There was no ceasefire – but there were no “severe consequences” for Putin. A former UK Defence Secretary said Trump should get a 1 out of 10 rating for the summit
Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin has been given a 1 out of 10 by a former UK Defence Secretary.
It comes after the US President walked away from talks in Alaska without a ceasefire.
Trump had previously warned Putin that there would be “severe consequences” for Russia’s ruthless dictator if a ceasefire deal was reached.
But after the summit he said instead that all parties should push towards a final peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire. This has been Russia’s stated position for months.
It comes after Trump looked tired as he returned to Washington after the summit.
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Meanwhile, Former Defence Secretary, Sir Ben Wallace, has told Times Radio that he would give Trump a “one out of 10” for the summit.
“Putin’s probably got 10 out of 10, he got exactly what he wanted,” he said.
“He didn’t change one iota his ambitions and his constant, to be fair to him, his constant position on Ukraine.
“He got a red carpet treatment, which contrasted extremely differently from the treatment of President Zelensky when he met the US president.”
In a statement following the talks – and after a joint call with world leaders and Volodymyr Zelensky – KeirStarmer said Ukraine could count on Britain’s “unwavering support…as long as it takes.”
Starmer praised Trump’s efforts, saying they have “have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia ’s illegal war in Ukraine.
“His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.”
But he added: “While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.
“This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.
“I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.”
Following a call with President Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X: “In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.
“Sanctions are an effective tool. Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the U.S.
“All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine’s participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine.”
Putin last night gave no indication he’d given up on his long-held belief that Ukraine is not a real country, and is entirely Russian territory.
At a press conference following the talks, he repeated his position that it is “sincerely interested in putting an end” to the war in Ukraine, but for that to happen, “all the root causes of the crisis … must be eliminated.”
“All of Russia’s legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored,” Putin said.