Alaska’s summit is perceived as a great success in Russia. But there are also initial doubts about Trump’s assertiveness.
President Vladimir Putin in the Katharinensaal des Kremlin draws with high officials over the summit with Donald Trump in Alaska.
Gatherings in the Katharinensaal of the Kremlin have had a special grade since February 2022. Shortly before the command for the major attack on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin had gathered his most important consultants at the time and had their position to solve the “Ukraine crisis” individually. Since then, the submissiveness of its officials has been part of the collective memory of that day. Before and after Putin’s summit with the American President Donald Trump in Alaska, Putin again called the central figures of the state apparatus in this hall.
Both showed the great importance of the meeting in Anchorage. For a long time it had been called from the Kremlin, a meeting with Trump requires larger preparations. But over time, this tactic of arrangement survived in relation to Trump. Most recently, Putin did not want to be able to give a unique constellation with an American president that he is so facing with.
Satisfaction with Putin
From a Russian point of view, it was worth taking the risks associated with the meeting on American soil and without preparations for weeks. «We had the opportunity to talk about the genesis and causes of this crisis. The elimination of these original reasons should be the basis of the solution, »Putin said to his subordinates after the return from Alaska. “I repeat: we had the opportunity to present our position calmly, in detail.”
Russia got what it wanted: to be perceived by the United States at eye level. The chemistry between Trump and Putin voice, and the Americans are ready for the first time in years to take the Russian interests seriously. This was written by Konstantin Remtschukow, the editor and editor -in -chief of the newspaper “Nesawisimaja Gaseta”, in a comment after the summit. It is much more than Ukraine: Russia’s recognition as a great power, past insults and the future of relationship with America are associated with great opportunities.
Commentators who argue about war lusters and anti -west more than Remtschukow rejoiced even more. America took over the Russian conditions for a conflict resolution. In their view, it is ultimately about a capitulation in Kiev. Everything that approaches this is considered to be a development in the right direction.
Insidious Russian concession
Putin managed to dissuade Trump from the demand for an immediate ceasefire. Instead, Russia had always sought comprehensive regulation that goes far beyond Ukraine. The “original reasons” are the code word for this: They not only contain the idea that everything started with the protests at the Kiev Maidan 2013/14 that would have led to the illegal takeover of a “Nazi government” and the “genocide” in the Russian -speaking population of Donbass. One of the “original reasons” also includes the external policy movement of Ukraine to the west, especially the pursuit of access to NATO, and the expansion of the transatlantic defense alliance far into the eastern Europe.
Russia’s goal is a Ukraine that dances to Moscow Pipe, and a European continent that no longer depends on America, but can be influenced by Russia. Everything that Russia does in this war is geared towards it. A change in this position is not recognizable. Putin’s appearances of the past few days testify that in Alaska he “only” demanded the withdrawal of the Ukraine from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and is said to have agreed to freeze along the front line in the other two already annexed areas of Saporischja and Cherson, should be owed to the limestone that the task of the strategically central Donbass President Wolodimir Selenski’s rule in Turbulence would fall.
Russian commentators give the scenario little chance: Selenski will never go into it, but that is not that bad either. Then this will be solved on the battlefield. The Kremlin never wanted an early ceasefire because the simultaneity of negotiations and military pressure pays off for him. In any case, Russia will get everything it wanted, even without Trump, Alexei Naumow, wrote an America expert who likes to be a Trump understander. Concesses in territorial questions – Russia fully annexed the regions in autumn 2022, even without controlling them completely – are unpopular in Putin’s regular electorate.
Unclear about security guarantees
However, Naumow was confident: Trump and his administration understand the balance of power in contrast to the Europeans. Their behavior triggered amusement and malicious joy. Kremlin Loyal commentators delighted in their telegram channels on Monday evening in the pictures of the European State and Prime Minister in the White House. Their continued support for Ukraine led the negotiations to a dead end. But one thing is clear: Russia only makes its concessions once.
While the war correspondent Alexander Kos from the Boulevardzeitung “Komsomolskaja Prawda” Trump praised that he was not bent in front of the Europeans and their ideas and adhering to the preliminary agreements of Anchorage, others criticized not to have prevailed towards Selenski and the Europeans. The evening showed Trump’s borders. In the end, only the Russian soldier defends the Russian interests, a propagandist wrote.
Clarity is also lacking around the security guarantees. Russia is likely to combine them with its own demands – after a say or at least a significant reduction in the Ukrainian armed forces. Trump’s speech of a possible stationing of American troops in Ukraine already countered the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. For Russia, every presence of western troops in Ukraine is unacceptable. Preventing this is part of the question of the “original reasons” of the conflict.
Question mark behind summit with Selenski
Trump’s phone call to Putin on Monday evening caused confusion. Trump then reported that a meeting should now take place between Putin and Selenski, then a summit for three. Putin’s foreign policy advisor Juri Uschakow, however, commented much more indefinitely. The two presidents had agreed to promote direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and at most to bring it to a higher level. He did not say that this already included the presidents.
However, the AFP agency later reported that Putin had given its consent. So far he had not completely excluded a meeting with Selenski, but regarded the end point of a longer negotiation period. He recently said that it would be much too early. Kremlin loyal commentators were similar. A meeting within two weeks is completely illusory. However, the same had been called in front of the Alaska summit. Now this is considered to be “historical” and as a sign in relation to America.
