This week’s diplomatic theatre in Alaska—Donald Trump meeting Vladimir Putin, where Putin spoke in English before being ushered into an American presidential limousine—was not just a photo-op. It was a visual argument: that the fates of nations can be discussed, adjusted, and normalised in the back seat of a car. The scene carried a frightening suggestion that bargaining chips can include entire countries.
Ukraine was on the agenda this time. The meeting aimed to create a pathway to end the war. The timing reflected political calculations in Washington alongside a Russian campaign that has hardened its bargaining position after consolidating gains. But the summit delivered no ceasefire and no binding commitment to restore borders. It simply pushed the hardest questions into a later act.
