Carrots, Sticks or Nothingburger? Putin-Trump Conference Surprises Observers

The Alaska summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump ended with a highly unusual press conference, leaving observers questioning the direction of U.S.-Russia relations and the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine.

Press Conference Without Questions

According to Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, the White House had initially prepared two scenarios: a joint appearance if talks were successful, or a solo address by Trump if they failed. "Neither happened," she remarked. Instead, Putin was the first to address the press, an unexpected move given that the event took place on U.S. soil.

Neither leader answered questions, with the Kremlin explaining that both presidents had already made "comprehensive statements."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also declined to comment further, while the U.S. delegation canceled a scheduled joint lunch. Trump promptly returned to Washington after the event.

Aftermath and Reactions

The closed-door talks lasted nearly three hours. Reports from RBC, TASS, and Fox News noted that Trump reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders following the summit. However, sources close to Zelensky told the Financial Times that he had not yet received word from Trump, calling the silence "very strange."

Some analysts described the results of the summit as a "nothingburger," meaning an event that drew much attention but delivered little substance. Nonetheless, Trump signaled the possibility of a new three-way meeting with Putin and Zelensky. “Now everything depends on President Zelensky,” Trump said, adding that Europe must also “get more involved.”

Behind-the-Scenes Discussions

Sources cited by CNN revealed that U.S. officials privately discussed offering Putin economic incentives—or "carrots"—to encourage progress on peace talks. These incentives could include negotiations on business deals or a potential arms control agreement, areas where European partners had shown little initiative.

According to Reuters, another idea floated in Washington was the use of Russian nuclear icebreakers to support Alaskan gas and LNG extraction projects, a potential deal that could have emerged from the summit. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that U.S. officials considered threatening sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a ceasefire, along with tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil—including China.

"Now everything depends on President Zelensky. I think we [with Putin] are ready. And if they want, I’ll join the next meeting." — Donald Trump