The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was full of symbolism and gestures of mutual respect. Although it was originally planned to last six to seven hours, it ended after less than three and, contrary to the original plan, did not include a joint dinner. Hastily arranged following the visit of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow on August 6, both sides sought to lower expectations for the meeting, whose outcome was difficult to predict in advance.
Before the summit, President Trump declared that his main objective was to promote negotiations for a temporary ceasefire that could lead to the end of the war. However, it quickly became clear that Trump had adopted the Russian approach: He announced that Washington was bypassing the idea of an immediate ceasefire and instead would pursue a sustainable agreement to end the war altogether. This stood in contrast to the hard line Trump had recently taken in imposing severe sanctions on Russia and its partners—sanctions that were not mentioned at all during the summit. In effect, Trump sought to present the summit as a major success, despite the absence of concrete details pointing to any real achievements.
President Putin, for his part, sought to use the summit to end more than three years of international isolation imposed by the West and to restore Russia’s image as a power equal to the United States. It was also important for him to prevent a temporary ceasefire so Russia could continue consolidating its control over additional territories in Ukraine. Putin still believes that the Russian army can prevail on the battlefield. In practice, the Russian president succeeded in shifting the discourse toward his maximalist demands, rooted in the so-called “root causes” of the conflict in Ukraine—namely, Russia’s clear interest in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
According to media reports, following the Alaska summit, Trump believes that swift negotiations toward a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine are possible, provided that President Zelensky agrees to give up parts of the Donbas region not yet occupied by Russia, in addition to the territories already under its control. In return, Russia would pledge to halt military activity along the frontlines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. At this stage, it is difficult to verify Trump’s impressions, but this may represent a turning point in the war from an American perspective. Trump aspires to convene a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelenskyy, although, at present, no concrete proposal is on the table.
Unlike the Biden administration, which maintained that “negotiations about Ukraine cannot take place without Ukraine,” the current administration has created a precedent that changed the rules of the game and presented both the Ukrainians and the Europeans with new challenges. On Monday, a meeting is scheduled at the White House between President Trump, President Zelenskyy, and European leaders to discuss the implications of the Alaska summit, including possible security guarantees for Ukraine. The issue of guarantees is highly sensitive and complex since their implementation on the ground depends on various factors and involves considerable logistical difficulties.
From Moscow’s perspective, the outcome of the presidential meeting allows it to continue along the path Putin set out from the start of the war in Ukraine, and Russia has no intention of stopping at the Ukrainian front in the foreseeable future.
The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was full of symbolism and gestures of mutual respect. Although it was originally planned to last six to seven hours, it ended after less than three and, contrary to the original plan, did not include a joint dinner. Hastily arranged following the visit of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow on August 6, both sides sought to lower expectations for the meeting, whose outcome was difficult to predict in advance.
Before the summit, President Trump declared that his main objective was to promote negotiations for a temporary ceasefire that could lead to the end of the war. However, it quickly became clear that Trump had adopted the Russian approach: He announced that Washington was bypassing the idea of an immediate ceasefire and instead would pursue a sustainable agreement to end the war altogether. This stood in contrast to the hard line Trump had recently taken in imposing severe sanctions on Russia and its partners—sanctions that were not mentioned at all during the summit. In effect, Trump sought to present the summit as a major success, despite the absence of concrete details pointing to any real achievements.
President Putin, for his part, sought to use the summit to end more than three years of international isolation imposed by the West and to restore Russia’s image as a power equal to the United States. It was also important for him to prevent a temporary ceasefire so Russia could continue consolidating its control over additional territories in Ukraine. Putin still believes that the Russian army can prevail on the battlefield. In practice, the Russian president succeeded in shifting the discourse toward his maximalist demands, rooted in the so-called “root causes” of the conflict in Ukraine—namely, Russia’s clear interest in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
According to media reports, following the Alaska summit, Trump believes that swift negotiations toward a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine are possible, provided that President Zelensky agrees to give up parts of the Donbas region not yet occupied by Russia, in addition to the territories already under its control. In return, Russia would pledge to halt military activity along the frontlines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. At this stage, it is difficult to verify Trump’s impressions, but this may represent a turning point in the war from an American perspective. Trump aspires to convene a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelenskyy, although, at present, no concrete proposal is on the table.
Unlike the Biden administration, which maintained that “negotiations about Ukraine cannot take place without Ukraine,” the current administration has created a precedent that changed the rules of the game and presented both the Ukrainians and the Europeans with new challenges. On Monday, a meeting is scheduled at the White House between President Trump, President Zelenskyy, and European leaders to discuss the implications of the Alaska summit, including possible security guarantees for Ukraine. The issue of guarantees is highly sensitive and complex since their implementation on the ground depends on various factors and involves considerable logistical difficulties.
From Moscow’s perspective, the outcome of the presidential meeting allows it to continue along the path Putin set out from the start of the war in Ukraine, and Russia has no intention of stopping at the Ukrainian front in the foreseeable future.