Trump ‘once again got played’ by Putin, says US senator
Senator Chris Van Hollen criticized President Trump Sunday, saying he was "played" by Putin during the Alaska summit, where the Russian leader received a warm welcome but no ceasefire or immediate Ukraine-Russia talks were secured.
- Americas
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 11:38 | 18 August 2025
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said Sunday that US President Donald Trump "once again got played" by Russian President Vladimir Putin following their recent meeting in Alaska.
"Donald Trump, once again, got played by Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin got the red carpet treatment on American soil. But we got no ceasefire, no imminent meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy," Van Hollen said in response to a question on ABC's Newsweek.
"All the threats and sanctions that, you know, Donald Trump talked about apparently have been set aside. Donald Trump got flattered by Vladimir Putin. But when it comes to Ukraine and our European allies, this was a setback," he said.
Trump and Putin held a three-hour closed-door meeting Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, with Putin saying they reached an "understanding."
Following the summit, Trump told Fox News that significant points were agreed upon, with only minor items remaining.