World leaders praised former President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine during a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Saturday. The diplomatic push was hailed as a potential turning point in the deadly conflict, even as skepticism remained over Moscow’s intentions.
“President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.”
Following the summit, Trump held a phone call with European leaders — including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — to debrief them on his meeting with Putin. Starmer emphasized that further talks must now include Ukraine directly, calling for Zelensky’s presence in any continued negotiations.
Concerns had grown in recent days after Trump hinted that territorial concessions might be discussed. But European leaders expressed relief that no land deals were negotiated without Ukrainian involvement.
“There were no territorial negotiations between Putin and Trump over the heads of Ukraine and the Europeans,” confirmed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “That is good news.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed the cautious optimism, calling the summit “a glimmer of hope to discuss peace in Ukraine.”
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for lasting security guarantees for Ukraine, including potential NATO and EU membership. “We must also learn from Russia’s history of ignoring its own commitments,” Macron wrote on X.
Not all leaders shared the hopeful tone. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala warned that Putin still appears focused on maximizing territorial gains. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk added, “Today, it is even clearer that Russia respects only strength. Putin remains a cunning and ruthless player.”
In Russia, the summit was viewed as a diplomatic triumph. Putin received red-carpet treatment and left the meeting facing no new sanctions, despite refusing to agree to a ceasefire.
“The President of Russia personally and in detail outlined our conditions for ending the conflict,” said Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council. “Following nearly three hours of talks, the head of the White House refused to escalate pressure on Russia.”
The summit also marked an apparent end to Moscow’s diplomatic isolation, which had persisted since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Despite a 2023 war crimes conviction by the International Criminal Court and an outstanding arrest warrant for Putin, the Russian leader was welcomed on the global stage once again.
