The summit in Alaska fell short of expectations. Although U.S. President Donald Trump regards it as proof that the leaders of both countries are capable of negotiating, in reality, no agreements were reached.
This opinion was expressed by diplomat and international analyst at Ukrinform, Ihor Dolhov.
“The summit in Alaska was meant to be a historic event under the slogan ‘Pursuing Peace,” but it turned out the way it always does. That’s my conclusion,” Dolhov said.
He offered another summary of the meeting, characterizing it with the phrase: ““They were greeted with applause at the foot of the aircraft stairs, and hurriedly seen off in the corridor.”
“The meeting took place, but combat actions continue. There are agreements, but no formal deal. The meeting, as Trump says, was productive, but (the parties – ed.) failed to reach full understanding. Putin would like to end this conflict just as much as Trump himself, but it didn’t work out,” the diplomat noted.
“The meeting took place, but the armed conflict continues. There were understandings, but no formal agreement. According to Trump, the meeting was productive, yet the two sides failed to reach full mutual understanding. Putin, like Trump, would have liked to end the conflict—but it didn’t work out,” the diplomat noted.
He added that he would give Trump 10 out of 10 points “just for deciding to end the meeting and not waste time on extended negotiations and lunch.”
“Why the White House called the meeting historic, and why Trump praised it so highly, became clear in his interview with Fox News. Trump believes the summit demonstrated that the leaders of two major nuclear powers are capable of negotiating. They may be capable, but for some reason, no agreement was reached. So once again, there are no results that could be framed as a success story,” Dolhov emphasized.
He noted that if Trump was referring to the same agreements his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, discussed with Putin at the Kremlin, then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already made Ukraine’s position clear: there will be no capitulation, and Ukraine’s territory is not negotiable.
From Putin’s perspective, Dolhov said, the situation looks entirely different. “It could be described as a ‘pre-packaged two-step maneuver.’ The Chekists, FSB operatives, love that sort of thing,” he remarked, referring to a strategy aimed at achieving two goals: breaking out of international isolation and stalling sanctions.
The expert also pointed to a new element in the Russian dictator’s rhetoric.
“All Trump managed to achieve was a public mention by Putin of Ukraine’s security,” the diplomat suggested, adding that it remains unclear what Putin actually means by that.
“What kind of guarantees for Ukraine? A puppet regime in Kyiv, fully subordinate and obedient to Moscow. Only then would there be so-called security guarantees under ‘reliable Kremlin protection.’ That is absolutely unacceptable to us,” he emphasized.
Summing up the Alaska meeting, the diplomat stated: “The summit took place, but at this point we cannot say whether it brought peace closer or pushed it further away. There is still no answer to the question of how to stop combat actions—or even how to get Putin to stop killing our people.”
As earlier reported, on August 15, President Trump held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Representative Steve Witkoff. Representing Russia were Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov.
At a press conference following the meeting, President Trump emphasized the productivity of the talks and expressed his intention to brief U.S. allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the outcomes.
After speaking with Trump by phone earlier today, President Zelensky voiced support for a proposed trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. The details of the negotiations are expected to be discussed with President Trump on August 18 in Washington.
Source: Summit in Alaska was meant to be historic, but it turned out as always – diplomat
