Red carpet for Putin, red light for Kyiv: Alaska summit seen as diplomatic victory for Moscow with Trump echoing Kremlin stance

In a red-carpet welcome in Alaska, US President Donald Trump embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin with smiles and praise, calling Russia “a big power … No. 2 in the world.” The pageantry marked Putin’s first visit to the United States in a decade and was hailed in Moscow as a breakthrough after years of isolation.

Yet, despite the ceremony, the summit delivered no breakthrough on ending the war in Ukraine. By Saturday, Trump appeared to have abandoned his earlier push for a ceasefire, long supported by Kyiv and its alliesin favour of a “full peace agreement,” aligning more closely with the Kremlin’s position.

The tough language Trump had used previously threatening “severe consequences” for Moscow if hostilities continued was absent. Instead, he hinted that sanctions could be revisited “in two or three weeks.”

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Observers said the meeting tilted heavily in Moscow’s favour. “The summit produced nothing for Mr. Trump and gave Mr. Putin most of what he was looking for,” said Laurie Bristow, a former British ambassador to Russia.

For Putin, the reception was a diplomatic success. Russian media celebrated the visit as proof he had “broken isolation,” even as he remains under an International Criminal Court warrant issued in 2023. Trump, ignoring the indictment, welcomed him as a partner on the world stage.

Analysts suggested Putin’s primary aim was to stall international pressure for a ceasefire and secure more time for military advances. “He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished,” said Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute.

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Trump later posted on social media that, after consulting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, “it was determined… the best way to end the horrific war… is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, not a mere Ceasefire Agreement.” European leaders, however, stopped short of endorsing that line in their own statement.

Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, with talk of a possible trilateral summit, though the Kremlin has not confirmed. Some former aides and analysts believe Trump may pressure Kyiv into concessions. “Putin is a much bigger bully,” said Fiona Hill, his former Russia adviser. “Trump wants the conflict off his plate and is not prepared to put pressure on Putin.”

Meanwhile, fighting continued in Ukraine, with Russian forces claiming new territorial gains in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Bristow cautioned that the war would not stop soon. “Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop,” he said.

With inputs from agencies