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Putin demands Ukraine surrender all of Donetsk in exchange for peace

US president Donald Trump told Ukraine’s leader on Saturday that Russia’s Vladimir Putin offered to freeze the frontlines elsewhere if Kyiv agreed to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a person familiar with the matter said.

Mr Trump and US envoy Steve Witkoff told Volodymyr Zelensky that Putin said there could be no ceasefire before that happened, and that Putin could pledge not to launch any new aggression against Ukraine as part of an arrangement.

The United States is ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday.

Mr Merz was speaking to German public broadcaster ZDF after being briefed together with other European leaders by Donald Trump on his talks with Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin asked for Russian to become an official language again in Ukraine during his talk with Donald Trump on Friday, according to statements given by two officials to the New York Times. He also reportedly asked for security for Russian Orthodox churches, the officials said.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, has said that “the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,” adding that “Moscow won’t end the war until it realises it can’t continue.”

Writing on X, Ms Kallas said “the US holds the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously” and that “the real root cause of the war is Russia’s imperialist foreign policy, not an imaginary imbalance in the European security architecture.”

The US has offered Ukraine Nato-style security guarantees in the event of a peace deal, though Kyiv would not officially join the bloc.

It would mean that the US and Ukraine’s European allies would be obliged to respond to a future attack on Ukraine, in a pledge similar to the Article 5 mutual defence clause that underpins Nato, The Telegraph understands. Article 5 states that if a Nato ally is the victim of an armed attack, members of the Alliance will consider this as an armed attack against all members.

Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed during his talks with Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.

The Russian leader frequently cites Ukraine’s desire to join Nato as a “root cause” of the conflict. Mr Trump has already ruled out Kyiv joining the bloc.

European leaders on Saturday said Russia must not be allowed to block Ukraine from joining the military alliance or the European Union.

European leaders are invited to attend the Monday meeting with US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing two senior European officials.

Two people, a 52-year-old man and his 13-year-old son, were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Kursk region, the local governor said on Saturday.

In a statement published on Telegram, Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein said that the two had been killed when their car caught fire as a result of a drone strike.

Mr Khinshtein said that the attack took place in Rylsk district, a border area close to the part of Kursk region that Ukraine occupied between August 2024 and March this year.

A ‘coalition of the willing’ meeting has been set for tomorrow, ahead of president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington on Monday.

British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-host the event via video conference on Sunday at 3pm Europe time.

The coalition was created by France and the United Kingdom in February, and is made up of dozens of nations. It is expected to deploy a peacekeeping force to Ukraine following a potential cessation of hostilities.

The West must remain united as it enters a decisive moment for Ukraine’s future and European security, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday.

“The game for Ukraine’s future, the security of Poland and all of Europe has entered a decisive phase,” Mr Tusk wrote on X. “Today, it is even clearer that Russia respects only the strong, and Putin has once again proven to be a cunning and ruthless player. Therefore, maintaining the unity of the entire West is so important.”

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia may now try to increase pressure and strikes in the coming days.

Writing on X, he said: “Based on the political and diplomatic situation around Ukraine, and knowing Russia’s treachery, we anticipate that in the coming days the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors.”

Vladimir Putin winced as he realised, at least momentarily, that he was not in control.

No number of Russian agents armed with bulletproof suitcases could shield him from being pelted by the sorts of questions he had managed to avoid since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Sitting next to Donald Trump in front of a blue wall emblazoned with “pursuing peace” ahead of their high-level talks in Alaska, the Russian despot was in unfamiliar territory.

As one reporter shouted: “Mr Putin, will you break your ceasefire?” it was clear he was not in a cocoon of Kremlin mouthpiece Russian media, but surrounded by US journalists determined to hold him to account.

His wry smile evaporated into one of alarm. He looked pleadingly to the left and furrowed his brow.

“Will you commit to not killing any more civilians?” another reporter yelled. Putin put his hands to his mouth and appeared to say something, before the press were swiftly removed.

The moment was a brief but stark reminder to the Russian leader that while Mr Trump may have rolled the red carpet out for him, he is a man with an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest and on the sanctions lists of most Western governments.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has said that Vladimir Putin must face the “consequences of dragging out his war”.

In a post, he wrote: “Putin must understand the consequences of dragging out his war. He has lied too many times in the past and completely devalued his word. Only his actions are real indicators of whether he is truly willing to end his terror and aggression.”

“That is why the strategy of peace through strength remains our priority,” he said, before urging for more pressure on Moscow.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday he welcomed US president Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine and achieve a lasting peace.

“Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” Mr Merz said in a post on X that repeated parts of a joint statement issued earlier in the day by several European leaders, including Merz.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said that “strong security guarantees” for Ukraine and Europe were “essential” in any peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

“The EU is working closely with Zelenskyy and the United States to reach a just and lasting peace. Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential,” von der Leyen posted on Saturday.

No one should be surprised by the failure of the summit in Alaska. Putin turned up, got what he wanted and left. To be fair to the Russian president, he has been consistent all along. His demands on Ukraine have not changed one bit, and he came to the summit in the firm belief that he had nothing to lose by conceding not an inch, writes Ben Wallace.

Donald Trump has been consistently weak on consequences for Russia. Deadline after deadline has passed and still there are no significant sanctions on the Kremlin or increases in support for Ukraine. Putin played Trump like an agent handler plays an asset.

Red carpet, salutes, side business deals; marginalising Europe and Volodymyr Zelensky. The was the buddy buddy routine. No doubt the mercenary rebel Prigozhin was given the chum treatment before his jet fell out of the sky. The loser in all of this?

Well, firstly it is Pax Americana. All the values and alliances that have given strength to us all since 1945 have been weakened by Friday. A war criminal gangster is greeted by a red carpet while a brave ally in Zelensky is shouted at in the Oval office.

The US has offered Ukraine Nato-style security guarantees in the event of a peace deal but without officially joining the military bloc, according to sources.

It would mean that the US and Ukraine’s European allies would be obliged to respond to a future attack on Ukraine in some way, similar to the Article 5 mutual defence clause that underpins Nato. 

Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed during his talks with Donald Trump on Friday.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine needs a “real, lasting peace” in his latest statement following yesterday’s summit.

“Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure,” the Ukrainian president said. 

Mr Zelensky said that he told Donald Trump that Russia must be hit by further sanctions if Vladimir Putin did not agree to a trilateral meeting. 

“Sanctions are an effective tool,” he added.

Emmanuel Macron has said it is “essential” to maintain pressure on Russia until it agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

In a statement on X, he added: “It will also be essential to draw all the lessons from the past 30 years, in particular from Russia’s well-established tendency not to honour its own commitments.”

An unconditional ceasefire is exactly what Vladimir Putin wanted to avoid.

It would weaken his hand at the negotiating table considerably.

But now, via Donald Trump, Europe appears to have dropped a demand for a ceasefire as the first step of wider peace talks.

This means Putin’s forces will be able to continue prosecuting his war, which they’re winning to a certain extent, giving him the upper hand at the negotiating table.

On the other hand, Volodymyr Zelensky will be negotiating with a gun to his head, in the form of an advancing Russian army. 

Sir Keir Starmer has said Donald Trump has brought the world closer to peace in Ukraine. 

“President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine,” he started, adding: “His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.”

The Prime Minister said the next step must be further talks involving Volodymyr Zelensky, as the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him”.

In its joint statement, European leaders laid out their conditions for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

They are:

• “Ironclad” security guarantees for Ukraine
• Involvement of the Coalition of the Willing in post-war Ukraine
• No limitations on Ukraine’s army or cooperation with third countries
• No Russian veto on Ukraine joining Nato or the EU

Europe had been insisting that a ceasefire serve as the basis for peace negotiations but appear to have dropped that demand following Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin.

Europe has left out calls for an immediate ceasefire in its statement on the talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

The leaders, which included Sir Keir Starmer, said they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace”.

They said the next step must be talks involving Volodymyr Zelensky but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire after Mr Trump said a permanent peace deal was the better option.

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed the capture of two more villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. 

It said its forces had taken Kolodyazi village in Donetsk, alongside Vorone village in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukraine has not commented. The Telegraph has not independently verified Moscow’s claims.

I’m in Independence Square in the centre of Kyiv, where some families who have lost loved ones typically place flags in commemoration.

I met meet Olena and Yuriy Romanchenko, husband and wife, as they used an electronic drill to mount a picture of their son Dymtro on the wall of the church dedicated to honouring Ukraine’s heroes.

Asked about his reaction to last night’s summit, Mr Romanchenko told The Telegraph: “This meeting was more for Putin’s benefit. To show that he is returning to the world stage and out of isolation. He was met with a red carpet..

He continued: “I feel shame for Americans. They’ve been helping us since the very first days, they’ve been proud of us, but they have received such a president for themselves who, let me just say, who is standing on his hind legs in front of Putin– he is afraid of him.

