‘Next Time in Moscow’: Putin Extends Trump Invitation as Summit Ends/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ As their Alaska summit concluded without a Ukraine ceasefire deal, Vladimir Putin invited Donald Trump to hold their next meeting in Moscow. Trump, surprised by the suggestion, did not dismiss the idea, joking he would “get a little heat” for it. The invitation underscores Putin’s bid to normalize ties amid ongoing isolation over the war.
Trump Putin Moscow Invitation Quick Looks
- Putin ended Alaska summit with invitation: “Next time in Moscow.”
- Remark delivered in English, unusual for Putin in public.
- Trump chuckled, said it was “interesting” but controversial.
- A U.S. president has not visited Russia in over a decade.
- Obama last traveled to Russia for the G-20 in 2013.
- Trump called the summit “productive” but admitted no ceasefire deal.
- Putin stressed need to shift from “confrontation to dialogue.”
- This was Putin’s first U.S. visit since 2021.
Deep Look: Putin Invites Trump to Moscow After Inconclusive Alaska Summit
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — At the close of their Alaska summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised U.S. President Donald Trump with a public invitation: “Next time in Moscow.” The remark, spoken in English during their joint press appearance, sparked chuckles from Trump, who responded with interest while acknowledging the controversy such a move would generate.
“Oh, that’s an interesting one,” Trump replied. “I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.”
Symbolism of a Potential Moscow Visit
If realized, the trip would mark the first visit by a U.S. president to Russia in more than a decade. The last was Barack Obama’s 2013 visit to St. Petersburg for the G-20 summit. For Putin, who has faced growing global isolation since his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hosting Trump in Moscow would represent a major diplomatic victory and a symbol of restored legitimacy on the world stage.
Yet the White House offered no immediate comment on Trump’s willingness to travel, and officials stressed that no such plans are in place.
A Summit Without Breakthroughs
The Moscow proposal capped a summit that both leaders described as “productive,” though it yielded no concrete progress toward halting the war in Ukraine. Trump said that while he and Putin had agreed on “many points,” they failed to resolve “the biggest one” — a ceasefire or framework for peace.
“We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” Trump told reporters, suggesting further talks may follow.
Putin echoed a desire to move forward, emphasizing the importance of shifting from “confrontation to dialogue” and highlighting the need to “go back to cooperation.” Still, he offered no concessions, reiterating that the roots of the conflict stem from what Russia views as fundamental security threats.
The Larger Context
The Anchorage meeting was Putin’s first with a U.S. president since 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine. According to State Department records, it was also his eighth visit to the United States since taking office in 1999.
The optics were striking: the two leaders standing together beneath banners reading “Pursuing Peace,” Trump praising progress while Putin flattered his host. Yet neither offered details on specific agreements, leaving much of the substance unknown.
For Putin, the summit offered valuable imagery: a red-carpet welcome in the U.S., warm exchanges with Trump, and the suggestion of future high-level diplomacy. For Trump, it provided a platform to showcase his dealmaking image, even as the war in Ukraine remained unresolved.
The Road Ahead
The possibility of a Moscow meeting, however uncertain, signals that both leaders intend to keep lines of dialogue open. Trump has promised to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies about the talks, underscoring that “it’s ultimately up to them” to decide on peace terms.
For now, the Anchorage summit ends with gestures, optics, and talk of future meetings — but without the breakthrough Trump had promised on the campaign trail. Whether “next time in Moscow” becomes reality will depend not only on Trump’s political calculations at home but also on the course of a war that continues to rage across Ukraine.
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