Senior Russian politicians have hailed the summit in Alaska between their president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump as a win for Moscow and its narrative around the war in Ukraine.
“The meeting in Alaska confirmed Russia’s desire for peace, long-term and fair,” said Andrei Klishas, a senior member of Mr Putin’s United Russia party.
He portrayed the summit as a coup for Russia and a loss for Ukraine and its European allies, who have been pushing for an unconditional ceasefire.
“The tasks of the SMO will be accomplished either by military or diplomatic means,” Mr Klishas wrote, using the acronym for Special Military Operation, the Kremlin’s term for the war.
“A new architecture for European and international security is on the agenda, and everyone must accept it.”
The highly-anticipated summit on Friday in Anchorage yielded no agreement to resolve or pause the conflict, now in its fourth year, although Mr Putin and Mr Trump described the talks as productive.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president known for his hawkish views, said the summit proved that it was possible to hold talks without conditions – as Moscow has insisted – while the fighting in Ukraine rages on.
Russia’s flagship Channel One morning state news bulletin on Saturday stressed the pageantry around the summit, its global profile, and the warm welcome extended to Mr Putin, who had been ostracised by western leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The Red carpet, handshakes and footage and photographs that are in all global publications and TV channels,” it said, saying it was the first time Mr Trump had met a visiting leader off their plane at the airport.
Its correspondent in Alaska said the two leaders had obviously agreed about a lot of things, but did not say what those things were.
“The very fact of the meeting in Alaska, its tone, and its outcome represent a significant and joint success for both presidents, each of whom made a tremendous personal contribution to achieving the best possible result at this time,” Konstantin Kosachyov, a chair of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament, wrote on Telegram.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris welcomed Mr Trump’s commitment to ending the Ukraine war and meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy next Monday in Washington.
However, he said it should not be forgotten that “Russia remains the aggressor in this conflict and can end its aggression at any time”.
He said Ireland would continue to work with EU partners to achieve “a just and lasting peace that fully respects international law, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, and the inviolability of its borders”.
Mr Harris called on Russia to agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire and for Ukraine to be given “credible” guarantees around its long-term security.
“This matters not just for Ukraine but also for Europe’s future security. Ireland, with our EU partners, stands ready to impose additional sanctions and maintain firm and coordinated pressure on Russia. ”
The European Council released a joint statement in response to the meeting from French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, British prime minister Keir Starmer, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“Leaders welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace,” it said.
The statement added that “the next step must now be further talks” that include Mr Zelenskiy. It said Ukraine “must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity” and welcomed that Mr Trump had said the US is prepared to give these.
“Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine’s pathway to EU and Nato (membership). It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force,” the statement added.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said increased pressure on Russia and strengthening of Ukraine are critical components to advance peace.
“Putin must understand the consequences of dragging out his war,” he said in a post on X. “He has lied too many times in the past and completely devalued his word. Only his actions are real indicators of whether he is truly willing to end his terror and aggression.”
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained close ties with Mr Putin since the war began and blocked some EU efforts to provide aid to Ukraine, said the world is a safer place following the meeting in Alaska.
“For years, we have watched the two largest nuclear powers eliminate the framework of their co-operation and send messages to each other,” he said in a Facebook post. “It’s over now. The world is a safer place today than it was yesterday.”
Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said the meeting showed that while Washington and its allies are looking for peace, the Kremlin wants territorial gains.
“The results of the Alaska summit confirm that while the US and its allies are seeking paths to peace, Putin is still only interested in the greatest possible territorial gains and the restoration of the Soviet empire,” he said in a statement. - Reuters
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