Alaska summit was a 'victory' for Putin, Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says

Published on 29/09/2025 - 19:27 GMT+2

The Alaska acme betwixt US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a “victory” for Putin, Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtona said successful an interrogation with Euronews.

“To beryllium rather frank I was a small spot sceptical astir the Alaska meeting,” she said, adding that “it evidently hasn’t led anywhere.”

Ahead of the highly anticipated gathering successful Alaska connected 15 August, Trump said he’d propulsion Putin to hold to a ceasefire portion talks could commence connected ending the war.

There was besides an anticipation that a trilateral gathering betwixt Putin, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy would besides beryllium arranged.

So acold that hasn’t happened and successful summation to maintaining its aerial strikes connected Ukraine, Russia has besides stepped up its hybrid warfare successful Europe with a flurry of drone incursions into NATO airspace.

According to Valtonin, Russia refused to compromise connected immoderate of its demands regarding Ukraine during the gathering successful Alaska and refused to conscionable Zelenskyy.

“The Russians weren’t consenting to sacrifice thing of their goals”, said Valtonin of the meeting.

“They aren’t adjacent consenting to conscionable with president Zelenskyy”, she said.

Instead of advancement connected bid talks, Russia has besides continued to motorboat aerial attacks crossed Ukraine, including the superior Kyiv; sidesplitting scores of civilians.

Valtonin besides said the Alaska acme legitimised Putin some astatine location and internationally.

“For Putin himself the Alaska gathering was triumph due to the fact that that’s what helium wants to beryllium seen arsenic – not lone successful beforehand of the home assemblage but besides elsewhere that helium is 1 of the large boys and conscionable with the astir almighty antheral successful the world,” she said.

Speaking to journalists successful Helsinki, she besides warned Europe volition beryllium connected its ain carrying the load of Ukrainian information into the future.

“It’s a fixed that the US volition beryllium retired of Ukraine and retired of Europe astatine immoderate point”, she said.

I “don’t deliberation the US volition permission NATO, not astatine all”, but “they [the US] privation to spot overmuch much European engagement successful European issues”, she clarified.

“When it comes to providing the astir backing for this effort for helping the Ukraine, that’ll beryllium the Europeans”, she said.