It was a rare moment when the reality lived up to the hype. As presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shook hands on the tarmac of a U.S. military base in Alaska yesterday, a B-2 stealth bomber roared over their heads.
The results of the U.S.-Russia summit that followed were somewhat less momentous. Although both leaders spoke in positive terms about their productive and frank discussions, no deals were announced and no ceasefire was reached. Still, it is Putin who leaves Anchorage as the big winner having achieved his main objective—keeping the United States involved in negotiations while continuing his war in Ukraine.
Going into the summit, there were many questions about Putin’s motivation. Some suggested he had demonstrated a new flexibility in his ceasefire terms and was ready to bargain. Many more believed his request for a face-to-face with President Trump was a stalling tactic, and that Putin was not serious about seeking an end to the war in Ukraine. The reality may be somewhere between the two.
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