Now that the entire world has seen the Alaska Trump-Putin meeting, the immediate question is “What happens next?” But the harder question is how anyone makes any deal with Putin given his history and ruthlessness. Remember, he has unilaterally launched this war, taken a million Russian casualties, and used his military without any regard for civilians. Kidnapping children (about 20,000) and raping women are part of the military strategy applied by Putin’s army. I have heard stories from eyewitnesses from Ukraine about such events.
A video from the Camp Kotok panel discussion follows. I would like to thank Eric Hale, Greg Jensen, and Oasis Traders for sponsoring the videography at Camp Kotok. At the beginning of the video I take a few minutes to share the family backgrounds that make the plight of Ukraine personal and vitally important to my partner Christine and to me. The panel discussion follows, moderated by Peter Boockvar. The panelists are retired US Marine Sergeant Adam Kisielewski; Iryna Vashchuk Discipio of Revived Soldiers Ukraine; Ukrainian soldier David Piasetsky; and his wife, Diana. A detailed viewing guide with time stamps is provided, along with a transcript.
To quote The Everyday Trader,
This is not just a conversation about war—it’s about humanity, courage, and the obligation to support those who fight for freedom. You’ll hear stories of sacrifice, survival, and recovery that rarely make headlines, and learn how American and Ukrainian veterans are working together to build resilience and hope for the future.
Here’s the video:
“Voices of Resilience: American & Ukrainian Veterans Panel Discussion at Camp Kotok 2025”
As you mull the ramifications of the Putin/Trump meeting in Alaska, consider the historical timeline of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Crimea. (I used Bing and posed many questions to compile this timeline.)
Timeline of Russian Attacks and Persecution Against Ukraine
Soviet Era & Warsaw Pact Period (1917–1991)
– 1917–1921: Bolshevik invasion during the Ukrainian-Soviet War.
– 1922: Ukraine forcibly incorporated into the USSR.
– 1932–1933: Holodomor – Stalin’s man-made famine kills millions.
– 1937–1938: Great Purge targets Ukrainian intellectuals and nationalists.
– 1944: Mass deportation of Crimean Tatars.
– 1954: Crimea transferred from Russia to Ukraine.
– 1960s–1980s: Russification suppresses Ukrainian language and culture.
– 1986: Chernobyl disaster worsened by Soviet secrecy.
Post-Soviet Period & Modern Conflict (1991–2025)
– 1991: Ukraine declares independence.
– 1994: Budapest Memorandum – Ukraine gives up nuclear weapons in exchange for security
assurances from Russia, the U.S., and the U.K.
– 2004: Orange Revolution – Mass protests against election fraud; pro-Russian candidate Viktor
Yanukovych loses power.
– 2010: Yanukovych elected president; accused of authoritarianism and corruption.
– 2013–2014: Euromaidan protests – Triggered by Yanukovych’s rejection of EU deal; leads to his
ousting and Russian annexation of Crimea.
– 2014: Russia annexes Crimea and supports separatists in Donbas.
– 2014–2021: Hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns.
– 2019: Zelenskyy elected president – Riding a wave of anti-corruption sentiment and public frustration with
the political elite, defeating incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a landslide.
Zelenskyy Era & Recent Controversies (2022–2025)
– 2022: Russia launches full-scale invasion.
– 2022–2024: Zelenskyy gains global support but consolidates power under martial law.
– 2025: Zelenskyy signs Law No. 12414, weakening Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies (NABU and
SAPO), triggering mass protests.
– July 2025: Zelenskyy reverses the law after backlash, but public trust declines.
– Criticism: Accusations of democratic backsliding, centralization of power, and shielding allies from
corruption probes.
– EU and Western allies express concern over Ukraine’s commitment to democratic norms and
anti-corruption reforms.
(Sources are listed at the end of the commentary.)
World Leaders Respond
How did world leaders react to the news from the Trump-Putin meeting, where no deal was reached? Reuters collected their responses: “World leaders react to Trump-Putin summit reaching no deal on Ukraine,” https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/world-leaders-react-trump-putin-summit-reaching-no-deal-ukraine-2025-08-16/. We offer snippets below, but readers can see full quotes at Reuters.
