‘Dear neighbour…’: 5 things Putin told Trump at the Alaska summit on Ukraine

While the US-Russia talks ended inconclusively, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to the press sent several messages to the world. The talks, which were held in Alaska on Friday, were already being seen as a “victory” for Putin, since it gave the Russian leader the American stage he was looking for.

Before the talks, Putin ignored all the questions journalists hurled at him. Need for ceasefire to accusations of killing Ukrainian civilians, Putin faced numerous questions, but he kept his composure and just flashed a diplomatic smile.

After Trump and Putin went back and forth for 2 and a half hours, both leaders appeared on stage for what was perceived as a press conference. However, Trump and Putin went on to give brief remarks on the talks and took no questions, leaving the American press scrambling for more answers.

Putin was the first one to take the stage, emphasising that both leaders are in “agreement” in some aspects. It was unusual for Putin to take the mic first since, usually, when an American president is hosting a foreign counterpart, a j oint news conference would begin with remarks from the US leader followed by his guest. However, this time, Putin opened the news conference as Trump looked on.

Here are the five things his speech conveyed to Trump, the US and the rest of the world.

1 ‘Dear neighbour’: Putin’s emphasis on Alaska’s geography and shared history

Putin started his address to the press by greeting Trump with the phrase “ dear neighbour”. With this, the Russian leader underlined the geographical proximity of Russia and the United States across the Bering Strait. Putin also managed to evoke historical connections between the two nations, since Alaska, where the meeting took place, was sold by Russia to the US.

“The US and Russia are close neighbours, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska,” Putin said at the beginning.

2 ‘Let’s turn the page’: An aim at ending Russia’s isolation in the West

During his public remarks, Putin said Russia and the United States should “turn the page and go back to cooperation”. Instead of mentioning the war, Putin put more emphasis on bettering ties between the US and Russia.

Interestingly, Putin had a similar stance during the reign of former US President George W. Bush. It was the 2008 Georgia War that eventually led to a decline in US-Russia ties. The Friday statement for Putin also reflected that the Friday talks were more than just about the Russia-Ukraine war.

3 Praises Trump for echoing mutual respect for national interests

Another highlight of Putin’s remarks was his acknowledgement of Trump’s stance that if he were the president, the Russia-Ukraine war would not have happened. “[Trump] has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests,” Putin said.

This statement sought to frame the conversation as grounded in mutual respect, even amid sharp differences. The Russian leader went on to thank Trump for the “friendly” tone of their dialogue and expressed hope for “the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations” between the two powers.

4 Sets preconditions for peace — a warning to Europe with pressure on Ukraine

In his brief address, Putin also set out the preconditions for any form of peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Putin reiterated Moscow’s longstanding position: “All the root causes of the crisis … must be eliminated. All of Russia’s legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored.”

He went on to issue a warning for Europe and Ukraine, while standing next to one of the key allies of Kyiv, the president of the United States. “We hope that Kyiv and the European capitals will constructively perceive all of this and will not create any obstacles or attempt to disrupt the nascent progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.”

“I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine,” Putin furthered.

5. ‘Next time in Moscow’

While Trump was concluding the presser, Putin suggested in English, “ Next time in Moscow,” signalling he has kept the door open for continued dialogue.

However, there’s more to the story. Before and even after the meeting, Trump noted that his next plan is to hold a trilateral summit between him, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If the next meeting is to take place in Moscow, not only would Trump receive backlash for agreeing to such a meeting, but it his unlikely that Zelenskyy would visit Russia due to security reasons.

Also, by expressing the intention to meet next time in Moscow, Putin might also be perceived as showing reluctance to hold a meeting anywhere but Russia.