“Putin’s triumph in Alaska”: Western media write about his meeting with Trump

Major Western media outlets ran headlines about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in the United States.

Most wrote that no agreement on Ukraine was reached.

The New York Times noted that Trump gave Putin “a warm welcome, effectively ending his diplomatic isolation, but Putin did not agree to stop the war.”

Its headline read: “Putin and Trump show friendship but end meeting without Ukraine deal.”

“In fact, it is hard to imagine an event that could have gone better from the perspective of the Russian leader, who made no public commitments to halt his assault on Ukraine, yet was treated as a cherished friend. Trump did not blame Putin for unleashing a brutal war, nor did he even mention the sanctions he had threatened to impose only hours earlier if no deal was struck,” the publication said.

Politico titled its article: “Putin’s Triumph in Alaska.”

The Washington Post wrote that the meeting was filled with “warm words, but no agreement on Ukraine.” The paper said the summit began with a lavish welcome and a red carpet but ended with “a restrained exit without results.”

CNN argued that Putin achieved two “major victories.”

The first was the spectacular display of the U.S. red carpet treatment and his ride in Trump’s armored limousine, Cadillac One—“an extraordinary form of reputational rehabilitation” for the Russian leader.

The second was that Putin gained time to advance his forces along the front line. CNN stressed that timing is crucial, as Russia’s summer offensive is “on the verge of turning gradual gains into strategic victories.”

German daily Bild pointed to “mysterious hints after the summit” suggesting further negotiations may follow.

French paper Le Monde concluded: “Donald Trump failed to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine from Vladimir Putin.”

Italy’s Corriere della Sera reported: “Trump and Putin held three hours of talks in Alaska and declared ‘great progress,’ but no ceasefire in Ukraine yet.”

In an interview with Fox News after the summit, Trump said he had reached agreements with Putin on most issues concerning Ukraine, and now it was up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept those terms.