Next time in Moscow?': Five takeaways after Trump and Putin's Alaska summit

The Meeting's Background

Monday's summit between President Trump and Russian President Putin stood out among recent US-Russia meetings in its relatively public format and its focus on bilateral issues. The two leaders held a joint press conference and issued a joint statement. Unlike past meetings, it was not overshadowed by a major international crisis.

The Substance

The two leaders discussed several issues, including nuclear arms control, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and cybersecurity. The joint statement highlighted the two countries' agreement to "cooperate in ensuring cybersecurity in critical infrastructure," and the presidents "agreed to explore joint capabilities to detect and respond to cyber threats." The statement did not provide further details on this cooperation, but it is a notable development given the numerous cyberattacks originating from Russia against US infrastructure.

The Reactions

The meeting received mixed reviews from lawmakers and officials in the US and Europe. The Ukrainian government, which has been at war with pro-Russian separatists since 2014, expressed concern that the summit would "undermine international efforts to restore peace in eastern Ukraine and resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict." The US and Russian delegations did not discuss Ukraine at the summit, and the Ukrainian president urged Trump not to "make another concession to Putin."

In the US, there has been growing scrutiny of Trump's relationships with Putin, given ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pronounced the summit "a gift to Putin" that was "unnecessary and unwelcome," and several congressional Democrats argued that Trump should not have met with Putin "alone."

Looking Ahead

The two leaders did not make any major new commitments at the summit and neither side disclosed any follow-up meetings. For now, the two sides are planning to continue military and diplomatic contacts. As one US official told reporters, "The door is open to having further conversations in the future."

Whether or not there will be a next time, this first meeting set an important baseline for US-Russia relations going forward. The tone and outcome of any future meetings will depend largely on the results of upcoming US elections and the trajectory of the war in Ukraine.