Road To Peace?

U S President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s much-anticipated summit in Anchorage, Alaska on 15 August was warm on words but cold on outcome as it concluded without any agreement on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine that has been raging since February 2022.

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The talks lasted just over two and a half hours, far shorter than the expected six to seven hours of discussions. Also, the scheduled lunch never took place, while journalists were barred from asking questions. The two leaders, nonetheless, showered praises on each other. Admittedly such a long drawn conflict cannot be sorted out in one meeting between two countries alone when multiple other interests are involved.

Putin demonstrated a keen ability to say what Trump wants to hear, all the while offering little in terms of actual concessions. He supported Trump’s unverified claim that had Trump been president four years ago instead of Democrat Joe Biden, the war in Ukraine would never have happened. “I'm quite sure it would indeed be so,” Putin remarked. Putin also echoed another claim close to Trump’s heart: that the 2020 election, won by Biden, was rigged.