Trump & Putin meeting in Alaska — peace talks or PR show?

[Macro Exchange]

Trump and Putin will meet on Aug 15 at a US military base in Alaska. Officially it’s about “talks” and maybe even a Ukraine ceasefire, but critics think it’s more about optics and giving Putin a stage.

Zelensky already said no deal without Ukraine at the table, so hard to see any real breakthrough here.

What do you guys think — could this actually change something, or is it just going to be another media circus?

[LTU_btc]

I think that's not PR show. For me it looks that Trump really want to end his war and get Nobel Peace Prize for it. But some of his statements looks that he is living in alternative reality.
I wish that this meeting would give results, it's time to end this war. But I'm afraid that again it will end without any result. First because fate of Ukraine can't be decided without Ukraine. And also because it looks that Putin isn't ready to make any discounts on their requirements.

[passwordnow]

What do you guys think — could this actually change something, or is it just going to be another media circus?

Hopefully, it's not. While the world needs this to happen, Ukraine needs it more if they won't cooperate. I guess Trump has already started to negotiate with Russia because with all of the penalties that have been placed on them, they need to start acting on it and just talk with the one that funds their enemy the most. When Trump wasn't in office yet, it's Russia that's shown as the evil of this war. I guess that when this talk is done, it could be reversed and it will be Ukraine that will be shown as the bad guy. But with all and such, I just want this war on these two to end and not just ceasefire for a period of time but, permanently.

[Macro Exchange]

I think that's not PR show. For me it looks that Trump really want to end his war and get Nobel Peace Prize for it. But some of his statements looks that he is living in alternative reality.
I wish that this meeting would give results, it's time to end this war. But I'm afraid that again it will end without any result. First because fate of Ukraine can't be decided without Ukraine. And also because it looks that Putin isn't ready to make any discounts on their requirements.

I don’t think these talks will lead to anything. Trump just wants that Peace Prize for his own ego, not real change. Russians won’t stop at what they’ve taken — they’ll just regroup and start again. It’s hard to negotiate with them when they’ve got little left to lose.

[BADecker]

They are going to talk. basically. about how to make Alaska a joint Russia/US State for further joint military protections for both the US and Russia.

Zelensky's Ukraine is not the real Ukraine. Russia is proving it by gradually taking Ukraine over, militarily. Once Z is gone, Ukraine will likely revert to some semblance of what it used to be.

Note that 3 big American companies, including Monsanto, own about 60% of Ukraine farm land. This gives Trump the duty of kicking Z out if Z will not become civil about the whole war, and stop fighting.

There are a lot of things that need to be hashed out, including who is going to replace Z. Does anybody think that Z can keep himself from being assassinated if Trump gives a nod in that direction?

[paxmao]

I think they are due for a talk. Trump's way of doing politics is quite personalistic.

Now, I believe that it is also PR. Proably at this point Witkoff and others have already arranged some short of deal, and now Trump meets with Putin to show as if he had made the deal himself or the like.

What the deal consists of and how likely is to be accepted by Ukraine... probably it will be unnaceptable. They speak about territory swaps and things like that without mentioning future guarantees... I see no way Zelensky can deal with that internally and Europe is unlikely to accept anything that does not provide a stable and safe framework for Europe - which is something I do not see coming from Trump.

[o48o]

Trump and Putin will meet on Aug 15 at a US military base in Alaska. Officially it’s about “talks” and maybe even a Ukraine ceasefire, but critics think it’s more about optics and giving Putin a stage.

Zelensky already said no deal without Ukraine at the table, so hard to see any real breakthrough here.

What do you guys think — could this actually change something, or is it just going to be another media circus?

He is willing to do anything that takes away the focus from Epstein files.

Reason why others aren't invited is that no one else will accept the terms, so any deal they will make wouldn't be valid anyway. So it's purely just a performance act.
Trump will definitely lie that he solved the issue, because he is obsessed with a nobel prize, but it's going to be just a show.

Or other way i can see this going is that Trump is willing to bribe Putin in some way that he can keep his face. One scenario would be USA leaving NATO, and removing sanctions, so that Putin has time to lick his wounds and prepare for next invasion.

[Hispo]

Trump and Putin will meet on Aug 15 at a US military base in Alaska. Officially it’s about “talks” and maybe even a Ukraine ceasefire, but critics think it’s more about optics and giving Putin a stage.

Zelensky already said no deal without Ukraine at the table, so hard to see any real breakthrough here.

What do you guys think — could this actually change something, or is it just going to be another media circus?

I don't think there is going to be any serious peace talks on the table. I rather lean on the possibility of Putin using Trump to give himself some façade of power over the west the western politics. Ukraine was purposely left out the room because Putin considers The United States to be the biggest reason why Ukraine has managed to survive the Russian aggression for so long.
Putin is counting on being able to manipulate Trump into not longer providing assistance for Ukraine, while Trump will try to trust his abilities as a business person to get something which give him as many political points as possible before the people of the USA, and the west in general.

[montaga]

The meeting is about this issue, unless he a start discussion about giving back Alaska. Trump would sell his own Grandma for money.
Medvedev:

"Trump should not think that the video archive of his past immoralities is only in the hands of Mossad."

[OgNasty]

Trump having a B-2 bomber fly overhead when he meets Putin is such a BDE move. It’s almost unreal having a President will balls after the Biden Administration. So thankful.

[paxmao]

Trump having a B-2 bomber fly overhead when he meets Putin is such a BDE move. It’s almost unreal having a President will balls after the Biden Administration. So thankful.

Good stunt. However, I would not call anything before we know more about the content of the "chats". You may have to perform some argumentative contortions and tight-rope walking if Trump, with all his balls, hands half of Ukraine to Putin for nothing.

