Fox News host Howard Kurtz is known for being measured in his media critiques. However, even he couldn’t stop himself from rebuking Donald Trump‘s summit at Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Like every unnecessary hyped event, the fire fizzed out before the barbecue was lit. This summit that was billed as a chance to bring an end to the Ukrainian-Russian war, and that was supposed to redefine US-Russia relations ended on a low note. At the conclusion of the summit there were only vague statements, no concrete agreements, and an unusual silence before reporters.
Kurtz was speaking on his show Media Buzz and summarized the spectacle bluntly.
“Not much was accomplished,” said Kurtz.
That was a harsh statement and coming from Fox News, it felt harsher. But this was an accurate assessment that echoed the sentiment everywhere. Both political commentators and foreign policy experts said that after all the media circus, speculation and promises, this summit was all about photo-ops. There was hardly anything achieved in Anchorage.
As the dates of the summit were approaching, Trump was teasing possibilities of several breakthroughs. He was hinting that he could pressure Putin into a ceasefire and that he could potentially bring peace to Ukraine.
However, he finally accepted the failure of the summit, saying, “We didn’t get there.”
Apparently, his violent handshake did not work with an ex-KGB agent and career dictator.
Fox Host Howard Kurtz Humiliates Trump With Savage Take on Putin Summit https://t.co/EdY6WcS9L8
— Lynn Rucker (@LynnRucker8) August 18, 2025
Associated Press has reported that the summit produced no ceasefire deal. There was no confirmed timeline for negotiations and no commitments on sanctions.
However, the biggest glaring mistake was the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the talks of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Not inviting the leader of the country whose future one might be discussing is like an all-male team of politicians discussing a women’s health bill in the White House.
Critics called this the biggest strategic blunder and one of the reasons no one outside the White House took it seriously.
What was more interesting was how Fox News was among the media houses reporting the failure of the talks. Given how Fox often provides cover for Trump’s political maneuvers, Kurtz’s candid remarks were a surprise break from the regular programming.
Kurtz emphasized on the lack of details, and poor planning as one of the reasons for the failure of the talks. The refusal to take questions from the press left Americans and allies without clarity on what, if anything, had been achieved.
‘Just Vague Assurances’: Fox’s Howard Kurtz Says It’s ‘Clear’ Trump-Putin Summit Didn’t Accomplish Much https://t.co/S6JhdAz3Ka
— Tuck The Frumpers (@realTuckFrumper) August 17, 2025
Kurtz wasn’t the only one who had criticized White House’s approach to the seriousness of the matter. He called the summit a “setback for Trump.”
He even welcomed Putin onto the US soil without him making any concessions was a win for the Kremlin and White house was left feeling like the one making all compromises.
During the whole summit only one possible development emerged. Steve Witkoff,who is a Trump envoy, claims that Putin might be open to a framework. Based on this framework, Ukraine may get NATO-style security guarantees.
However, these are all assurances and nothing has been signed on the paper and this still does not assure Ukraine a NATO membership. But they could represent a pathway to negotiations.
Meghan Hays on FOX News says the United States became an ally of Russia thanks to the Alaska Trump/Putin meeting. Host Howard Kurtz and his producers let it pass without question.
— GUIguana (@albedobell) August 17, 2025
Meghan Hays is a former aide to President Joe Biden. She had lambasted the optics of the summit and called out the red-carpet reception for Putin as “a gift of legitimacy.” She claimed that this has downplayed Russia’s role as an aggressor.
For now, the war in Ukraine is still on. And the world is left waiting for genuine progress rather than vague promises.
