By Vlad Green
As Trump heads to Alaska to meet Putin, the world watches with unease. If the summit delivers territorial concessions to Moscow, it won’t end the war in Ukraine — it will legitimize aggression, reward an invader, and mark a dangerous retreat for international law.
The upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska is already raising alarms across Europe and in Kyiv. Trump’s suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia should cede land to end the war is not a roadmap to peace — it is a blueprint for surrender.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders are urgently seeking to speak with Trump ahead of the meeting, fearing Washington might impose “peace terms” that undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty. The idea of swapping territory between the aggressor and the victim is not a compromise; it is capitulation.
Trump’s history with Putin provides little reassurance. Despite repeated opportunities, he has failed to compel Moscow to end its invasion. Worse, his posture toward the Kremlin leader has often been marked by deference rather than resolve. If Alaska follows this pattern, the summit will be remembered not as a step toward ending the war, but as a stage for legitimizing Russia’s land grabs.
Peace in Ukraine must be built on justice and the restoration of internationally recognized borders. Anything less will embolden aggressors worldwide and shatter the principle that sovereign nations are not for sale. If the Alaska summit produces concessions to Moscow instead of accountability for its aggression, it will not be a diplomatic success — it will be a historic failure.