Alexandar Sullivan:
The aftermath of President Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska has left Ukraine and its European allies urgently recalibrating their strategy, as the U.S. appears to pivot away from an immediate ceasefire and toward a long-term peace agreement aligning with Moscow’s goals.
Despite hosting Russia’s president amid war crimes allegations, Trump hailed the summit as a success, claiming “a lot of progress” had been made. He appeared to embrace Putin’s preference for drawn-out negotiations, stepping back from his earlier threats of expanded sanctions. “Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” Trump told Fox News, implying Putin had offered enough to avoid penalties.
The U.S. concession to focus on a final settlement — rather than halting the current Russian offensive — alarmed Kyiv. According to European officials, Putin floated a proposal requiring Ukraine to cede much of Donbas, in exchange for freezing front lines elsewhere. While not endorsed, the idea raised fears of creeping legitimization of Russia’s invasion.
In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with Trump in Washington on Monday, joined by leaders from France, Germany, the UK, NATO, and others. They aim to prevent Ukraine from facing undue pressure and to reinforce security guarantees that may resemble NATO’s Article 5, though membership remains off the table.
For many in Ukraine, the summit was unsettling. “How can you welcome a tyrant like this?” said one Kyiv resident, pointing to the red-carpet treatment Putin received. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy continued to press for a ceasefire, warning that peace talks without it would only embolden Russia’s offensive.
As Ukraine braces for the next phase of diplomacy, the world watches whether Trump’s confidence in dealmaking will translate to peace — or further instability.
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