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“Ukraine should make a deal… because Russia is a very big power, and they’re not” – President Trump, following the Alaska summit.
Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin just met in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Many hoped for concrete commitments to put a stop to what’s become Europe’s deadliest conflict in decades, but instead the summit appears to have left behind a muddled reality. Russia looks emboldened, Ukraine seems sidelined, and the US continues sending mixed signals about its role in global leadership.
With a range of news outlets reporting on this, here’s the Exposé’s summary of what happened in Alaska, why it’s so important, and what we expect to see next.
Trump Changed His Tune
One of the clearest indications yet of his approach, Trump bluntly announced that Ukraine should make a deal. He acknowledged Putin had actually demanded more Ukrainian land, but argued that compromise was inevitable. He also described their meeting as “historic” claiming that he had taken a “major step toward peace”. However, notably, no ceasefire has been agreed, and loose hints about “future arrangements” have not helped to clarify what comes next.
Bearing in mind, Trump had previously threatened “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to end the war, last month setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary tariffs.
But very little was announced by either president following Friday’s summit, while Trump insisted progress had been made. Putin described the summit as “very useful” and said he had been able to “set out our position” to Trump. He added: “We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement.”
Putin the “Clear Winner” in Alaska
While nothing has actually been signed or even apparently agreed, analysts are unanimous in their assessment that Putin came out on top. Sky News described him as the “clear winner” in Alaska, highlighting how even being able to stand alongside the US President on American soil, after years of being treated as their biggest enemy, marked a symbolic victory for Russia.
Body language experts also drew the same conclusion. Noting Putin’s subtle confidence, leaning back and smiling at key moments, he rarely looked rattled. Meanwhile, Trump seemed animated, and at times even deferential.
As one reporter put it: “Putin was probably laughing all the way home.”
Dr Peter Collett, an expert in body language and psychology, said “In spite of their difference in height, Putin, although he’s very short, sits upright, ramrod, looking very confident, whereas poor old Trump is crumpled and turned inwards.”
“What’s interesting is the high degree of smiling,” he continued. “It’s a very serious, sombre occasion and yet they find time to smile and display their pleasure – not only at meeting each other but about the whole exercise.”
Social media in Ukraine lit up with fury as the reports came in from Alaska. Referring to Putin, commenters said: “He occupies territories… destroys entire cities, kills, rapes, robs, kidnaps, tortures, and as a result receives a red-carpet welcome”
Ukraine’s Perilous Position
For Kyiv on the other hand, the outcome looks grim. Zelensky wasn’t even invited to the table, reinforcing widespread fears that Ukraine is being sidelined. His team have long warned of “dead solutions” – peace deals struck without their country’s input, seemingly rewarding Russian aggression.
Zelensky heads to Washington on Monday. Facing enormous pressure, it’s expected that he will be pushed by Trump to accept territorial concessions in the name of ending the bloodshed. Zelensky, however, has often repeated that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.
In private, it’s understood that Ukrainian officials acknowledge their military position is weakening now, and after years of war, exhaustion sounds like it’s setting in for those on and off the battlefield.
Reality Check? Crime, Power, Politics
Critics note that Trump’s reality and his rhetoric are often far apart, such as when he recently claimed that Washington DC was “one of the most dangerous cities in the world” despite crime being at a 30-year low. His portrayal of Ukraine’s chances against Russia paints the war as unwinnable, implying that Ukraine is too small to fight a “very big power”. It seems he is reframing the war from a matter of sovereignty to one of inevitability.
For Putin, that framing is priceless. It bolsters his claim that Russia holds the upper hand, and that the West should stop backing Kyiv’s efforts to continue the fight.
Current State of Affairs
While the Alaska summit failed to deliver peace, it did shed light on the real situation for all three parties:
- Trump’s reputation as a dealmaker was reinforced, appearing willing to sideline old alliances if it means cutting through stalemates. This goes down well with his supporters, but alarms European allies.
- Putin was treated as a respected partner by the world’s most powerful democracy – a monumental turning point after years of isolation.
- Ukraine was simply reminded of its vulnerability. Without the US seeming to back the country, its bargaining power shrinks dramatically.
For everyone else, the stakes remain high. Along with the usual threats of food insecurity, higher energy prices, and shifting security guarantees, the precedent of borders being able to be shifted by force could define the next years, and decades, of global conflict.
What Happens Next?
- Zelensky will visit Washington on Monday to meet with President Trump. Will Ukraine resist the expected pressure to concede land, or will exhaustion bring compromise?
- European powers insist that peace cannot come at Ukraine’s expense. However, they may end up shouldering more of the burden if Washington decides to power down or completely remove itself from supporting either side of the conflict.
- If Russia walks away on top, it will send the world the clear message that military aggression pays. Revisionist powers elsewhere, such as China and Taiwan, will be keeping a keen eye on how this plays out.
Final Thought
The Alaska summit will be remembered for symbolism rather than agreements. Trump came to the table as the one who can strike a deal with Putin. Putin left looking stronger, and Ukraine is yet to have its say. One Ukrainian soldier, as reported by Reuters, said “it feels like they are trading our lives for their politics”.
Join the Conversation
Is Trump right to push Ukraine toward a deal? Has the US just handed Putin his biggest win yet? How will it go on Monday between Trump and Zelensky? Add your thoughts below.
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Categories: Breaking News, US News, World News
More Trump hotels approved in Russia by Putin?
Whoever wrote this stuff has swallowed the neocon rubbish whole. Aggression shown to pay by Russia? Who fomented the Maidan? Who killed at least 15,000 in the Donbass in the years between then and the Russian move to military action? Who reneged on the Minsk accords – blithely admitting it later? Wake up!!
