Alaska Summit: Trump and Putin Pressure on Ukraine

• Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on August 15, 2025, to discuss the war in Ukraine.
• No concrete progress or peace agreement was reached.
• The leaders exchanged encouraging statements and friendly gestures.
• The pressure remains on Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky for any future progress.
• The international community remains skeptical and calls for continued pressure on Moscow.
• Simultaneously, Putin signed a decree allowing Exxon to resume the Sakhalin-1 oil project, raising questions about his motives.

The Alaska summit between Trump and Putin illustrates the fractures in the international scene: hesitant support for Ukraine, the return of energy issues with Sakhalin-1, and a Europe forced to watch without real influence.

Vladimir Putin has emerged from international isolation, while the occupant of the White House, Donald Trump, could not outline even the shadow of an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of their meeting in Alaska on Friday, August 15, without any concrete progress announced on the Ukrainian issue. Most Western leaders remain skeptical and call for continued pressure on Moscow.

The three hours of discussion between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska regarding the war in Ukraine and a possible path toward a peace agreement yielded nothing. Both counterparts described the meeting as “very productive” and “constructive.”

Donald Trump, eager to present himself as a decisive negotiator, assured the press during joint statements that there were “very few” points left to resolve in order to find a solution to the war that began more than three years ago with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “One of them is probably the most important,” he added, without specifying which. “We are not there yet, but we have made progress. There is no agreement until there is an agreement,” he also warned before departing for Washington.

Trump even put pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky, stating on Fox News after the summit that a deal to end the war “really depends on the president” of Ukraine.

Serge Schmemann, former head of the Moscow bureau of The New York Times, summarized: “Few East-West summits in modern history have been preceded by so much speculation and uncertainty. Few, if any, have concluded with even less clarity. What was clear, however, is that Vladimir Putin was fully satisfied.” The newspaper’s special correspondent noted: “For Ukrainians and their European neighbors, the breakdown of talks between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin contained an element of relief. Their greatest fear was that Donald Trump would yield to the Russian president’s territorial demands.”

Still on Fox News, Donald Trump stated that his meeting with Vladimir Putin went “very well.” This is why the American president “does not need to think now” about new sanctions against Russia.

Vladimir Putin, for his part, said he observed Donald Trump’s “willingness to contribute to the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, his desire to understand its essence and grasp its origins.”

“For a Ukrainian settlement to be durable and long-term, all root causes of the crisis (…) must be addressed,” he added. Russia views Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, and more broadly the expansion of the Western military alliance to its borders, as an existential threat. “Russia’s legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance must be restored in the field of security in Europe and globally,” Vladimir Putin argued.

French President Emmanuel Macron personally called for maintaining “pressure” on Moscow as long as a “solid peace” is not achieved, warning against Russia’s “tendency” to “not honor its own commitments.” The UK Prime Minister was more encouraging: “The efforts” of Donald Trump “bring us closer than ever” to ending the war in Ukraine, said Keir Starmer. “Although progress has been made, the next step must involve new discussions with” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, added the British Prime Minister in a statement. “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.”

More skeptical, the Czech Defense Minister considers that Vladimir Putin is not seeking peace but “an opportunity to weaken Western unity.” “We must maintain Western cohesion and continue supporting Ukraine,” said Jana Černochová. “We must continue to apply pressure on Russia, or even strengthen it,” added Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide to journalists in Oslo, “to make it clear that it must pay the price [for its invasion of Ukraine].”

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska on her Telegram channel.
“The Western press is in a state that can be called madness, bordering on complete madness: for three years, it has spoken of isolating Russia, and today it has seen the red carpet that welcomed the Russian president in the United States,” emphasized Zakharova, cited by Tass.

The President of the United States had aimed to quickly organize a tripartite summit with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and secure a ceasefire. He did not mention any of this alongside Vladimir Putin in front of the press. But in an interview on Fox News recorded just after the press statements, Donald Trump said that a deal to end the war “really depends on the Ukrainian president.”

Joint statement of European leaders after the Trump-Putin meeting: international borders cannot be changed by force. Ukraine must receive strong security guarantees, and no restrictions can be imposed on its cooperation with other countries.

Early this morning, President Trump informed us, as well as President Zelensky, of the discussions he had with the Russian President in Alaska on August 15, 2025.

The leaders praised President Trump’s efforts to end the massacres in Ukraine, stop the Russian aggression, and achieve a just and lasting peace. As President Trump said, “there will be no agreement until there is an agreement.” The next step, according to Trump, must now involve new discussions, particularly with President Zelensky, whom he will meet soon.

We are also ready to collaborate with Presidents Trump and Zelensky in organizing a trilateral summit with Europe’s support. We recognize that Ukraine needs strong security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We welcome President Trump’s statement that the United States is ready to provide security guarantees. The coalition of states supporting Ukraine is ready to play an active role. No restrictions should be imposed on the Ukrainian armed forces or their cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot veto Ukraine’s EU or NATO membership. Ukraine must make decisions regarding its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.

We welcome President Trump’s statement that the United States is ready to grant such guarantees. The coalition of volunteers is ready to play an active role.

No restrictions should be imposed on the Ukrainian armed forces or their cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have veto power over Ukraine’s path to the European Union and NATO.

It is up to Ukraine to make decisions regarding its territory. International borders cannot be changed by force.

Our support for Ukraine will continue. We are determined to strengthen our efforts to keep Ukraine strong, end the fighting, and achieve a just and lasting peace.

As long as the killings in Ukraine continue, we will remain ready to maintain pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and targeted economic measures to weigh on Russia’s war economy until a just and lasting peace is established.

Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work toward a peace that preserves Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.

Why was no agreement reached?
Perhaps Putin knew how to manipulate Trump!
On the day of his meeting with Trump, Putin signed a decree allowing the American oil company Exxon to resume the Sakhalin-1 project, reported Friday evening by the Moscow newspaper Kommersant. Since 1996, the Sakhalin-1 project involved oil exploration in Russia’s Far East and was operated by Exxon. In 2022, following the start of the war and U.S. economic restrictions, Putin revoked this right for Exxon.

Is this Trump’s progress with Putin?
For Donald Trump, the meeting was « very productive, » and for Vladimir Putin, a « constructive » conversation. The American and Russian presidents expressed their satisfaction after their meeting Friday in Alaska.
So, Donald Trump is pleased with the resumption of activities related to the Sakhalin-1 project, and Putin is pleased with his counterpart’s manipulations.

It is normal that pressure is being exerted on Ukrainian President Zelensky, but the conditions, the strategic points, and how he will implement them are uncertain. We know that the Russian president is demanding a guarantee agreement if Ukraine joins NATO. It is normal for Europe to support Ukraine and participate in building a stable peace agreement: « We are also ready to work with Presidents Trump and Zelensky for a trilateral summit, with European support. »

How will the reunion between Donald Trump and Zelensky unfold? As during the previous meeting? What other surprises could Moscow hold in store for the United States? To what extent could Donald Trump disadvantage Ukraine, vis-à-vis Russia, in the peace agreement?

After this summit, uncertainties remain: no concrete progress, but pressure on Ukraine and international vigilance remain total.

We can see that Donald Trump is easily manipulated when it comes to favoring the American economy, which is one of the president’s interests, given that he is a businessman.

As French President Emmanuel Macron stated, European leaders agree that it is essential to maintain pressure on Russia until peace is achieved in Ukraine. Close monitoring is normal, given that Russia has never respected the agreements reached, neither in Minsk on February 11, 2015, nor in Normandy, nor even at the Paris-Normandy summit at the Élysée Palace on December 7, 2019.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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