The peak in Alaska between Trump and Putin is a turning point in the war in Ukraine: Trump rejects the key strategy of the West, Putin dictates conditions, and Zelnski and Europeans remain off the beaten track. They have one more option, but Europe is not ready for it.
Diplomatic actions are underway to end the war in Ukraine. On Monday, US President Donald Trump, President of Ukraine Wołodymyr Zelnski and several leading EU politicians, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet in Washington to discuss further actions. It is also possible that Trump will meet Putin again, which he suggested the last three days ago.
The starting point for conversations is the first personal meeting of the US President with Putin since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which took place on Friday in Alaska. Talking three and a half hours were not only a clear victory of Moscow, but most likely also a turning point in this war. Here are the three most important messages from the peak in Alaska.
The meeting in Alaska showed what Putin wants to achieve, what his strategy is and what Trump is ready to agree to.
In contrast to what Trump, Moscow and Washington said a week before the meeting, were apparently never close to the agreement on the “truce”, which, according to the US President, would lead to the exchange of territories in Ukraine.
On the contrary – during negotiations in Alaska The American administration gave way to Putin and gave up the original request for immediate suspension of the weapon – And without obtaining any compensation, and even with a simultaneous announcement of resignation from imposing further sanctions on Russia.
“Everyone said that the best way to end a terrible war between Russia and Ukraine is to directly conclude a peace agreement, which will end the war, not just a suspension of weapons, which is often not observed,” wrote Trump on the Truth Social social networking site.
This sentence is a key message in Alaska. Trump has thus destroyed the central pillar of the western conflict resolution strategyaccording to which the weapon must be suspended first, and only then negotiations. Neither Zięnski nor Europeans should be able to change it.
There are two reasons for changing Trump's attitude. The US President wants to end the bothersome war in Ukraine as soon as possible and is now ready to recognize the following balance of power: Russia is gaining more and more territories and will remain in the future prevailing in terms of military and personally, and for Kiev recovering some territories seems to be impossible to achieve. In addition, Trump is not ready for further escalation of the conflict with Moscow. Both of these issues are important – and devastating – conclusions for Zelanski and Europeans.
Putin plays on time – very effectively
What's more, Thanks to Trump's harmony, Putin managed to push the perfidious two -track strategy to immediately start peace negotiations: negotiate and at the same time continue bombing. In this way, Ukraine becomes susceptible to blackmail. Putin is able to escalate military activities at any time and put great pressure on Ukraine if the talks at the negotiating table do not go according to his expectations.
– Putin plays on time and does it very effectively. The political goal follows him with military operations, because each profit works in favor of the Russian armed forces – says military strategist Colonel Markus Reisner from the Austrian Ministry of Defense. This means that the chances of freezing war, and thus to the voluntary temporary waiver of some territories by Ukraine, are practically zero.
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Consequently, it could lose to 20 percent. lands. In this way, Russia would win this war – thanks to the new balance of power after the meeting in Alaska, Putin has the advantage. He will probably also use his negotiating power in other key issues, such as Western safety guarantees or the remilitarized zone range in Ukraine.
From the point of view of Trump, Putin wants to end the war and the baton is on the Zelanski side, which must decide whether the war will end or would last. – Trump gives the ball to Ukrainians and Europeans. In his opinion, they now have to decide whether there should be peace – says Reisner.
Regardless of what we think about this absurd reversal of the role of the perpetrator and the victim, the fact is that Zełnski was under the wall. There is practically no room for maneuver. If he refused to meet the conditions of Trump and Putin, Kiev would be at risk that the United States would cease to provide Europe with a weapon intended for Ukraine, and will no longer provide the intelligence necessary for survival.
Europeans are only extras
If in the past one could get the impression that Europeans – the only other Zelanski allies – play at least a partial role in the dissolution of warnow this illusion has broken. After the meeting in Alaska, it became clear that Europeans are only extras, viewers observing the situation with the bore. In the new system of forces, they will probably no longer have any power to influence negotiations in favor of Ukraine. Trump listens to Putin, not Europe.
According to the reports of “Financial Times” and “The New York Times”, the US President during a meeting in Alaska even showed a “tendency” to accept the total transfer of Russia to the economically important Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Kyiv and Brussels strongly reject this scenario. Even the Monday crisis meeting in Washington and the European commitment to “unwavering solidarity” with Kiev will probably not be able to change the situation and will not save Ukraine from losing all Donbass.
The EU threat regarding the imposition of another packet of sanctions is also not impressed in Moscow. The only way of Europeans to significantly affect future negotiations would be to provide Kiev with a long range weapons, thanks to which he could attack Russian weapons, airport and command centers hundreds of kilometers behind the front line, and thus go to the offensive again.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a press conference after talks in Alaska, August 15, 2025.Andrew Harnik / Staff / Getty Images
Europe is still not ready for such a step – For fear of Putin's next threats that he will use tactical nuclear weapons against the West. The former deputy secretary of NATO general and former German general Heinrich Brauss sarcastically calls this attitude “self -disconnection” of the West.
Safety guarantees that will not work
Even after a meeting in Alaska, Trump is still not ready to determine in what form Washington intends to support the security guarantees planned by Europeans for Ukraine. The fact that after long pressure from Europeans the American administration is essentially ready to join the Western security guarantees, but it is not – unlike what Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented (he talked about “really great progress”) – nothing new.
The debate about Western security guarantees is also nothing new. It took place intensively already in the first months of 2023. Instead of participating in the “Safety Pakt for Kiev” with clear military obligations, which Zelanski demanded, in the spring of 2023 Europeans gave up specific obligations regarding assistance. In the event of an attack, they only offered a consultation mechanism. Nothing more has happened since then.
On the other hand, Europeans are aware that the “iron security guarantees announced over the weekend by the EU” for Ukraine will scare Moscow only if the Americans join them and declare their readiness to use armed force if necessary. It doesn't seem to make it like that.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