“I think he is scared of him. In front of others, he acts like he is big, but in front of Putin, he is tiny. That’s my personal opinion. For us, this meeting unfortunately brought nothing positive, though we had hope. 

“There was hope that it was only Trump who could end this. But the one who can end it should possess the same will we possess to finish this war. And so far, he’s [Trump] just having mercenary interests in getting some benefits from Russia.”

Donald Trump has ruled out an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, saying the US, Russia, and Europe have “all” agreed that a permanent peace deal is the best option.

Speaking after a call with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, the US president said: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

The US president said in a post on his Truth Socia that his talks with Putin were “very successful”.

“The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well,” he said.

Europe could ease sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin commits to a ceasefire within a certain timeframe, The Telegraph understands.

EU ambassadors are currently meeting for emergency talks in Brussels following Donald Trump’s meeting with the Russian president.

The senior diplomats are discussing what the EU could offer to bring about a truce in Ukraine.

The Europeans are yet to decide on what time frame they will put on their offer to ease sanctions in exchange for a truce.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had received “positive” signals on receiving security guarantees from Europe and the US. 

“It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America,” he said.

“We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.”

After travelling 2,000 miles, enduring a three-hour security screening and arguing over seating arrangements with the Russian media, expectations were high for the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

The early signs were positive – a warm handshake, a ride along in “The Beast” and the claim by Russia that talks could last “six or seven hours”.

But that feeling came to a screeching halt inside the press tent at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, when a press conference was called just three hours in – and it emerged that the wider bilateral talks had been scrapped.

The two leaders appeared on stage for just 12 minutes. There was no ceasefire and they did not take a single question.

“What the f--- was that?” one American journalist exclaimed. “Is that all?” Indeed, it was.

Volodymyr Zelensky is now speaking with European leaders for a second time, including Sir Keir Starmer, the BBC is reporting. 

Vladimir Putin doesn’t want a ceasefire and prefers a comprehensive agreement to end the war, Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky, according to reports.

Axios reporter Barak Ravid quoted a source as saying: “I think a fast peace deal is better than a ceasefire”

We have just had the first public reaction from Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin.

His statement reads:

A long, meaningful conversation with President Trump, first one-on-one, and then also with the participation of European leaders. Overall, we spoke for more than an hour and a half, about an hour with President Trump.

Ukraine once again confirms that it is ready to work as productively as possible for the sake of peace. President Trump informed me about his meeting with the Russian leader, about the main points of the conversation. It is important that the strength of America influences the development of the situation.

We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting Ukraine – America – Russia. Ukraine emphasizes: key issues can be discussed at the leaders’ level, and the trilateral format is suitable for this.

I plan to discuss all the details regarding the end of the killings, the end of the war with President Trump in Washington on Monday. Grateful for the invitation.

It is important that Europeans are involved at all stages to reliably guarantee security together with America. We discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing security to Ukraine. We continue to coordinate our positions with all partners. Thanks to everyone who helps!”

Volodymyr Zelensky has announced he will travel to Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump on Monday.

The Ukrainian president spoke with his American counterpart for over an hour following peace talks in Alaska. 
 

Donald Trump spoke for more than hour with Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission has said.

We’re not yet clear on what was discussed but we should find out soon.

Vladimir Putin visited the region of Chukotka in Russia’s far east on his way back from the summit in Alaska. 

Chukotka is separated from Alaska by the Bering Strait. Putin met with the regional governor there, state media reported.

Donald Trump held a “lengthy” call with Volodymyr Zelensky on his way back to Washington, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.

The US president is currently on the phone with leaders of Nato countries, she added.

Donald Trump has landed after returning from Alaska, according to reporters. 

He landed at around 2am local time (7am in the UK). 

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin did not discuss holding a three-way meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin has said. 

Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide who was present during the summit, said he did not know when the two leaders would meet again. 

It comes after Mr Trump told Fox News that both Putin and Mr Zelensky “want me there” at the next summit. 

A Ukrainian MP has said the result of talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was one of the “worst outcomes” possible for Ukraine. 

“There is no ceasefire as a result of this meeting,” Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian MP, told The Telegraph. “Putin has won some time for him and his troops.”

She continued: “President Trump, in his own words, got a very good meeting. Ukraine got nothing.”

Ms Rudik also criticised the US president for greeting Putin with “warmth”, saying “one can only tolerate that if it is a means to a result.”

“It can be considered as one of the worst outcomes, because it seems President Trump has been fooled by Putin.”

