The battle for Ukraine’s future, Poland’s and Europe’s security has entered a decisive phase, said Donald Tusk in a social media post following President Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Donald Tusk Staunchly About Russia
On Friday, August 15, President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Afterwards, the U.S. president consulted with his allies—including Poland, represented by Karol Nawrocki. Donald Tusk then took the stage, commenting on the recent events on social media. “The game for Ukraine’s future, Poland’s and the entire Europe’s security has entered a decisive phase,” he noted. “Today it is even clearer that Russia only respects the strong, and Putin once again proved himself a cunning and ruthless player. That is why maintaining the unity of all the West is so important,” added the Prime Minister.
Joint Statement of European Leaders
In the day following the Alaska meeting, European state leaders conducted two video conferences and issued a joint statement. They expressed satisfaction with President Trump’s efforts to prevent further bloodshed and emphasized readiness “to cooperate with President Trump and President Zelensky in organizing a trilateral summit backed by Europe.” The meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian leaders is described as the next step toward agreement. They also stated that “Ukraine must obtain ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States is ready to provide such security guarantees.” The statement clarified that the “Coalition of the Willing” is ready to play an active role, but “Ukrainian armed forces or their cooperation with third countries should not be subject to restrictions. Russia must not hold veto power over Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO.” The signatories included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
How Trump‑Putin Meeting Unfolded
The Russian‑American talks did not result in a significant breakthrough. The entire meeting lasted about three hours and ended prematurely with the cancellation of the joint lunch. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump issued a joint press release, but no decisions on armed conflict suspension in Ukraine emerged. In Donald Trump’s view, the meeting proceeded “very well,” as did a subsequent phone conversation with the Ukrainian president and other European leaders. He wrote, “Everyone agreed that the best way to end the terrible war between Russia and Ukraine is to directly reach a peace agreement that ends the war, not merely a ceasefire that often fails over time.”
