The Putin-Trump Alaska Summit, held on August 15th ended without significant progress, as negotiations broke down over Russia’s uncompromising demands. In the days that followed, the White House hosted President Zelensky and European leaders to reaffirm Western unity. Canada also convened a virtual Coalition of the Willing meeting, focusing on coordinated efforts to support Ukraine and repurpose frozen Russian assets.
On this episode of the Expert Series, DisinfoWatch founder and director Marcus Kolga discusses the significance and impact of the Alaska Summit, the White House Summit, and how these events will continue shaping Ukraine War peace talks. Kolga discusses the broader context and limited expectations surrounding the Putin–Trump Alaska Summit, Vladimir Putin’s motivations and the Ukraine War’s centrality to Putin’s regime stability, his maximalist demands, and the Kremlin’s dependence on oil revenues, the shifting nature of U.S. foreign policy under Trump, the strong European unity and presence at the subsequent White House meeting with Zelenskyy, Canada’s leadership in the Coalition of the Willing, its military support to Ukraine, and the push to repurpose frozen Russian assets.