If you’re catching up on the overnight summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, here’s what you need to know:

• Shortly after 8pm, Putin landed in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was greeted on the red carpet by the US president
• The two leaders almost immediately entered talks, which lasted three hours
• Their summit had been planned to be one-on-one but the two leaders were joined by key advisers at the last minute
• Talks ended after around three hours, with the two then immediately heading into a press conference 
• Putin, who was on US soil for the first time in 10 years, was the first to speak, talking up the history between the two countries
• The Russian leader also flattered Mr Trump by suggesting he would have stopped the war from breaking out in the first place
• Mr Trump, meanwhile, hailed a “productive” meeting but admitted there was “no deal” on peace between Russia and Ukraine
• The US president later hinted he might visit Putin in Moscow, admitting: “I’ll get a little heat on that one.”
• The press conference then ended without any questions from the media. The two men left the stage and both departed Alaska shortly after. 
• Hours later, Russia launched a new drone and ballistic missile attack on Ukraine

Russia launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, just hours after talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended.

Front-line territories in the Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were targeted in the overnight strikes, the Ukrainian air force said, adding that 61 drones were destroyed.

Moscow also continued to attack Ukraine in the hours leading up to the summit, launching a ballistic missile in central Ukraine and firing drones at a shopping market in Sumy, northern Ukraine.

Donald Trump said both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky want him to attend the next round of peace talks. 

Asked if the prospect of a second meeting came up, the president told Fox News: “Yeah, it did. I mean, they both want me there and I’ll be there. You’ve got to see it out.” 

Asked by Fox News’ Sean Hannity what advice he would give to Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, Mr Trump answered: “Make the deal... it’s really up to president Zelensky to get it done.

“And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it’s up to president Zelensky,” he continued, warning his Ukrainian counterpart: “Russia’s a very big power.”

Donald Trump has rated his summit with Vladimir Putin 10 out of 10, despite appearing to make little progress towards securing a ceasefire in Ukraine. 

Speaking to Fox News, he said: “So I think the meeting was a 10 in the sense that we got along great, and it’s good when two big powers get along especially when they are nuclear powers.”

The press conference was called after about three hours of talks, a little earlier than expected. Had a deal been struck? A ceasefire?

Hot takes among the dozens of journalists assembled at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage suggested this was a sign of disaster for Vladimir Putin: he’d clearly infuriated Donald Trump. Not a bit of it. We knew immediately from the smiles on stage.

Putin spoke first and went out of his way to list as many examples of common ground he shared with Mr Trump as he could.

In a speech that could have been written a year ago, we were treated to a canter through shared Soviet and American experiences in the Second World War, then a reference to a military burial site in Alaska and the graves of soviet pilots (it was “worthy and noble” of the local people to look after the burial site, Putin gushed).

Donald Trump has said he has now plans to sanction countries like China for buying Russian oil but said he could reconsider in a “two or three weeks”. 

The president had threatened to impose hefty sanctions against Moscow and its trading allies in a bid to force Putin into ending the war. 

The president last week imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing its continued imports of Russian oil.

Asked whether he would now impose further sanctions against China, he said: “Well, because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that.”

“Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well,” he added. 

Melania Trump raised the issue of children abducted from Ukraine by Russian forces in a personal letter to Vladimir Putin, White House officials have said.

Donald Trump hand-delivered the First Lady’s letter to the Russian leader when the two men met for peace talks in Alaska, which ultimately failed to result in a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

The officials, who spoke to Reuters, did not offer further details on the letter.

Mrs Trump has emerged as a key influence on her husband’s stance on the war, with the president saying he had “opened her eyes” to Putin’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Social media commentators have dubbed her “secret agent Melania Trumpenko”.

Meaghan Mobbs, the daughter of Trump’s special envoy to Kyiv Keith Kellogg, told The Telegraph in July that Mrs Trump had quietly pressured her husband to protect “innocent Ukrainians” from attacks.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament has said it was “very painful” to see a red carpet rolled out for Vladimir Putin.

Kira Rudik, speaking to CNN from Kyiv, said: “Seeing this red carpet is just a disgrace, honestly, and it’s very triggering and very painful because I don’t think it was absolutely necessary.

“If there was a result for Ukraine, a ceasefire... then we would say, ‘Whatever you will have to do to get the job done.’ But the job was not done.”

Ms Rudik went on to suggest that Putin had “fooled” Mr Trump into dropping his demand for a ceasefire and said the US president had taken “the worst approach” in dealing with the Russian leader.

