JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska: President Donald Trump said he and Vladimir Putin didn’t reach a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after meeting on Friday, though Putin suggested they had hammered out “an understanding” as both provided scant details but offered effusive praise of the other.
Speaking moments later, Trump said he planned to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders soon to brief them on the discussions.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said. He said that while there were many points where agreement was reached, they fell short on others.
The two leaders met for about 2 1/2 half hours on Friday at a summit in Alaska that started with a handshake, a smile and a ride in the presidential limousine — an unusually warm reception for a US adversary responsible for launching the largest land war in Europe since 1945.
They planned to hold a joint news conference after talking together with top advisers behind closed doors on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
