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Abhiruchi Chowdhury
17 August 2025 |
The following note was earlier published in The World This Week #323 & 324 Vol 7, No 32 & 33, 17 Aug 2025
What happened?
On 15 August, President of the Russia Vladmir Putin landed in Alaska, US for holding a meeting with US President Donald Trump. The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the war in Ukraine.
The meeting lasted for around three hours. Both the leaders addressed the media briefly. Putin termed the discussion with Trump as “constructive” and “mutually respectful.” Putin urged the European countries and Ukraine to not place any hurdles via “provocation or behind the scenes intrigues” which could backtrack the progress made. President Trump said “there were many, many points that we agreed on. Great progress has been made.”
President Putin, on holding the next meeting with Trump said “next time in Moscow.” To which, Trump replied “I’ll get a little heat on that one, I could see it possibly happening.”
The two leaders did not speak anything about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. After the meeting, as per the White House, Trump held conversation with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy and other NATO leaders.
What is the background?
First, the previous Trump-Putin meetings and their phone conversations on Ukraine. In 2017, during Trump’s first presidency, he met Putin in Germany for the G20 summit. The two leaders had met again in the same year in Vietnam at an economic forum. In 2018, Putin and Trump held a meeting in Helsinki, Finland after which Trump criticized the reports of interference in US 2016 elections allegedly being carried out from Russia and supported President Putin. Following this, the two leaders came together for the G20 summit in 2018 and 2019 in Argentina and Japan respectively.
On Ukraine, Trump spoke to Putin twice over the phone. After the March phone call, Russia and Ukraine agreed to not attack each other’s energy installations for 30 days. However, soon after the phone call, both Kiev and Moscow blamed each other of carrying out assaults on energy infrastructures. On 12 February, Trump termed his phone conversation with Putin as “lengthy and highly productive phone call.” Trump after the phone call made it sound clear that he will not push Russia in ceding the occupied territories back to Ukraine. His primary objective was to put an end to the ongoing fighting.
Second, Russia’s isolation by the West after 2022. After the war, Russia was expelled from approximately 20 multilateral and regional forums. The meeting in Alaska was the first time that the Russian President met his counterpart in the US since the start of war. Until July, the EU had enforced 18 packages of economic sanctions against Russia. More than 2500 individuals and firms had to bear the brunt of the sanctions. The exclusion was not just limited to political forums and economic sanctions but also in cultural and sports forums. Moscow has also been sidelined from scientific cooperation of the western countries.
Third, Europe’s military assistance to Ukraine. Wherein under the Trump administration, US has been hesitant towards giving military aid, European countries have maintained their backing for Ukraine through military aid packages. In July, Trump had made it clear that it will send American weapons to Ukraine, if they are being paid by the European countries. The EU has contributed EUR 59.6 billion worth military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of war. In May, Germany under the leadership of new chancellor, had authorized EUR five billion “military aid package” for Ukraine. Following this, Norway and Belgium have allocated EUR 1.5 billion and EUR1.2 billion for Ukraine whereas Netherlands, UK and Denmark have earmarked around EUR 600 million each.
What does it mean?
First, an unsuccessful meeting for Trump. Before the meeting, Trump had made it clear that Moscow might have to incur serious repercussions if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire. However, no outcome regarding a ceasefire came out from the meeting. It is absolutely clear that the two leaders did not make any progress, though they have termed the meeting as “productive.” Both, Putin and Trump avoided mentioning the areas in which they made progress.
Second, the nearing end of diplomatic isolation of Russia by the West. If the second meeting does take place in Moscow, this would mean European countries would no longer be able to sideline Russia. Further, it would increase the likelihood of countries like Hungary and Slovakia of openly engaging with Russia.
Third, Putin had indirectly warned the European countries to put an end on their military assistance to Ukraine. President Trump might also push the European countries for ending their assistance to Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire in the future meetings. The meeting in Alaska clearly signifies that the future of Ukraine would be decided according to the whims and wishes of Russia and the US.
About the Author
Abhiruchi Chowdhury is Research assistant at NIAS.