“It creates a sense of appeasement,” she said.

The press conference was called after about three hours of talks, a little earlier than expected. Had a deal been struck? A ceasefire?

Hot takes among the dozens of journalists assembled at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage suggested this was a sign of disaster for Vladimir Putin: he’d clearly infuriated Donald Trump. Not a bit of it. We knew immediately from the smiles on stage.

Read the full analysis from Dominic Nicholls here.

The White House has posted a black and white photo of Donald Trump seemingly jabbing a finger into the chest of Vladimir Putin.

The picture, accompanied by the caption “the goal is always peace”, shows the US president in what appears to be a dominant mode, leaning over his Russian counterpart with his hand outstretched.

The picture is strikingly similar to one of Richard Nixon during his visit to Moscow in 1959, in which he points his finger at Nikita Khrushchev, then the prime minister of the Soviet Union. 

Lindsey Graham has poured cold water on Vladimir Putin’s claim that the Ukraine war would not have started with Donald Trump in power.

Putin claimed on Friday that he could “confirm” he would not have invaded Ukraine with Mr Trump in the White House, a point that was repeated later in the evening by Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Mr Graham, a close ally of the president, responded: “I blame Putin more than anybody else for starting the war, I want be clear about that.

“But let me tell you, I’ve never been more hopeful and optimistic that this war can end honourably and justly than I am right now.”

Lisa Murkowski, the senator for Alaska, where Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin, is “cautiously optimistic” about a peace deal.

However, she conceded that the two leaders revealed scant details of what they had discussed earlier on Friday.

“While the press conference offered few details about their meeting, I’m cautiously optimistic about the signals that some level of progress was made,” she wrote on social media.

“It was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings, which I hope will include Ukraine.”

The Republican added: “Ukraine must be part of any negotiated settlement and must freely agree to its terms as we seek an end to the violent, unlawful war being waged against it.”

During his interview with Sean Hannity, Donald Trump said he had received advice on election integrity from an unlikely source.

“Vladimir Putin, smart guy, said you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting,” he told the Fox News host following peace talks with the Russian leader.

“And he said there’s not a country in the world that uses it.”

Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has steadily tightened his grip on power in Russia, while elections have been marred by accusations of fraud, voter intimidation and the assassination of opposition politicians.

Last year, he claimed victory in Russia’s presidential election with around 90 per cent of the vote.

The CIA also concluded that Moscow had sought to interfere in the US’ 2016 presidential election to sway it in favour of Mr Trump, who has repeatedly criticised the findings as a hoax.

Donald Trump said he has shelved the idea of secondary sanctions on Russian allies, following talks with Vladimir Putin.

“I think I don’t have to think about that,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.

“I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now.”

Asked about land swaps taking place between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump said: “Those are points that we negotiated and those are points that we largely agreed on, actually.”

He went on to praise Vladimir Putin as a “strong guy, tough as hell” but said their talks were nevertheless “very warm”.

“I think president Putin would like to solve the problem,” the president added.

Asked what advice he would give to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, he answered: “Make a deal... Russia’s a very big power.”

Donald Trump claimed Vladimir Putin told him: “I’ve never seen anybody do so much so fast... your country is like, as hot as a pistol.

“A year ago he thought it was dead,” the US president added.

“Nothing brought him to the table, he’s a very smart guy,” Donald Trump said of peace talks with Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump said he “got along great” with Vladimir Putin and claimed their meeting was a “10”.

“It’s good when two big powers get along, especially when they’re nuclear powers... that’s a big deal,” he told Sean Hannity.

Donald Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin “very sincerely” wants peace in Ukraine.

He told Fox News the Russian president made a “very good speech” and that afterwards they “spoke very sincerely”, adding: “I think he wants to see it done.”

However, Mr Trump conceded there were “one or two pretty significant items” he disagreed with Putin on.

Now it is “up to president Zelensky to get it done” with cooperation from European nations, he said.

Donald Trump said he was “very happy” to hear Vladimir Putin say the Ukraine war would never have broken out if he was in the White House.

“I was very happy to hear him say if I was president that war would have never happened,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.

He went on to attack his predecessor, Joe Biden, as a “terrible president”, adding: “He should have never let it happen.... there are millions of people killed.”

When Hannity said there was “one big issue” the two leaders had disagreed on, Mr Trump declined to reveal further details.

“No, I’d rather not,” he said. “I guess somebody is going to go public with it. They’ll figure it out... I want to see if we can get it done.”

Democrats have poured scorn on Donald Trump for failing to secure a peace deal despite rolling out the red carpet deal for Vladimir Putin.

