Will Putin-Trump talks on Ukraine War fail? What may happen if Alaska meeting proves futile? How can US further punish Russia?
What can US President Donald Trump do to punish Russia if Vladimir Putin rejects his pressure in the Alaska meeting? Will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree to cede a part of his land to Russia? Will the EU and NATO leaders allow Kyiv to sign a ceasefire? Details here.
US President Donald Trump with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. (File Image)
Will the proposed meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska bring the Russia-Ukraine War to an end? Or will it begin a new phase of fresh sanctions on Moscow? After losing billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of people in the war, Russia is in tatters. So is Ukraine, which has lost considerable chunks of land in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk, despite continuous support from the 27-member European Union and 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Will the US president successfully coerce his Russian counterpart into accepting his terms of ceasefire? Will Vladimir Putin agree to his dictates? However, the most important question is, will President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree to cede a part of his land to Russia? What will happen if the talks fail?Â
Will Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska?
In the run-up to the Alaska meeting, Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance talked to the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Poland, besides EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte. He reportedly told these leaders that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv at any cost. The US president also accepted that any territorial swap would be decided with the involvement of Zelenskyy. Donald Trump also agreed that security guarantees must be part of the ceasefire deal. Trump also announced if the talks go on well, he would try to organise a “quick second one” involving both Putin and Zelensky.
EU, NATO talk tough
However, it appears that the European leaders have already adopted a tough stand that may irk Putin. While Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that no one could trust the Russian president, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table as soon as follow-up meetings take place.” What may irk Putin is also the warning issued by Trump, who said there will be “very severe consequences” if Russia doesn’t agree to stop the Ukraine war after the Alaska summit.
How can Donald Trump punish Russia?
What can Donald Trump do to Russia? He has already put harsh economic sanctions on Moscow. He went to the extent of announcing that any country doing business with Moscow will face up to a 100% US tariff. A bipartisan bill for imposing up to 500% tariff on any country buying Russian oil and gas has been introduced in the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans. The EU has slapped additional sanctions on Russia. It has announced to further lower the price cap on Russian oil. It is $60 per barrel; it may be lowered to $50-55 per barrel. The 27-member bloc has not yet banned Russian oil. Analysts believe that both the US and the EU have reached the threshold where they can punish Moscow.Â
