Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin after years apart, saying he has “always had a great relationship” with the Russian leader. Is this the start of a breakthrough?
The Course of the Meeting in Alaska
Hannity: “Before the interview you said that within two minutes you would know… What impression did he make on you in those two minutes?”.
Trump: “You know, I always had a great relationship with President Putin. Together we could achieve great things when it comes to, well, you know. His land is incredible. Rare earths, oil, gas – it’s incredible. It’s by far the biggest area in the world when it comes to a country. I think they have 11 time zones, if you can believe that, it’s really something big. But we would do many wonderful things if it weren’t for this hoax with Russia, Russia, Russia, which stopped us. We would do something wonderful. But we have the biggest – one of the biggest hoaxes. There were others too, like the elections themselves, which you know better than anyone else. But those were rigged elections and a terrible thing that happened in 2020. We would have great relations, but given the circumstances, we did incredibly well – you know, he would look and see what happened, and consider us lunatics because of the fabricated ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax. So we had something very important and we had a very good meeting today, but we’ll see. I mean, you have to make a deal.”
Trump: “If we manage to solve this, it will be a really great day”.
Hannity: “Are you convinced that this can be achieved in a shorter time?”.
Trump: “In a fairly short time”.
Hannity: “Within the next month?”.
Trump: “I thought it would be the easiest of all, and it turned out to be the hardest”.
The meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin took place in Anchorage, Alaska. It is Putin’s first visit to the USA in a decade and the first in-person meeting of the two leaders since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. The talks lasted nearly three hours and – although described as “constructive” – did not bring a breakthrough.
Personal Relations and Key Quotes
Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized his good relations with Vladimir Putin in both official and unofficial statements. In January he wrote on Truth Social:
“I love the Russian people and I have always had a very good relationship with President Putin”.
At a press conference after the summit, Trump said they “got along great” and stressed the importance of cooperation between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. The Russian leader did not hide that it is “easier to talk” with Trump, and that chances of ending the war exist, though concrete results are still lacking.
What Was (and Was Not) Discussed?
The Ukraine Question
The main topic of the talks was, of course, the war in Ukraine. Trump stressed that he wants a swift peace agreement, warning Russia of harsh sanctions should the negotiations fail. Meanwhile, Putin expects the West to recognize Russian territorial gains and to lift part of the sanctions.
Experts from the Wall Street Journal and think tanks commented that the meeting was a success mainly for Putin, who gave nothing in return yet gained in image. Trump, on the other hand, did not win the concessions he expected on Ukraine.
The Meeting's Verdict in the Eyes of Public Opinion
Trump rated his own performance “10/10”, stressing that “it is better when great powers get along than when they run an open conflict”. Some observers appreciate the de-escalation and openness to further talks, while others point out that the lack of concrete results may entrench the political deadlock.
Both leaders announced a willingness to continue talks; Trump plans to contact Zelensky and European leaders. Putin invited Trump to Moscow – will another summit bring real change? It is hard to say, but – as politicians like to say – “everything is still ahead of us”.
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