KABUL: The highly anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place on Friday at the Anchorage Air Force Base but concluded without any agreement on ending or establishing a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Putin indicated that the next round of negotiations might occur in Moscow. After nearly three hours of discussions, the two leaders only mentioned “progress” on some issues and did not answer reporters’ questions. Trump stated, “We agreed on several points, but we have not yet reached a conclusion on some important matters. There is no agreement until a final deal is made.” Putin expressed hope that Ukraine and European countries would view the results of the negotiations as constructive and would not obstruct progress. This was Putin’s first meeting with a U.S. president since the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, marked by an official welcome, a red carpet, and the slogan “In Search of Peace.” Some observers described it as a diplomatic victory for Putin. After the meeting, Trump told Fox News that he would not impose new tariffs on China for now and plans to contact Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders. He added that he would be willing to attend a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky, although details of such a meeting remain unclear. Meanwhile, parts of eastern Ukraine were under airstrike alerts, and Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone attacks on border areas. An opposition member in Ukraine reacted by stating, “No ceasefire was agreed upon, nor was there any de-escalation.
