Putin: "Alaska Summit was timely and extremely beneficial"… Western evaluations include 'Trump's defeat'

Russian President Vladimir Putin, regarding the summit held with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on the 15th (local time), assessed that it was "timely and extremely beneficial." In the West, there is a flood of criticism labeling the summit as 'Putin's decisive victory.'

According to Russian TASS News Agency and others on the 16th (local time), President Putin stated, "We discussed almost every area of cooperation, and above all, addressed ways to fairly resolve the Ukraine crisis," adding, "Through frank and substantive dialogue, we came closer to making the necessary decisions." He also emphasized his commitment to a peaceful resolution, saying, "We respect the U.S. administration's desire for the immediate cessation of hostilities."

Putin's satisfaction was attributed to President Trump's changed negotiating attitude. President Trump shifted course from ongoing 'ceasefire' discussions with President Zelensky of Ukraine and European leaders, instead moving towards a 'peace agreement' as demanded by Russia. He reportedly even mentioned the possibility that Ukraine might have to concede part of its territory.

Amid this atmosphere, the West continued to issue harsh assessments of President Trump. Laurie Bristow, former British ambassador, told the Associated Press that "Trump achieved nothing, and Putin took almost everything." Boris Johnson, former British Prime Minister, told the Daily Mail it was "one of the most nauseating scenes in the history of international diplomacy," while Ivo Daalder, former North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ambassador, wrote in a New York Times contribution that "it took Putin just a few minutes to deceive Trump once again."

President Trump is scheduled to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on the 18th. While some European leaders are also expected to attend, specific names have not yet been confirmed. In addition, Trump stated that if the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proceeds smoothly, he intends to push for a three-way summit, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, by the 22nd of this month.