So yes, I am goint to quote you on this one, just to make sure.

Very nice aircraft. Also quite expensive to fly, particularly the bomber... an expensive stunt.

[Kavelj22]

What the deal consists of and how likely is to be accepted by Ukraine... probably it will be unnaceptable. They speak about territory swaps and things like that without mentioning future guarantees... I see no way Zelensky can deal with that internally and Europe is unlikely to accept anything that does not provide a stable and safe framework for Europe - which is something I do not see coming from Trump.

Trump doesn't care about Europe neither about Ukraine in particular. All what he want to do is to reach some achievement in foreign policy to cover his failure inside the US. See the results of local opinion polls and how his popularity has declined due to the economic downturn and successive crises. By playing a major role in conflict regions arround the world, he may recover his popularity for the rest of his mandate.

[BADecker]

I think they are making a deal that Alaska will become a joint Russia/US State... an easy way to further future negotiations. Alaska is easily reached over the arctic by Putin. Trump can easily get there over land.

[_Miracle]

A [bad] PR show. Where was Zelensky?
Thousands protesting with flags in solidarity with Ukraine made me smile;-)

Trump could have stopped this from escalating months ago by keeping --the worlds-- promise to protect Ukraine's sovereignty  (made decades ago when the USSR fell).

These "strongmen" in power are not a good sign for the liberty of people everywhere.

[franky1]

though not much was said in the stage event of 2 presidents at the podium, mostly it was platitudes, so appears as a waste of time of just flirting to each other on camera. but obviously what was not said in the secret talks may be enough to prompt zelekski to meet with putin to put this stuff to rest

putin did admit that he wants to offer trade routes and access to the alaska/arctic path between russia and america. so i can see they probably done a deal that if war stops, america will be buying russian fossil fuels via the alaskan passage, however this could be putins tactic to keep trump passive and not send the b-2's over russian oil fields. but nothing was really said about what zelenski would get out of a deal(land rights of eastern ukraine/western russia).. so it all could just be a PR stunt of putin and trump making friendly gestures and flirtations towards each other

trump did say after the meet-up he would call zelenski straight away, so trump might have some concessions russia made towards ukraine for trump to announce to ukraine, so we should have news shortly of results of that phone call

[liasbaa]

Trump and Putin will meet on Aug 15 at a US military base in Alaska. Officially it’s about “talks” and maybe even a Ukraine ceasefire, but critics think it’s more about optics and giving Putin a stage.

Zelensky already said no deal without Ukraine at the table, so hard to see any real breakthrough here.

What do you guys think — could this actually change something, or is it just going to be another media circus?

The message is that Russia will not relinquish the territories it has captured through war. Putin is moving forward with a long-term war strategy. Trump considers himself a peace envoy to keep the world free from war, but he is arming and financially supporting Ukraine. He is pressuring NATO to give more weapons to Ukraine, asking European countries to provide financial and military support.

Although the ceasefire proposals are late, they make sense, although the world wants peace and millions of people have lost their lives, how many children have lost their fathers and become orphans, many sisters have lost their brothers. War is destroying the lives of our children, the new generation is emptying our souls and going to God before the world understands anything.

[montaga]

Trump, i give you 50 day ultimatum, then the ultimatum reduced to 10 or 12 days, sanctions and sanctions
Reality, US soldiers on there knies rolling and straightening out the red carpet for the great friend
The meeting, as expected a nothing burger

Trump, time and time again with the handshake of the defeated humiliated

[JeromeTash]

Trump having a B-2 bomber fly overhead when he meets Putin is such a BDE move. It’s almost unreal having a President will balls after the Biden Administration. So thankful.

BDE move?
I personally call it an "unwise" move. You have a peace deal to broker but then you go on to flex your weapons on the day of negotiations/talks. What a great way of trying to convince an egomaniac to stop a war 

You people really think Putin is that stupid?

[_Miracle]

Trump having a B-2 bomber fly overhead when he meets Putin is such a BDE move. It’s almost unreal having a President will balls after the Biden Administration. So thankful.

BDE move?
I personally call it an "unwise" move. You have a peace deal to broker but then you go on to flex your weapons on the day of negotiations/talks. What a great way of trying to convince an egomaniac to stop a war 

You people really think Putin is that stupid?

I think the world has forgotten how recently in history the nuclear arms race had to be put to an end, what it took to get there and what it takes to keep us from the brink.
Either one of these egotistical men have more than enough to destroy the world many times over ---> AND are continuously cultivating their minds to justify it.

To put it crudely in the men's vernacular of "mine is bigger than yours": flying a bomber over that meeting was a small floppy dick move.

When Ukraine gave up it's nuclear weapons to cede from the fallen USSR, the world promised to protect its sovereignty.
Failing to do that  -from- the - start- has began to leave cracks open for the "strongmen" of the world to exploit.

[LTU_btc]

Trump having a B-2 bomber fly overhead when he meets Putin is such a BDE move. It’s almost unreal having a President will balls after the Biden Administration. So thankful.

BDE move?
I personally call it an "unwise" move. You have a peace deal to broker but then you go on to flex your weapons on the day of negotiations/talks. What a great way of trying to convince an egomaniac to stop a war 

You people really think Putin is that stupid?

Yeah... Putin was welcomed not like war criminal, more like Trump's friend or partner. Any Western leaders didn't got such welcome by Trump. And looks that only winner of this meeting is Putin. Where all these promised ultimatums, sanctions and etc?
Putin got what he wanted. According to recent rumours, they agreed that Ukraine should cede remaining part of Donbas to Russia and then Russia will stop offense in South - Zaporizhia and Kherson. What a great deal!
Offcourse that Zelensky won't agree with this.