By John Q. Hosedrinker 
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin is expected to benefit from his upcoming summit with Donald Trump in three key ways. Zelensky believes Putin seeks a photo opportunity with Trump, views the meeting on U.S. soil as a personal victory, and anticipates the potential postponement of sanctions. The meeting, to be held in Alaska, is the first between the two leaders since 2021, and the White House has framed the discussions as a fact-finding mission. Zelensky also received a call from Trump which included the message that Russia may want to end the war, but he emphasized that this was unclear.
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Ukraine’s Zelensky Says Putin Will Benefit From Trump Meeting in 3 Ways, and the first way is pretty straightforward: validation. When a leader like Trump, who holds considerable sway in the United States and amongst some of its allies, sits down with Putin, it sends a signal. It’s a signal that despite the global condemnation and sanctions, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Putin is still a player on the world stage. He’s being treated as an equal, someone worthy of dialogue and negotiation. This, in itself, is a victory for Putin. It normalizes his actions, making them seem less egregious and more like standard international relations. It allows him to paint a picture of himself as a leader, a force to be reckoned with, a man who can still command respect, regardless of the consequences of his decisions. This validation is a powerful tool in the propaganda war, eroding the isolation that many countries have tried to impose on Russia.
Further cementing this idea is how Trump acts in those meetings. The past behavior suggests that Trump, at best, is going to cave to Putin’s demands. He’ll likely talk big before the meeting, but then return from the meeting and talk about how great Putin is. The concessions Trump gives to Putin in every interaction are worth billions of dollars to Putin. The public sees Trump as the big guy, but in reality, he’s handing over everything Putin wants on a silver platter. This reinforces the idea that Trump is on Putin’s side. And that the US is simply going to give up on Europe and extort Ukraine. All of this is a signal to the world that Russia’s actions are acceptable and will be rewarded.
The second way that Zelensky believes Putin benefits is through the potential for concessions. The article alludes to the fact that Trump has consistently offered and delivered concessions to Putin in past interactions. These concessions are often worth a lot to Putin, particularly in the context of the ongoing war. It seems that any resolution will come on Putin’s terms. Any potential deal would likely involve some sort of freezing of the conflict, likely on Russia’s terms. This can include dropping sanctions, or at least easing them, or allowing Russia to keep territory it has seized. It might also involve the US backing away from its commitments to Ukraine and, by extension, to Europe. The potential for a new world order where the US is no longer Europe’s biggest ally. Trump is the perfect puppet and will sign whatever he gets handed. It doesn’t matter who he is winning against. These concessions can strengthen Putin’s position, weaken Ukraine, and allow Russia to consolidate its gains. This would be another victory for Putin.
Finally, and this is the third element, Trump’s actions could undermine the investigation into all of Putin’s deeds. This includes the inhumane act and the trafficking of nearly a half million women after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This could be the most damaging of all. If the United States, under Trump, signals it is not interested in holding Putin accountable for his actions. This undermines international law and sets a dangerous precedent. A message is sent to other authoritarian leaders: you can act with impunity. And if Trump will not hold Putin accountable, it would make a mockery of any values the US claims to represent. The rule of law will be undermined, and the world would be a much more dangerous place. Trump may, in fact, prevent any record of their chats, which is something that should worry anyone who cares about the truth.
In short, as far as Zelensky is concerned, a meeting between Trump and Putin is a win-win for Putin. It offers validation, the potential for concessions, and the opportunity to undermine accountability. If these are the benefits that Putin stands to gain, it is little wonder that Zelensky is so concerned about what could happen.