The war in Ukraine is not a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing. We know exactly who started it and that his aggression is directed as much against Ukraine as against the US and its allies. I wrote a whole book about it:

Kremlin may provide more information, but initial readout from Putin adviser Ushakov is spare and not cause for optimism: "The presidents discussed the idea to study the possibility of raising the level of Moscow and Kyiv representatives in talks."

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Interesting details in Trump's readout of his call with Putin: He's now aiming for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, followed by a crowning "trilat" he will attend. And he delegates Vance, Rubio and Witkoff to deal with Kyiv and Moscow—but not Kellogg.

Question 2: How likely is a trilateral summit? Putin disdains Zelensky, who defied him by staying alive and fighting back. The Europeans' support for a "trilat" seems to be one way of getting behind Trump and heaving the ball back into Putin's court after Anchorage.

Question 1: What is a security guarantee for Ukraine acceptable to Putin? If it is one in which Russia is also a guarantor, as in Budapest Memorandum or Istanbul talks, then Ukraine will understandably balk, especially if Moscow gets a veto on decisions of other guarantors.

Trump's biggest problem is that he's in a rush—that's why he's so bendy on an immediate ceasefire before talks. You can hear Putin in Anchorage saying: "But you don't just want a ceasefire, you want an end to the war, just like I do!"

In the big meeting, the Europeans' investment in Trump is paying off. Trump is gracious and warm, no trace of the hostility that caused panic in Europe in February, even as Vance and Hegseth sit in the wings.

Credit goes to Europeans—especially Starmer, Rutte, Stubb, Macron, Merz—not only for coaching Zelensky but also for giving Trump a crash course on the value of allies, even if they had to package it as "NATO is now buying US weapons.".

Flashes of déjà vu as Zelensky is put on the hot seat in the White House. But this time Zelensky wore a jacket, profusely thanked Trump and let him do most of the talking. It went fine. (Putin is lucky Trump didn't unleash the press on him in Anchorage.)

There was great limo symbolism the first (and last) time Putin and Zelensky met, in Paris 2019. Putin arrived in a lumbering Russian sedan, Zelensky came in a Renault minivan.

Meloni and Merz both arrive in big black Chevy Suburbans. How to put it? Not very European.

European leaders are beginning to arrive at White House, starting with Ursula von der Leyen, who is probably tied with Zelenskyy as Trump's least favorite guest today. Lots of military pageantry, very short red carpet.

Lots of talk about NATO's Article 5. It's only two paragraphs long and says an attack on one is an attack on all. It does NOT say members automatically go to war against the aggressor, each can choose "such action as it deems necessary."

Have you seen this movie before? Trump demands immediate ceasefire, threatens sanctions, then has an "excellent" conversation with Putin after which he says he wants what Putin wants. Yes, you saw it back in May:.

Scant news in much-touted Hannity interview with Trump except:.-The only one-on-one chat (besides in The Beast) was after press briefing;.-Putin laid it on thick telling Trump he lost in 2020 because of mail-in ballots; .-Yes, Trump will push Zelensky to accept some sort of deal.

My president went to Alaska and all I got was this lousy CCCP T-shirt.

PS: Despite all the rumors of US-Russian business deals in the works, it seems economic ties were very secondary. And surprisingly there was not even mention of the need for US and Russia to restart arms control talks. This summit was about Ukraine.

We’ll find out a lot more about the summit in the coming days once Trump gives his readout and the Ukrainians/Europeans react. But their worst fear of a backroom deal between Trump and Putin has not come to pass. Their hard work engaging Trump is paying off.

Trump was uncharacteristically pithy and got straight to the point: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He said any decision was “ultimately” up to the Ukrainians and their European backers, cryptically mentioning one especially big sticking point. (Take a guess.).

Always ready to stir the pot of domestic US politics, Putin gave Trump a parting gift, laying blame for the war that he started with Biden (“my previous American colleague”) and saying Trump is right that had he been US president, it never would have happened.

Putin spoke first, reading from a statement. As always, he couldn’t help but delve into history, especially his favorite war, WW2. He was excessively flattering, and it was clear that his main goal was to revive bilateral relations and invite Trump to Moscow—which he did.