Trump (right) welcomed Putin with a red carpet and displayed his performance style that has characterized his career (Reuters)
U.S. mainstream media have uniformly criticized U.S. President Trump for his summit with Russian President Putin in Alaska. Some media believe Trump did not achieve much; another media considers the summit a failure, but still worth trying.
The Washington Post stated that the summit began with a red carpet and ended with an early and cold departure. The Wall Street Journal said that Trump laid out a red carpet for Putin without getting much in return. Foreign Policy pointed out that the summit between Trump and Putin failed, but it was still worth trying. Meanwhile, Newsweek cited a Ukrainian official who called the summit a complete failure.
In its opening report, The Washington Post stated that successful diplomacy requires high-risk concessions. It also noted that Trump welcomed Putin with hero-like treatment, yet in their joint appearance hours later, he looked disappointed and spoke little, completely unlike himself.
Trump (right) exchanged glances with Putin after their meeting in Alaska (Reuters)
The paper emphasized the sharp contrast between the cold exit of the two leaders and the warm welcome Putin received upon arrival. Initially, Trump greeted Putin with the theatrical spirit that has defined his career, then both entered Trump's armored vehicle "Beast," without an interpreter, an extremely unusual breach of security and diplomatic protocol.
The paper argued that this warm welcome shocked Ukraine and Europe, creating a strong contrast with the treatment of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House in February. At that time, Trump and his vice president publicly reprimanded Zelenskyy on live television because he said he could not accept a ceasefire without security guarantees.
Hours before the summit, Trump had expressed optimism and believed a peace agreement on Ukraine was possible, claiming, "If we don't reach a ceasefire, I won't be happy." But after the meeting, his face showed dissatisfaction. Although he announced "significant progress," he said the next step would be to call NATO leaders and Zelenskyy.
The paper pointed out that simply being invited to meet Trump achieved many goals for Putin. The report stated that the conversation between the two leaders was "friendly and based on trust." Being seen alongside Trump provided Putin with a platform to articulate his so-called "roots of the war" and Russia's security threats against a "hostile Ukraine."
Putin ended his speech in English and smiled, announcing they would "meet again in Moscow next time." But Trump countered that it was an interesting idea and said he might face severe criticism for it.
Putin (left) stood on the runway at the airport after arriving in Alaska for the meeting (Reuters)
The media also noted that this was the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him that Putin set foot on Western soil, as well as his first visit to the United States since 2007 (excluding one trip to New York for the UN).
The report stated that Russians were delighted by Trump's applause for Putin on the red carpet. Russian historian Sergei Radchenko wrote, "Oh my God, Putin got Trump's applause." The country's state TV also praised the initial arrangements of the meeting, stating that "the red carpet and almost friendly handshake" contradicted the image of an "isolated Russia" painted by Europe.
Little Gained
The Wall Street Journal pointed out in its opening that the Alaska meeting seemed to bring no breakthroughs. Despite Trump's usual showy style, the meeting ultimately announced no substantive results, and the end of the Ukraine war remained unclear.
The paper said Trump risked inviting the sanctioned Kremlin leader to the U.S., only to fall into the same dilemma as a few days earlier. Putin still refused to make any concessions on the future of Ukraine to end the war that has lasted three and a half years.
Both leaders bet their political reputations on the success of the summit, but Putin gained the advantage: he was treated equally on American soil, temporarily avoiding any new U.S. sanctions, and made no battlefield concessions. While Trump promised during his campaign to "end the Ukraine war on his first day in office," he failed to achieve even a temporary ceasefire.
Trump, standing in front of a backdrop reading "Pursuing Peace," said they "made some progress" and looked forward to Putin and Zelenskyy arranging future meetings. He added that the U.S. and Russia reached agreements on several issues, but still needed consensus on "one or two very important issues," emphasizing that the road ahead was long.
During an interview with Fox News, Trump said he would delay new sanctions against Russia, saying, "I don't think we need to consider this now. You know, the meeting went well." He then advised Zelenskyy, "Make a deal." And reminded Ukraine, "Russia is a big power, and you are not."
The media pointed out that Putin had already won a series of symbolic victories even before the formal meeting began. Since no mandatory measures were set for Russia, it gave Putin the opportunity to continue the war in Ukraine.
Worth Trying
Foreign Policy, in describing the reception Putin received, stated that Trump faced strong criticism for inviting the Russian president onto American soil and laying out a red carpet, despite Russia making no commitments other than continuing to kill Ukrainians and seize their territory.
The magazine questioned why Trump agreed to the summit without any prior indication, pointing out that such high-risk meetings are usually arranged only when both sides clearly see a possibility of compromise.
Foreign Policy believes that if the deadlock continues, it could make Trump look humiliating and incompetent, especially if he yields to any of Putin's demands without Ukraine's approval or European cooperation. The magazine stated that the best outcome of the Alaska summit should have been a long-term ceasefire based on the current front lines and a suspension of territorial disputes for decades.
Just by holding the meeting with Trump, Putin could significantly escape from his diplomatic and economic isolation. In essence, what he truly pursued was a photo of the meeting with Trump.
Putin's Personal Victory
Newsweek commented from the Ukrainian perspective. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, criticized the summit as "a failure." The report stated that the White House claimed it was Putin who requested the meeting, but the Ukrainian president was not invited to participate.
This Ukrainian official told The New York Times that the summit did not lead to a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, and that Putin "used Trump to show he is not isolated." He added that Putin has been charged by the International Criminal Court with war crimes, thereby "winning the information war."
The report pointed out that Zelenskyy was deeply skeptical of the U.S.-Russia talks. He had previously said that Putin would benefit greatly from meeting Trump, as it would help him escape diplomatic and economic isolation. He added, "I think Putin will benefit from it, because frankly, what he needs is a photo. He needs a photo of his meeting with the President of the United States."
Zelenskyy also said, "First, the meeting took place on American soil, which I think was a personal victory for him. Second, he will escape isolation. Third, through this meeting, he has somehow delayed the sanctions policy that we were eagerly expecting. As for what happens next, we'll see."
Sources: U.S. Media
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539294532769153570/
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