By Dritan Hila
A win for Putin, a humiliation for Trump, a betrayal of Ukraine—these are the themes echoing across the Western mainstream press regarding the Alaska meeting.
But to view it through this lens is typical of a continent that once divided up the world through colonial power, and now is reduced to its true scale: a mid-sized peninsula of the Eurasian landmass, voiceless in the new reshaping of the world order.
The urgency behind Trump’s meeting with Putin had little to do with Ukraine. Ukraine was one point of discussion, but not the most important one. Trump’s very rise to power is tied to the urgency that the American establishment felt to correct the aimless trajectory President Biden had taken the country down. Russia, a vast resource-rich landmass, was being pushed further into China’s orbit, and Biden’s intransigence—partly due to his own mental decline, partly due to the hawks embedded in the U.S. apparatus—was accelerating the formation of a threatening Russo-Chinese axis for the 21st century.
The more clear-headed minds in Washington sought a recalibration, and Trump signaled this realignment early in his campaign.
However, the six months since his return hadn’t been enough to rebuild the Kremlin’s trust in a West that had betrayed it more than once. Especially with the presence of frustrated hawks in EU politics—politicians from countries with neither economic nor military weight but armed with extremist rhetoric—there was little hope to slow Russia’s slide toward Beijing. A strong signal was needed—and that signal was the Alaska meeting.
Trump’s warm welcome of Putin, the imperial-level ceremony, and his breaking of protocol during the televised portions of the meeting all revealed a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward its northern neighbor. The American establishment cannot allow Russia to become a vassal of China. That scenario would render the global future far too unpredictable. Which is why they didn’t lose sleep over what their European allies had to say—those same allies still trapped in a 19th-century mentality, believing the world revolves around them.
Was this meeting about Ukraine?
As stated briefly in public remarks, the two spoke about far more: the Arctic, a new global order, and many things the public was not told. As for Ukraine, it has likely been placed in a standby position. The Ukrainians are nearing collapse, and this will make them more pliable to the demands of the great powers. There’s nothing new or scandalous about this, despite European outrage. These are the same powers who once carved up the Middle East with straight lines in the name of Sykes and Picot, mixing tribes, races, and nations—planting seeds of conflict for two centuries and counting.
These are the same Europeans who have mangled borders—both their own and others’—dividing nations or forcing incompatible ones together. Albania is a case study in how the great powers treat the small. So there’s nothing shocking about the idea that Ukraine might be split up or reshaped. Throughout history, chunks of territory have often been given away as favors to the more powerful. Once again, Albania offers a precedent.
At the Alaska meeting, Trump did nothing more than return to realpolitik. Russia is Europe’s military superpower, and he is willing to make deals with the strong. That covers Ukraine. Furthermore, Russia’s immense geography and unmatched raw material resources make it a player Trump wants close. The Russians are an imperial people, and as such, they expect to be treated as equals. Trump gave them that—welcoming the Czar of the Kremlin with the honors he believes he deserves.
Now, one can hope that within the American machinery, the atmosphere of distrust in Moscow has begun to thaw. As for Ukraine, its fate remains on a razor’s edge. “I’ll think about it for a few weeks—whether I’ll impose new sanctions on Russia,” said Trump. But if he does, it won’t be for the war’s sake. It’ll be for the things they didn’t tell the public.
— dritare.net