Trump–Putin meeting: Balance of success and failure

In the middle of the night on 15 August Bangladesh time, the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in Alaska, United States. International media are reporting that there was no solution to the Ukraine war, no agreement, and that the Putin–Trump talks failed. Since the announcement of the meeting, the matter had been the talk of the world; but no one has clearly said what the agenda of the talks was, or what the aim was. Mainly, the discussion was about Ukraine; but there was no question of any agreement or treaty.

Even before meeting Putin, President Trump said this discussion was a “listening exercise”. That is, not to reach any decision, but rather to create a process of hearing each other out. It is true that even after three years neither Europe nor Russia has been able to take steps to solve this war. From that perspective, we may consider this discussion to have been very fruitful. Both presidents were exceptionally warm and sincere.

At a short press conference, they decided on a follow-up discussion. Putin said with a smile that the next meeting could take place in Moscow. Trump immediately laughed and expressed delight. This may be a strategy in the interests of peace; but the respect and sincerity shown to Putin was rare. President Trump welcomed him with a red-carpet reception. Trump gave Putin a “yank and pull” handshake. One meaning of this type of handshake is drawing someone closer. After that, four fighter jets and one B-2 stealth aircraft flew overhead to welcome him. This was a gesture of respect to Putin (yet clumsy media outlets tried to claim the United States was showing its strength to Putin. This is not only clumsy but a ridiculous interpretation). In short, welcoming Putin was a positive aspect. Perhaps part of melting the ice between the two sides.

Whatever the media or European countries say, the Ukraine–Russia conflict is a proxy war. Russian Federation versus NATO. The war is only on Ukrainian soil, and the majority of the dead are Ukrainians or Russians. However, billions of dollars’ worth of weapons are flowing from the United States and Europe. Europe is secretly sending hired soldiers and strategists to Ukraine. Western countries no longer deny this.

There is a saying in the Mahabharata: if a monkey riding on the back of an elephant mocks the lion, the king of the forest, then the elephant can no longer be called innocent or impartial. So, it is clear that Europe is trying to use the United States like that elephant. However, Trump has for some time withdrawn somewhat from direct participation in this war. And the bigger truth is that if the United States does not want to continue this war, or withdraws from behind, Ukraine’s defeat will be inevitable. Along with that, Europe’s major powers will back away to save themselves. So, they are making every effort to keep US support intact. Therefore, discussions with the United States on the Ukraine issue are extremely significant, even more than with Europe and Ukraine.

Just two days earlier, Trump had said that if Putin did not want to stop the war, he would have to face consequences. Right before the start of the Alaska meeting, the US government indicated that if the talks were unproductive then Trump alone would attend the press conference, and if productive, then both presidents would attend.

In the end, it was seen that both of them attended the conference with great cordiality. President Trump said several times that he wanted not just a ceasefire, but permanent peace. People are dying on both sides every day, and he wants to stop that. At the short press conference after the Alaska meeting, Trump only said regarding the Ukraine war that every week several thousand people are losing their lives. He said nothing more. And neither president took any questions from journalists. This proves that Trump is giving priority to reassessing relations with Putin.

Now the question is, what did the United States understand by “fruitful”, and what did Europe and most Western media mean, and what do European leaders themselves understand? Before the meeting, President Trump said that Putin was bringing a group of businessmen with him, which he thought was very good. He also mentioned at the press conference various commercial cooperation between the two countries. It is known that the United States and Russia discussed cooperation in the Arctic region, as well as space cooperation. This has made one thing clear: Trump, who had been threatening additional sanctions on Russia for several days, has stepped back from that.

Secondly, Putin brought a few businessmen with him to the United States, including one or two who are under US sanctions. This also proves that the meeting is moving not towards more sanctions on Russia, but rather towards relaxation. Of course, among all this we must keep in mind that President Trump does not remain firm on one statement. Sometimes he says one thing in the morning and another at night. For example, right after returning from Alaska, he made a somewhat shifting remark. On social media he announced that on 18 August he would discuss with Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

After the meeting, he spoke with Zelensky over the phone. He also held discussions with the European Union and the United Kingdom. He said that to end this dreadful war a peace agreement directly between Zelensky and Putin was necessary. It should be noted that even before the Trump–Putin discussions, there had been loud voices from Europe and Ukraine that no talks could take place without Zelensky, that is without Ukraine. From the beginning of the war there has been a tendency among them that Russia must be defeated with weapons, and that must be done by the United States. They would only provide some support from behind. It has now become clear that Trump does not agree with this perspective.

However, there is also a personal goal for Trump in this discussion event, which I mentioned in another article. Lobbying is underway for him to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He is already claiming to have stopped several wars. Some countries have even proposed awarding him the Nobel Prize. Now if he does not take direct initiative to end the biggest current war, the Russia–Ukraine war, then his claim to the Nobel becomes somewhat weaker.

Secondly, he is a businessman. Business is the top priority for him, both personally and for the state. For some time, he has been very dissatisfied with Europe and NATO expenses. His relationship with Western Europe has become cold over NATO costs, that is clear. And the final point is, the Ukraine war began during the tenure of his biggest rival, Biden. And there is no doubt that the Biden administration directly supported this war. When Biden was Vice-President, Hunter Biden was linked with the Ukrainian company Burisma. In a corruption case in Ukraine, Hunter wielded US influence. From 2016 to 2020, Trump was President in his first term.

Meanwhile, when Volodymyr Zelensky became President of Ukraine in 2019, President Trump asked him to investigate Hunter Biden. But Zelensky did not carry out that investigation. Because Zelensky believed that within a few months the Democrats, Biden’s party, would return to power in the United States. That is what happened. Biden became President. And Zelensky almost ran Ukraine like Biden’s second son, nearly ensuring Ukraine’s entry into NATO. President Trump was not unaware of this. This was reflected in the heated exchange of words between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Mohsin Habib: Journalist and analyst on international affairs