The Expose has done so much to get people aware of where the bad hats are – let us not fall at the fence beyond a million graves,….
Hi Blue Tara,
Throughout the years of conflict, there has been of course been aggression from both sides. However, seeing that only one side is invited to the table in these discussions, it’s clear that one is benefitting more than the other.
How do you think it will go with Zelensky tomorrow?
G Calder
Totally agree. Whoever wrote this bias one sided lazy article should NOT call them selves a journalist. For many, many years Putin almost pleaded with NATO not to expand its territory further east but NATO completely ignored the warnings with arrogance. Then the genocide of the Donbas and Donetsk areas of the loyal to Russia population. No mention, so that part of history is wiped out by the corrupt media to perpetuate the false narrative ageist putin. At least Trump recognises this and is doing his best to end this war. Also let’s not forget the totally corrupt zelensky, the NATO puppet who’s made billions from this war at the expense of his people. I think president Trump understands perfectly well. You can have all the body language experts you want, you’re all fake news with you’re noses in the trough. I thought you were better than this expose need but obviously you’re just the same loads rubbish as all the other MSM. Lost my subscription.🖕
Hi Reno,
This is a report of how people interpreted the meeting on Friday, not with an agenda in either direction. It is not a summary of the war itself and who lost the most soldiers or who committed genocide where and when. The structure of this article is to summarise what many outlets appear to be reporting slightly differently, as an attempt to make it clearer for those less in the know.
Sorry to see you go,
G Calder
Thanks Blue Tara…add to my input…listen to J. Sachs for the FULL history and shame on you Expose!
All I can say is, why wouldn’t we want to be trading with Russia and getting along with them? That goes for any other country. America has, for far too long, been an “our way or the highway” nation in which the American government goes around the world telling people where they should live, how they should do “democracy”, which monetary system they must use, which religion to believe in, and even has gone as far as pushing “trans” and LGBTQ and flying those ridiculous rainbow and trans flags in these countries that don’t want any part of that madness. Personally, I prefer a bit of “isolationism” to the extent that it stops America from pushing so-called “values” at the barrel of a gun. Our house is a mess and how dare we go around the world telling people how to live. As a people, we need to start making our own choices as to who we “hate” instead of letting the CIA, the military industrial complex, politicians, and corporations dictate to us: “you must hate (fill in the blank) because we said.” This is ridiculous. If Russia or any other country wants to negotiate trade, tourism, or anything else with America, we should be doing that. We do *not* have the “moral” high ground and we haven’t for decades. A lot of these countries are disgusted by America and how arrogant the so-called “leaders” have become. Unless, and until, we get our own house in order we have absolutely no right whatsoever to tell any other country on the planet that they “aren’t doing it right.”
Hi Rob D,
I think we will see normal trade and cooperation between Russia and the rest of the world before too long. Reading the consensus about how Trump/Putin’s meeting went, it sounds very much like Russia maintains the upper hand and I imagine that means none of the “additional sanctions” that Trump threatened just last month will be implemented. As a result, it currently seems like we’ll see a bit more openness between the countries – but let’s see what Ukraine/Europe has to say to Trump tomorrow.
How do you think it’ll go?
G Calder
True…
This bloody war was initiated and began with Ukraine persecuting the people with Russian roots living in the southern parts of Ukraine and by massacring tens of thousands of them and maybe even more beginning an ethnic cleansing of the Donbas and Donetsk regions that lasted for almost a decade before the leaders of these regions asked for the Russian state for help and support against their Ukrainian persecutors…When Russia finally did intervene in favour of those that were persecuted, Zelensky, Ukraine’s dictator, asked for help in fighting off Russia and the United States started funding that war resulting in hundreds of thousands more of Ukrainian soldiers being killed by the Russian military and all the time with the US encouraging Ukraine to keep on fighting against Russia resulting in even more deaths for the the Ukrainians! That’s what has been happening in Ukraine and after several years of fighting with Russia, Ukraine is now losing this war and the support of the US is now dwindling and I don’t think that the EU countries will take over that fight against Russia, leaving Ukraine all alone to keep fighting with Russia or conceding to a lot of territorial losses, now part of Russia, in their country!
I wonder if this Ukrainian soldier who said: “it feels like they are trading our lives for their politics” knows what Zelensky once said: “I will wage war until the last Ukrainian soldier.” Soldier, may you not be the last fallen soldier in the Russia NATO proxy war fought on Ukrainian soil. I wish you!
Hi Jack,
How do you think Zelensky will handle tomorrow’s meeting? I’ve read that other European leaders will be present now, too. Will he continue to “wage war until the last Ukrainian soldier”, or finally concede?
Regards,
G Calder
Yes…thank you too… sorry Expose….surely you must have educated yourself by now?
Geoffrey Sachs has so concisely and repeatedly described the complete and historical background of why Putin finally ran out of patience and went into Ukraine. America caused this war just like America ( Israel ‘s military wing) has caused almost EVERY brutal misery since the 2nd world war. Thank God Trump has not flipped again and will hopefully get the hell out of Ukraine and root out the satanic Zionist murderers who have been the puppeteers running foreign policy in the US for ever it feels.
our british media tell us Ukraine is winning and had Putin dead by july ?
Putin invaded because of harmless NATO encroachment and perceived threats to Russian speaking citizens of Ukraine.
…
Simple solution!
…
Russian speaking citizens of Ukraine, that displaced Ukrainians over the last 200 years of Czarist, Stalinist and Putinist policies of theft, murder, starvation and forced deportation, can go back to Russia!
“Ukraine should make a deal… because Russia is a very big power, and they’re not” – President Trump, following the Alaska summit.
TaaRump is an idiot and devoid of historical facts.