When President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, the world watched closely, hoping the high-stakes summit might bring a breakthrough in the grinding war between Russia and Ukraine. Instead, the meeting—and its aftermath—has sparked fierce criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who argued that the event played directly into Moscow’s hands while leaving Ukraine out in the cold.
In a series of interviews aired on September 7, 2025, including a widely covered conversation with ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, Zelenskyy did not mince words. "It’s a pity that Ukraine was not there, because I think that President Trump gave, gave Putin what he wanted," Zelenskyy told ABC News, his frustration evident. He lamented that the summit, the first time Putin had been invited to the U.S. outside the United Nations since 2007, excluded Ukraine—the nation at the center of the conflict. "Putin doesn’t want to meet with me, but he wants very much to meet with the president of the United States, to show everybody video and images that he is there," Zelenskyy said.
The summit itself was marked by a red-carpet welcome for Putin and high hopes that Trump’s campaign promise to end the war on day one of his second term might be realized. But those hopes quickly faded. Despite a joint press appearance in which Trump claimed, "There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say, a couple of big ones, that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we made some headway. So, there’s no deal until there’s a deal," no ceasefire or concrete agreement emerged. Putin, for his part, called the talks "constructive" and endorsed the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine, saying, "I agree with President Trump, as he has said today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. Naturally, we’re prepared to work on that." But the devil, as always, was in the details—and those details proved elusive.
What stung Zelenskyy most was the optics and the substance of the event. According to Axios, Trump was criticized for abandoning his earlier ceasefire demands, while Putin used the summit to make maximalist claims to Ukrainian territory. A source told Axios that Putin even floated China as a potential guarantor for any future security arrangement, a move unlikely to reassure Kyiv or its Western allies.
Just days after the summit, Ukraine was rocked by a devastating escalation. On the night of September 6-7, Russia launched what Ukraine’s Air Force described as a record assault: more than 800 drones and other munitions rained down across the country, including the capital Kyiv, where the government’s cabinet building was hit. At least eight civilians were killed and 59 injured in the attacks, according to ABC News and Fox News. The timing underscored Zelenskyy’s warnings that the conflict was far from over and that diplomatic gestures alone would not deter Moscow.
For Zelenskyy, the answer lies in more than just summits and photo ops. He has repeatedly called on the United States and European allies to ramp up economic and political pressure on Russia, singling out the continued purchase of Russian oil and gas by some European nations as a critical failing. "We all understand that we need additional pressure on Putin. We need pressure from the United States," he insisted in his interview with ABC News. "Some of [Europe’s partners] continue to buy oil and Russian gas. And this is not fair… So we have to stop buying any kind of energy from Russia. This is only one way how to stop the killer. Energy is his weapon."
Trump, for his part, has tried to position himself as a dealmaker capable of brokering peace. Following the Alaska summit, he set a two-week deadline for peace negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy, declaring, "My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two." But the deadline came and went without any breakthrough, and Zelenskyy remains skeptical. As Fox News reported, Trump has vowed not to negotiate Ukraine’s borders, insisting any land concessions could only be made by Zelenskyy himself. Yet, the lack of tangible progress has left many in Kyiv and beyond questioning the effectiveness of this approach.
One major sticking point is the venue for any potential meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. Putin has said he would be willing to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow, but Ukrainian officials have flatly rejected the idea, citing security concerns and the symbolism of meeting in the capital of an aggressor nation. "He can come to Kyiv," Zelenskyy told ABC News. "I can’t go to Moscow when my country is under missiles, under attacks each day. I can’t go to this capital of this terrorist. It’s understandable. And he understands it." He added, "I’m ready for any kind of meeting — but not in Russia — any kind of meeting, bilateral, trilateral. We’ll be happy if you will be in."
Despite the impasse, Zelenskyy has not closed the door on diplomacy. He has met with European leaders and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss possible security guarantees for Ukraine. However, he remains adamant that Ukraine’s long-term safety depends primarily on its own military strength. "Any security guarantees in Ukraine can be based only on our army," he said. For Zelenskyy, the goal is not just to end the fighting, but to ensure a "just and lasting peace," one that prevents future aggression. "It’s important to finish and not to have aggression again in six months, in one year, in two years," he said.
Asked what victory would look like for Ukraine, Zelenskyy was blunt: survival. "Putin’s goal is to occupy Ukraine. Until he can do it, the victory is on our side. For us, to survive is a victory. Because we are surviving with our identity, with our country, with our independence."
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets, a sign perhaps of just how fraught and unresolved the situation remains. As the war grinds on and diplomatic efforts stall, the fate of Ukraine—and the broader balance of power in Europe—hangs in the balance. For now, Zelenskyy’s message is clear: summits without Ukraine’s voice only embolden Moscow, and only sustained, united pressure can hope to bring real peace to his battered country.
