"Zelenskyy will be forced to accept the facts on the ground": Putin and Trump have discussed key issues in private, without others present

US-Russia leaders "synchronize their clocks" and decided to maintain contact

Image content: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump (from left to right) at a press conference following their meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, US military base.

The first US-Russia summit in six years raised more questions than concrete results. But at least there was progress in the duration of the meeting — Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump met for 2 hours and 45 minutes, which was an hour and a half longer than their previous meeting during the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019, when they only spoke for over an hour.

At the press conference that began after midnight in Moscow time, both presidents looked quite satisfied and gave high evaluations of the meeting. However, questions remain.

Although Trump stated that "no agreement was reached," the US president said, "There were significant advances in the negotiations with Putin. It is likely that an agreement on resolving the Ukraine issue will be reached." Soon after, he gave Vladimir Putin a score of 10 out of 10 in an interview with Fox News.

Vladimir Putin described the talks as constructive and productive and expressed hope that Kyiv would not hinder the progress that had become evident. He also invited Donald Trump to visit Moscow — clearly implying that the dialogue would continue.

However, what else happened behind the scenes of the US-Russia summit? Why was there no expanded meeting involving Russian ministers who had come to Alaska? Were territorial issues and sanctions discussed? The "Freedom Press" interviewed Vladimir Vasilyev, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the United States and Canada, with these questions.

— The US-Russia talks are indeed shrouded in mystery. But this is because we are used to "open diplomacy." Obviously, not all agreements between national leaders are made public. Many things are resolved behind closed doors. I think that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump just coordinated their actions. And both were satisfied with it.

"Freedom Press": The presidents' statements did not mention territorial issues at all. Was this topic discussed?

— This is a rather complex issue, and it cannot be solved through one meeting. Also, no one promised to resolve this issue during the talks in Alaska.

Both sides had already informed each other before the talks that no documents would be signed. Border issues are generally a "sensitive point": Europe fears borders being redrawn.

Many countries have territorial claims: Germany and Poland, Lithuania and Poland, Poland and the Czech Republic, Hungary's territorial claims on Zakarpattia, and the Balkans have long been subject to changes in territory.

When Europe realizes it's time to redraw borders, the world will understand that the Ukraine of 1991 no longer exists and may be "disassembled" into geopolitical fragments. I believe this day is not far off.

"Freedom Press": In your opinion, what issues could Putin and Trump discuss face-to-face and be satisfied with?

— In my opinion, they discussed some fundamental issues — the issue of providing US intelligence data and specific types of weapons to Ukraine. I think they also discussed Ukraine not joining NATO, because Vladimir Putin mentioned the importance of Ukraine's security in his final press conference.

They may have reached a principle-level consensus on territorial issues. According to information from authoritative military sources, Russia is currently preparing a large-scale offensive and has achieved breakthroughs on the front lines.

There have been "leaks" indicating that Russia insists on the complete transfer of Donbas. I think these territories will be occupied by our army through military means, and Trump will agree with this.

Moreover, he has recently often said that Russians are good at fighting. All strategic changes will happen on the battlefield.

"Freedom Press": Will new sanctions be imposed on Russia, especially in the oil and gas sector?

— No, they won't. Trump has already indicated this after the meeting. The practice of imposing tariffs on countries that trade with Russia should also stop, because it has severely harmed the interests of American industrialists and entrepreneurs — Trump's main voter base.

"Freedom Press": Whether before or after the talks in Alaska, Trump looked tired and unhappy. At the final press conference, it was hard to tell who was under sanction — the optimistic and energetic Vladimir Putin or the tired Trump...

— This president faces many problems: domestic unrest, Trump declared a state of emergency on August 11 and sent the National Guard to Washington. The Epstein files scandal hangs like a sword of Damocles over Trump's head.

In this context, he cannot declare any concessions to Russia: not everyone in the US will understand this. That is why the talks did not make breakthroughs. For now, this is normal," the political scientist concluded.

How should the results of the US-Russia summit in Anchorage be evaluated? The "Freedom Press" asked Andrei Suzdaltsev, Deputy Dean of the School of World Economy and Politics, with this question.

— I think that after the talks, both presidents looked satisfied at the final press conference. Anti-Russian sanctions have been postponed, and they will not impose additional pressure on our economy. During this period, our army will have time to occupy the entire Donbas.

It was mentioned at the final press conference that both sides reached an agreement on territorial issues. This may mean that Trump agreed that Russia would recover its claimed territories through military means.

Ukrainian media and politicians' negative views on the results of the Alaska summit speak volumes.

"Freedom Press": Why wasn't an expanded meeting held? After all, a strong Russian delegation arrived in Anchorage, including the foreign minister, defense minister, finance minister, etc...

— Trump almost brought the entire White House team to Anchorage. They also obediently returned to Washington. I think it is not yet the time for detailed negotiations; the most important thing for the presidents is to "synchronize their clocks."

"Freedom Press": After the talks with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said that another meeting would be held, at which Zelenskyy would also participate. Is this really possible?

— If Russia and the US can reach an agreement on all disputed issues, Zelenskyy will agree to everything. There is a consensus between Russia and the US, which is a fact. The conditions for a ceasefire may become the subject of subsequent meetings and negotiations. Even Trump said in an interview with Fox News that "both sides reached an agreement on territorial issues."

I am glad that both presidents frequently mentioned the word "understanding" at the joint press conference. This is a good sign.

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