Alaskan encounter

Only Mr Putin gained from the meeting

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Hopes for an early end to the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine were comprehensively dashed following United States (US) President Donald Trump's much-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Even given the low expectations from this meeting, the result could not have been worse for embattled Ukraine, for the signals it sends to countries with irredentist ambitions, notably China (Taiwan) and the US (Greenland).

At most, it offers more compelling evidence of the US's abdication of its role as a principled interlocutor in global conflicts.

After affording Mr Putin a lavish welcome, including a red carpet and ride in "The Beast", the armoured US presidential limousine, to the venue of the meeting, Mr Trump failed to secure even a ceasefire agreement.

Instead, he backtracked, apparently backing Mr Putin's plans for Ukraine to cede territory Russia holds in the east as a condition for a peace agreement.

At a press conference, Mr Trump alluded to eliminating the "root causes" of the conflict before a peace deal could be made.