Trump interrupts meeting with European leaders to call Putin - Bild newspaper reports

Trump interrupts meeting with European leaders to call Putin - Bild newspaper reports

In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump interrupted his meeting with European leaders to take a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The incident occurred during a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump and Putin had a nearly three-hour meeting to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meeting, which was held on July 02, 2025, did not yield any immediate ceasefire or agreement to end the war.

Putin, who spoke to the media onstage with Trump after the meeting, claimed that an agreement was reached that would "pave the path toward peace in Ukraine." However, Trump was more cautious, stating, "There’s no deal until there’s a deal." In a subsequent TV interview, Trump said he didn't want to reveal what they disagreed on, but mentioned that a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was forthcoming, and that he would attend as well [1].

Zelenskyy was not invited to the talks, and had warned that decisions made in his absence would be meaningless. Trump later stated that he would soon call Zelenskyy and NATO leaders to discuss the meeting with Putin. The summit also saw Putin receiving a warm welcome from Trump, with the two leaders shaking hands on a red carpet laid out on the tarmac before departing for the summit together [1].

The interruption of the meeting with European leaders to take a call from Putin has raised eyebrows among political analysts and observers. The move has been criticized by some as a distraction from the main agenda and a sign of Trump's preference for direct negotiations with Putin over multilateral discussions. Meanwhile, others have argued that the call could be a sign of Trump's desire to personally mediate the conflict and find a peaceful resolution.

The summit, however, did not produce any concrete outcomes, and the future of the conflict in Ukraine remains uncertain. The meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is expected to take place soon, with Trump indicating that he would attend. The European nations, including Ukraine, will likely play a significant role in the ongoing peace talks [1].

References:
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-putin-summit-alaska-ukraine-war-russia-peace-live-updates-rcna224983