Image source, Reuters

There have been a flurry of developments since US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin left the summit in Alaska without a peace deal or ceasefire for Ukraine.

Let's take a look at what the key players have said:

Donald Trump

The US president held calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato leaders in the hours after his summit with Putin.

Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that the leaders were all in agreement that the best way to end the war is through a "direct peace agreement," rather than a temporary ceasefire.

The US president confirmed Zelensky will visit Washington DC for talks on Monday. "If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin," he said.

Volodymyr Zelensky

The Ukrainian president was not invited to the summit in Alaska, but has been vocal in the hours since.

Zelensky said he told Trump in a call that sanctions on Russia should be strengthened "if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war".

Vladimir Putin

In a statement after his meeting with Trump, Putin said he is "sincerely interested" in putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

He described the summit in Alaska as a "starting point for resolution" but warned that Ukraine and Europe must not "sabotage" talks.

European leaders

A joint statement from eight European leaders said they are ready to work toward a trilateral agreement and broadly agreed with Trump that the next step should be talks with Zelensky.

Image source, Handout via Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he expects Russia to "increase pressure and strikes" on Ukraine in the coming days to "create more favourable circumstances for talks with global actors".

In a post on social media, Zelensky says Ukraine is documenting the movement of Russian troops and will "counteract, if necessary".

"Ukraine needs strong positions and truly tangible resistance to the enemy," Zelensky adds.

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent, reporting from Brussels

One reported area of discussion in Alaska were security guarantees for Ukraine “inspired by Nato's Article 5”.

For context, Article 5 holds that Nato members will come to the defence of an ally which comes under attack.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni claims it was originally an Italian idea which Donald Trump brought up with his Russian counterpart.

It could see Ukraine’s allies, including the US, promising to act if Russia decided to attack it again.

Kyiv has long wanted to be part of the military alliance but - in the absence of an upcoming membership - it’s an idea hard to ignore.

It would also soften the blow of possibly having to allow Russia to keep hold of Ukrainian territory it has taken.

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

A senior Downing Street source tells the BBC that “if any ceasefire is going to be a peace deal," it needs to include security agreements “and US involvement is a key part of that”.

The source says a “ceasefire without those is just an opportunity for Putin to go away and re-arm” adding: “You can’t take him [the Russian president] at his word”.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said - after the Alaska summit and his call with European leaders - all were in agreement that the best way to end the war "is to go directly to a peace agreement" rather than a temporary ceasefire "which often times do not hold up".

Asked whether this is correct, the Downing Street source says the key thing is making sure fighting ends in a way that could lead to lasting peace.

"If you can get that all done [a ceasefire and a peace agreement] in one go or in quick succession that’s obviously a good thing, but we all want to see the fighting stop," the source adds.

Joel Gunter
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, EPA

In the absence of any substantial outcome from last night’s summit, people in Kyiv are reacting to the way the Russian president was treated in Alaska - what politicians tend to call the ‘optics’ of the meeting.

American soldiers knelt to - literally - roll out the red carpet for Putin, while Trump referred to him as “the boss” and gave him a lift in the US presidential limousine.

“Red carpets and this type of ceremony are done at international events, but in this case - for an aggressor responsible for the deaths of millions - it should not have happened,” Maria Drachova, a 40-year-old lawyer, says.

“The rational world behaved irrationally by giving him that welcome,” she adds.

Serhii Orlyk, a 50-year-old veteran from the eastern Donetsk region, says he felt “crushed” by what he saw.

“I understand that for negotiations you shake hands, you can’t just slap Putin in the face when he arrives. But this spectacle with the red carpet and the kneeling soldiers, it’s terrible, it makes no sense.”

Valentyna Sikora, 72, a scientist, tells me she stayed up all night to watch the news. She is not bothered by the presentation, she says.

“To me, it seemed like just an external display. Everything around it looked like a performance, but the results didn’t match the spectacle.”

But, she expresses relief that “no conditions were put on Ukraine” adding: "Judging by the expressions of the Russian delegation, they didn’t look all that satisfied either, to be honest.”

Image source, Reuters

Ukraine's foreign minister says Putin must face the "consequences of dragging out his war".

In a post on X, Andrii Sybiha says: "Only his actions are real indicators of whether he is truly willing to end his terror and aggression."

"That is why the strategy of peace through strength remains our priority," he says, before urging for more pressure on Moscow.

Sybiha adds Ukraine is "committed to peace efforts" and is looking forward to the meeting scheduled with US leaders in Washington on Monday, "to discuss steps ahead to put an end to the killing and war".

Liza Fokht
BBC News Russian, in Alaska

Image source, Kremlin/ EPA

Before leaving Alaska, Putin spoke with Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska.

I met Archbishop Alexei yesterday at a service at St. Innocent’s Cathedral, on the outskirts of Anchorage, ahead of the Putin-Trump summit.

Alaska, once part of the Russian Empire, is home to 50,000 Orthodox Christians. This week, Archbishop Alexei urged his congregation to pray for the leaders’ talks.

