Friendly summit with no ceasefire: Putin disarms Trump, neutralises sanctions threats at Alaska summit

Before US President Donald Trump headed to Alaska, he issued a stern warning against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. After reassuring Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump at that time warned that Russia would face ‘severe consequences’ if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine war at the Alaska Summit.

However, while speaking to the reporters after the talks in Alaska, neither of the leaders mentioned the word “ ceasefire”. After the whole saga was over, one question remained in everyone’s mind. Will Trump follow through with his ‘severe consequences’ threat, or did Putin manage to play his charm on him?

While speaking to the reporters on Wednesday, Trump hinted at imposing “severe economic sanctions” if Putin did not agree to a truce during the Alaska meeting. “If the first one goes OK, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump told reporters in Washington. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin, President Zelenskyy and me, if they’d like to have me there.”

When asked if Russia would face consequences if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire after the summit, the Republican firebrand gave an affirmative response. “Yes, they will … very severe consequences,” Trump remarked.

However, the story was different.

No ceasefire, no consequences

The Alaska summit conveyed a surprisingly amicable atmosphere, with Putin praising “friendly” talks and Trump reciprocating warm remarks, despite the brutal war ongoing in Ukraine.

Putin effectively defused the threat of fresh US sanctions, delaying punitive measures unless Moscow shows greater willingness to resolve the conflict. Putin managed to manoeuvre the issue tactfully.

During the presser after the talks, we saw Putin massaging Trump’s ego with words of praise. He acknowledged Trump’s rhetoric that the Russia-Ukraine war would not have happened if the Republican firebrand were in the White House.

At the same time, he also issued a stern warning to Ukraine and its allies. He warned the West and Ukraine not to “torpedo the nascent progress,” subtly shifting pressure onto them to temper military aid and political support for Kyiv.

The absence of a ceasefire deal or firm commitments ensured the status quo remained, with hostilities continuing unabated. Trump’s mixture of welcome hospitality and economic warnings produced no immediate sanctions escalation, granting Putin a diplomatic reprieve. Not only this, after the meeting, Trump floated the idea of security guarantees to Ukraine outside the framework of NATO, effectively shutting the Alliance’s door in Ukraine’s face.

So Bolton was right?

While speaking to CNN after the meeting, former US National Security Adviser John Bolton declared that “Trump did not lose” the Alaska Summit but Putin “clearly won,” adding that “Trump didn’t come away with anything, except more meetings.”

Putin, meanwhile, “has gone a long way to reestablishing the relationship, which I always believed was his key goal,” Bolton said. “He escaped sanctions. He’s not facing a ceasefire. The next meeting is not set. (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky was not told any of this before this press conference. It’s far from over, but I’d say Putin achieved most of what he wanted. Trump achieved very little,” he added.

Bolton predicted something of this sort during his conversation with Firstpost earlier this week. At that time, Bolton insisted that Putin “ had already won” before the Alaska talks, a criticism refuted by Trump later.

Trump’s former advisor insisted that while the Potus considers Putin a “friend”, the Russian leader is more strategic about his ties with the American counterpart. “Putin doesn’t see Trump as his friend. He sees them as somebody that he thinks he can manipulate in true, true fashion of a former KGB agent. And I think he’s been pretty successful with it,” Bolton told Firstpost. 

“It is a big win for Putin to come to the United States. He’s a pariah leader of a rogue state that committed unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.”

“On Friday, he’s going to get to stand next to the President of the United States and get his picture taken on territory that used to be Russian. Nobody in Russia has missed the fact that we bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. So it’s what Trump can do. I think a lot of people are going to be watching. But the main thing is to see if Putin emerges with Trump thinking that they’re friends again,” Ambassador Bolton concluded, and it looks like Trump still thinks Putin is a “friend”.