The mood in Russia is jubilant as President Vladimir Putin “has got everything he wants” from Donald Trump despite offering the US President nothing. Going into the Alaska peace summit earlier this month, Putin’s objective was to continue the war and prevent sanctions on his oil industry – he was able to divert both and stave off the threat of more US sanctions on Russia.
The mood of triumph in Russia is that Trump bowed down and listened to Putin’s requests. Speaking rather gleefully, a member of the Russian foreign policy establishment said, “Putin gave Trump nothing, but still got everything he wanted. Trump finally listened to his demands.”
Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, said: “Trump now appears to be shifting much of the responsibility on to Kyiv and Europe. Ukraine is likely to face increased pressure from the US to begin substantive discussions of Putin’s conditions.”
In an even more worrying tune Ukraine were dismayed at Trump personally greeting Putin on the red carpet in Alaska and ushering him into the presidential limo – an opportunity that appeared tailor-made for the Kremlin propaganda machine.
This came just hours after Russian forces in Ukraine had bombed a market in the northern city of Sumy.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quick to gloat: “Western media are on the verge of completely losing it. For three years they told everyone Russia was isolated and today they saw a beautiful red carpet laid out for the Russian president in the US.”
And now Sir Bill Browder, author of “Red Notice: How I became Putin’s No 1 enemy” believes “Putin has got everything he wants” from Trump.
Speaking to Sky News he said: “His objective is to continue and win this war
“He didn’t like the idea that sanctions could be coming his way on his oil industry and when he went to that summit suddenly all of a sudden effectively the demand for ending the war or an immediate ceasefire was dropped and the call for oil sanctions which is something he is very scared of was dropped. So he has got what he wants.”
Mr Browder adds that Trump has effectively given Putin the “green light” to continue the war with no repercussions. Russian missiles continue to pound Ukraine, on Thursday August 28 at least 23 people were killed in strikes on the capital.
Among those killed were children aged 2, 17 and 14, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strike, the second-largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Moscow’s answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.
Trump was “not happy” but “not surprised” by the strikes, the White House said Thursday, adding that he was watching the developments “intently.”
For now, though, confidence runs high in Moscow.
