Bloomberg points out that Trump has reinstated Russia on the stage of high-level international diplomacy.

247 - US President Donald Trump hosted Vladimir Putin in Alaska for a summit that marked a rapprochement between Washington and Moscow. The meeting, held at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Anchorage, restored the Russian president's status as a protagonist in high-level international diplomacy after years of isolation. This analysis is from Bloomberg.read here).

Contrary to expectations of confrontation, Trump opened the doors with pomp: red carpet, air parade of bombers and fighter jets, and even an invitation for Putin to board his armored presidential limousine. The gesture made clear the new tone of the bilateral relationship. Smiling, Putin summarized the scene before the press: “Good afternoon, dear neighbor. It’s very good to see you healthy and alive.”

Putin leaves without concessions.

In less than five hours on American soil, Putin achieved his goal: international recognition and prominence. The meeting with Trump lasted almost three hours, the longest ever recorded between the two leaders, but ended without any announcement of an agreement or concessions from the Russian side. The Russian president stated that there was an "understanding" and warned that Ukraine's European allies should not "place obstacles."

Trump, for his part, shifted the weight of the negotiations to Kiev. In an interview with Fox News after the meeting, he said that it was now up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "resolve" the situation: "Now it's up to him. He needs to resolve this," he stated.

Private conversations and indirect messages

Much of the dialogue took place inside the presidential limousine known as The BeastThe meeting, with no witnesses other than the two presidents, was the first in-depth conversation since the 2019 G20 meeting in Japan.

Before the summit, Trump stated that he had spoken by phone with Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of Putin. According to him, Lukashenko had agreed to release more than 1.300 political prisoners after negotiations mediated by the United States.

Effects on the war in Ukraine

The meeting took place at a delicate moment, with Russia expanding its military advances on Ukrainian territory. A report from the US European Command revealed that the temporary suspension of US military aid in March weakened Kiev's defenses and had a direct impact on the battlefield.

In Europe, concern is growing. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he will meet with Zelensky after the Alaska summit, in an attempt to secure a coordinated response to Russian pressure.

Symbols and provocations

The visit was also marked by symbolic gestures. Russian journalists accompanying Putin were housed in makeshift conditions, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov provoked his hosts by wearing a sweater with the inscription "USSR" in Cyrillic. Outside, pro-Ukraine demonstrators reminded everyone that Alaska once belonged to Russia before being sold to the United States.