Ukrainian President Voices Strong Disapproval
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s mid-August summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that the meeting handed Moscow a propaganda victory while doing little to advance peace. Speaking in an interview’ This Week, Zelenskyy said the August 15 talks in Anchorage, Alaska, excluded Ukraine and offered Putin an international stage without tangible results.
“It’s a pity that Ukraine was not there,” Zelenskyy remarked. “President Trump gave Putin what he wanted. Putin wanted very much to meet with the president of the United States, and I think he got it.”
The criticism came just hours after Russia launched its largest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, intensifying doubts about whether the summit had any positive effect on the ongoing war.
Propaganda Victory for Moscow
According to Zelenskyy, Putin’s primary goal in meeting Trump was not to negotiate peace but to showcase his relevance on the world stage. The Ukrainian president told ABC that Moscow sought imagery of Putin standing alongside an American leader as evidence of legitimacy.
“Putin doesn’t want to meet with me,” Zelenskyy said. “But he very much wants to meet with the president of the United States to show everybody that he is there, on equal footing, being recognized.”
The Anchorage meeting was marked by ceremonial pageantry, including a red-carpet welcome for Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. However, despite Trump’s earlier threats of “severe consequences” if Russia refused a ceasefire, the summit concluded without concrete agreements. Instead, Trump later suggested that Ukraine might need to make territorial concessions, a position that alarmed Kyiv and many Western allies.
Russia Escalates Military Strikes After Talks
While the summit generated headlines, it was quickly followed by one of the deadliest waves of Russian attacks since the war began. Over the weekend, Russia unleashed 805 drones and 13 missiles in a coordinated nighttime assault. The strikes killed at least eight civilians, including a one-year-old child in Kyiv, and damaged Ukraine’s cabinet building for the first time.
The attacks extended far beyond the capital. In western Ukraine, an American-owned factory employing 600 people was destroyed near the Hungarian border. The facility, which produced consumer goods, had been located far from active front lines and rarely faced previous threats. Trump described the strike as something he was “not happy about,” but stopped short of announcing any policy response.
For Ukrainian officials, the timing of Russia’s assault underscored Moscow’s determination to press forward militarily even as it used high-level meetings to project an image of diplomatic engagement.
Failed Peace Deadlines and Rising Frustration
At the Alaska summit, Trump set a two-week deadline for Putin and Zelenskyy to hold direct peace negotiations. That deadline expired without progress, fueling skepticism about the viability of the initiative.
In a separate interview with CBS News, Trump acknowledged the lack of momentum, saying, “They are not ready yet. But something is going to happen.” He gave no details on what future steps might follow.
Zelenskyy, for his part, dismissed the notion of traveling to Moscow for talks despite Putin’s invitation. “He can come to Kyiv,” the Ukrainian president insisted. “I cannot go to Moscow when my country is under missiles and attacks each day. I cannot go to the capital of a terrorist state.”
He further accused Putin of “playing games with the United States” by setting conditions that delay real negotiations while simultaneously escalating military operations.
Kyiv’s Position: Willing to Negotiate, But on Equal Terms
Despite his frustration, Zelenskyy reaffirmed that he remains open to talks under the right circumstances. He said he would meet Putin in any international forum—whether hosted in Europe, the United States, or elsewhere—but not on Russian soil.
“Negotiations must take place in conditions of fairness, not under the shadow of bombings and propaganda spectacles,” Zelenskyy stressed. He emphasized that Ukraine seeks a just peace, not one dictated by territorial concessions or unilateral demands.
Outlook: A Widening Gap Between Diplomacy and Reality
The developments highlight a widening gap between high-level diplomatic theatrics and the realities of the war on the ground. For many Ukrainians, the Alaska summit underscored a troubling trend: symbolic meetings that fail to address Russia’s ongoing aggression.
While Trump continues to suggest that a breakthrough remains possible, the sheer scale of Russia’s latest attack indicates that Moscow sees little incentive to compromise. Analysts warn that such assaults not only devastate civilian infrastructure but also send a clear message that Russia intends to dictate terms by force rather than negotiation.
For Ukraine, the exclusion from the Trump-Putin meeting reinforced a sense of vulnerability. As Zelenskyy put it, “It is my people, my country, that pays the price when others hold summits without us.”
With Russia escalating its offensive and Western leaders divided on strategy, the prospects for near-term peace appear increasingly remote.
Sources: ABC News
