J
Joshua Wilburn
Guest
By: MEGA
Eight Nordic and Baltic countries have issued a unified call urging Donald Trump to keep firm pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after the U.S. leaderโs high-stakes summit in Alaska.
Trump and Putin
By: MEGA
In a joint statement, the Nordic-Baltic Eight โ Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden โ emphasized that Russiaโs war against Ukraine could only end through sustained diplomatic and economic pressure. The leaders welcomed Trumpโs stated commitment to seeking peace but warned that any concessions to Moscow would hand Putin a strategic advantage. โPeace will only come through a combination of determined diplomacy, unwavering support for Ukraine and consistent pressure on the Russian Federation,โ the group said. The statement served as both support and a cautionary message to Washington, stressing that Putin โonly responds to pressureโ and that the U.S. should not bow to Russian demands during negotiations. The Nordic-Baltic Eight reiterated that they would continue enforcing restrictive measures against Moscow while backing Ukraineโs sovereignty.
Western Allies
By: MEGA
The bloc also welcomed Trumpโs efforts โto lay the foundations for a just and enduring peaceโ in Ukraine and Europe, while underscoring that international borders must not be redrawn by force. Other Western allies weighed in on the summitโs stakes. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CBS News that any peace process must involve Ukraine, but first, โit is important to see how serious Putin is.โ
Zelensky vs. Putin
By: MEGA; East2West
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky forcefully rejected suggestions that Kyiv could trade territory for peace. Responding to reports that land swaps were on the table, Zelensky warned in his nightly address that Russia intended to manipulate the United States during the summit. โWe understand the Russiansโ intention to try to deceive America โ we will not allow this,โ he said. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) echoed this caution, suggesting the Kremlinโs strategy was less about meaningful peace talks and more about dividing the U.S. from its European allies by framing them as obstacles to Trumpโs peace ambitions. Some analysts have explored possible compromises. Anatole Lieven, director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told outlets that trading parts of Ukrainian-controlled Donbas for Russian-held territory โmakes good sense.โ He acknowledged, however, that this would be โdeeply painful for Kyivโ and has already been dismissed by Zelensky. Lieven also argued that โleaving the status of the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhia for future negotiation also makes good sense.โ Said Lieven, โUkraine cannot be expected to withdraw from the large part of these provinces it still holds. Nor can Russia realistically be expected to abandon its territorial claim.โ
U.S. aid
By: MEGA
Lieven warned that if Ukraine rejects such a deal and Trump ends U.S. aid, โRussia will likely take very much more.โ However, others believe Trumpโs willingness to hold the summit is itself a concession. Retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan wrote on Substack that agreeing to meet โis a very significant win for Putin.โ He added that โRussia is not [in] a position to make demands of the Trump administration.โ He further criticized Trumpโs reported openness to bargaining over Ukrainian territory, writing, โThat the American president thinks he is in a position to bargain away Ukrainian territory smacks of gross ignorance, demonstrates zero strategic empathy, and shows a total lack of understanding of Ukraineโs objectives.โ
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