Putin and Trump Talks: Comments, Assessments, European Discontent, and 'Unsolved Mysteries'

— What World Media Reported After Putin and Trump's Meeting in Alaska

Image content: Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump (front row from left to right) at a press conference following their meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Military Base in the United States.

When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended their talks at the American Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, it was already late night in Moscow. The talks were conducted in a "three-on-three" format (U.S. side: Trump, Whitcombe, Rubio; Russian side: Putin, Lavrov, Ushakov). The total duration of the talks was 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the talks, the two presidents issued a statement, which "Freedom News" has reported on the core content. The press conference as well as the joint working lunch prepared for the delegations were canceled. Dmitry Peskov said in this regard that the two leaders "had made a detailed statement."

Around 3 a.m. (Moscow time), the private jets of the two presidents took off from Alaska with several minutes between them.

Donald Trump accepted an interview with Fox News, stating that although no agreement was reached, he was satisfied with the meeting, saying that "progress was made."

"We reached agreements on multiple issues with Putin. Now it's up to Zelensky to facilitate the final agreement. European countries also need to contribute... There is a great hope for consensus on the Ukraine issue. The meeting with Putin in Alaska can be rated 10 out of 10," Trump also said that he currently does not plan to impose sanctions on Russia and its trading partners because the meeting with Putin went smoothly.

Many world media outlets expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's warm reception of Putin, and they began discussing the results of the Alaska meeting during the night. It is clear that everyone mainly looked at the Russia-U.S. summit from the perspective of the Ukraine conflict and its prospects for peace. After the statements by the two leaders, various assessments and comments emerged and continue to this day. Here are the relevant reports and statements from around the world.

New York Times (United States)

"After nearly three hours of talks, President Trump issued a vague statement on the progress of the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, they did not answer the relevant questions...

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-level meeting with President Donald Trump on U.S. soil in Alaska, which clearly dealt a significant blow to Russia's diplomatic isolation that had lasted more than three years, and the Russian public generally felt delighted about it.

Ending the war in Ukraine* was one of the agenda items of the meeting, but after nearly three hours of talks, neither Mr. Putin nor Mr. Trump announced a ceasefire agreement."

Washington Post (United States)

"On Friday, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted an important meeting that was intended to end the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II. This historic visit encouraged the Russian leader, but did not bring immediate peace to Ukraine as Trump had hoped.

Both leaders claimed the talks had made progress, but did not reveal details in their brief exchanges with journalists. Putin took the opportunity to read a sharp historical lesson on the 'root causes' of the Ukraine conflict (i.e., the de-militarization of the country and preventing its accession to NATO), while Trump stood by. This indicated that the Russian leader still refused to make concessions on his long-standing efforts to suppress Kyiv's quest for independence as a sovereign state, and also reflected the limitations of Trump's diplomacy based on flattery."

The Guardian (United Kingdom)

"The meeting went quickly. Donald Trump praised Vladimir Putin greatly, but left more questions than answers, and revealed almost no details about this important summit... 'I think we had a very productive meeting,' Trump said. 'We agreed on many issues... But we haven't reached an agreement yet. I will call NATO... Of course, I will call President Zelensky to inform him about today's meeting... We have indeed made significant progress.'

Trump warmly thanked Putin for inviting him to Moscow, and dozens of reporters asked him question after question, but all in vain. This usually never missed an opportunity to speak, the U.S. president left the scene without answering any questions."

The Times (United Kingdom)

"After meeting with Putin, Trump's stance on sanctions and tariffs (for third countries trading with Russia — note by Freedom News) seemed to soften.

Before the summit, he repeatedly warned that Russia would face 'serious consequences' if the results of the talks were unsatisfactory.

In an interview with Fox News host Hannity, Trump said he was not considering imposing tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy.

'Maybe in two or three weeks I'll have to think about it, but right now there's no need to think about it,' Trump said. 'I think the meeting went very smoothly.'

Corriere della Sera (Italy)

"In addition to boosting Putin's legitimacy, both sides did not reach a clear and detailed agreement. Not even the word 'ceasefire' or 'truce' was mentioned. Trump himself admitted that no agreement had been reached, but there was 'progress'.

Trump explained that his short and restrained approach (which is quite different from his usual style) was due to the need for 'international calls': calling Europeans and Zelensky. If that is the case, it seems to be a gesture of respect, and more importantly, it aligns with his commitment made after his video conference with some EU leaders and Ukrainian President on Wednesday. Now the ball is in their court?...

Perhaps in the next few hours, as these calls are made, we will learn more...

Moreover, we all saw a confident Putin (he even said in English at the end of the meeting: 'See you in Moscow next time'). From the beginning, it was undeniable that this trip to the U.S. was a success for him. He emphasized this and recalled that he had previously accused Joe Biden of making 'serious mistakes' — trying to isolate him...

During the meeting, the gestures and etiquette of the two leaders were largely considered too friendly. It is known that there is an attraction between the two. Important is that this attraction does not evolve into a malicious agreement that harms others' interests."

Times of India (India)

"Despite the warm gestures from both sides, the summit did not result in any specific agreements. Trump said, 'We had an extremely productive meeting and reached agreements on many issues,' but then admitted that no agreement had been reached. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton gave a clear evaluation of the balance between the two sides: 'Trump didn't lose, but Putin obviously won,' and said 'Trump gained nothing except for a new meeting opportunity.' Putin talked about 'understanding' and proposed that the two leaders maintain contact...

In the joint statement, Putin spoke for about 8 minutes and 30 seconds, while Trump's speech was slightly less than 4 minutes. Putin used this time to elaborate on Russia's position and thanked Trump for taking a 'friendly' tone during the talks; Trump's brief speech confirmed his commitment to constructive dialogue and hoped for progress, including Ukraine's consent.

Both presidents expressed willingness to further contact. At the end of his speech, Trump said, 'We will talk to you soon, and it's likely we will meet again soon.' Putin proposed a meeting 'next time in Moscow.'

Related national newspapers:

"Putin called the war 'our tragedy and a terrible scar,' and stated that his 'country sincerely hopes to end the war.'

'Of course, we are ready to make efforts for this,' he said, and expressed hope that 'the common agreement we have reached will help us move towards this goal and pave the way for peace in Ukraine'...

The Russian president warned against possible 'behind-the-scenes conspiracies' and provocations that could 'damage initial progress,' and said Moscow expects 'Kyiv and the heads of European countries to look at this constructively, without setting any obstacles.'

'I hope that the agreement reached today will not only become the starting point for resolving the Ukraine issue, but also help us restore practical business relations between Russia and the U.S.,' he said.

Surab Gupta, senior researcher at the Center for China and the U.S. in Washington, commented on the statements of the two presidents: 'Clearly, there is a lot that was not said in the press conference, including the issue of an imminent ceasefire in Ukraine. And it is obvious that despite the progress, there are still major differences on the most important issues,' he said.

However, he also pointed out that it is a good thing for the presidents of the United States and Russia to hold a meeting at the beginning of Trump's presidency.

The reaction of Western media to Putin's trip to Alaska was as expected. Europe actively supports Ukraine with money and weapons, but was not invited to the talks. Brussels was dissatisfied, holding back anger, and exploded immediately after the meeting of the two presidents. In the United States, the Alaska summit was used by Trump's opponents (the 'War Party') to once again criticize him for lacking 'determination' in his dialogue with Putin. But as the newspapers pointed out, the Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved overnight. This crisis stems from long-term accumulated contradictions. The important thing is that, despite all the resistance, the two presidents have taken an important step in overcoming the crisis.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539074722881880591/

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