TEHRAN — Friday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska has dominated headlines across the globe.

Putin received a red-carpet welcome and a firm handshake from Trump upon landing at a US airbase in Anchorage. The two leaders then held nearly three hours of talks—the first US-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Both presidents were accompanied by senior advisers. On the American side were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.

At a joint press conference, the leaders delivered carefully worded remarks but declined to take questions. Putin said the talks were “constructive” and held in an “atmosphere of mutual respect.” Trump called them “productive.” Yet the summit ended without a breakthrough on halting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In a subsequent Fox News interview, Trump advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate with Moscow. “Gotta make a deal. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not. They’re great soldiers,” Trump said, stressing his preference for a permanent peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.

Following the summit, Trump spoke with Zelenskyy by phone and also consulted with several European and NATO leaders. Zelenskyy confirmed he would travel to Washington on Monday for further talks and a meeting with Trump. 

European leaders broadly welcomed Washington’s efforts but signaled some divergence from the U.S. approach. In a joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed that “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees” and insisted that “international borders must not be changed by force.” They pledged continued sanctions on Russia until peace is achieved.

During Friday’s press conference, Trump closed with: “I’d like to thank you very much, and we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.” Putin quipped in response: “Next time, in Moscow.”

Russian journalist on the Trump-Putin summit: Russia’s supposed isolation has failed; Putin even stepped onto U.S. soil to the applause of the American leader.

Russian journalist Maxim Nachinov told the Tehran Times that both leaders considered the meeting “very positive” and that Trump hinted at a pause in new sanctions. He noted that Putin’s warm reception in the United States demonstrated the limits of Western efforts to isolate Russia diplomatically. 

“One thing is certain: the alleged international isolation of Russia (the primary goal of Western sanctions) proved to be a lost cause, as Putin stepped onto U.S. soil to the applause of the American leader,” the Russian journalist and columnist from Yekaterinburg said.  

Since the war began, the US and Europe have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia while providing massive military aid to Ukraine. Between February 2022 and June 2025, European countries committed 80.5 billion euros ($93.7 billion) in military support—surpassing the 64.6 billion euros allocated by the United States, according to AFP. Despite this, Russia has endured, even after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest on war crimes charges in 2023. His appearance on US soil underscored the difficulty of enforcing such measures against Moscow.

The Alaska summit also highlighted emerging divisions between the U.S. and Europe in handling the conflict. While Trump emphasized direct engagement with Putin and hinted at pausing sanctions, European leaders maintained a firmer stance, signaling a need for strict guarantees and continued pressure. Analysts suggest this divergence may complicate Western efforts to present a unified front on Ukraine and sanctions policy.

Besides, the summit’s grand staging and red-carpet welcome highlighted Trump’s flair for showmanship and theatrical moments. However, despite the spectacle, he has so far failed to deliver on his repeated promises to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

For now, the Alaska summit may prove a diplomatic win for Russia, signaling its reemergence on the global stage after years of Western attempts at isolation. For Washington, the challenge now lies in balancing outreach to Moscow with steadfast support for Kyiv. Whether the summit sets the stage for genuine progress or simply reinforces divisions within the West will become clear in the months ahead.