Trump-Russia discourse escalates as Zelenskyy meets Merz for conversation, sparking verbal retort
In a significant development, US President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The meeting, intended to bring the ongoing Ukraine War closer to an end, did not result in any territorial concessions from Russia.
According to reports, during the August 2025 Alaska meeting, the proposed territorial concessions in Ukraine did not lead to any agreement or serious concessions by Russia. Russian President Putin showed no willingness to offer the territorial concessions necessary to reach a peace agreement, with Russia's objectives in Ukraine remaining unchanged. Putin demanded Ukraine’s full military and political capitulation, including full withdrawal from multiple oblasts and other strict conditions.
Prior to the meeting, European heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aimed to prevent exclusion from the talks between Trump and Putin. In a bid to put pressure on Moscow, Zelensky was set to join a video conference with Trump at the Chancellery in Berlin.
Despite Russia's firm stance, concerns have been growing over the potential for an illegal power grab by Trump in the US Capital. Amidst these concerns, Trump announced that he would inform Zelensky and other European heads of state and government directly after the summit about the conversation with Putin.
Germany, France, and Britain led a coalition of the willing to develop a common strategy for Trump's meeting with Putin. However, Moscow insisted on Putin's conditions for ending the Ukraine War, which include Russia's position remaining unchanged regarding the territorial structure of the Russian Federation.
In a surprising turn of events, North Korea sent thousands of new soldiers to support Russia in the Ukraine war, despite the Alaska meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, ahead of the summit, denied Russia's willingness for peace and saw no willingness from Moscow to end the war in his country. Russian forces have gained the largest amount of territory in Ukraine in 24 hours since more than a year ago, with an area of 110 square kilometers taken on Tuesday.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suggested the possibility of a "territorial exchange" before the summit between Putin and Trump. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also called for security guarantees for Ukraine.
As the situation in Ukraine remains tense, the international community continues to watch closely for any signs of progress in the ongoing conflict.
The Alaska meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while anticipated to address the Ukraine War and potentially discuss territorial concessions, did not yield any agreements or substantial concessions from Russia. In fact, Russian President Putin continued to demand Ukraine’s full military and political capitulation as a condition for any peace agreement, indicative of Russia's unchanged objectives in Ukraine.
