On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Elmendorf–Richardson military base in Alaska. Their joint press conference lasted just over ten minutes, with no opportunity for reporters to pose questions. As expected, Putin repeated his familiar line on the war in Ukraine, once again referring to Ukrainians as a “brotherly people.” Trump, for his part, described the talks as “very productive,” though he conceded that no agreement had been reached.
The encounter set off a wave of reactions across the Western press, where many noted that the spectacle was designed to mask the lack of substance. The Associated Press reported that Trump left the Alaska summit with Putin “empty-handed.” Both Reuters and CBS News similarly noted that the talks produced no progress.
The Times declared that Putin would return to Moscow a “winner,” having outplayed Trump and turned the meeting into a public-relations victory. Politico framed its coverage under the headline “Putin’s Triumph in Alaska,” while The New York Times opted for: “No Deal, but No Consequences for Putin”
The Ukrainian Week spoke with Volodymyr Dubovyk, director of the Centre for International Studies and associate professor of international relations at Odesa Mechnikov National University, to discuss how the talks could reshape the geopolitical landscape, what they mean for Putin’s standing on the world stage, and how they might affect Trump’s approval ratings at home.
— After nearly three hours of talks, Trump and Putin left Alaska without announcing any agreements or highlighting any concrete progress. From your perspective, what are the key takeaways from yesterday’s meeting?
— The first impression of the Anchorage meeting was that it amounted to nothing. No deals. A failure. But this morning, in light of Trump’s tweet, the picture looks a little different. Is Trump really shifting away from the path of a comprehensive ceasefire? And is he now pivoting toward a “peace deal”? If that’s the case, we have to ask ourselves whether such an option works for us. It’s also worth clarifying whether this signals a new approach from Trump — one that involves consulting with Europe. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s upcoming visit to Washington could help provide some answers.
— Most Western outlets framed the Trump–Putin talks as a win for the Russian leader, starting with the red carpet and handshakes. Based on his interview with a Fox News journalist, Putin targeted all of Trump’s “sweet spots” and, at least publicly, appeared to come out on top. What implications could this have, and what risks does it create for Ukraine?
— The risks for Ukraine are always there. It seems Putin has managed to seize the initiative in the so-called “peace process.” Trump may once again shift the blame onto Ukraine for the lack of progress. Instead of the pressure on Russia that was expected, we may end up seeing renewed pressure on Ukraine.
— With this visit, Trump has effectively lifted both Putin and Alexander Lukashenko out of international isolation. Could this, in turn, signal a “green light” for leaders like Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico?
— Well, Trump already enjoys very good relations with Orbán. Lukashenko’s greeting, of course, caused quite a stir. But that’s Trump. His frame of reference — including the ideological one — is very different from others.
— A new Pew Research Center poll finds that nearly 60% of Americans doubt Trump’s ability to make decisions on the Russian–Ukrainian war. How, in your view, might his talks with Putin affect the president’s approval ratings?
— Trump is clearly worried about the lack of progress toward ending the war — after all, he promised to bring it to a swift conclusion. But he probably doesn’t grasp just how difficult it will be to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. I expect his ratings on this issue will remain low, though much depends on who is doing the measuring. Among his own supporters, however, he will retain their backing.
— On the topic of sanctions against Russia, Trump has said he still intends to pursue them. Could they still serve as a lever of influence over Putin?
— If they are actually imposed, then yes, they could serve as a lever of influence. But there are real doubts about whether these sanctions will in fact be enforced. Moscow, it seems, has grown rather at ease with the situation.
