Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in Alaska on Friday drew sharp backlash, as US President Donald Trump pressed ahead with a summit aimed at exploring a Ukraine ceasefire deal, notably without Kyiv’s participation.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Anchorage ahead of Putin’s arrival, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting against what they described as a war criminal visiting the United States. Activists accused Trump of legitimizing Putin by hosting him on US soil in a state that was once part of Russia before its 1867 sale to the United States.

Ukraine and Alaska, Russian never again declared a protest message shared by Razom for Ukraine. The Native Movement NGO added that allowing Putin to set foot in Alaska was a betrayal of history and the moral clarity demanded by the suffering of Ukraine.

The meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson marked the first in person encounter between Putin and a US president since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has promised a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy afterward, but Kyiv and its European allies remain wary of being sidelined.

Trump, who once floated the idea of Ukraine ceding territory for peace, has recently hardened his rhetoric, warning Moscow of very severe consequences if no progress is made. He has also suggested US security guarantees could be part of a future settlement, a shift from his earlier rejection of the idea. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the administration was considering such guarantees.

Still, the White House cautioned against expecting breakthroughs, calling the Alaska talks a listening exercise. The Kremlin likewise said no documents were likely to be signed.

European leaders have expressed cautious optimism but warned against any deal struck without Ukraine’s consent. Critics of the Alaska summit argue the meeting risks emboldening Putin while leaving Kyiv excluded from decisions about its own war.
 

BOB Post