Analysis of the Anchorage Summit
Eight days after the Anchorage summit between President Putin and President Trump, David Sanger said his overall impression is that the negotiations are moving in the wrong direction.
Shifts in US and Russian Positions
Sanger noted that the U.S. president appears to have stepped back from pursuing a ceasefire. Early signals suggested Moscow might accept a Western peacekeeping presence in Ukraine, but that stance has since shifted.
Russian Opposition to NATO Forces
Russian officials now oppose NATO forces on Ukrainian soil and insist they must be included in any security arrangement. Those changes, Sanger warned, mean there are few substantive talks taking place.
Implications of the Summit
He concluded that, in effect, Putin has secured many of his objectives and gained valuable time.