The Trump-Putin meeting concluded hastily after three hours: the undercurrents and impacts behind the US-Russia rivalry!
The long-awaited meeting between the US and Russian leaders, which took place after six years, ended abruptly after just three hours. The planned lunch was canceled at the last minute, and Putin immediately left on a private plane, while Trump returned to Washington right away. The pace of this highly anticipated summit far exceeded external expectations.
The format of the talks was changed from a one-on-one discussion to a three-member delegation from each side. The US delegation included Secretary of State Rubio and presidential envoy Witkoff, while the Russian side was accompanied by Foreign Minister Lavrov and presidential assistant Ushakov. This change was prompted in part by the EU and Ukraine's concerns — they worried that Putin might reach an unfavorable consensus with Trump in a private discussion, hence the need for a "hawkish" figure like Rubio to be present to constrain and balance the negotiation direction.
Although neither side explained the reason for canceling the lunch, it seems that the US and Russia may have been eager to return home to implement preliminary agreements; another possibility relates to security considerations, as Trump’s previous attack experience made Putin especially cautious during his foreign trip. Notably, Trump employed a "carrot and stick" strategy taking advantage of the home field, while Putin understood that responding to a "transactional" opponent required more substantial leverage; relying solely on aluminum and rare earth resources seemed insufficient, and his hasty departure may pave the way for preparations for the next round of talks in Moscow.
Ultimately, regardless of the consensus reached by both sides, if it is not recognized by Ukraine, subsequent progress will still face significant obstacles. The actual effectiveness of this brief summit will depend on whether each party's subsequent actions can break the deadlock.
