The Real Loser of the Trump–Putin Summit? Europe

The upcoming Alaska summit between Presidents Trump and Putin could shape the endgame for the Ukraine war. While international law supports Ukraine’s full territorial restoration, battlefield realities and Western half-measures make compromise likely.

-Such concessions would challenge moral principles and risk rewarding Russian aggression, yet Kyiv may have little leverage—especially with NATO and EU doors still shut.

-If terms are too unfavorable, President Zelensky could reject them, but that risks losing U.S. support and exposing Europe’s inability to act strategically.

-Regardless of the outcome, the summit may leave Europe weakened, constrained by internal divisions and lacking credible military deterre