Alaska summit ends without Ukraine ceasefire deal

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a summit on Aug. 15 at a U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska, but failed to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Analysts said the two leaders could not settle key issues related to a ceasefire. However, President Putin proposed that if Ukraine fully relinquishes the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russia would freeze the current front lines and halt attacks. President Trump reportedly relayed the proposal to European leaders, according to The New York Times.

The talks, held without Ukraine even though roughly 20 percent of its territory is occupied by Russia, involved the U.S. and Russia discussing territorial adjustments unilaterally. Reports indicate that additional sanctions against Russia were not discussed. Analysts said the summit underscored Ukraine’s isolation amid the harsh realities of an international order dominated by power politics.

At a summit scheduled for Aug. 18 at the White House in Washington, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet, with Trump potentially pressing Ukraine to make territorial concessions under the banner of ending the war and achieving peace. Following their Aug. 15 meeting, Trump and Putin held a roughly 10-minute joint press briefing, saying they had engaged in “constructive dialogue,” but did not announce any detailed agreements.

After the summit, President Trump posted on Truth Social that “the best way to end the war is not through a violated ceasefire agreement, but by moving straight to a Peace Agreement.” Critics said his approach may have given Russia more time to continue attacks on Ukraine. On Aug. 16, President Zelensky expressed frustration, saying, “Russia has ignored many demands for a ceasefire and has yet to decide when it will stop killing.”


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com