Main Risk for U.S.-Russia Negotiations: Provocations from Advocates of Conflict in Ukraine

As anticipation builds ahead of the upcoming Russian-American talks in Alaska, Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine and military analyst, shared his insights on the significance of this meeting between the leaders of two nuclear superpowers.

For some time, speculation has swirled around the venue of the summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Ultimately, Alaska was chosen as the site. According to Korotchenko, this decision bears no hidden symbolism—it's driven by pragmatic security considerations.

"The primary concern is security. The leaders of two nuclear superpowers are meeting. It’s clear that there are many in the world eager to disrupt or sabotage this summit, or to prevent it altogether through large-scale provocations. Had the meeting taken place in a third country, additional risks could have arisen. Therefore, choosing Alaska was, to some extent, a compromise reached between the United States and Russia,"*explained the military analyst.

Meanwhile, Moscow hopes that the next meeting will be held on Russian soil.

Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of National Defense

Following the official announcement of the Putin-Trump summit, Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders grew increasingly anxious, concerned about their exclusion from the negotiations.

Korotchenko states that Europe is vehemently opposed to any peace agreements. Relying on support from the European Union and the United Kingdom, Zelensky has explicitly declared that he refuses to consider any compromises.

"They reject any peace treaty, at least one that incorporates the core provisions of the Russian memorandum, which Russian diplomats conveyed to the Ukrainian delegation during the second Istanbul talks," noted the analyst.

He further emphasized that it would be unwise for the Putin-Trump negotiations to focus solely on Ukraine. The agenda encompasses broader issues—such as the expiration of the New START treaty, whose fate is also a matter of U.S.-Russia negotiations.

Additionally, economic and trade cooperation will likely feature prominently. This includes the phased removal of American sanctions and the unfreezing of Russian gold and foreign currency reserves, some of which remain frozen in U.S. banks.

The most pressing current risk is the potential for large-scale provocations by opponents of resolving the Ukraine crisis.

"Europe does not desire peace; their goal is to prolong active hostilities between Russia and Ukraine until 2030. Over these five years, Europe aims to rearm and prepare for a potential war with Russia," asserted Korotchenko.

The analyst predicts that the upcoming meeting could serve as a diplomatic victory for Russia, as it might break Western isolation: "Vladimir Putin will be received by Donald Trump, and they will discuss global issues as equals."

In the analyst’s view, Europe is currently not an autonomous decision-maker. Since Ukraine no longer occupies a central place in Trump’s attention, he appears eager to shed this issue from his agenda—yet, at the same time, he seeks to maintain face and avoid a full confrontation with Europe.