Putin Not Ready for Peace: Why the Meeting in Alaska Will Not Change His Position.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has shown no readiness for compromises to end the war in Ukraine, and the meeting with Donald Trump on August 15 in Alaska is unlikely to change his position. This was stated by the head of the Russia and Geospatial Intelligence Group at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), George Barros.

ISW Position

'Putin has not demonstrated a willingness to compromise on his military objectives. I do not believe that this will change at the summit on Friday,' he noted, commenting on the expectations from the negotiations between the leaders of the US and Russia.

Experts at ISW believe that the Kremlin may try to use the meeting in Alaska to deepen the rifts between the US and European countries. However, Washington has significant resources and levers of influence that could compel Putin to negotiate, but so far these haven’t been fully utilized.

'So far, the US government has refused to use all its capabilities to force Putin to the negotiating table,' Barros emphasized.

ISW previously published a material discussing how the Kremlin might use the meeting in Alaska for anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Meanwhile, in the Kremlin, they assert that the meeting in Alaska will be the beginning of peace and will remind about the history of 'Russian America.’ The US will also consult with the EU ahead of Trump and Putin's meeting.

The meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska does not currently foresee concrete compromise steps from the Russian leader, although attempts to ease tensions and build cooperation between the countries are anticipated. The potential for using the summit for geopolitical maneuvers and countering Russian aggression is under analysis, but there are still no firm assumptions regarding the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine or other global issues.