President Donald Trump described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska as “very productive” concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine, but he stressed that “there is no trade until there is a deal.”
During a press conference following a lengthy closed-door session with top advisors, both leaders conveyed an optimistic tone, although no specific deal has been announced or confirmed yet.
Trump remarked, “We believe there was a very productive meeting, and we agreed on many points, most of them.”
He continued, stating, “We’ve made significant progress today. I’ve always had a good relationship with President Putin. There have been both tough and productive meetings,” adding, “We were sidetracked by the Russia hoaxes, which made things a bit challenging, but we managed to work through it.”
While Trump noted that “some of the issues that pose obstacles to potential dealings are not that significant,” he mentioned that the unnamed issues likely hold more importance. He expressed hope that an agreement could still be reached regardless of these specific challenges.
“It’s very likely we’ll get there. We haven’t yet, but the chances are looking good,” he told reporters.
Trump indicated that his next step involves contacting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky. “I’ll reach out to various people I think are appropriate. Naturally, I’ll call President Zelensky to discuss the meeting today. Ultimately, it’s their decision,” he said.
He also mentioned potential investments in the U.S., suggesting that Russian companies could find opportunities if the conflict ended. “We have an excellent business representative from Russia here, and I believe many want to work with us,” Trump stated. “We’ve quickly become one of the most attractive countries for business. We look forward to it and to making a deal. We’re about to start this anew.”
