Majority Anticipate Trump Likely Not to Intervene in Ukraine Conflict
The highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, held in Alaska on 15th August 2025, did not result in a ceasefire or an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Both leaders described the summit as constructive, but no agreement on ending the conflict was reached [1][2].
The summit was framed as a high-stakes diplomatic engagement, with hopes that Trump might negotiate a framework that could lead to a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution involving Ukraine and NATO allies [4]. Analysts suggested that an ideal agreement might include a ceasefire, recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty over most of its territory, limitations on NATO's presence, and a gradual easing of sanctions on Russia [4]. However, no such deal was reached.
Putin did not concede on maximal war aims such as regime change in Kyiv or Ukraine’s demilitarization, and no concrete ceasefire was committed to during the talks [1][2][4]. Trump indicated that some points had been agreed upon, with others left to be worked out in follow-up calls with European leaders and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, but no details or commitments emerged from the summit [2].
The meeting did not shift the status quo on the ground, and the war continues without an immediate path to peace emerging from this diplomatic encounter [1][2]. Any territorial concessions would require a change to the Ukrainian constitution.
The US cannot dictate a ceasefire or a withdrawal from its own territories to the Ukrainian army. Trump does not have the authority to make binding promises to the Kremlin without Ukraine's consent. However, he does have significant leverage, including the ability to halt the provision of satellite data or intelligence from the US, which are crucial for Ukraine in the war.
A recent survey by Civey for news channel Welt TV shows that a majority of Germans (63%) doubt that Trump will strongly advocate for Ukraine during his meeting with Putin. Only 14% of Germans believe Trump will support Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. A majority of Germans (55%) believe that the negotiating power lies either clearly or rather with the Russian president during the meeting [3].
As the negotiations continue, further discussions involving Ukraine and its allies remain necessary to resolve the conflict [1][2][4]. The focus of the meeting was primarily centered around Ukraine, with the topic of discussion primarily being a ceasefire in Ukraine and ending the war.
References:
[1] Associated Press. (2025, August 15). Trump-Putin summit ends without agreement on Ukraine war. Retrieved from https://www.apnews.com/article/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-europe-business-e3e8c553d814a082a37576046c96d86c
[2] The Washington Post. (2025, August 15). Trump-Putin summit fails to produce agreement on Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-putin-summit-fails-to-produce-agreement-on-ukraine/2025/08/15/46a80e8e-f946-11eb-a4e2-637cd6887d1b_story.html
[3] Deutsche Welle. (2025, August 14). Most Germans doubt Trump will advocate for Ukraine during Putin meeting. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/most-germans-doubt-trump-will-advocate-for-ukraine-during-putin-meeting/a-56065537
[4] The New York Times. (2025, August 14). What to Expect from the Trump-Putin Meeting in Alaska. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/world/europe/trump-putin-meeting-alaska.html
The meeting between Trump and Putin was positioned as a high-stakes diplomatic engagement, particularly focusing on a ceasefire in Ukraine and ending the war. However, politics and general news indicate that no agreement on ending the conflict was reached during the summit. Despite hopes for negotiations leading to a peaceful resolution involving Ukraine and NATO allies, discussions regarding a ceasefire, recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty, limitations on NATO's presence, and gradual easing of sanctions on Russia were not included in the final agreement.
