In his subsequent interview with Fox News, Mr Trump advised the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to “make a deal” because “Russia is a very big country, and they are not”.
Whether this is merely Mr Trump parroting a well-worn Russian speaking point – that Moscow will ultimately prevail over Kyiv in a war of attrition – or whether it is his genuinely held belief is almost immaterial. But it signals that Mr Trump is yet again pivoting away from supporting Ukraine in its quest for a just peace.
For now, the American president has not completely abandoned his efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. But he has put the onus on Mr Zelenskyy without offering any of the reassurances that were given to him and other European leaders only days ago. Mr Zelenskyy reportedly had a lengthy conversation with Mr Trump after the Alaska meet, and will meet his American counterpart in Washington DC on Monday.
Mr Trump’s deal-making is very much premised on the idea of “winner takes all”. Unfortunately for him, and above all Ukraine, he has left Alaska empty-handed and Mr Putin with a big smile on his face.
Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham and Head of the Department of Political Science and International Studies.
