All Eyes on Trump-Putin Summit: Who Will Be the Winner?

Kokcha News Agency – The world’s attention is focused on the highly anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. While the summit is seen as a potential diplomatic victory for Moscow, expectations for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war remain low.

According to The New York Times, the gap between Russia and Ukraine’s positions is too wide to expect any concrete progress. However, both Moscow and Kyiv agree that the meeting is a diplomatic win for Putin. Pro-Kremlin media outlets have described the visit as “the complete collapse of the policy to isolate Russia.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the Alaska meeting, criticized the event, saying, “Putin is after a photo op; this will be his gain.”

Trump’s Threat Fails to Materialize
Two weeks ago, Trump gave Putin an ultimatum to agree to a ceasefire, threatening severe economic sanctions against Russia and its allies, such as China and India, if the deadline passed. However, the deadline has come and gone, the war has intensified, and no new sanctions have been imposed.

Land Swap Controversy
While Trump has described the meeting as a “reconnaissance meeting,” he has hinted at being open to the idea of a “land swap.” Zelensky, however, has stated that Ukraine’s constitution prohibits the ceding of territory and that such a move would trigger a major political crisis in Kyiv.

Will the U.S. Change Its Stance?
Experts warn that the worst-case scenario would be Putin presenting a proposal that the U.S. could accept but Zelensky could never agree to domestically. In such a case, Trump could take a harsher stance against Kyiv.

Putin’s Goal at the Summit
Analysts believe Putin will try to portray Zelensky as the “stubborn obstacle to peace” during the Alaska meeting. According to Russia expert Ryhor Nizhnikau, “Trump sees himself as a good negotiator, but Putin has been playing this game his entire life and believes he can manipulate Trump.”

Trump’s comments about a potential “land swap” have raised concerns in Kyiv. Zelensky has suggested that Trump could be easily “fooled.”

Internal Pressure on Russia
One factor that could weaken Putin’s hand is the pressure from nationalist public opinion in Russia. Years of pro-war rhetoric mean that any signal of retreat from the Kremlin could spark strong backlash from prominent bloggers and TV commentators.

Comments suggesting that the Alaska summit could lead to peace have been interpreted by some Russian nationalists as “Putin giving up.”

Western Reactions, Putin’s New Agenda
Since the 2022 invasion, only two Western leaders (the prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary) have met with Putin. European capitals have expressed disapproval of Trump hosting a Ukraine summit without Zelensky.

In a video call on Wednesday, Trump assured European leaders that any peace plan would start with a ceasefire and that negotiations would not proceed without Ukraine at the table. However, the Kremlin has signaled that it wants to discuss other issues beyond Ukraine, including the restoration of economic relations with the U.S. and the possibility of a new nuclear arms agreement.