President Donald Trump walked out of his three-hour Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and told the world they’d made “a lot of progress” toward ending the war in Ukraine. But then he dropped the real teaser — there’s “one big issue” still holding up a deal… and he’s not telling us what it is.
That single phrase has set off a wave of speculation. What could be so sensitive that Trump won’t even whisper it on Sean Hannity’s set? What’s so explosive that naming it could blow up the talks before they even start moving? The answer may be the key to understanding whether peace is weeks away or years off.
A Summit with the Stakes Sky-High
The two leaders met Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, under the shadow of a dramatic show of U.S. military muscle — a perfectly timed B-2 stealth bomber and four F-35 fighters slicing the sky above the base. Trump called it “incredible” and “perfectly timed,” a reminder to Moscow that America’s leverage comes with real hardware.
“No Deal Until There’s a Deal”
Trump told Hannity afterward that while the meeting covered a lot of ground, “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” Many points were agreed upon, but the “one big issue” remains. He refused to say what it was, noting that publicizing it now would only harden positions. “I want to see if we can get it done,” he said.
Putin Signals Openness — With Limits
According to Trump, Putin “wants to see it done,” speaking “very sincerely” in private after the press conference. But sincerity doesn’t equal surrender, and Trump made it clear this next phase is up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the European powers who will have to sign off on any settlement.
Why the Mystery?
The likeliest answer to what Trump won’t say out loud is the most obvious: territorial sovereignty. Crimea. Donetsk. Luhansk. These are the flashpoints both sides have shed blood over, and neither leader can walk away without something they can sell as a win at home. Naming it publicly now would set off political alarms in Kyiv and Moscow and risk freezing the talks before they move forward.
Three Ways the “One Big Issue” Could Be Resolved
1. Long-Term Lease – Ukraine keeps sovereignty on paper but leases the disputed areas to Russia for decades, giving Putin effective control while Zelenskyy claims he never surrendered the land.
2. Neutral Zone with International Oversight – The contested regions are demilitarized and placed under international administration, with a future referendum deciding their fate.
3. Conditional Recognition – Ukraine recognizes Russian control of certain areas in exchange for massive reconstruction aid, Russian withdrawal from other contested zones, and binding non-aggression guarantees.
Each would allow both sides to declare victory — and each would require Trump’s knack for packaging a deal so both sides can sell it at home.
Respect and Leverage
Trump credited America’s renewed strength for bringing Putin to the table, pointing to NATO members paying more toward defense and his trade policies that squeezed Russia’s revenue. Putin, in turn, publicly stated that the war would never have started if Trump had been president and agreed with Trump’s claim that the 2020 U.S. election was “rigged” due to mass mail-in voting.
Saving Lives Above All
For Trump, the endgame is humanitarian as well as strategic. He says ending the war could save 7,000 lives a week — most of them soldiers, but also civilians caught in targeted attacks. His advice to Zelenskyy was blunt: “Make a deal.”
What’s Next
Negotiators are now working on a possible three-way meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy. Whether the “one big issue” gets solved in that room will determine if Alaska becomes a historic turning point or just another stop on the long road of war.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
Details to work out first for meeting 2