Trump and Putin bury the hatchet in Alaska on behalf of their states

Written by: Zeljko Sajn for Kosovo Online

Following the historic meeting of U.S. and Russian delegations at a military base in Alaska, we saw and heard that the bilateral talks between the United States and the Russian Federation, led by their presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, instilled optimism across the world. The negotiations, with arguments carefully presented, went beyond the framework of the Ukrainian crisis.

They called for constructive cooperation with Europe and Kyiv, hoping they would not be obstructed on the path to peace. (They did not single out leaders by name, but the allusion was directed toward British Prime Minister Starmer, German Chancellor Merz, and French President Macron.)

Thus, if we broaden the conclusions, we can openly state that the two leaders, on behalf of their states, buried the hatchet and froze the world order at Yalta, renewing through their talks the path to friendship and the formation of a new, more stable global geopolitical arrangement. This will be based on multilateral relations of equality, but without hegemonistic dominance.

One of the arguments supporting this conclusion, as heard at the press conference, concerned the intention that in creating an agreement with Ukraine, the security of every country, including Ukraine itself, should be taken into account.

What the new geopolitical maps will look like may be revealed by the current presidents of Russia and the United States at their next meeting in Moscow. Before that encounter, both leaders will consult with their allies—Putin with the BRICS members, and Trump with the European West. In the meantime, they will agree on Trump’s return visit to Moscow, after Putin, in front of journalists, handed him an invitation to visit Russia. Trump did not decline the invitation.

Trump welcomed Putin with full attention and respect—on the red carpet, both on the runway where the Russian plane landed and at the press conference. Putin, as the first speaker, immediately emphasized that the meeting took place in “an atmosphere of mutual respect.”

After all of Trump’s statements about Putin—above all that he would, within the first two minutes of their meeting, judge whether Putin was for peace or not—it was clear from his overall behavior that Putin was indeed for peace. Trump’s demeanor showed his satisfaction at seeing in Putin a leader who wants peace and knows what he wants, since he pointed out at the press conference that he had always had an excellent relationship with Putin. Putin confirmed that Trump told him that had he been president of the United States in 2022, the war would never have happened.

Although journalists were left without answers to many questions, as both men behaved in the style of: we came, we met, we agreed—we are satisfied.

And indeed, both radiated optimism, which must now be made pragmatic through very complex diplomacy, as there are several centers of power with their own interests in shaping a multipolar system.

This meeting showed that Russia had long since reaffirmed its position in global politics and occupies a strong place in the balance of power. Trump demonstrated a certain adjustment of U.S. foreign policy to the changed conditions in the international community. This can be considered a strategic component of the proposal made by U.S. President Donald Trump.