It was a great success for Putin and a fiasco for American foreign policy, says Erik Åsard, who is professor emeritus of North American Studies at Uppsala University.
He notes that the negotiations have not resulted in anything and believes that the reception itself was a victory for Putin. Russia's president is wanted for war crimes in 123 countries by the ICC, the International Criminal Court, but was welcomed with applause and a red carpet by Trump in Alaska.
”Incompetent amateur”
Åsard notes that this meeting has been just as fruitless as the previous five times Putin and Trump have met, despite more being at stake.
It is a great tragedy, especially for Ukraine, but also for us in Europe. That the world is led by a man who is not capable of handling such a situation. Just when a leader is needed who tries to seriously address this major conflict, such a leader is missing in the White House. It is rather an incompetent amateur.
Kjell Engelbrekt, professor at the Defense University, says that the big question is whether Putin's strategy is a very successful delaying tactic, as Russia wants to avoid the risk of increased, tightened sanctions from the US side – or an overture to negotiations that can lead to an agreement.
Many in Europe will interpret the meeting as the former, says Kjell Engelbrekt.
Worse prospects for ceasefire
According to him, European leaders now need to review the unity of the European NATO countries and try to preserve as much as possible of the unity with the US.
It can get tricky, says Engelbrekt, and emphasizes that Putin has two active projects.
One is to put as much of Ukraine as possible under him and neutralize the rest. The other is to drive a wedge between Europe and the US. The question is what is most important to Putin, says Engelbrekt.
Trump said after the meeting that the peace process is now in the hands of Europe and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, who will meet Trump in Washington D.C. on Monday. Trump has had a similar stance before, and according to Erik Åsard, there is a risk that the US President will leave the role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
Prospects for a ceasefire in the near future are less now than before the meeting, says Erik Åsard.