“Treat a war criminal like royalty, hide the meeting, share nothing. Putin gets a headline and Ukraine gets what?” said Mark Kelly, the Arizona senator. 

“Next time, ink the deal first.”

Gavin Newsom, the California governor, mocked Mr Trump for leaving the press conference without taking questions in a social media post apparently mimicking the US president.

“Trump just fled the podium with Putin - no questions, nothing! Total low energy,” he wrote on X.

“The man looked like he’d just eaten three buckets of KFC with Vlad. Is he afraid the press will ask about me???”

Donald Trump is leaving Alaska following his talks with Vladimir Putin. The US president has just clambered up the steps of Air Force One, which will shortly be flying south.

Roughly a minute later, Putin’s plane left for Moscow.

Sota, an independent Russian media outlet, called the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin essentially “pointless”.

The Ukraine peace talks, which saw the world’s media flock to Alaska, ended “without any concrete results”, it noted.

“Overall, the presidents, speaking to journalists after their face-to-face meeting, exchanged many general words and compliments about each other, but quoting them is pointless,” it continued,

“From the perspective of resolving the war in Ukraine, the meeting ended with nothing.”

Vladimir Putin is now preparing to leave Alaska, following inconclusive peace talks with Donald Trump.

Vladimir Putin spoke for more than twice as long as Donald Trump, according to NBC News.

The Russian leader, who began the press conference, spoke for eight minutes and 30 seconds, whereas Mr Trump spoke for three minutes and 24 seconds, it reported.

Ria Novosti, a Russian news agency, noted that Putin spoke for more than eight minutes while the US president “spoke for less than four”.

A Ukrainian politician has labelled the talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin a “failure” after the leaders failed to reach a peace deal.

Oleksandr Merezhko told The New York Times: “I think it’s a failure because Putin was again talking about security concerns and used his usual rhetoric. I don’t see any changes.”

Mr Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said the Russian leader “won the informational war” by appearing alongside the US president.

“He used Trump to show that he is not isolated,” he said.

In a comment aimed only to delight the US president, Putin says the war with Ukraine would never have happened if Mr Trump was President.

The Russian president claimed has tried to start dialogue with Joe Biden but was denied.

Repeating the president’s claim that the conflict would not have took place if he were president, Putin said “I’m quite sure it would indeed be so.”

Donald Trump says he could meet Vladimir Putin for future talks in Moscow.

The Russian president, switching to English for the final portion of the press conference, said he would see Mr Trump “next time in Moscow” when they met again.

Mr Trump stopped short of accepting the invitation but called it “an interesting one”.

“I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening,” he said, before the press conference finished.

Donald Trump says he held a “productive” meeting with Vladimir Putin, adding that a deal has not yet been reached.

Some disagreements remain between the US and Russia, Mr Trump said, adding that he would soon call Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president.

Vladimir Putin says war in Ukraine would not have broken out if Donald Trump had been in power.

“President Trump [said] that if he was the president back then, there will be no war, and I’m quite sure that it would indeed be. So I can confirm that,” he says.

Vladimir Putin says that “bilateral trade started to grow” when Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

“This is still very symbolic... it’s clear that the US and Russian investment and business cooperation has tremendous potential,” he continues. 

“Russia and the US can offer each other so much in trade, digital, high tech and space exploration.”

Vladimir Putin says he and Donald Trump have reached an agreement they hope will “pave the path towards peace in Ukraine”.

“We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively and that they won’t throw a wrench in the works,” he continues.

Vladimir Putin is continuing to address the press conference.

He said the Ukraine war is a “terrible wound”, adding: “In order to make the settlement lasting and long-term we need to remove the primary causes of conflict.

“I agree with president Trump that the security of Ukraine should be maintained.”

Vladimir Putin, speaking through a translator, is paying tribute to the joint military history between the US and Russia during the Second World War.

“We’ll always remember other historical examples when our countries defeated common enemies together in a spirit of battle,” he says.

Putin adds relations between the US and Russia had deteriorated to their lowest point since the Cold War, saying: “I think that’s not benefitting our countries and the world as a whole.”

He calls Ukraine a “brotherly nation, however strange it may sound in these conditions - we have the same roots, and everything that’s happening is a tragedy for us”.

Vladimir Putin is the first to address the press conference, standing alongside Donald Trump at a neighbouring podium.

Putin revealed what he said to Mr Trump after disembarking his plane in Alaska: “When I came out of the plane I said: ‘good afternoon, dear neighbour good to see you in good health and to see you alive. I think that’s very neighbourly.’”