EUROPEAN LEADERS — JOINT STATEMENT:
We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity…. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy.
UK PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER:
Until [Putin] stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions…
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON:
We will continue to work closely with President Trump and President Zelenskiy to ensure that our interests are preserved in a spirit of unity and responsibility.
France continues to stand resolutely by Ukraine’s side.
GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ:
Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
EU CHIEF DIPLOMAT KAJA KALLAS:
Europe will continue to back Ukraine, including by working on a 19th Russia sanctions package.
CZECH PRIME MINISTER PETR FIALA:
The results of the Alaska summit confirm that while the U.S. and its allies are seeking paths to peace, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is still only interested in the greatest possible territorial gains and the restoration of the Soviet empire.
POLISH PRIME MINISTER DONALD TUSK:
The game for Ukraine’s future, the security of Poland and all of Europe has entered a decisive phase. Today, it is even clearer that Russia respects only the strong, and Putin has once again proven to be a cunning and ruthless player. Therefore, maintaining the unity of the entire West is so important.
Last, here’s VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY after Trump articulated Putin’s terms (quoted at MSN):
Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them, and if there really are as many as we hear, then it will take time to go through them all. It’s impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons, so it’s necessary to cease fire and work quickly on a final deal. Putin does not want to stop the killing, but he must do it.
(“Volodymyr Zelenskyy Delivers Blunt Message to Donald Trump After His Ukraine War U-Turn” | MSN,
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/international-relations/volodymyr-zelensky-delivers-blunt-message-to-donald-trump-after-his-ukraine-war-u-turn/ar-AA1KG37p)
Kotok Closing Comment
This Ukraine-Russian conflict is changing daily, and those who were not in the room are speculating, although there is a report about an eight-page memo that was inadvertently left in a printer, and it purportedly showed an outline of what didn’t happen in Alaska. See
“Documents detailing Trump-Putin Alaska summit left at hotel printer” | USA Today,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/17/documents-trump-putin-alaska-summit-printer/85698749007/
“Government papers found in an Alaskan hotel reveal new details of Trump-Putin summit” | NPR,
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5504196/trump-putin-summit-documents-left-behind
We do know that the working lunch never happened. Trump’s critics have been harshly critical of the visual imagery provided to Putin. Trump’s supporters note the visual messaging of American power of the F-35s and the flyover while Putin was walking to Trump. The convergence of global media in Alaska for a press conference is a powerful reminder of Putin’s intransigence — because of what didn’t happen.
We must separate style from substance, especially when the style is not to our liking. I don’t like the style, but I do believe President Trump created a world stage for Putin, and Putin demonstrated how skilled he is using a platform while simultaneously killing civilians in Ukraine with ballistic missiles and drones. My takeaway is that Putin has now confirmed what a rotten lying @x#%+ he is.
His charming smile is a testament to his murderous KGB-trained character. And his deadly cobraesque bite has not changed.
Whether we like his style or don’t like his style, President Trump has managed to expose Putin publicly for the villainous scoundrel that he is.
The next chapter starts with the meetings in Washington. As I see it, the harder the Western alliance punishes Putin and the Russian economy, the sooner things change. The more we strengthen Ukraine’s fighting capabilities, the better the results for the Western alliance.
Ronald Reagan proved that tough and consistent policy works when he doubled down on penalties for Russia over 40 years ago. Does anyone remember “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” It took Reagan’s unwavering courage, and that wall was eventually removed.
Will it happen again? We shall find out soon enough.
Timeline Sources
– Historical archives and academic sources on Soviet-era Ukraine.
– Budapest Memorandum text and analysis from international law journals.
– News reports from BBC, Reuters, and The Guardian on the 2014 Crimea annexation and Donbas
conflict.
– Official Ukrainian government statements and election data.
– Reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International on war crimes and political
developments.
– EU and Western diplomatic communications regarding Ukraine’s governance and anti-corruption
reforms.
