Putin vs. Krasnov

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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.

--ed.

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.
 
Does Fico know more than we do? What are the 'results'?
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John Harwood
@JohnJHarwood
.....looks weak because he is weak with respect to any formidable adversary, his tough-guy pose is fake he wants Putin to like him because he's scared of Putin
 
 
 
 
Melania Trump Appeals to Putin Over Abducted Ukrainian Children
During the Aug. 15 Alaska talks, Trump handed Putin a letter from the First Lady addressing Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children, amid mass deportations, forced adoptions and Russification.
KYIV Post.
 
 

The idea that the Kremlin has kompromat on Trump seems increasingly plausible

If the White House capitulates to Putin on Ukraine, it will grossly and perhaps fatally betray the principles on which Nato was founded

 

 

 

Why I (Still) Don’t Believe Donald Trump Is a Russian Asset

Since his and Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Alaska, an oldie-but-goodie conspiracy theory has re-emerged about President Donald Trump: That the Russians must have something on him. After all, he went into the summit insisting on the need for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and promising “severe consequences” if one didn’t come to pass. He left saying that a ceasefire was no longer necessary—and backing away from that whole “consequences” thing entirely. And then there’s the decidedly pro-Russian sentiment Trump shared on his Truth Social feed on Sunday night.
Still, I just don’t believe the Kremlin has some sort of deeply-compromising information on Trump. I think the explanation is far simpler. Donald Trump wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize. A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would, he thinks, very much help his case. I don’t think Trump is terribly worried about the specifics thereof, so he does what he has always done—he goes to the more powerful player in the negotiations and tries to placate them. That said, his desire for a deal—regardless of what it means for Ukraine—has real consequences for the safety and security of Europe going forward. Will Volodymyr Zelensky and other European Union leaders be able to make that clear?
 
 
 

 

 

Zelenskyy had fielded a question from a reporter on whether he would be open to elections upon reaching a peace agreement.  “Yes, of course,” the Ukrainian leader said, noting that the government would need to ensure the polls would be safe and secure.

Trump then jumped in: “So, you’re saying, during the war you can’t have elections. So let me just say, 3 1/2 years from now, so, you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.”

“Oh, that’s good. I wonder what the fake news would say,” Trump added.

The comment, making light of the American tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, elicited some chuckles from those gathered in the packed Oval Office.

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