Putin won in Anchorage. Now, Zelenskyy and Europe are in a more dangerous position | Rajan Menon

dOnald Trump portrays himself as a tenacious trader. However, at Friday’s summit, he was Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska Claiming Russian leader He was taken seriously, so taking Ukrainian wars seriously sounded childish. Putin did not let emotions shape his political and military decisions. He also did not deny his long-term claims to four Ukrainian provinces: Donnesk and Luhansk, which include the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south. Despite Russia’s overwhelming numerical advantage in troops and weapons, Putin almost completely occupied a province in Luhansk. He persevered.

Trump said a few days before his meeting with Putin that the Russian economy was “notorious” and that the fall in oil prices would cause the Russian war to strand. This war must have put serious economic pressure on Russia, including High inflation and interest rate,,,,, Labor shortage and Lack of investment By a private enterprise. The revenue from oil sales is a key source of national revenue and has also Shrink 18% This year, due to Prices fall. There are even Talk about recession. But these pressures did not prompt Putin to reassess his war plans. He ignored Trump’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately accepted it. Likewise, he was not bothered by Trump’s threat to the threat of imposing other sanctions –Serious consequences”, as he said before the summit – if Russia doesn’t give up.

Trump returned empty-handed for other reasons. A successful summit requires hard work ahead of time by the leader’s subordinates; this is arranged in a hurry. It’s not surprising to anchor the conversation considering the haste End a few hours in advance. (The working lunch for both delegations was cancelled.) During his post-marriage press conference, Trump mocked Putin for his goodwill and said they had agreed to theMany points“In the discussion he described as “productivity.” But he failed to identify a single point of consensus and, atypically, did not stay to answer reporters’ questions.

Putin leads in Anchorage. He disagrees with Trump’s pet proposal for a ceasefire. It’s Trump’s final Accept Putin’s position A comprehensive peace agreement must be signed before a ceasefire, which involves theroot causewar. Putin does show some flexibility Agree to freeze If Ukraine is to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, then the entire Donbas frontline will allow Russia to obtain unconquered land despite more than 40 months of fighting. However, this offer may prove to be a trap. If Zelenskyy, who arrived in Washington for talks with Trump on Monday, refused to do so, Putin might be able to watch Trump try to force Ukrainian leaders to force Europe to stand on the side. If Trump fails, Putin can portray Zelenskyy as a real obstacle to peace.

Trump announced that if the summit fails, there will be no future negotiations in the future – because he cannot get a ceasefire, which is his main goal – but in Anchorage, he talked about the follow-up meeting. Putin agreed, mischievously suggesting Moscow as the venue, but did not indicate his willingness to include Zelenskyy and European leaders. By agreeing to further negotiations and maintaining Trump’s hopes for a peace deal, Putin may ensure that the effectiveness of additional U.S. sanctions against Russia remain untested.

By simply appearing in Anchorage, Putin proved that Western policies to isolate him would not work. Zelenskyy and European leaders undoubtedly did not end the war by dividing Ukraine, which undoubtedly comforted them. Despite this, Trump is willing to accept Putin’s insistence on this bilateral meeting Efforts include Zelenskyy’s failure More distrust has been sown between Washington and Europe. Now Trump accepts Putin’s view There is no ceasefire without a general agreement to resolve all aspects of the conflict. He is also effective Recognize Putin’s phone number For Ukraine, Donbas was ceded in exchange for the freezing of the frontline. These shifts will increase Ukraine and Europe’s distrust of Trump-Putin’s advantage.

Putin’s confidence in Russia’s final victory was decided by Trump, and he obtained weapons delivered directly to Ukraine before the summit – Aid Total $65.9 billion Joe Biden is the president of the United States. Russia will continue to bomb Ukraine’s cities and its ground forces will continue to work hard to capture more land. In this regard, the summit has not changed anything. There has been a change since Trump returned to the White House, and it is the role of the United States in the war. Ultimately, Trump believes that the Russian invasion does not threaten the United States, so it is necessary for Europeans to support Ukraine’s defense, which is JD Vance reiterated Not long before the summit. European countries have been increasing Defense expenditure and Military support Go to Ukraine. However, it is better to be prepared to do more and call the group to keep the course.

Meanwhile, the temptation of other negotiations with Putin will keep Trump’s fantasy of continuing diplomatic interactions with Russia, who claims that his own trading skills will eventually end the war – clearing the path to the road to Nobel Peace Prize He longs for.