Alaska. The show. Yes, there was a press conference.
Putin spoke, most the time. Trump spoke too. Cameras clicked. Microphones were on – but nothing was actually said.
Nothing that mattered. Nothing that explained. Nothing that would justify the wave of outrage now washing over Europe.
What really happened wasn’t broadcast. It’s only now, days later, trickling out through “sources,” diplomatic whispers, and nervous faces in Brussels and Warsaw.
🎭 The façade:
“We’ve made progress.”
“It was an open and honest dialogue.”
“The future holds opportunities.”
What they didn’t say:
That this was about borders. About recognition. About territory and spheres of influence.
That Ukraine was not invited.
That Trump signaled the need to be “realistic” – and Putin heard exactly what he wanted to hear:
That two powers can discuss the fate of a third country without its consent – or presence.
🤫 The reality, now seeping out:
Trump reportedly did not fundamentally object to Russian control of occupied Ukrainian territory.
Economic cooperation in the Arctic was quietly revived as a topic.
There’s “room for maneuver” in a new security architecture – provided Ukraine becomes more flexible.
To anyone listening carefully, this wasn’t a negotiation.
It was a post-war settlement before the war is over.
And Ukraine?
No chair. No veto. No voice.
Kyiv responded with diplomatic restraint – but frontline officers spoke plainly:
“How can you give away what our people died defending?”
Outrage is growing – not only in Ukraine, but in Poland, the Baltics, and parts of France.
Several heads of government, including Chancellor Merz, will travel with President Zelensky to Washington. That’s encouraging – a sign of unity.
Whether it will make a difference remains an open question.
🧠 Why don’t they just say it out loud?
Because they know exactly what they’re doing.
Because saying openly that Russia may keep what it took by force would be politically suicidal – in Washington, Brussels, or Berlin.
But implicitly, the message has already landed:
Trump no longer wants responsibility for a war he doesn’t understand.
Putin will continue shaping facts – as long as no one dares to stop him.
Conclusion:
This wasn’t a summit. It was a gentleman’s agreement between two men who know they’ll face no consequences.
And if you still think it was just a show, then you haven’t understood what was really onstage in Alaska: Not Trump and Putin – but the open question of whether we learned anything from 1938.
Diplomacy Bites doesn’t look away. We write it down.