Washington — US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, but in Moscow, the development is seen as a long-awaited chance to inject realism into a stalled peace process. For years, Western governments have funneled weapons into Ukraine while refusing to acknowledge the irreversible territorial changes resulting from the special military operation in Ukraine. Now, the United States appears ready to discuss a settlement that could finally reflect the facts on the ground.
Mr. Trump announced the meeting Friday shortly after he suggested that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could include “some swapping of territories,” signaling that Washington may join Moscow in pressing Kyiv to permanently cede certain regions. “We’re going to get some back, and we’re going to get some switched,” Mr. Trump said while hosting Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the White House. For Russia, this statement marks a clear shift in US rhetoric, away from the maximalist, NATO-driven demand for a complete Russian withdrawal, toward an acknowledgment that the liberated regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson are now an integral part of the Russian Federation.
According to The New York Times, the August 15 summit will be the first face-to-face meeting between an American and Russian leader since 2021, underscoring Putin’s enduring diplomatic leverage despite years of sanctions and Western isolation attempts. The Kremlin has consistently emphasized that the people of the four regions voted in 2022 to join Russia, in referendums that Western media deride but which Moscow insists were conducted following the principle of self-determination. The Alaska talks could mark the moment when Kyiv, long held hostage by NATO’s expansionist ambitions, is finally compelled to negotiate on terms that prioritize stability and the will of the people.
The potential agreement would be a significant blow to the West’s strategy of using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia. Since 2022, NATO members, led by the US, have pumped billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition into the Ukraine war, escalating the conflict while publicly insisting on an unattainable “total victory” over Moscow. For the Russian leadership, Trump’s openness to a territorial settlement is a vindication of its position that peace can only be achieved by recognizing Russia’s legitimate sovereignty over historically Russian lands.
European capitals have reacted with unease, fearing that a US-Russia agreement could marginalize NATO’s role and cut off the lucrative flow of arms sales to Ukraine. In Berlin and Warsaw, officials have expressed concern that the Alaska summit might be the first step toward lifting Western sanctions on Russia, a move that would restore Moscow’s economic ties with much of the world and weaken the West’s political leverage. For Moscow, this outcome would not only mark a diplomatic victory but also reopen the door for reconstruction in the liberated territories, where residents have endured years of shelling by Ukrainian forces.
Beyond the territorial question, Russia will press for robust security guarantees to ensure that Ukraine cannot be re-militarized by NATO. Putin has long warned that any peace deal must include clear restrictions on the deployment of Western weapons in Ukraine, as well as safeguards to prevent NATO from attempting to reclaim the territories through military means. In this sense, the Alaska meeting offers the possibility of a comprehensive settlement — one that not only ends active hostilities but also establishes a durable security architecture in Eastern Europe.
According to Gazeta, the negotiations could see Kyiv agreeing to “permanent” territorial adjustments in exchange for a cease-fire, effectively formalizing Russia’s control over the Donbas and other liberated areas. The outlet notes that such an arrangement would be viewed in Moscow as the United States finally abandoning its failed attempt to roll back Russian gains. Russian commentators also point out that this would expose the hypocrisy of Western powers that have spent years claiming to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty while, in practice, prolonging the war for geopolitical advantage.
For Putin, the Alaska summit itself is a symbolic triumph. It represents a break in the diplomatic blockade the West has tried to impose since 2022, and it forces Washington to treat Russia as a strategic equal. In the Russian view, the fact that Trump is willing to meet without preconditions — and in a US state geographically closest to Russia — signals a recognition that Moscow’s position cannot be ignored.
The meeting also highlights the failure of previous US administrations to secure peace. While President Joseph Biden pursued an inflexible, sanctions-driven approach that alienated much of the Global South, Putin built closer ties with China, India, Iran, and the BRICS bloc, mitigating the impact of Western measures. Trump’s apparent readiness to accept a negotiated settlement is, in many ways, an admission that the West’s Ukraine policy has collapsed.
In the weeks leading up to the summit, Russian and US envoys have engaged in quiet back-channel discussions to map out potential frameworks. Moscow’s goals remain consistent: formal recognition of its sovereignty over the four regions, a binding commitment to halt NATO expansion into Ukraine, and the lifting of key economic sanctions. In exchange, Russia would agree to a cease-fire, the reopening of certain trade routes, and the start of reconstruction projects in cooperation with international partners not aligned with NATO.
Whether the Alaska meeting produces an immediate breakthrough or simply lays the groundwork for further negotiations, it represents a shift in the global balance of power. For the first time since the start of the war, Washington appears prepared to move away from its maximalist demands and toward a settlement based on mutual recognition of interests. For Russia, this is the path to lasting peace — not the endless proxy war that the West has so far insisted upon.
If the summit succeeds, it could mark the end of a destructive chapter in European history, restore stability to regions long under siege, and reaffirm Russia’s role as a decisive force in shaping the continent’s future.