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have walked into the press conference, which has begun now.

Mr Trump has previously said he would appear on his own if he decided the Russian leader was not serious about peace.

Senior members of Donald Trump’s administration have entered the press conference, including defence secretary Pete Hegseth, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has also walked in.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has taken his seat in the front row of the press conference, which suggests Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will speak to the media at any moment. Other members of the American and Russian delegations have taken their seats.

The world’s media rushed to the ballroom doors shortly after 2pm local time after White House officials announced the press conference would go ahead earlier than planned.

Hundreds of journalists are crammed in the room, which has been split in two. Russian media are positioned on the left, while American media and some of Donald Trump’s officials are on the right of the room.

During his flight to Alaska,  the US president warned that he would “walk” if the meeting, which ended up lasting around three hours, did not go to plan.

Talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin went “remarkably well”, Russia’s special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has told state media.

Alexander Darchiev, Russia’s ambassador to the US, struck a more measured tone and said negotiations were “generally positive”, according to Ria Novosti.

Mr Darchiev added that he wanted to see normal diplomatic relations return between the US and Russia, but conceded there had been “no major breakthroughs”.

A press conference is expected to take place within minutes.

Talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have now finished. It means a press conference should be imminent.

Two podiums have been set out, but Mr Trump has said he will speak to reporters alone if he decides the Russian president is not serious about peace.

That second podium is still out, and Fox News reports that a soundcheck is being conducted in Russian, which suggests Putin will be speaking to the media after all.

A top aide to Donald Trump says the US president, Vladimir Putin and their aides are still meeting, according to the Associated Press.

The aide, Dan Scavino, said Mr Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are still behind closed doors with Putin and the Russian delegation.

The meeting has lasted for around two-and-a-half hours.

Vladimir Putin was clearly delighted to be in Alaska and meeting Donald Trump – a vindication, in his eyes, of his actions and an acceptance that he was back at the top table of world politics.

Mr Trump’s effusive reaction to seeing the Russian president approaching stood in stark contrast to his greeting of any other world leader.

As he stood waiting for his guest, Mr Trump kept clapping his hands; whether the applause was for himself or at the thought of potential future energy agreements, only one person in the world knew.

A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman has gloated about Vladimir Putin’s “red carpet” welcome to Alaska.

Maria Zakharova said it showed how claims in the media about Russian isolation following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago were “complete madness”.

“Western media are in a state that can be called obsession, bordering on complete madness,” she wrote on Telegram.

“For three years they talked about Russia’s isolation, and today they saw the red carpet with which the Russian president was welcomed in the USA.”

US news outlets report that senior Russian officials, many of them sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine, have been seen walking around Anchorage and eating at its restaurants.

Russian state media has leaned into the warm welcome Mr Trump gave Putin following his first step on US soil since 2015, posting photos of the two men greeting each other, shaking hands and grinning.

This is the current scene in the media tent as Russian and American journalists await the joint press conference between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Discarded lunchboxes, coffee cups, and a plethora of Diet Coke litter this makeshift press centre.

Laptop chargers and camera cables act as tripwire between respective organisations.

The snack room, a large spread of almost every American candy you can think of, has become somewhat of a safe haven for those eager for a sugar hit.

In adjacent ballroom, where the leaders will take to their respective podiums shortly, the world’s broadcasters are in position.

CNN has reported that the working lunch with the expanded delegation has not yet started.

It means the smaller meeting with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and their delegates is still ongoing, according to the network.

Donald Trump’s warm reception of Vladimir Putin almost could not be more different from the greeting Volodymyr Zelensky was given earlier this year.

Ukraine’s leader was kicked out of the White House in February after he pushed back on suggestions that he should work harder to secure a ceasefire with Putin.

Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian president of being “very disrespectful” to his American hosts and claimed he was “gambling with World War Three” as the Oval Office meeting descended into a shouting match.

He later temporarily suspended US military aid to Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin’s “Aurus” limousine was waiting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson before the Russian leader headed off in Donald Trump’s presidential Cadillac instead.

Media showed footage of the car, equipped with Russian number plates and flag on its bonnet, driving around the tarmac of the military base.

The detail, reported by Russian media agencies, suggests that Putin being chauffeured to peace talks in “The Beast” may have been a last-minute offer by Mr Trump as part of a charm offensive by the US president, rather than being planned in advance.

