Trump hints at big progress after Putin meet

Washington, Aug 18: After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump posted a short message on Truth Social. He wrote, “Big progress on Russia, stay tuned,” without giving details.

The two leaders spoke for three hours but did not reach an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. They mentioned a few points of understanding, but no breakthrough was achieved.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said the talks included issues that could help future peace efforts. He stressed that while no immediate solution is expected, there was “enough movement” to plan a follow-up meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Rubio added that if peace cannot be achieved, stronger action against Russia will be needed.

Meanwhile, At home, Democrats expressed alarm at what at times seemed like a day of deference, with Trump clapping for Putin as he walked down a red carpet during an elaborate ceremony welcoming him to US soil for the first time in a decade. The two rode together in the presidential limousine and exchanged compliments.

Trump seemed to revel in particular in Putin echoing his oft-repeated assertion that Russia never would have invaded Ukraine if Trump had been in office instead of Democrat Joe Biden at the time.

Before news cameras, Trump did not use the opportunity to castigate Putin for launching the largest ground invasion in Europe since World War II or human rights abuses he’s been accused of committing. Instead, Putin was the one who spoke first, and invited Trump to join him in Moscow next.

“President Trump appears to have been played yet again by Vladimir Putin,” said Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The President rolled out a red carpet and warmly greeted a murderous dictator on American soil and reports indicate he got nothing concrete in return.”

“Enough is enough,” she went on. “If President Trump won’t act, Congress must do so decisively by passing crushing sanctions when we return in the coming weeks.”

Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he supports diplomacy but “peacemaking must be done responsibly.”

“Instead of caving to Putin, the US should join our allies in levying tough, targeted new sanctions on Russia to intensify the economic pressure,” he said.

Republicans and Trump allies offer little response so far

In Washington, the summit was met by little response from Trump’s allies. Republican lawmakers who spoke out were largely reserved and generally called for continued talks and constructive actions from the Trump administration.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, wrote on social media after the summit that “while the press conference offered few details about their meeting” she was “cautiously optimistic about the signals that some level of progress was made.”

Murkowski said it “was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings” but that Ukraine “must be part of any negotiated settlement and must freely agree to its terms.”