Putin agreed to let U.S., Europe offer NATO-style protections for Ukraine, Trump envoy says
CBS23 hrs
Trump Pressures Ukraine on Peace Deal Before White House Talks
Above: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin n Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 2025. Image copyright: Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Trump’s Alaska stance is bold realism, not retreat: Ukraine will not join NATO, and Crimea will not be reclaimed — but America’s stake in Ukraine’s independence deepens through binding mineral interests. This strategy strengthens NATO, forces Europe to shoulder real defense burdens, and builds lasting partnerships on substance, not hollow promises that history has proven worthless.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump’s Alaska proposal is betrayal disguised as pragmatism — abandoning Ukraine’s claim to Crimea and NATO while handing Putin legitimacy and leverage. Far from peace, it signals that aggressors may redraw borders by force, leaving Ukraine cornered, its people betrayed, and Europe imperiled. Ukrainian fears are justified.