In the wind-lashed corridors of the Anchorage Convention Centre, a red carpet snaked beneath the gold chandeliers, welcoming Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin for the most anticipated diplomatic encounter of the summer. Hours before, Air Force One glided onto the tarmac just ahead of Putin’s stately arrival, as Alaskan soldiers readied themselves for a ceremony that would soon reverberate from Kyiv to Brussels.
A High-Stakes Diplomatic Dance
With television trucks parked outside and a throng of international press huddled for updates, Trump entered the summit under pressure from European allies demanding a ceasefire in Ukraine and from his supporters who wanted to see American strength at the negotiating table. But by evening, the president’s message had shifted: No longer championing an immediate cessation of hostilities, Trump now argued for a comprehensive and permanent peace agreement, calling ceasefires “temporary fixes that often fail.”
His words, echoing on Truth Social: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement.”
This pivot away from European demands for a stop in the fighting caught many off guard. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had joined a “coalition of the willing,” pushing Trump to secure at least a truce as the linchpin to further negotiations. Their hopes were dashed.
Behind the scenes, Trump reportedly advocated for security guarantees to mirror NATO’s Article 5where an attack on one means a response from all. While such guarantees would be seismic for Ukraine, Europe, and Kyiv fear the details are perilously thin.
Reactions Rippling From Kyiv to Brussels
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to travel to Washington, determined to be a participant, not a spectator, in the peace process. For many in Kyiv, Trump’s ceremonial embrace of Putin stung as much as the absence of hard outcomes. Soldiers knelt to roll out the carpet for the Russian president, Trump called “the boss”, a gesture that irritated Ukrainian officials and citizens alike.
“It makes no sense,” said Serhii Orlyk, a veteran from Donetsk. “Negotiations require diplomacy, but the red carpet and kneeling soldiers for Putinterrible. It makes us feel crushed.”
Others in Ukraine, like lawyer Maria Drachova, lamented “irrational behaviour.” At the same time, scientist Valentyna Sikora stayed up all night watching coverage, expressing relief at the lack of imposed conditions on Ukraine but scepticism about the summit’s spectacle.
Zelensky, meanwhile, stressed that all vital territorial and security issues must be negotiated with Ukraine at the table. He called for harsher sanctions should Russia avoid “honest” negotiations and warned that “a real peace must be achieved, not just another pause.”
.@seanhannity on Russia-Ukraine negotiations: “This does not impact the United States as much as it does our allies in Europe… but you’re doing it anyway. Now, why?”
President Trump: “Number one is lives, and number two is everything else. Wars are very bad.” pic.twitter.com/LxhOopbReA
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 16, 2025
Putin’s Calculated Patience
For Vladimir Putin, Anchorage amounted to a diplomatic coup. Four years after his last meeting with a U.S. president before Russia’s full-scale invasion, he returned not as a pariah, but as a peer. European leaders recognised this risk, worried that Russian advances on the ground (20% of Ukraine now under Moscow’s control) could be fortified if fighting continues, as the absence of a ceasefire buys Russia time and leverage.
Putin, steely-eyed, labelled the summit the “starting point for resolution,” but warned Ukraine and Europe against sabotaging talks. Analysts noted that Moscow seemed determined to prolong the negotiation phase, believing it could outlast Ukraine and its Western supporters.
BREAKING: Zelenskyy says he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.
Zelenskyy said he held a “long, meaningful” conversation with Trump on Saturday after the U.S. leader met Putin in Alaska. https://t.co/w6X2j0f4Hh
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 16, 2025
The European Response
In a joint statement, a coalition of eight European leaders reaffirmed solidarity, stating: “We are ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky towards a trilateral summit with European support… International borders must not be changed by force.”
Macron called for “unwavering security guarantees,” while UK Prime Minister Starmer credited Trump with bringing the region “closer than ever before” to ending the war. Nevertheless, frustration simmered. Many diplomats felt America’s new position handed Putin diplomatic breathing room, while Ukraine’s fate hung in the balance.
Unanswered Questions and the Road Ahead
What next? Trump has promised talks with Zelensky in Washington and possibly a trilateral summit. Ukraine expects intensified Russian military pressure ahead of further negotiations. Europe remains resolute, pledging support and sanctions to weaken Moscow’s war machine.
But in the absence of a ceasefire, Russian forces continue their slow advance. The Institute for the Study of War estimates incremental gains each day, strengthening Moscow’s negotiating hand. The debate now is whether the path to peace can start with hostilities still raging or if that merely extends the agony of a battered country.
For Ukrainian civilians, especially the families of nearly 16,000 still detained in Russia, the political theatre in Alaska pales alongside the urgent human reality. Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk urges negotiators to “return the human dimension” to talks, reminding all sides that behind every headline lie stories of separation, resilience, and hope.
Conclusion
The Alaska summit set the stage for a new chapter, one fraught with uncertainty. Trump’s shift may open space for genuine negotiations, but without a fighting pause, it risks prolonging the violence and destabilising fragile alliances. As the world waits for the next round of diplomacy, much remains at stake from the villages recaptured on the battlefield to the corridors where history is decided.
In the words of Kyiv schoolteacher Andrii Oleh, watching televised images of diplomats shaking hands: “I want peace, but not peace without justice.”
