Putin vs. Krasnov
The world is buzzing with stories trying to anticipate the likely outcome of the Anchorage summit of Putin and Trump.
Some observers expect Putin to offer Trump lucrative personal business opportunities in exchange for Ukraine. A Trump Tower hotel in every Russian city above 100,000 inhabitants? Putin will certainly not shy away from offering one more small sacrifice considering how much he has already sacrificed to achieve his dream of rebuilding the nucleus of the Soviet Union.
Other observers expect Trump to offer Putin lucrative mining opportunities in Alaska in exchange for a Ukraine deal. Many commentators, however, simply suspect Trump to melt like chocolate in the sun when facing Putin.
From the European vantage point the likely result of the Anchorage summit is simple: the Europeans and their friends will be on their own supporting Ukraine's continuing fight since there is no way Ukraine would accept any armistice or agreement on Putin's terms. Unless Trump could convince Zelensky that Ukrainian suicide is the only option.
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Putin, a former KGB officer, approaches summits as battlegrounds for influence, not dialogue. His objective is not mutual understanding but strategic leverage, often achieved through subtle manipulation and carefully staged theatrics. From telling personal stories to exploiting known fears, Putin seeks to unsettle his counterparts and control the narrative from start to finish.
Kyiv Post.Trump is reportedly preparing to open up Alaska’s rare resources in exchange for peace in Ukraine. “We are going to see what happens,” Trump said when asked about the possible deal.Of course, even the suggestion of handing over valuable U.S. minerals to Russia hasn’t landed well with Trump’s voter base. Should the rumored deal go through, the United States would agree to give Russia access to minerals in the land they’ve already seized from Ukraine. In other words, the Trump administration would be acknowledging the occupied Ukrainian land as Russia.
Daily Kos.
Recommended reading: Could defeat radicalise Ukraine?
Update
Clearly 1:0 for Putin – no new sanctions," Ischinger wrote on X. Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, but Trump got nothing in return.
Der Spiegel
It is too early to assess the Anchorage summit since both Trump and Putin remained mum. The Alaska minerals? Trump Towers in Russia? Russian nuclear icebreakers in Alaska? We don't know. The meeting was cut short, probably due to Trump's painful bladder problem.
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President Donald Trump’s swollen ankles made their first appearance for several weeks during his high-stakes summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, prompting renewed questions about his health.
Daily Beast Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico welcomes the results of the summit. The coming days will show whether the major European Union states support them, Fico explains on his Facebook page.