For the first time since 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin seems set to travel to Alaska next week for a meeting about the war in Ukraine with his American counterpart President Donald Trump. Trump’s confirmation on Friday that the much-anticipated summit would, indeed, take place made it easy to forget about the 8 August deadline that Trump set for Putin to declare a ceasefire or face economic punishment.
That the day came and went with neither a ceasefire nor the promised consequences is not a surprise. But it provides an important reminder about the sources and extent of Trump’s leverage with Putin as he heads into the important meeting. More economic threats and new military ultimatums are not likely to score the U.S. President any points during the meeting or affect Putin’s decision-making afterward. Instead, Trump’s most powerful point of leverage is his ability to walk away from negotiations entirely. Trump can achieve more and better protect U.S. interests if he keeps this in mind as he prepares to face Putin.
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Events on Ukraine-Russia
