen to their lowest level since the Cold War, as no summit had been held in years. He argued that the time had come to move away from confrontation and focus on dialogue.

He further mentioned that he and Trump had spoken openly on several phone calls in recent years and that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had also helped keep communication going.