The only thing Trump can do in Alaska meeting is to agree to give back Alaska.
Hard to find something crazier than have ceasefire talks without one Waring party partaking.
Most likely the meeting wont even happen.
There is still a big self-imposed by Ruzzia barrier to have conversations directly with Ukraine after all the propaganda that has corner=painted Putin into a maximalist goal. However in diplomatic terms there needs to be some work being done and the US is what we have to make the mediatior role.
Regardless, there is little chance of Putin accepting anything that is not a strategic victory, while the situation of the front and the economies is not there yet. Putin's current proposal to Ukraine is to conceed the most fortified part of the front, for free, on the simple promise of "starting talks" - so the proposal is "give me what I want and then we keep talking".
In diplomatic terms this means "I do not want peace, I am just saying something that I know you will not ever take".
It will take two or three years to bring Ruzzia to something near a real interest in talking. More loses, more economic damage.... All ok with the US.
Why talk to a puppet when you can talk directly to the puppeteer, especially when puppeteer is now willing and is clearly shifting from the previous
Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine position. Like the attempt with the sanctions, as always, follow the money, no money no war
Vance: ‘We’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business’ Does anyone really have any doubt that whatever Putin and Trump will agree on will happen? From the Minsk agreements EU showed that their signatures are not worth the paper they're written on, so big boys must talk it out between themselves directly.
Tariff's short term effects are starting to creep into the economy, and Trump needs to stimulate it. Committing billions more to Ukraine and putting in more sanctions have only short term downside, and long term upside is not guaranteed either (even if Trump cared about such thing). But ending this and bringing back Russia's resources by removal of sanctions would bring a 'uuuge stimulus to the economy and probably give Trump that Nobel peace prize that he's after (however the territory line runs between Russia and Ukraine).
No one cares what Putin or Zelensiy or Trump want, it's what they can get. Situation on the front leaves no doubt that Russia can take Donbas with time. If US can reach agreement that Russia will stop there and won't continue further, then why waste more souls and billions for the same outcome?
The only thing that matters is if Trump takes it. What's the point of waiting 2-3yrs if even now Ukraine can't mobilize enough manpower to compensate for the losses and sustain the retreat at the current level? And with current trend in Zelenskiy's rating it doesn't look like he can push through mobilizing women without population revolting against him.
US will vote for a new president in 3yrs, you really think Trump will waste energy now for the next president to benefit from?