Trump expresses doubt that his meeting with Putin was an error.
In a significant development on August 15, 2021, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first meeting since 2019 at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska.
The heads of state noted that the talks between them were constructive, with Vladimir Putin stating that Moscow is genuinely interested in ending the conflict in Ukraine. However, no agreements were reached on key issues during the meeting.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, stated that 'significant progress' had been made during the meeting with Putin. He further added that he currently has no need to consider imposing sanctions on Russia.
The detailed negotiation points centered mainly on the Ukraine conflict. Russia insisted on controlling occupied territories including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea, demanding the lifting of all sanctions, cessation of Western arms deliveries and intelligence sharing, reduction of the Ukrainian military, release of Russian political prisoners, and Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership and reparations claims.
Although Trump described the talks as significant progress and indicated ongoing communication channels, no immediate peace agreement was reached, and the negotiations followed a temporary pause with no breakthroughs achieved.
The meeting between the two leaders provided an opportunity for both sides to address the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, but it remains to be seen whether further discussions will lead to a long-term and stable resolution. Vladimir Putin believes that all root causes of the crisis must be eliminated for such a resolution to be achieved.
