ANCHORAGE,— President Donald Trump concluded a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday without securing a deal to end the war in Ukraine, falling short of his most ambitious diplomatic effort since returning to the White House. The meeting ended without a cease-fire or even a pause in fighting, despite Trump’s pledge earlier this year to swiftly deliver peace. Notably, Zelenskyy was not included in the meeting with Putin — a departure from the long-standing Western policy of involving Kyiv directly in any negotiations. Trump had campaigned on his ability to cut deals and said earlier this year he would end the Ukraine war “on day one” of his return to office. Ukraine has insisted that any talks must involve its leadership directly, maintaining the principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Kyiv’s exclusion on Friday drew concern across Europe.