European leaders express optimism following Trump's discussion on Putin summit conditions
The US-Russia relations remain tense and unresolved after the August 15, 2025, meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The summit ended without any formal agreement or ceasefire for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The meeting was the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the first Russian presidential visit to the US since 2015. Despite Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should make territorial concessions to help end the war, Putin did not agree to any pause or halt of Russian military actions, as attacks on Ukraine continued even during the meeting.
Experts view Putin as intransigent during talks, using stalling tactics, while Trump put political capital on the line seeking an end to the killing but faced no reciprocal concessions from Russia. Aside from Ukraine, strategic issues such as arms control (New START treaty and INF missile deployment) and broader US-Russia security dialogues were discussed as areas that could potentially see revived engagement.
In the aftermath of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Trump to use potential economic sanctions or military support to Ukraine. Putin proposed a plan last week to Ukraine, requiring the cession of the eastern Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire, according to US officials. However, the conflict remains active with no ceasefire, and the geopolitical situation remains fragile with prospects for future negotiations uncertain and dependent on political will from both sides.
European leaders held a virtual summit with Trump on Wednesday to discuss the war in Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that legal recognition of Ukrainian territory is "not up for discussion." A European official suggested the threat of secondary sanctions against Russia if the upcoming Alaska talks prove fruitless.
Trump has signaled support for Ukraine, but Europe fears Putin may bring Trump back round to seeing the war on his terms. Zelensky stated that sanctions are hitting Russia's war economy hard. Small groups of Russian troops have been piercing parts of Ukraine's front lines in the eastern Donetsk region this week, causing alarm among Ukrainian officials and military bloggers.
The first principle agreed upon during the virtual summit was that nothing about Ukraine should be discussed without Ukraine. The second principle is that preparations should begin for a joint summit of Ukraine, Russia, and the US. The third principle is that Russia should agree to a ceasefire before peace talks begin in earnest. The fourth principle is that Ukraine should receive security guarantees, which Trump reportedly supported. Trump has said that if the summit goes well, a follow-up meeting between Putin and Zelensky could happen "almost immediately" afterward.
The deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face new sanctions passed on August 8, without any apparent consequence. CNN's Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, Seb Shukla, Catherine Nicholls, Saskya Vandoorne, Nick Paton Walsh, and Bianna Golodryga contributed reporting. There is panic in eastern Ukraine as Trump has entertained the idea of giving parts of it to Russia.
References:
[1] The Washington Post. (2025, August 16). Trump-Putin summit ends without ceasefire deal on Ukraine war. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-putin-summit-ends-without-ceasefire-deal-on-ukraine-war/
[2] The New York Times. (2025, August 16). Trump-Putin Meeting Fails to Yield Progress on Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/world/europe/trump-putin-meeting-ukraine.html
[3] The Guardian. (2025, August 16). Trump-Putin summit excludes Ukraine as US and Russia discuss end to conflict. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/16/trump-putin-summit-excludes-ukraine-as-us-and-russia-discuss-end-to-conflict
[4] BBC News. (2025, August 16). Trump-Putin meeting: No breakthrough in Ukraine conflict. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58316929
[5] Reuters. (2025, August 16). Trump, Putin discuss arms control, Ukraine conflict in Alaska summit. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-putin-discuss-arms-control-ukraine-conflict-alaska-summit-2025-08-16/
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