There was a particular focus on the non-aligned Orthodox Church in America in the lead-up to the talks - particularly given the Russian Orthodox Church's close ties to the Kremlin.



After the service, the Archbishop spoke to the BBC and did not suggest any plans to meet with President Putin.

He did, however, address questions about the war, saying he welcomed dialogue between the leaders and hoped Trump was seeking peace.

The congregation included both Ukrainians affected by shelling and Russians with relatives in the army, he said.

On Putin, he was more cautious: “My message is that repentance is good. Stop hurting people is good. As for Putin and his soul, I’ll leave that elsewhere.”


Putin’s meeting with the archbishop clearly demonstrates the Russian leader's real priorities.

Instead of the expected hours-long negotiations, Putin once again managed to project the image of a defender of the faith and of all Orthodox Christians - the argument he uses to justify the war in Ukraine.

Why the shift from ceasefire to peace deal is significantpublished at 12:05 British Summer Time 16 August

12:05 BST 16 August

Joe Inwood
World news correspondent

Before the summit, the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said meaningful negotiations to end the war in Ukraine could only take place “in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities”.

Now, that seems to have all changed.

After his meeting with Putin, President Trump said that a full - no doubt lengthy - peace process was the “best way” to end the war, with fighting continuing on the ground in the meantime. This, he said, was because temporary ceasefires “often times do not hold up”.

According to Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, this is another diplomatic victory for the Russians.

“If Putin’s military objective was to avoid immediate constraints on Russian operations in Ukraine, then he appears to have succeeded,” he says.

The Russians are still taking ground in the east of Ukraine, which they would no doubt try to use to enhance their hand in future negotiations.

Savill says Moscow is playing for time: “It seems unlikely that Russia will be prepared to take any significant steps backwards. And though Russian progress on the ground is painfully slow, it still seems to be calculating it can outlast Ukraine and its international backers.”

Europe has made is crystal clear that its support for Ukraine remains.

The US’ position is less clear, which provides a major challenge for the EU and UK, says Savill.

“Europe now has a difficult decision to make on the level of risk it is willing to take when backing Ukraine.”

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he told President Trump sanctions should be strengthened on Russia "if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war".

"Sanctions are an effective tool," he adds in a statement.

He reiterates that "all issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine’s participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine".

Following talks with Trump and coordination with European leaders, Zelensky says the positions are clear: "A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions."

He calls for an end to the killing, a ceasefire on the ground and in the sky, the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war, and for pressure on Russia to be maintained while fighting continues.

"Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US," he adds.

Trump announcing he'd bypass an initial ceasefire is a blow to Kyivpublished at 11:40 British Summer Time 16 August

11:40 BST 16 August

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent, reporting from Brussels

In a moment of coordination, European leaders have put out a joint statement where they’ve again pushed for three-way talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia.

After fiercely lobbying Donald Trump ahead of the Alaska summit, his announcement that he’d bypass an initial ceasefire is a blow to the bloc and Kyiv, because it was one of their main requests.

Striving for a lasting peace agreement will take time, and it seems fighting will continue until such a moment arrives. That suits Russia and not Ukraine.

Europe also welcomed Trump’s “openness” to providing security guarantees to Ukraine - an assurance the US would step in if the war was to reignite – but this is an area of scant detail.

It’s why Europe has reiterated its “willingness” to play an active role in policing peace in Ukraine, in the hope America takes a long-term interest too.

On the difficult subject of territory, Ukraine’s neighbours have repeated that it won’t agree to anything Kyiv does not.

Image source, Reuters

More comments from European leaders are coming in, after their call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

French President Emmanuel Macron says European leaders agree it is essential to "maintain pressure on Russia" until peace has been achieved in Ukraine.

Macron says they're also aligned in their position that peace in Ukraine "must be accompanied by unwavering security guarantees" and he welcomes the USA's "willingness to contribute".

Finland's President Alexander Stubb echoes Macron's statement, saying "strong and credible security guarantees" are crucial for peace in Ukraine.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says a "glimmer of hope" has opened for discussing peace in Ukraine before adding: "Italy is doing its part alongside its Western allies".

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that “President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before” to ending the war in Ukraine.

In a statement, he says the next steps must involve Zelensky - and that peace cannot be decided without him.

Here is his statement in full:

President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.

While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.

This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.

I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.

In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people.

Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.

A group of European leaders has published a joint statement following talks this morning with Trump and Zelensky, saying that the "next step must now be further talks including President Zelensky".

The leaders say they are "ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky towards a trilateral summit with European support".

"We stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia," the statement says, adding that "Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests".

"It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force," the statement continues, adding that the leaders are "determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace".

The joint statement comes from:

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
• French President Emmanuel Macron
• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
• Finnish President Alexander Stubb
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk
• European Council President António Costa

Russia's defence ministry says their troops have taken two villages in eastern Ukraine - Kolodyazi in the Donetsk region and Vorone in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Since the full scale invasion three years ago, Russian forces have slowly expanded the amount of territory they control. They have been making incremental gains in the east of Ukraine in the past few months.

