Trump put the vigilance of Europe. In Alaska can reveal real cards
After Donald Trump assured that he would not realize the worst nightmares of many and would not “sell” Vladimir Putin Ukraine, European leaders can breathe a sigh of relief. But only a little.
The fate of Ukraine is the subject of a manipulative man's discussion as Putin with such a variable president as Trump – so there is a real danger that when they meet in Alaska, the situation can take unexpected turn. The more that Trump's statements from the last days about the exchange of territories caused terror of European leaders.
They began to fear that the United States intends to divide Ukraine as part of a peace agreement with Moscow concluded behind them.
Diplomatic offensive
The diplomatic actions taken quickly seemed to dispel these fears – at least for now. Europeans came out of Wednesday's conversations with Trump, convinced that he understood that before all discussions about the territories there must be a suspension of weapons and that Ukraine must take place at the negotiating table. Some Europeans have even noticed the signs that Americans are changing their minds And they are increasingly willing to take the role of the guardian of the security of Ukraine after the war.
Trump knows the position of Europe and “largely shares them,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after talking to him, repeating the equally optimistic statements of French President Emmanuel Macron and the chairman of the European Council Antonio Costy. Similarly optimistic tone was accepted by Latvian Prime Minister Evik Silin, whose country borders with Russia.
– We are all agreeing on [kształtu] final peace agreement – said Politico editorial office. “President Trump is an excellent and unique negotiator, so I believe that he strives to achieve the best results of conversations,” she added. She recently participated in an interview with EU leaders with the US Vice President JD Vance.
Wołodymyr Zelnski with Friedrich Merz in Berlin before a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, JD Vance and several European leaders, August 13, 2025.Abaca/Abaca/East News/East News
So, of course, diplomats must speak. What they think and what they expect from the meeting in Alaska is another matter.
A person familiar with the course of Wednesday's meeting expressed caution. As Politico said, “generally the atmosphere was positive”, but “Trump, as always, spoke a lot about what he intends to do, but in such a way that No one was able to say what exactly he meant. “
Trump's views on Russia and Putin, whom he once called “genius”, seems to change. When applying for the Nobel Peace Prize, he promises “serious consequences” if Putin does not show serious intentions to end the war in Alaska – this probably means that the United States will sharpen sanctions against countries trading with Russia.
Europeans are well aware of the fact that It has not been a long time since Trump publicly humiliated Zelanski, he pressed Ukraine to cover the costs of his help sent through a mineral agreement and considered signing economic contracts with Putin. They are afraid that Putin and Trump can devote a meeting to conversations about lucrative contracts regarding energy and minerals of rare lands, postponing such topics as reparations or kidnapping of Ukrainian children by the Russians.
Changing the front in the USA?
According to the European official, which the Politico editors talked to, he even changed his views, known as the die -hard critic of Ukraine, especially after his tyrap against Zelanski in the oval office. Another interlocutor shared this opinion.
“People were impressed by Vance, who is looking for solutions, while clearly hinting that Putin is a villain here,” he said.
During the vacation in Great Britain, Vance visited the British foreign minister David Lamma, where he also met with the Secretary of the National Security Council and Defense of Ukraine Rusk Umerow, and the head of the Zelnski Office Andrij Jermak.
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Did this affect his position? If so, it's only to some extent. On Sunday at Fox News he presented the views he had already made. – We finished with financing the war in Ukraine. I think Americans are fed up with sending their money and their taxes to this specific conflict. But if Europeans want to take action and actually buy weapons from American producers, we don't mind, but we will not finance it anymore – he said.
It does not sound as if the United States was more interested in providing Ukraine with post -war security guarantees. Apparently, however, they like the role of the conciliator more and more – this idea begins to gain popularity in Trump's administration. A little later, at the Air Base in Great Britain, JD Vance said that the US President “said very simply that our mission as an administration would be to restore peace in Europe.”
Trump's greatest fear
Jan Techau, head of the German Tank Eurasia Group, the German branch of the German tank, also warned that Trump had a meeting with Europeans with other goals than them. For a republican, it is crucial not to leave the meeting in Alaska as “loser”. This suggestion – that Putin could outsmart him – makes him cook with anger on his account on Truth Social.
Techau said that Trump and his administration were motivated to talk to Europeans on Wednesday with a desire to understand Putin's tactics and avoid the impression that they were “used” by him. – He [Trump] He can't completely read Putin. He understands that Putin has a different plan than he initially thought. In this sense, Europeans are helpful – they can provide him with insight into the situation and support him if everything goes in vain – added the analyst.
There are also serious concerns that Putin may not have a real desire to conclude an agreement. His basic – and still unreachable – the goal is to destroy the democratic, independent Ukrainian state.
Donald Trump in Washington, August 13, 2025.Mandel NGAN/AFP/East News/East News
“There are no great expectations for Friday,” said one of the EU officials. Techau said that Putin can use a meeting to perform a “senseless” gesture, such as the suspension of bombing in a specific region of Ukraine, to convince Trump that he wants peace.
European leaders are particularly concerned about the thought that Trump can conclude an agreement with Putin, which will not think about them. For example, it may call Ukraine to give a majority of territory or demand from EU countries to abolish sanctions imposed on Russia, which would be a condition for the conclusion of a preliminary agreement.
Of course, Kyiv and his European allies can reject such a contract. Tythau believes that in such a situation Trump can give up – announce that he has done everything in his power and accuse Europeans of making them difficult to achieve peace.
– It would be convenient for Trump. He could say that the real enemies of peace are elsewhere: they are Ukrainians and Europeans – says the specialist.
Indeed, Trump has not yet agreed to all European demands regarding the final peace agreement. Perhaps the most disturbing is that He still repeats the narrative about the war in Ukraine, which is favorable to Russia.
Before talking to EU leaders, Trump quoted the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban – the most die -hard opponent of Ukraine in Europe. The Hungarian leader was to say that Russia is best at winning wars. Trump called this “very interesting observation.”
