When it came to personal relations, the Anchorage Summit went perfectly for Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Trump played gracious host, and Putin was a grateful guest. Despite the best efforts of Volodymir Zelenskyy and the European Union to stop the meeting, they failed utterly, as usual.

However, their skepticism was somewhat warranted. The summit was unproductive, but it was a beginning. As well, Trump never promised a done deal. He essentially probed Putin’s position, weighing his concerns and assessing the potential benefits for the United States for a new détente.

Trump faces two fronts: the European Union and the US media. To gain an accurate understanding of that conflict, it is essential to consult additional sources. The US press and its electronic equivalents are not a dispassionate dispenser of information, but rather a very interested observer. No mention of the Minsk Agreement in 2014, not a peep about the War between Donetsk and Luhansk and Kyiv that was waged before the Russian invasion in February 2022. There is too much heat and not enough light in how information is transferred.

To Trump’s credit, he refuses to be a defense attorney for the Ukrainian State. He is not necessarily an ally of Putin’s, but he does reasonably consider his position, and he is correct in that the United States cannot bring peace on its own. The Biden administration gave money and weapons but did not state an endgame. The administration was led around by the feckless Europeans, sending human rights lawyers, guns, and of course, the mothers’ milk of warfare – money.

Joe Biden pretended to be an active participant, and he showed his cards early in his statement as Vice President. He spoke of the “heavenly hundred” that ostensibly were killed during the Maidan Coup, just as he stated that he was a “Zionist” in October 2023. He has a right to his opinions, but he gave Benjamin Netanyahu and Zelenskyy a green light to help themselves to the American Treasury.

Biden would gently chastise Israel despite its excesses and did little to curb Ukrainian corruption. Netanyahu and Zelenskyy were given no reason to change. Biden was as subtle as a bugle.

Moreover, the EU, with its principled spokesperson, Ursula Von der Leyen, is confusing the issue with Article 5 of the NATO charter. Trump agrees with protecting NATO from attacks, but Von der Leyen acts as if Ukraine is eligible for these benefits, even though it is not a member of NATO. Fortunately, Trump is not buying any of it, but it is an irritant.

With Zelenskyy’s bombast, it is a delicate situation for the President. As with Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, Trump must battle a portion of the American government that constantly lobbies for Ukraine with no care for U.S. security.

Trump is bold and probably would, if allowed, get the Ukrainians a good deal, but not absolute victory. Perhaps the neo-cons will once again fall out of the tree because of their overreach and hubris.