The Alaska Meeting: Putin Claims to Have Reached "Understandings" for Ending the War in Ukraine
Exclusive from our correspondent
BEIJING – Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he has reached “understandings” with US President Donald Trump regarding the cessation of the war in Ukraine. The statement was made during a high-level meeting in China, where Putin commented on the results of his recent meeting with Trump, held last month in Alaska. This development is part of the complex diplomatic dance swirling around the conflict, which seems increasingly difficult to end.
Despite his optimistic rhetoric, the Russian leader left a key question open. He did not specify whether he would accept the offer of peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to be mediated by Trump. According to sources close to the negotiations, Trump has set Monday as the deadline for a response from Moscow. This lack of a concrete commitment from Putin fuels doubts about his true intentions and shows that the Kremlin continues to stall for time.
During his statement, Putin did not fail to once again defend his decision to invade Ukraine, repeating the well-known Russian propaganda narrative that the West is to blame for the war. This position, which Moscow has maintained since the beginning of the conflict, is in contradiction with international law and the widely accepted principles of state sovereignty. It is seen by many analysts as an attempt to divert attention from the Kremlin’s aggressive actions and shift the blame.
Meanwhile, after the Alaska meeting, US special envoy Steve Whitkoff announced that Vladimir Putin had given his consent to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential future peace agreement. However, at the moment, the Russian side has yet to confirm this information, which further complicates the picture and gives rise to speculation about the real content of the “understandings” that were reached.
The situation remains dynamic, with all eyes on the next moves of Moscow and Washington. The international community is eagerly waiting to find out whether Putin’s statements are a signal of a real breakthrough, or simply part of a complex diplomatic game aimed at buying time and maintaining the status quo on the battlefield.