Natalia Kosikhina, a Russian senator, told a state news agency that the shared journey between the two men showed a “high level of mutual trust” and that they were “ready for an open dialogue”.

The six-ton Aurus Senat, which was first used by the Russian leader for his inauguration in 2018, is styled after the 1940s ZIS-110 Soviet limousine.

In response to a reporter’s question, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he expected the US would lift some sanctions on Russia after the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

“They will definitely lift them off someone, that’s for sure,” Lavrov said, in comments reported by the Washington Post.

Security was tight. Uniformed US personnel from the army, navy, marines and air force were in attendance, the chatter from their radios a constant backdrop to proceedings.

The sight of American soldiers kneeling before Vladimir Putin’s plane to secure the red carpet to the tarmac is an image that will appal many.

Critics of Trump, Putin or both will see it as a craven act by a weak president courting favour with a man considered a war criminal. Others might say it is the necessary underbelly of international diplomacy.

More radio chatter and a member of the US Air Force hurried through the media facility, returning after a few minutes carrying a large ice-filled tureen. Emergency over, the ice cream for the leaders’ lunch was secure.

For us mortals in the press pack, it was interesting to note that as we were subjected to security screening by the US Secret Service, there was not also a second check by Russian officials.

That Moscow would allow people uncleared by their own side to get so close to Vladimir Putin is notable. The Russian team probably considered it a risk worth taking to not upset their hosts.

Reporters are currently waiting in a tent for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to emerge from talks that could decide the fate of Ukraine.

The two leaders will hold a joint press conference in a briefing room adjacent to the media tent, where podiums have been set up alongside Russian and American flags.

“Pursuing Peace,” is emblazoned on the blue backdrop the two men will stand in front of.

This is the first meeting between the two men since they spoke on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.

Plans for a one-on-one talk between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin may have been dropped - they are currently meeting alongside close aides - but the Russian leader had the US president all to himself earlier today.

Putin was chauffeured from the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to the meeting place in the bomb-proof presidential limousine known as “The Beast”.

The ride marks a rare honour for a foreign leader, let alone one who is wanted for war crimes. In Mr Trump’s first term, only Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Shinzo Abe - the Japanese prime minister who cultivated a close relationship with the president - had the same experience.

Mr Trump and Putin were in “The Beast” for roughly ten minutes before arriving at a meeting spot.

Contributors on US media suggested the Russian leader would use the opportunity to win over Mr Trump ahead of more formal talks, while he was isolated from aides in the back of the limousine.

Putin was clearly delighted to be in Alaska and meeting Donald Trump, a vindication, in his eyes, of his actions and an acceptance that he was back at the top table of world politics.

Donald Trump’s effusive reaction to seeing the Russian approaching stood in stark contrast to his greeting of any other world leader.

As he stood waiting for his guest Mr Trump kept clapping his hands; whether the applause was for himself or at the thought of potential future energy agreements only one person in the world knew.

The two men met for the first time since 2018. Given so much that has happened to both of them since then, perhaps the warm smiles acknowledged their shared journeys over the last seven years. Mr Putin would certainly wish it so; another way for him to try to find common ground with Donald Trump, to seek to demonstrate to the American how alike they are in an effort to portray how they stand alone against the world.

A gentle tap from each man on the other’s forearm reinforced the chummy optics both were keen to present.

The White House had laid on the full dog and pony show: on the ground, a red carpet and a ride together in The Beast. In the air, a five-ship formation flypast of a B-2 bomber flanked on either side by a pair of F-22 Raptor fighters. The shouted questions from reporters nearby went unanswered.

As they sat together, Mr Putin looked supremely relaxed: back in his happy place at the centre of global affairs and with the glow from the US President taking the edge off the slight chill in the Alaskan air.

It is worth pausing to consider just how extraordinary the images from Alaska are.

For Vladimir Putin, President Trump’s invitation to Anchorage was already a victory, one trumpeted with baying triumphalism in Russia’s pliant state media.

But the welcome he received as he landed would surely have surpassed all expectations. Here was a man wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges being greeted by the world’s most powerful figure with what appeared to be genuine warmth.

On the red carpet, Mr Trump applauded the approaching Russian leader before shaking his hand and briefly squeezing his arm.

In the 42 months since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, every Western leader has refused to meet Putin, let alone shake his hand. Europe sought to freeze him out. Mr Trump has just brought him in from the cold.

For millions watching in Ukraine, the scenes will have stirred anger and deep foreboding. They will hope that Mr Trump is still on their side when he appears later to face the press -- but many will fear they have just watched the opening moments of a great betrayal.