But, given the pushback he got from the Kremlin, Trump did not have room to promise much more. Last week, after his summit with Putin in Alaska, he had already set aside his main source of leverage over the Russians—the threat of sanctions and tariffs that could weaken Putin’s economy. “We don’t have to think about that right now,” Trump remarked.

The talks between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, which took place in Alaska, have not resulted in any particular agreements, despite both sides stating that it was a constructive meeting.