When Donald Trump rolled out a literal red carpet for Vladimir Putin on a U.S. military base in Alaska, the world held its breath. What would the long-promised “deal” on Ukraine look like? Would there finally be a ceasefire after three years of brutal war?
Instead, we got smiles, handshakes, and photo ops. No ceasefire. No peace. And a win, however symbolic, for Putin.
A Meeting With More Theater Than Substance
Trump arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson determined to stage a historic moment. A B-2 stealth bomber and fighter jets thundered overhead as Putin stepped off his plane. Trump clapped, shook his hand warmly, and even invited him into the presidential limousine, leaving Putin’s own motorcade idling uselessly nearby.
The visuals were striking: the world’s most sanctioned war criminal, accused of mass atrocities, being treated as an honored guest by the leader of the free world.
But beyond the red carpet and military theater, the substance fell flat. After three hours of talks, both leaders emerged with vague statements about “progress” and “understandings,” but no concrete agreement. Trump admitted, “We haven’t quite got there.” Putin smirked, offering only that “we paved a path toward peace.”
Neither explained what that path was. Neither took questions from reporters.
Trump Floats “Land Swaps”, Ukraine Says No
In an interview with Fox News, Trump revealed what he and Putin had “largely agreed” on: so-called “land swaps” and undefined “security guarantees” for Ukraine.
A source in Kyiv said Moscow’s proposal would force Ukraine to abandon its remaining footholds in Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for Russia retreating from parts of Sumy and Kharkiv. In other words, more Ukrainian territory handed over to Russia, dressed up as a compromise.
President Zelensky rejected the idea outright. His position remains clear: no surrender of land, no legitimizing occupation, and ceasefire first. Trump’s advice to Zelensky? “Gotta make a deal. Russia is a very big power, and they are not.”
For Ukrainians, the message was chilling, the U.S. president was treating their sovereignty as a bargaining chip between superpowers.
Editorial Outrage: A Dictator Rewarded
Observers were quick to call the summit what it was: a spectacle that benefited Putin far more than Trump.
- “Sickening. Shameful. And useless.” declared one editorial, noting that Putin had been elevated from international pariah to honored guest on American soil.
- Russian officials openly mocked the proceedings. Foreign Minister Lavrov arrived in an old USSR sweatshirt. Kremlin journalists joked about eating “chicken Kyiv” on the flight, taunting Ukrainians as bombs fell on their cities that same day.
- The lesson was clear: Putin doesn’t deal, he takes. And Trump gave him legitimacy without extracting concessions.
Europe: “1:0 for Putin”
European leaders, excluded from the summit, were blunt in their reactions:
- Germany’s veteran diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger wrote: “Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, Trump got nothing. Clearly 1:0 for Putin. No ceasefire, no peace. For Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.”
- Lithuania’s defense minister called Putin’s remarks “gaslighting and veiled threats.”
- Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavský warned: “The problem is Russian imperialism, not Ukraine’s desire to live freely. If Putin were serious about peace, he wouldn’t be bombing Ukraine during the talks.”
The optics left NATO allies rattled. Far from showcasing Western unity, the summit suggested a U.S. president cozying up to Moscow while sidelining Kyiv and Europe.
No Consequences, Only Concessions
Trump had threatened “severe consequences” if Putin didn’t agree to a ceasefire. But when none was reached, there were no new sanctions, no penalties, not even a rebuke. Instead, Trump praised Putin as “Vladimir,” gushed about their “fantastic relationship,” and echoed Putin’s claim that the war would never have happened if he had been president in 2022.
Putin left Alaska with exactly what he wanted:
- Legitimacy and prestige, ending his isolation.
- Time, with no new sanctions looming.
- A U.S. president shifting the burden of compromise onto Ukraine rather than holding Moscow accountable.
And he gave up nothing.
Zelensky on the Sidelines
Perhaps the most glaring fact of the Alaska Summit: Ukraine’s president was not invited. Zelensky, watching from afar, released a somber video:
“On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes. Ukraine is ready to work to end the war, but everything depends on American strength. Make no mistake, strength.”
Instead of backing Kyiv, Trump seemed to position himself as a referee between two sides, with no acknowledgement that one of those sides is the aggressor occupying another country’s land.
A Win for Putin, A Warning for the West
In the end, the Alaska Summit was high on spectacle, low on substance. Trump got his handshake photos. Putin got a global stage. Ukraine got nothing.
And Europe got a warning: the U.S. president may be more interested in appeasing Moscow than defending allies.
The images of American honor guards rolling out a red carpet for a war criminal will linger far longer than any vague talk of “progress.” For Ukrainians under fire, those images cut deep. For Putin, they were priceless.
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