CaliToday (08/10/2025): Hopes for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine have all but collapsed, a top Russian diplomat declared on Wednesday, stating that the powerful diplomatic momentum generated by a high-stakes summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump two months ago has been "largely exhausted."
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| FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo |
In a pointed accusation, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov blamed European powers for deliberately torpedoing the peace process that began in Alaska, signaling a return to a hardened stance from the Kremlin and dimming prospects for a near-term resolution to the conflict.
The bleak assessment comes after a landmark meeting on August 15, when Trump and Putin met at a symbolic Cold War-era air force base in Anchorage. The summit was a dramatic attempt to personally broker an end to what has become the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two. However, the initial optimism has since evaporated.
"Unfortunately, we have to admit that Anchorage's powerful momentum in favour of agreements has been largely exhausted by the efforts of opponents and supporters of the war," Ryabkov, who oversees Russia's relations with the U.S. and arms control, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
He laid the blame squarely on Kyiv's key backers, stating, "This is the result of destructive activities, primarily by the Europeans."
The statement reflects a significant souring of relations, particularly with President Trump, who has expressed growing frustration with the lack of progress. Once suggesting that Kyiv should cede territory to achieve peace, Trump has recently voiced his disappointment with Putin for failing to end the war and has publicly derided Russia's military as a "paper tiger."
The conflict, ignited by Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has plunged Russia-West relations to their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Western leaders and Ukraine have consistently framed the war as an unprovoked, imperial-style land grab, vowing to defeat Russian forces on the battlefield. Conversely, Putin has long maintained that the conflict was a necessary response to decades of NATO expansion eastward, which he views as a direct threat to Moscow's security interests following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Adding another layer of tension, Ryabkov also issued a specific warning regarding the potential for the United States to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. He stated that the appearance of such weaponry on the battlefield would represent a "qualitative" and unacceptable change in the situation, according to the Interfax news agency.
This introduces a new point of friction directly involving President Trump. Earlier this week, Trump expressed caution on the matter, stating he would need to know Ukraine's intended use for the Tomahawks before approving their transfer, explicitly noting that he did not want to escalate the war. His hesitancy highlights the delicate balance he is trying to strike between supporting Ukraine and fulfilling his core promise of ending the conflict.
With Russia now formally declaring the Anchorage peace initiative dead and the debate over advanced new weapons heating up, the path to a diplomatic solution appears more obstructed than ever, leaving Ukraine and the world facing the prospect of a prolonged and increasingly dangerous war of attrition.