Putin breaks protocol in Alaska, claims ‘understanding’ with Trump on Ukraine but no deal yet

Putin devoted much of his opening remarks to the history of US-Russia relations, holding off on any talk of agreements until the final stretch. (Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

When a US president hosts a foreign leader, the playbook is clear: the American leader speaks first at a joint press conference. But in Anchorage on Friday, Vladimir Putin tossed that tradition aside.

The Russian president opened the even,  speaking in Russian while Donald Trump stood silently about two metres away, with a greeting he said he delivered on the tarmac: “Good day, dear neighbor, hope you’re well.”

Putin stressed Alaska’s history as former Russian territory, framing the US and Russia as bound by geography and a “shared history,” and portraying himself as a partner rather than a rival. “An in-person meeting was long overdue,” he said, adding that he and Trump now have “very good direct contact.”

Playing up history before tackling Ukraine

Putin devoted much of his opening remarks to the history of US-Russia relations, holding off on any talk of agreements until the final stretch.

When he did address Ukraine, he said the two leaders had reached an agreement to 'pave the path to peace' but offered no details. He argued that the “root causes” of Russia’s concerns must be eliminated before a full deal is possible, a phrase often used to signal demands, including the removal of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, that Kyiv and Europe have rejected outright.

He reiterated that Russia sees Ukrainians as “a brotherly people” and said Ukraine’s security “must be ensured,” but avoided specifics on how.

Trump: ‘No deal until there’s a deal’

Trump, for his part, acknowledged progress but made clear nothing was final. “We haven’t quite got there, but we’ve got some headway,” he said. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

The former president will leave Alaska without an agreement, a reality some of his own advisers had anticipated, given that Ukraine was excluded from the talks and would need to agree to any settlement involving its territory.

Hardline position, softer optics

Despite the cordial tone and the symbolism of a joint appearance, the first between Putin and a US president since 2018’s Helsinki summit, Putin’s language suggested he has not shifted from long-held positions.

He focused on economic cooperation with the US and cautioned European nations not to “torpedo the nascent progress” from the Alaska meeting. Russian state media quoted Ambassador Alexander Darchiev as calling the talks “generally positive.”

Seven years since last shared stage

The joint press conference itself was a rarity. The last time Putin stood beside a US president to take questions was in Helsinki, when Trump was criticised for siding with Russia over US intelligence on 2016 election interference.

When Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021, he chose to speak alone, denying the Russian leader a chance to share the stage.

By breaking protocol and taking the microphone first in Alaska, Putin ensured the narrative began on his terms, even without a signed peace deal to announce.