U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska today, the first time the two have met in person since 2019. Trump has said that his goal is to secure a ceasefire between Russian and Ukraine — however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been “shut out” of the talks. Zelensky has said any decisions made between the two leaders in his absence will be meaningless.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, the former Director of European Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC) whose 2019 testimony concerning the Trump-Ukraine scandal resulted in the first impeachment of Trump, believes the U.S. President is well prepared for the meeting with Putin.
Vindman, a loud critic of Trump, surprised many when he wrote today: “The interview @realDonaldTrump just gave on Air Force One, show a good level of preparation for the meeting with Putin. The tone suggests Trump’s willing to apply pressure on Putin to coerce a peace settlement. The Summit seems to be an effort to set conditions for Putin-Zelensky talks.” Vindman added in a follow-up comment: “Of course the proofs in the pudding.”
The interview @realDonaldTrump just gave on Air Force One, show a good level of preparation for the meeting with Putin. The tone suggests Trump’s willing to apply pressure on Putin to coerce a peace settlement. The Summit seems to be an effort to set conditions for Putin-Zelensky…
— Alexander S. Vindman 🇺🇸 (@AVindman) August 15, 2025
Many of Vindman’s followers have voiced surprise and disagreement with his assessment of Trump’s goals and preparation.
As one replied: “You have way more faith in this guy than I do.” Another replied: “It’s still early in the day. Give Trump another hour, he’ll screw it up like always, okay? Sorry, but his schtick is getting old.”
Another follower, a Ukrainian, replied: “Preparation? Please. Trump’s ‘pressure’ on Putin lasts until the cameras flash. Then it’s Ukraine who gets told to give up land for ‘peace.'” Another asked Vindman pointedly: “Did you get hacked?”
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — Trump’s Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential election — also chimed in on the Trump-Putin summit this week.
Clinton seemed more doubtful about Trump’s path to peace being one that leaves Ukraine undiminished by Russian annexation. “If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putin’s war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, I’ll nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself,” she wrote.
If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putin's war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, I'll nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself. https://t.co/SYXKhhLqkS
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 15, 2025
Trump himself expressed optimism on Air Force One when he noted that Putin’s retinue included Russian business leaders. The POTUS considers business deals to be the most critical element of diplomacy and also his strength as a negotiator.
Trump said happily of Putin: “I noticed he’s bringing a lot of businesspeople from Russia, and that’s good, I like that, because they want to do business—but they’re not doing business until we get the war settled.”
