The act of meeting and the nature of the interaction were such that the summit did considerable damage to the U.S. and broader western position on Ukraine.

By Lucy Papachristou (Reuters) -In the early hours of Saturday morning following a summit in Alaska between the leaders of Russia and the United States, senior politicians in Moscow were quick to trumpet the meeting as a win for Russia and its narrative of the war in Ukraine.

In Alaska, Putin set out to define the new relationship between the US and Russia, as well as showcasing Russia’s place in the world.

In doing so, Trump would abandon Europe, open the door for China to invade Taiwan, and reward Russian President Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked and pitiless invasion.

President Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it.

Russian officials and pundits hailed the Alaska summit as a success, praising President Trump for re-engaging Russian President Vladimir Putin in diplomacy without making unrealistic demands. They also said warming U.