Russian forces are advancing at an average of 15 to 16 sq km a day into Ukrainian territory, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says.

“Russian forces have been working on eroding Ukraine's ability to defend its logistic lines since Spring 2025, and those efforts are paying dividends now,” ISW Russia team lead and senior analyst George Barros says.

Russia now controls around 20% of Ukraine's territory.

Trump has touted territorial swaps to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, but President Zelensky has said that Ukraine will not give up any land in exchange for peace.

Joel Gunter
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, Reuters

Ukrainian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk tells the BBC that the “human dimension must be returned to the political process” taking place over the war.

“What will happen to the dozens of thousands illegally detained citizens, men and women, and prisoners of war… this question is very urgent,” Matviichuk says.

According to Ukrainian authorities, nearly 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are still in captivity in Russian prisons after being abducted by the invading army.

That's not counting the nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children estimated to have been taken to Russia.

In June, I spent time with families of Ukrainian civilians still detained in Russian prisons.

Their fear is that their loved ones are being left out of the discussions around peace, and there is no framework in place to return them to Ukraine.

Matviichuck says she has lost faith that Trump can bring a peaceful solution to the war.

“As a candidate for president, [he] said that he would finish this war in 24 hours. This is the longest 24 hours in history.”

We're yet to hear directly from some of Zelensky's closest European allies following their call with the Ukrainian president and Donald Trump - but Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggests we may be getting a statement soon.

In a post on X, Tusk writes that European leaders have prepared a joint statement.

We'll keep an eye out for it and bring it to you when it's released.

Summit amounts to a clear win for Putinpublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 16 August

10:11 BST 16 August

Tom Bateman
Reporting from Alaska

Trump wanted to walk out of the summit with agreement from Putin on a ceasefire - the same demand he has made of him since March.

But he didn’t get it. He says he got progress, but would not say what or how.

So, as the war’s architect, Putin got an effective American embrace, a red carpet welcome and presidential applause.

Trump, in return, got nothing to present as a tangible achievement. The summit, then, amounts to a clear win for Putin.

The Russian president also used the moment to warn the Europeans not to throw a “wrench” into his ties with Trump.

That was his attempt to sharpen divisions between the Trump administration and America’s European allies - something he has tried to leverage repeatedly under Trump.

But he went further still. In an extraordinary statement, he echoed Trump’s long-stated claim that the war would not have happened if Trump had been president (rather than his predecessor, Joe Biden).

Putin will know this taps directly into Trump’s false claim, that still resonates with much of his base, that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him.

In a few quick sentences Putin, on US soil, was using the stage provided him by Trump to exploit and deepen the divisions between the US and Europe - and those within America itself.

Image source, Getty Images

Following his meeting with Putin and phone call with Nato leaders - including Ukraine's Zelensky - US President Donald Trump says "it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement".

In an update on his Truth Social platform, Trump says this would end the war and be more substantial than "a mere Ceasefire Agreement".

The US president adds that he had "a great and very successful day in Alaska".

Trump also confirms - as we heard earlier from Zelensky - that the Ukrainian president will be flying to Washington DC for talks in the Oval Office on Monday.

"If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved," he says.

Joel Gunter
Reporting from Kyiv

Despite the lack of any concrete results from last night’s summit, Putin emerges as the victor, says Ukrainian politician and anti-corruption activist Yaroslav Yurchyshyn.

Four years after his last meeting with a US president – before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – the friendly Alaska summit marks the return of Putin to the global diplomatic stage, Yurchyshyn says.

Putin also gains time, he adds. “Time for negotiation with China, time for new arrangements for mobilisation, time to concentrate on social and economic issues at home.”

And for Ukraine, it demonstrates the rapidly increasing importance of European partners, Yurchyshyn says.

“Trump was easily manipulated by Putin, with statements like, how the full scale invasion would never have happened if he was president.

“So next meeting, for Ukraine it will be vital to have the European Union and Britain present.”

Our correspondents have been trying to make sense of Trump and Putin's meeting on Friday - here's some of their analysis:

Warm words

Despite the lack of a substantive breakthrough on a ceasefire, both sides will characterise this as a success says chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue.

Difference of opinion

Putin got his moment in the geo-political limelight, sharing the stage with the leader of the world's most powerful country - and has so far had to make no noticeable concessions over the war, writes BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg.

Uncertainty persists

There will be signs of relief in Kyiv that no deal has been announced that would cost Ukraine territory - but the anti-climactic end to Friday's meeting also proves that years of Western efforts have failed to change Putin's mind, says BBC Monitoring Russia editor Vitaliy Shevchenko.

A win for Putin

You could see Putin smiling as he sat with Trump inside the presidential vehicle, a starkly different reception than Zelensky received when he visited the White House earlier this year, our chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue writes.

Repeating history?

Ukraine's exclusion from the summit rings familiar - in 2020 the Afghan government was similarly shut out as Trump sought a deal with the Taliban, says chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet.