In Anchorage, Alaska, a meeting took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. The talks were held without the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called such a format “a personal victory for Putin.” Following the meeting, both sides stated that the conversation was “productive,” but no agreements on a ceasefire were announced.
The event provoked a strong reaction both in Ukraine and among the Ukrainian diaspora in the U.S. Journalists, artists, writers, and public figures shared their assessments on social media, expressed concern, and illustrated the situation with cartoons. Most comments focused on the issue of justice and the inadmissibility of any agreements without Kyiv.
Critical assessments also came from American politicians and analysts. Senators from Alaska emphasized that Ukraine must be part of the negotiation process, while Atlantic Council experts noted that the summit brought no results and only confirmed the need for continued pressure on Moscow. At the same time, some observers argued that the very fact of the meeting became a symbolic victory for Putin.
Reaction of the Diaspora in the U.S.: The Voice of the Street and Organizations
The summit of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska sparked a wave of criticism and protests in the U.S., especially among the Ukrainian diaspora. From Chicago to Boston and Anchorage, representatives of Ukrainian organizations publicly warned: “America is now supporting a terrorist state,” “Inviting a dictator benefits only him”:
“I thought: what if Hitler had been invited to such talks, how would Americans feel?” – Dr. Maria Dmytriv-Kapenjak, head of the Illinois branch of UCCA, Chicago.
“America is now supporting a terrorist state… allowing an international criminal to step on American soil,” – Zoryana Smozhanyk, Ukrainian Daughters’ Foundation.
“Putin cannot be trusted,” – Vsevolod Petriv, president of the UCCA branch in Boston.
“Inviting a dictator to American soil benefits him, not the U.S. and not Ukraine,” – Daria Bohatova, student from Kyiv (Boston University).
“I hope something good will come out of this. When in despair, we must cling to any hope,” – Zori Opanasevych, head of Alaska Ukraine Relief Program.
The Ukrainian community in the U.S. organized a series of protests. In Chicago, Boston, and Anchorage, demands were voiced not to allow a “freezing” of the war on Moscow’s terms and to strengthen military support for Kyiv.
Representatives of Razom for Ukraine and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America emphasized that Putin cannot be trusted and that any negotiations without Ukraine are unacceptable.
“A meeting that could have been an email.” That is how journalists who flew to Alaska joked among themselves about the results of the summit. After a press conference without a single question from the press, Donald Trump gave an exclusive interview to FOX News. “I expected to hear answers about the results of the meeting, but there was just too much filler,” Razom for Ukraine Ostap Yarysh.
Reaction on Social Media
On social networks, Ukrainians also immediately reacted to the meeting of the two presidents with a palette of sarcastic comments and memes.
“This is Putin’s new phone wallpaper. American soldiers kneeling under big letters reading RUSSIA, fixing the red carpet for a war criminal,” wrote Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the English-language outlet Kyiv Independent Olga Rudenko (x.com/olya_rudenko)
The meeting of Putin and Trump as depicted by EMPR.media. (x.com/EuromaidanPR):
“This is what the absence of justice, dignity, and reason looks like. To shake hands with a man who killed around a million Ukrainians during military occupation and missile strikes – people who never wanted or started this war,” wrote writer and soldier Yaryna Chornohuz. x.com/blackstork22
An image circulated online showing Putin and Trump shaking hands against the backdrop of a children’s playground in Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian ballistic missile struck on April 4.
Ukrainians also joked about the moment when F-22 fighters and a B-2 Spirit strategic bomber flew over Trump and Putin to guard the airspace during the summit, creating their own “version” of events.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Alaska wearing a sweater with the inscription “USSR,” but online users reinterpreted it differently. x.com/ygnatyuk_
During the Trump–Putin meeting, journalists repeatedly asked the Kremlin leader whether he would stop Russian attacks on peaceful cities and the killing of civilians. But the Kremlin head never gave an answer. He pretended not to hear the questions. Social media users reacted to this as well: “I am running away from responsibility for mass killings.”
Reaction of Ukrainian Artists to the Trump–Putin talks in Alaska, where the Russian dictator was welcomed with a red carpet:
The works in the photos: Nikita Titov, dimkarts, Jake Broe, sashko.danylenko.art, kusto_cartoon, Oleg Shupliak.
Author: Danylo Pievchev