Cliff Notes
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Vladimir Putin received an extravagant welcome during his recent Anchorage visit, reminiscent of his receptions in China and North Korea, highlighting a strengthening alliance.
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The summit aimed to address Trump’s frustrations regarding sanctions and ceasefire, yet neither term was mentioned, suggesting a lack of substantive progress on key issues.
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A visibly controlled news conference indicated that Putin dominated proceedings, raising concerns about the implications for Ukraine as he appeared to push for a new phase in US-Russia relations.
Red carpets and flypasts: In Alaska, an indicted war criminal was feted like a king | World News
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For Vladimir Putin, this really couldn’t have gone much better. From the red carpet to the flypast – the indicted war criminal was feted like a king.
The only other places that have welcomed him like this in recent years are the likes of China and North Korea, Russia’s old friends.
It seems Moscow has now gained a new ally, and it was shaped by the body language of bromance.
Trump-Putin summit: Follow latest developments
The Kremlin leader’s most pressing aim in Anchorage was to temper Trump’s frustrations. It was only a week ago that Moscow faced an ultimatum: ceasefire or sanctions.
But there was no mention of either. The word “ceasefire” and the word “sanctions” weren’t even uttered once.
The leaders appear to have reached a loose framework. But for what? We don’t know because details were not forthcoming.
But the fact Vladimir Putin spoke of the need to eliminate the “root causes” of the conflict will not fill Ukraine with hope.
That phrase essentially means that Russia’s red lines are as indelible as ever – on territory, neutrality for Ukraine and limits to its armed forces – and Moscow has no intention of watering them down.
Come the news conference, it was abundantly who was calling the shots.
Not only did Vladimir Putin speak first but there were also no questions – both things surely unprecedented in the world of Trump’s media relations.
Given how choreographed Putin’s news conferences usually are, I expect the lack of Q&A was a condition laid down by his team.
All the more remarkable was Trump’s willingness and ability to comply with it – a sign of how much he values his relationship with the Kremlin.
“Pursuing peace” was the summit slogan, but it felt like Vladimir Putin was pursuing something else – the start of a new chapter in US-Russia relations that Ukraine will fear may come at their expense.
