Trump 'skeptical' of Putin, may dismiss Russia's Alaska summit demands, Axios reports
on Google
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed mounting frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France earlier this month, Axios reported on June 27, citing two G7 officials.
The report comes as the Kremlin has accused the U.S. of failing to uphold the agreements supposedly reached by Trump and Putin at their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska in August 2025.
Trump expressed frustration with Putin at the G7 and signaled that he may walk back the "Alaska understandings," two G7 officials told Axios.
The so-called "Alaska understanding" refers to Moscow's request that Washington to pressure Ukraine to withdraw completely from Donbas, one person familiar with the Alaska discussions previously told the Kyiv Independent. The demand — which would involve Ukrainian forces giving up territory it currently controls — is a non-starter for Kyiv.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said on June 25 that no final deal was reached in Anchorage.
"There was no agreement in Alaska. There was a proposal, but there was no agreement," Rubio told reporters, contradicting the Kremlin's characterization of the summit. "If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end to the war."
That say day, Trump also said President Volodymyr Zelensky was "doing pretty well" in the war, noting Ukraine's recent large-scale drone attacks against Moscow. He went as far as to say Ukraine was "winning now." His remarks came shortly after a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that Trump privately prompted Zelensky to act "more boldly" toward Russia.
While Russian officials have denied this, they have also lashed out at Washington for not following through on the alleged promises made in Alaska, reflecting Moscow's growing unease with the U.S. position on the war.
Trump's skepticism of Putin and admission of Zelensky's recent success may not translate into meaningful action, sources cautioned Axios.
"Trump was skeptical about everything regarding Putin, and talked about pressure on Russia, but other leaders do not believe he will actually do something about it," one official said.
