Global & US Headlines
Trump-Putin Alaska Summit Proceeds Without Ukraine’s Seat at the Table
On 13 Aug 2025 allies learned that President Trump will meet one-on-one with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on 15 Aug to explore a Ukraine "land-swap" cease-fire, while Kyiv was pointedly left out and European leaders scrambled to shape U.S. views via an emergency video call.
Focusing Facts
- White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on 13 Aug that Zelensky is not invited to the 15 Aug Anchorage meeting, which Putin requested through envoy Steve Witkoff.
- Earlier the same day, UK PM Keir Starmer co-chaired a call with Zelensky, Macron and Merz representing a 31-nation "Coalition of the Willing" backing Kyiv’s position against territorial concessions.
- Trump has publicly floated that any peace would require Ukraine to cede some Russian-held territory, echoing a similar proposal he raised in Helsinki in 2018.
Context
Great-power carve-ups conducted without the affected nation—Yalta 1945 or the 1973 Paris Peace Accords—often lock in asymmetrical outcomes; Friday’s Alaska summit risks repeating that pattern. The episode reflects two long arcs: the post-Cold-War struggle over Europe’s security map and a 21st-century trend toward personalised, leader-driven diplomacy that sidelines institutions and process. Whether or not a deal emerges this week, the very fact that a U.S.–Russia tête-à-tête can exclude Ukraine signals a potential re-normalisation of spheres-of-influence politics that the UN charter sought to banish in 1945. On a 100-year horizon, such precedents may matter more than any single cease-fire line, because they reset who gets a voice when borders are redrawn—and history shows that borders redrawn without local consent rarely stay still for long.
Perspectives
Left leaning media
e.g., The Guardian, The New York Times, Washington Post — They cast the upcoming Trump-Putin summit as a risky reprise of Helsinki, warning that Trump may concede Ukrainian territory and be manipulated by Putin while his own aides desperately lower expectations. Long-standing distrust of Trump shapes coverage that foregrounds worst-case scenarios and past gaffes, giving little space to the possibility of a constructive outcome.
European public broadcasters and UK-focused outlets
e.g., BBC, ITV — Reports stress frantic multilateral diplomacy – Starmer’s coalition calls and Zelensky’s participation – portraying Europe as proactively safeguarding Kyiv’s interests before the Alaska meeting. Coverage centers European agency and downplays divisions with Washington, reflecting institutional incentives to highlight the effectiveness of European leaders.
White House statements relayed in overseas media
e.g., NDTV clip of press briefing — Frames the summit as a straightforward one-on-one requested by Moscow, with Trump simply fulfilling Putin’s ask and logistics explaining Zelensky’s absence. By repeating press-office lines without scrutiny, the coverage normalizes Trump’s solo diplomacy and omits strategic concerns raised elsewhere.