NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte believes that at next Friday's Alaska summit, US President Donald Trump will test Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war in Ukraine. He emphasized that no actual peace agreement is expected at this event.
US Vice President Jay Devens, who discussed this with Trump, noted that the US president is not confident his efforts will yield results but sees them as necessary to try to end the war. Devens added that without Trump's leadership, Russia and Ukraine are unlikely to come to an agreement to stop the conflict.
At the same time, Devens admits it is difficult to predict how the war will end. The US maintains contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Devens believes the outcome may not satisfy either Ukrainians or Russians.
The vice president says discussions should focus on ending hostilities along the front line, an approach Trump has been proposing to Putin since their early talks. However, Putin has insisted on Ukraine withdrawing its troops from the annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
So far, there are no signs that Putin is ready to accept the US-mediated ceasefire proposal. If any agreement is reached, it may only be a short-term truce, seen as a gesture to Trump, which could potentially be followed by renewed fighting.
The key question remains when such escalation might happen: during Trump’s presidency or after he leaves office. Analysts note that Putin may simply be waiting for a change in the US political landscape.
According to Rutte, Trump will put Putin to the test at the summit. But why is Trump willing to risk his reputation if the meeting brings no real breakthroughs? Some observers believe there may be hidden agendas, including discussions of business interests between US and Russian elites.
Negotiations may involve not only officials but also representatives of economic circles, such as Kirill Dmitriev. The likely outcome of the summit will be statements about continued negotiations on the Ukraine conflict.
