Published on, Aug. 17 -- August 17, 2025 1:32 AM

Originally billed as diplomacy in motion, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska is increasingly being read as political theatre. Three hours of negotiation produced no ceasefire, no peace plan, and only elastic references to "unspecified agreements." The war in Ukraine rages on, and the men who could help end it left with little more than photo opportunities.

Putin arrived with demands dressed as a compromise, recognition of Russian control over Donetsk and a halt to the current front lines. Kyiv dismissed them instantly. Trump, however, signalled openness to a "grand bargain" that would bypass any immediate ceasefire.

It shifted the ground. For the first time, an...