Trump-Putin encounter: ISW analyst remained doubtful
The upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska is shrouded in anticipation, as both leaders aim to advance peace negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The core expectation is a trilateral peace negotiation sequence: a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, followed by a meeting between Trump to finalize the discussions. However, the war aims of the two leaders differ significantly.
Putin is reportedly focused on dominance over Ukraine, rejecting proposals for NATO security troops in the region. Conversely, Trump aims to secure peace through diplomacy, pressure, and cooperation with European allies. Trump emphasizes the urgency to avoid further casualties, calling for immediate talks rather than delays.
The success of the meeting hinges on the willingness of Putin and Zelenskyy to negotiate. Trump's approach includes the possibility of applying more economic sanctions on Russia and bolstering Ukraine's military aid to increase pressure on Moscow, aiming to make it "harder for Putin to continue this war."
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise in Ukraine, with reports of a drone attack on a Russian oil refinery in the Saratov region. The attack reportedly caused a halt in oil production, potentially resulting in losses of $240 million over a one-month closure. The Ukrainian army denies reports of a Russian breakthrough on the frontline near the cities of Pokrovsk and Dobropillya in the Donetsk region.
In a separate development, the Kremlin is reportedly stepping up efforts to create a "sovereign internet" disconnected from global networks and is attempting to replace Western services with domestic ones. This move is met with criticism, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreeing that peace cannot be imposed on Ukraine, but must be achieved together with the government in Kyiv.
The meeting between Trump and Putin is taking place in Alaska, a region that Russian nationalists claim for themselves. The Kremlin's propagandist, Margarita Simonyan, has demanded that Alaska be "returned" to Russia. However, the optics of Trump giving Putin a high-profile summit could be seen as a Kremlin PR victory and has caused dismay in Ukraine.
In a light-hearted moment, Trump mistakenly said he was flying to Russia - but he probably meant Alaska. Meanwhile, Downdetector, a service that tracks service disruptions, registered nearly 7,500 reports of Telegram issues throughout the day, with most users reporting problems with audio and video calls. WhatsApp saw over 3,300 complaints, peaking between 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM, with users across Russia reporting call failures or disrupted audio.
As the world watches, the outcome of this historic meeting could have far-reaching implications for the future of the Ukraine conflict and US-Russia relations.
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