Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed he reached “understandings” with US President Donald Trump over ending the war in Ukraine, following their meeting in Alaska last month. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China, Putin did not clarify whether these discussions would lead to direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which Trump reportedly sought to broker.
Putin used the summit to once again defend his decision to invade Ukraine, blaming the West for the conflict. He argued that the crisis stemmed from a coup in Ukraine supported by Western nations and the West’s repeated attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO, rather than Russia’s 2022 invasion. He also reiterated his long-standing opposition to Ukraine joining the Western military alliance.
Following the Alaska meeting, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Putin had agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential future peace deal. However, Moscow has not confirmed these assurances. Trump, speaking after his meetings with both Putin and Zelensky, emphasized that any agreement would involve security guarantees without deploying US troops, describing Europe as the “first line of defence” and suggesting a framework similar to NATO’s Article 5.
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted that Putin faced a Monday deadline set by Trump to agree to peace talks, warning that failure to respond would show he had “played President Trump.” Trump, meanwhile, has given Russia a few more weeks to respond, continuing a series of ultimatums he has issued in recent months.
Putin also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their support, particularly in efforts to “facilitate the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.” Both China and India remain major buyers of Russian crude, despite criticism from the West that their purchases bolster Russia’s war economy.
The remarks come as Russia continues its military offensive, recently launching its second-largest aerial attack on Ukraine, including a strike on Kyiv that killed 23 people. Zelensky has dismissed proposals for a buffer zone and accused Russia of seeking to delay negotiations, while Western powers, including Germany and France, have pledged to pressure Moscow to reach a deal.
As the conflict continues, the world watches closely whether Putin will translate these “understandings” into tangible steps toward ending the war.
