Ukraine War | Alaska Summit: Nothing New in the East

Following the summit between Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska, one thing is clear: the war continues. Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities from the air and Ukrainian military forces on the ground. Drone attacks have been reported from Chernihiv in the north of the country. And in the Russian border region of Belgorod, a woman was injured by a Ukrainian drone overnight into Sunday, as the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced on Telegram.

Now, even US President Trump is no longer talking about the priority of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. Putin has apparently convinced him otherwise. Now the focus is on a comprehensive peace agreement for Ukraine, which the two countries want to work on. While this sounds good, in practice it consists of many points, and the path to achieving it is more time-consuming than implementing a ceasefire.

Donald Trump, adept in show business, knows how to stage himself and his partners . He invited Vladimir Putin to the strategically important Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Anchorage. Both deplanes disembarked at almost the same time on Friday. They met for their first handshake on a red carpet, while B2 bombers, like those that recently bombed Iran, flew overhead. A subsequent ride together in the backseat of Trump's limousine allowed for an intimate conversation.

At the final press conference, Putin was the first to speak, speaking for eight minutes about the talks, which both sides had conducted "in a constructive atmosphere characterized by mutual respect." The Russian president recalled that this was the first meeting at the highest level in four years. Trump needed just over three minutes to also praise the "productive meeting" and add that they hadn't reached agreement on all points.

More concrete information about the summit's content only became available the following day. Citing two high-ranking European government officials, the New York Times reported that Trump had presented a controversial peace plan during a confidential meeting with European heads of state and government. According to the plan, Ukraine would also cede territories to Russia not yet controlled by its troops. Trump also intends to discuss this with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House next Monday.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) expressed his general satisfaction with the meeting between the US President and the Russian leader. The results were "much more far-reaching than we saw in the press conference," Merz explained on ZDF. He also said it was "good news" that the US was willing to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine.

The recent US-Russian negotiations are met with criticism in Ukraine. On Friday, several dozen people gathered in front of the US Embassy in Kyiv under the slogan "Prisoner exchange yes – territorial exchange no." For journalist Ivan Jakovina, Putin's demands amount to a near-capitulation of Ukraine. "In my opinion, the best security guarantee is two dozen nuclear missiles. Second is a hundred fully armed F-15s and F-16s," Jakovina writes on his Facebook page.

On the Telegram channel of philosopher and blogger Sergi Yagodzinski, readers reacted differently to the Alaska talks. "I think Putin didn't just come here to have his picture taken. So there's hope for an end to the war," says a "Roma." A "Mariwana," on the other hand, believes "that everything will continue like this until one side surrenders." And a "Wicher" wants to know "whether territories are now more interesting than people." At the same time, a "Levan Lomidze" calls for tougher US sanctions against Russia.

A "Skyup 69," on the other hand, sees this as "a new Munich conspiracy." "Trump is a coward; he won't take more radical measures," says a "Rusik," and continues: "Until yesterday, I still had hope. Now the war will continue, people will die en masse." An "Alexej Girin" sarcastically comments on the cancellation of the summit dinner, saying that there will be a meal after all. Ukraine and its people will be on the menu. "Sergi Yagodzinki," on the other hand, is more optimistic. A single meeting is not enough for a peace agreement. "Thank you for trying, Mr. President!" he addresses Trump.

A Kyiv bus driver told "nd": "If Putin had agreed to an immediate ceasefire and Trump had guaranteed that the US would not agree to Ukraine's admission to NATO, I wouldn't have to fear Russian drones today." The latest data on desertion also demonstrates how divided Ukrainian society is in its attitude toward the war . Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Boiko reports 125,216 new criminal cases in the first seven months of this year alone.

The mood in Russia is also mixed. In a video by Ukrainian blogger Pavel Pryadko, a young passerby in Moscow says: "I'm fed up with living under the sanctions. Life was easier in 2018 and 2019. I want this to end." And another passerby in Moscow sees the meeting alone as a positive sign: "It's important that we have a dialogue," she says.

The summit in Alaska "confirmed Russia's commitment to a long-term and just peace," said Andrei Klishas, Chairman of the Federation Council's Committee on Constitutional Law and State Building. "The objectives of the special military operation will be achieved either through military or diplomatic means. There will be no unconditional ceasefire," the politician emphasized.