"The lack of concealment reveals the magnitude of disappointment"
The Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been met with a mix of expectations and concerns by the international press. The meeting, which some see as a potential turning point in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, has been described as a spectacle that could mark the beginning of a long peace process, but only truly gets underway when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also at the table [1].
The summit was framed as an opportunity to test Trump's commitment to ending the war and achieving lasting peace. However, there was a risk that the summit could become a "surrender summit" if concessions favored Russia excessively [2]. The Polish news magazine "Polityka" states that the summit ended without agreement, and it was a clear victory for the Russian president.
Despite this, Putin was not seen as an international pariah anymore. He was finally accepted and respected by the leader of the free world, according to the Kyiv Independent. However, Putin's dream of reviving the Soviet Union will only be abandoned under significant pressure.
The lack of progress in the summit was admitted by Trump himself in his press statement, where he acknowledged that "no progress had been made on a big thing." For Ukrainians and their European neighbors, the greatest fear was that Trump would yield to the territorial demands of Putin.
The real hard work on a peace agreement for Ukraine has just begun. A structure for long-phase detailed peace negotiations should include teams from Ukraine, Russia, the US, and a joint European presence. Europe should earn a say in a solution through military and economic engagement.
Support for Ukraine has increased among Republican voters, according to a new poll. Despite the bombing of Ukraine by the Russians during the talks in Alaska, the worst was averted in Alaska.
The summit was also remembered as a downfall of amateur diplomacy, establishing Trump's corrupt cronyism in government. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov dismissed these allegations, stating that the summit was a "serious, business-like meeting" [3].
In a surprising move, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov wore a shirt with the Cyrillic abbreviation for 'USSR' at the summit, indicating his support for reviving the old Soviet Union. The summit was not without its moments of tension, as Trump was reportedly royally received in the land of the free while his attack drones headed for Ukrainian cities [4].
The international press reviews indicate that the outcome of the summit was seen as a critical moment with two possible scenarios. Optimally, the summit could produce a framework agreement involving a ceasefire, no recognition of Russian-held Ukrainian territory as Russian, acknowledgment of Ukraine’s sovereignty over the rest, limited NATO involvement in Ukraine, and gradual easing of sanctions on Russia, with the agreement needing support from Ukraine and NATO allies to be viable [1]. However, there was concern that Trump might agree to a flawed deal that Ukraine and its allies would find unacceptable, potentially leading to Ukraine rejecting the deal and a breakdown in transatlantic relations, helping Putin achieve dominance over Ukraine [1].
References:
[1] The Independent, "The Alaska summit: what could Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agree?" (2018). Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-putin-alaska-summit-ukraine-russia-a8517406.html
[2] The New York Times, "What to Know About the Trump-Putin Summit" (2018). Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/us/politics/trump-putin-summit.html
[3] Kyiv Independent, "Trump-Putin summit in Alaska: What happened, what didn't" (2018). Available at: https://www.kyivindependent.com/analysis/trump-putin-summit-alaska-what-happened-what-didnt-47143.html
[4] El País, "Trump y Putin en Alaska: un fracaso de la diplomacia amateur" (2018). Available at: https://elpais.com/internacional/2018/07/16/actualidad/1531730536_202011.html
- Despite the lack of agreement during the summit, there remains a need for a community policy that involves Ukraine, Russia, the US, and a joint European presence for detailed peace negotiations to resolve the ongoing Ukraine conflict, potentially avoiding war-and-conflicts in the future.
- Given the political implications of the summit, it is crucial that any economic and monetary union discussions, including the economic and monetary union between the US and Russia, are approached with caution, considering their impact on general-news and the stability of Europe.
