The summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American president Donald Trump lasted three hours. The summit held in Anchorage, Alaska, did not lead to concrete results on the conflict front in Ukraine. The goal of a ceasefire, which Trump had indicated as a possible positive outcome, was not reached. However, both leaders expressed their intention to keep the communication channels open. They also declared that the main content of the interview will be shared with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and with European representatives.
The Tsar reiterated the line already expressed in the past, underlining: “Russia has considered and considers the Ukrainian people as a fraternal, and what is happening is a tragedy and deep pain”. While manifesting regret for the situation, Putin remarked that, in his opinion, to get to peace it is necessary to face what he defined the “profound causes” of the conflict. In practice, this means a no to the entrance of Ukraine in NATO and no willingness to return the territories currently under Russian control. The Russian president also hoped that Europe does not obstacle a solution to the crisis in the terms he proposed.
Trump emphasized the constructive tone of the comparison, declaring that the meeting had a “ten” outcome. He argued that progress has been made towards a possible conflict resolution, while recognizing the presence of differences on some points. However, he did not provide specific details on the themes in which steps forward would have been recorded.
From a personal and diplomatic point of view, Putin can consider this summit as a signal of international legitimacy, after years of insulation accusations by the western community. The mere fact of being involved again in a direct comparison with a former American president represents a positive element for him. For Trump, however, Putin’s statement according to which “if there had been Trump instead of Biden, the war in Ukraine would not have broken out” could strengthen his position within the US political debate.
- The scream to Putin: “Will he stop killing civilians?”. And he with Trump reacts like this
The desired result has not been achieved, at least as regards Ukraine. A precise and detailed agreement is not there and the word “cease the fire” has not been pronounced. Well the progress, for heaven’s sake, but the feeling is that there is still a lot of work to do. Putin can smile: at least for the moment the American trip has been a victory, starting from the rather friendly tone with the American counterpart. Just think of the hypothesis of a new phase of cooperation with the USA, between business and arctic.
In short, the Tsar has shown to the world that Russia has returned to its place, that is, at the table of the top of world politics. And, moreover, he has avoided sanctions and measures and still earned the time necessary to continue his offensive in Ukraine. Trump has not hit the goal but is convinced that he can make the difference also thanks to the good personal relationship with the former KGB agent. Now the ball passes to Zelensky and European leaders, called to evaluate whether and how to position themselves compared to what is discussed between the two presidents.
Franco Lodige, August 16, 2025
The Putin-Trump article, so much noise for nothing? It comes from TheVermilion.com.