Overview

• The White House has set a meeting for Monday with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to translate the summit’s symbolism into binding negotiations.
• The Anchorage summit on Aug. 13–14 included a red carpet greeting, applause, a handshake and a limousine ride but produced no binding ceasefire or territorial agreement.
• Republican-aligned outlets hailed the engagement as bold peacemaking while Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Eric Swalwell criticized Trump’s judgment and said he was “completely played” by Putin.
• Democrats alleged the ceremony was staged as scripted counterprogramming to distract from controversies over the Epstein files and rising inflation.
• European capitals and Kyiv protested their exclusion from the talks and warned that sidelining Ukraine could undermine alliance cohesion and weaken Kyiv’s negotiating position.