The leading topic for British publications is the summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States, which took place in Alaska. The topic is of particular importance for London because it is a strong supporter of Ukraine and has long-standing privileged relations with Washington. London, together with Paris, is also a co-initiator of the "Coalition of the Willing" to provide guarantees for the security of Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement in that country, writes BTA.
Trump, who is known for making deals, did not reach a deal on Ukraine during the summit in Alaska, notes the “Financial Times“.
Trump and Putin never reached a peace deal in Ukraine, adds the “Daily Telegraph“. However, Putin achieved exactly what he wanted from Trump, namely a return to the world stage, the newspaper adds.
Two issues remain unresolved in Washington's relations with Moscow, believes the Russian ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darkiev. The first is that of Russian diplomatic properties, which were "confiscated" during the Barack Obama administration, and the second is the direct air link between the United States and Russia, which stopped after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Russian ambassador, there was no major breakthrough from the summit in Alaska, writes the “Times“.
At the joint press conference, many statements raised more questions than answers, in addition to the fact that the presidents did not answer journalistic questions, but made only brief statements, the publication adds. Even the location of a possible next summit between Putin and Trump remains unclear. Putin suggested that it be in Moscow, but if the next meeting is to include the Ukrainian president, then this location could prove very problematic, the newspaper commented.
The publication also focuses on the fact that the two presidents may not have answered journalistic questions, but they did speak warmly about each other. Putin complimented Trump several times and spoke of cooperation, while Trump spoke of their fantastic relationship with Putin, with whom he had a very productive meeting at which progress was made.
Trump did not reach a deal on Ukraine, but advised Zelensky to reach a deal, notes “The Guardian“.
“The Independent“ writes that Putin's refusal to answer a question about whether he would stop the killing of civilians has already become a meme on social media.
The meeting is a blow to Trump's reputation as a negotiator, notes the BBC's North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher. "There's no deal until there's a deal," Trump said at the start of his statement after the Anchorage summit. It was a roundabout way of acknowledging that after several hours of talks there was no deal. There was no truce. There was nothing concrete to report. The president said he and Putin had made “a lot of progress,” but he didn’t elaborate on what exactly had been achieved, leaving the world to speculate about what that might be.
Trump has come a long way from producing such vague statements, though America’s European allies and Ukrainian officials may be relieved that he has not offered unilateral concessions or agreements that could undermine future talks. For a man who likes to portray himself as a peacemaker and negotiator, Trump appears to have left Alaska with neither. There is also no indication that a future summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in the offing, despite Putin’s “next time in Moscow” joke about his next meeting with Trump. While Trump had less to lose in these negotiations than with Ukraine or Russia, it will still be a blow to his prestige at home and abroad, after he had previously promised that the meeting had only a 25% chance of failing. In addition, the president had to endure the obvious humiliation of standing silently while Putin began the press conference with lengthy opening remarks. It was a marked departure from the usual practice in the Oval Office, where the US president usually delivers a speech while his foreign counterpart watches without comment, the BBC journalist said.
Although Alaska is a US territory, Putin seemed more comfortable in what his officials like to call "Russian America." That could haunt the US president in the coming days and influence the media coverage that will paint this summit as a failure. The big question now, which reporters failed to ask yesterday in Anchorage, is whether Trump will decide to impose new sanctions on Russia, which he has repeatedly threatened. The president partially answered that question in the friendly atmosphere of an interview with "Fox News," saying that he would consider such a step "maybe in two, three weeks." But given that the president has promised "severe consequences" if Russia does not take steps towards a ceasefire, such a vague response could raise more questions than answers, the BBC journalist comments.
Putin has had his moment in the spotlight, says Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia editor. Today, the Russian president has had his moment in the geopolitical spotlight, sharing the stage with the leader of the world's most powerful country. But how will Trump react to what has happened? He has yet to persuade Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine. He has previously threatened a tougher approach to Russia, with ultimatums, deadlines and warnings of more sanctions if Moscow ignores calls for a ceasefire. Will he do it now?, the journalist asks.
He also commented on the fact that Putin and Trump left the press conference without answering any questions. The Russian delegation also left the room quickly, without answering any of the journalists' questions. These were clear signs that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump still have serious differences of opinion on the war in Ukraine. Donald Trump insisted on a Russian ceasefire. Vladimir Putin did not give it to him. Earlier in the day, the atmosphere was completely different. President Trump had rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, treating the Kremlin leader as an honored guest, the author of the publication recalls.
Ukraine breathed a sigh of relief, but fears what lies ahead, says Vitaly Shevchenko, BBC Russia editor, referring to what happened during the Alaska summit. What just happened in Anchorage may seem disappointing to many, but in Kiev there will be sighs of relief that no "deal" was announced that would cost Ukraine territory. Ukrainians will be concerned, however, that during the joint press conference with the media, Vladimir Putin again spoke about the “root causes” of the conflict and said that only their elimination will lead to lasting peace. Translated from the Kremlin language, this means that he is still determined to pursue the original goal of his “special military operation” – namely, to break up Ukraine as an independent state. Three and a half years of efforts by the West have failed to make him change his mind, and now the summit in Alaska is added to them. The uncertainty that persists after the meeting is also worrying. What will happen next? Will Russia’s attacks continue with unabated force? Over the past few months, Western deadlines given to Russia have expired without consequences, and the threats have never been fulfilled. Ukrainians see this as an invitation for Putin to continue his attacks. They may view the apparent lack of progress made in Anchorage in the same way, the BBC journalist adds.
In addition to dwelling on the fact that there was no deal on Ukraine in his comments about the summit, Reuters in turn emphasized that Trump said that Putin agreed with him that voting by mail in elections puts fair elections at risk. “Putin, a smart boy, says that you can't have fair elections with voting by mail,“ Trump told the “Hannity” program of “Fox News” journalist Sean Hannity, after meeting with Putin in Alaska, Reuters points out.