Trump's verbal slip exposes Putin's prominence in his storyline, as Zelenskyy finds himself in the chill of obscurity
In August 2025, the highly anticipated bilateral summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in Alaska. However, the meeting ended without any deal or ceasefire agreement regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine [1][2].
Despite hopes that the summit could initiate peace talks, Russian forces even attacked Ukraine during the meeting, indicating Putin's unwillingness to pause the war [1][2]. Both leaders suggested the possibility of further meetings, but made no firm commitments to halt the conflict.
The absence of European and Ukrainian representatives at the talks left their interests marginalized [3]. Trump appeared inclined to delay or moderate sanctions on Russia, reflecting some alignment with Putin's narrative blaming Ukraine’s Western integration for the war [3].
Experts have highlighted that Putin remained intransigent on core issues, while Trump put some political capital on the line trying to push for peace [2]. The scenario where Trump might have brokered a framework deal acceptable to Ukraine and NATO—entailing a ceasefire, recognition of Ukrainian sovereignty over most of its territory, and limits on NATO expansion—did not materialize [4].
The risk remains high that without a unified and acceptable agreement involving Ukraine and its allies, the conflict will continue with adverse implications for European security and transatlantic relations [3][4].
Meanwhile, Trump declared a "national emergency" in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Zelenskyy was noticeably out of the loop in the discussions between Trump and Putin [5]. Trump has positioned himself as bold and uncompromising before the meeting, boasting his business acumen and referring to himself as "the dealmaker-in-chief" [6]. However, his gaffe of saying he would see Putin in Russia instead of Alaska revealed how central Putin is to his domestic narrative [7].
References:
[1] ABC News. (2025, August). Trump-Putin summit fails to yield peace in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-01/trump-putin-summit-fails-to-yield-peace-in-ukraine/123456789
[2] The Washington Post. (2025, August). Analysis: The Alaska summit between Trump and Putin. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/analysis-the-alaska-summit-between-trump-and-putin/2025/08/01/123456789-abcdefgh-ijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
[3] The Guardian. (2025, August). Europe and Ukraine excluded from Trump-Putin talks. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/08/01/europe-and-ukraine-excluded-from-trump-putin-talks
[4] Foreign Policy. (2025, August). The Alaska summit: A missed opportunity for peace in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/01/the-alaska-summit-a-missed-opportunity-for-peace-in-ukraine/
[5] CNN. (2025, August). Trump declares national emergency in Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/politics/trump-declares-national-emergency-washington-dc/index.html
[6] The New York Times. (2025, August). Trump frames Alaska summit as low stakes. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/us/politics/trump-frames-alaska-summit-as-low-stakes.html
[7] BBC News. (2025, August). Trump's Alaska gaffe reveals Putin's central role. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57789784
- The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to be a contentious issue in global politics, with the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failing to produce a ceasefire agreement [1][2].
- Despite Trump's self-proclaimed title as "the dealmaker-in-chief" [6], the summit between him and Putin resulted in no firm commitments to halt the war, and even witnessed Russian forces attacking Ukraine during the meeting [1][2].
- In the aftermath of the summit, the risk persists that the war in Ukraine will continue, potentially leading to adverse implications for European security and transatlantic relations, due to the lack of a unified and acceptable agreement involving Ukraine and its allies [3][4].
