On Friday (08.08.2025), Alaska – sold by Russia to the United States 158 years ago – will host the session between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The Russian president hopes to succeed the “Agreement of the Century”: to persuade Kiev to grant the rest of the Donetsk and Lugansk areas in exchange for a ceasefire.
The idea of giving Donetsk and Lugansk areas to Vladimir Putin, promoted by Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Whitkov, causes aversion and a strong reaction to Kiev.
Proposal that favors Moscow
According to CNN World, the Kremlin sees in this deal the opportunity to recover territories without battle. In eastern Ukraine, the Russian army is close to the encirclement of two central cities of Donbas, Pokrovsk and Costosanba. Other strongholds, such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, would be much more difficult to abandon, both for military and humanitarian reasons.
President Volodimir Zelenski rejected the idea of territorial concessions, knowing the danger of the confidence of the Ukrainian people and his army.
Cease fire that is far from
In return, Kiev could recover small border zones in the Sumi and Harkov areas, but the main goal remains the ceasefire. Putin, however, insists that “technical preparations” are needed before any truce, a position that allows him to save time as long as his forces advance.
Europeans are afraid to repeat the 1938 mistake against Hitler: to sign an agreement that Moscow will not respect, taking advantage of the pause to rebuild.
Broader geopolitical
In recent days, India and China have had contacts with Moscow, possibly to encourage a diplomatic move ahead of US sanctions. But for Putin, the goal is clear: to secure his first official invitation to the US for ten years to discuss Ukraine … without Ukraine.
Trump, for his part, states that he has touched his attitude towards the Kremlin, but avoiding really binding measures.
Six days before the Summit, Kiev is afraid of a scenario where Washington will push for accepting an agreement that will greatly favor Moscow, in return for a conditional help. For the Kremlin, this would be a strategic victory without falling a single bullet.