After Alaska meeting, Putin, Trump may meet in Moscow next

US President Donald Trump has said it is now "up to Volodymyr Zelensky" to secure peace with Russia, after his high-stakes talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a ceasefire. Putin promptly responded by suggesting their next meeting be held in Moscow, an unexpected invitation that drew smiles from both leaders, with Trump calling the idea “interesting.”Trump who had warned earlier that he would be "unhappy" if Putin refused to agree to a truce in Anchorage, admitted he left "empty-handed" with "no deal" after the meeting.

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Onus on Zelenskyy

Trump said the responsibility now lay with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin would be arranged soon.

"Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy 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 Zelenskyy," Trump told Fox News after the summit.

Despite the lack of a breakthrough, Trump hailed the talks as a success, rating them “10 out of 10” because of the rapport he shared with Putin.

He described the meeting as “extremely productive” with “many points” agreed, though he offered no specifics, only saying their discussions had been "very warm."

No deal yet

Trump and Putin made no breakthrough on Ukraine at their high-stakes summit. Trump declined to answer a question about what the two leaders had disagreed on.

"There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant," Trump said without elaborating.

"I want to make sure it gets done. And we have a pretty good chance of getting it done," he added.

Trump repeatedly praised Putin, calling him "a strong guy" and "tough as hell," but insisted the talks were constructive. "I think we’re pretty close to the end. And look, Ukraine has to agree to it," he told CNN.

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Territory talks underway

Asked whether peace would require Kyiv to surrender territory, Trump responded, "Those are points that we negotiated and those are points that we largely agreed on, actually." On his advice to Zelenskyy, Trump added simply, "Gotta make a deal."

The three-hour summit, which ended abruptly, offered no news on a ceasefire. Trump, who often touts himself as a master dealmaker, said, "We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal."

He said he would next consult Zelenskyy and NATO leaders, who remain wary of his outreach to Putin.

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Trump invited to Moscow

For his part, Putin warned Ukraine and Europe "not to create obstacles" or "disrupt progress through provocations or behind-the-scenes intrigues."

He expressed hope that the "understanding" reached would "pave the way for peace in Ukraine."

Putin also flattered Trump, saying he agreed with the US president’s claim that the war in Ukraine would not have begun if Trump had been in the White House instead of Joe Biden.

Concluding the press event, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for further talks. "Next time in Moscow," he said. Trump accepted, replying, "That’s an interesting one. I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening."

Zelensky to meet Trump on Monday

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President announced that he had spoken to Trump for over an hour and a half and would meet the US President on Monday in Washington.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation,” stated Zelensky in a post on X.

“We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasises that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” he added.