The Trump-Putin summit has reframed Ukraine peace talks
Image: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine, marking their first face-to-face summit since Trump’s return to office.
The summit, which featured Trump welcoming Putin with a red carpet, military flyover, and ride in the presidential limousine, wrapped without any ceasefire or peace deal following nearly three hours of discussion.
What went down in Alaska
Trump, who had previously called for an immediate ceasefire, appeared to shift his approach in Friday’s summit with Putin. Discussions between the two leaders centered around reaching a more lasting peace deal, rather than agreeing to a temporary ceasefire as the first step in negotiations (a move sought by Ukraine and European leaders).
- Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw from all remaining unconquered territory in its eastern Donbas region—which is currently ~88% controlled by Russian troops—as the price for a lasting peace deal, according to Russian officials.
- Russia’s proposed agreement would also see it keep the ~20% of Ukraine it has conquered.
In exchange, Putin offered security concessions. Any potential peace deal would carry strong security guarantees for Ukraine, according to Steve Witkoff, Trump’s lead negotiator with Russia. On Sunday, Witkoff told CNN that Trump and Putin reached an agreement at the Alaska summit allowing the US and Europe to "offer Article 5 protection" for Ukraine, referring to NATO’s principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Meanwhile, Europe is planning its own summit
In the aftermath of the Trump-Putin meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to visit the White House later today to “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”
- Zelenskyy will be accompanied by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Finland, the EU, and NATO on his visit to Washington.
- A major focus of Monday’s meeting with Trump will be security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, including the role the US might potentially play, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Big picture: Analysts say the Alaska summit may have reframed the peace process in Ukraine from reaching an urgent ceasefire to working on a lasting peace deal that could involve territorial concessions from Kyiv.
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Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that the US should impose harsh sanctions on Putin, even if it has the potential to blow up peace talks, since the bigger risk is that Putin believes he can string along talks to avoid punishment, as Iran did during Biden’s presidency.
- Others contend that Putin succeeded in his core task at the Alaska summit with Trump, which was to ensure he could continue his offensive in Ukraine without US punishment, though it’s still too soon to know for sure that this was the sellout Ukraine and European allies had feared.
- “Trump’s incomplete Alaska summit” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “Trump and Putin’s Alaska Theatrics Imperil Ukraine — and Europe” –Marc Champion, Bloomberg
- “There must be no more gifts to Vladimir Putin” –The Guardian Editorial Board
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the substantive news from the Alaska meeting seems to be that Putin refuses to end his war in Ukraine and won’t even agree to a temporary cease-fire, and also that Putin successfully started his rehabilitation as a world leader in exchange for nothing.
- Others contend that for all the positive tone at the Alaska meeting, the substance was modest—and if nothing else, the summit revealed the bottom lines for peace negotiations with Russia, the US, and Ukraine.
- “No Ukraine Cease-Fire From Putin” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “What comes next for US, Russia and Ukraine after Alaska summit” –Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (ret.), Fox News
- “Putin appears to earn yet another Trump reprieve” –Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner
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