Alaska supports Ukraine: Americans hold large rally before Putin’s visit (video)
15 August 12:30
The largest rally in support of Ukraine in recent years took place in the center of Anchorage, Alaska. The rally was timed to coincide with the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin scheduled for August 15 at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base. The event was reported by a representative of the charitable foundation “Together for Ukraine” Yulian Gaida, as well as by CNN, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The protesters came out with Ukrainian flags and blue and yellow posters, calling on the American president not to make concessions to the Kremlin in exchange for ending the war. The protesters drew special attention to the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the talks, emphasizing that peace cannot be achieved without his participation.
The posters included images of maps of Ukraine and Alaska with the inscription “Hands off – no longer Russian” and a giant banner with the slogan “Alaska stands with Ukraine.”
In addition to foreign policy calls, there was also domestic criticism. Some participants held signs reading “No Kings” and “Trump is Putin’s puppet, release the Epstein files.”
Historically, Alaska belonged to the Russian Empire, but was sold to the United States in 1867. Today, this northern state is a strategic military region important for monitoring Russian activity in the region.
Trump’s main statements about the upcoming summit
The US President noted that the outcome of the upcoming talks depends on their progress:
- A successful meeting means the possibility of achieving peace quickly.
- Unsuccessful dialog – the meeting will end quickly.
He also expressed his belief that Putin would have invaded the whole of Ukraine if he had not been president.
“I think it will be a good meeting, but the second meeting we will have will be more important. We will have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, and maybe we will bring some European leaders with us. Maybe not. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
According to Trump, he thinks that Russian President Putin will agree to peace, as will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We’ll see if they can get along. And if they can, it will be great,” Trump said.
Answering journalists’ questions about whether the planned summit and its initiatives could actually be a reward for Putin for invading Ukraine, Trump emphasized that he did not consider it a reward. Regarding the offer to the Russian president about rare lands, he added that they are not of great importance, and his main goal is to save human lives.
Where Putin and Zelenskyy might meet
According to Sky News, Donald Trump suggested holding a second meeting with Putin in Alaska after the summit and said he would like to organize it as soon as possible.
Earlier, Trump said that if the Alaska summit was successful, he would initiate talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasizing the importance of Kyiv’s participation in discussions of possible territorial solutions. According to The Guardian, the meeting is planned almost immediately after the first summit, but no specific dates have been announced.
In an interview with Fox News Radio, the US president clarified that his priority is talks with Putin, after which he plans to contact Zelenskyy, although such a call may not take place.
