Gideon Rachman (left) neatly sums up both the historical precedents and the current implications for Ukraine of the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska … on US soil.
As he writes,
"The Munich agreement of 1938 is often cited as a vague shorthand for a failure to stand up to dictators. The Trump-Putin summit planned for this Friday in Alaska resembles Munich in one precise respect. The Czech government was not represented at the negotiating table, as Hitler, Chamberlain, Mussolini and Daladier agreed a deal that carved up their country.
As things stand, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine will not be present as the Russian and American leaders discuss the fate and borders of his country. And, as the saying goes: “If you are not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Donald Trump’s loose talk of “land swaps” has also set off alarm bells in Ukraine and across Europe. The fear is that a vain and vague Trump will be easily manipulated by Putin — a steely, detail-oriented dictator." (The Financial Times: 11 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Even more disconcerting, Michael McFaul (left with Jen Psaki) , in an interview with Jen Psaki (9 August 2025: ('TACO' Trump appears to surrender to Putin in advance; replaces ultimatum with concession meeting), raises red flags about the proposed Trump-Putin meeting.
Jen Psaki: What are the other things that will be flags for you .. I guess... as we watch this meeting next Friday.
Michael McFaul: Well ... the first flag is this is the exact opposite of how usual Presidential summits, with leaders from other countries, are organized. Usually we get the agreements all done at lower levels .... and the end game is the summit. President Trump's turning that around. So that already makes me nervous.
Second, I do not want any one-on-one time. He needs to be there with the Secretary of State (Marco Rubio), also the National Security advisor (Marco Rubio again) because he [Trump] just does not know all the facts. And the worst thing that would happen is that Putin says, "Oh! This is what we should do ... You Know ... Donbas ... Just give us Donbas and Crimea. We already have them".
And he [Trump] would say, "Oh yes. That is a good idea" ..... Then they have a press conference. And when the President of the United States says something, it is very hard to unravel that. That becomes policy." (MSNBC: 9 August 2025) ( my emphasis)
Let us also remind ourselves that,


"... he warned that America is “done with the funding of the war”.
Mr Vance, in a wide-ranging interview on Fox News, went on to dismiss European leaders’ calls to allow the Ukrainian president to attend the upcoming summit between the US and Russian leaders, insisting that it would not be “productive” at this point.
On Saturday, European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer jointly welcomed the meeting, which is planned for Friday in Alaska. However, they warned that any talks should see Ukraine represented and not permit any land to be ceded to Russia." (Tara Cobham (right): The Independent on MSN: 10 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Let us remind ourselves that J.D. Vance's mentor, and his largest financial backer ($15 million) for a seat in the US Senate, Peter Thiel (left), was born in Germany and raised in Swakopmund in the then 'apartheid' South West Africa and who is, co-incidentally, also a bosom buddy of 'apartheid' reared Elon Musk since their PayPal days together.
But unfortunately for BOTH Trump and Vance, Ukraine's President, Volodomyr Zelensky (right), as reported by France 24,
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Saturday to reject any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia just hours after Washington and Moscow announced a summit aimed at ending the war. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska to discuss a possible peace deal." (France 24: 09 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Furthermore, as reported by Olena Harmash and Suban Abdulla (left),
"We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests," they said.
"We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said, adding: "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine." (Reuters: 10 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Neither Trump nor Vance are quite aware that, and to quote Max Boot (right),
"As most Europeans realize by now, [supporting and defending Ukraine] is not an act of charity but simple self-defense: If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, he could threaten Finland, the Baltic Republics, and Poland next." (ibid Max Boot)
For the US to walk away from UK and EU concerns about Putin's long-term and 'demented' goal to resuscitate the collapsed Soviet Union, thus threatening the freed EU countries of the former Soviet eastern bloc, as J.D. Vance suggests, will 'supercharge' Putin in his dangerous and 'demented' aims to re-create Novorossiya and the former Soviet Union.
The upcoming Trump-Putin meeting about Putin's war with Ukraine, and the demand by Putin of the full capitulation of Ukraine to his war aims, will lay Putin's ground for war with the UK and EU NATO members.
Putin and Trump now stand at the brink of extending Putin's war in Ukraine to Putin's war with the UK and EU countries.
Whither now the UK and the EU?
UPDATE : 12 August 2025 : GMT 07:13

"Brace ourselves for some pretty outrageous Russian demands," warns Lord Simon McDonald (right: with wife), a former head of the UK Foreign Office.
"It will be theatrical," he adds. "Putin is going to ask for things that
nobody else would concede - with the possible exception of Donald Trump."
…
President Zelensky has said he won't agree to the giving up of any land, or even freezing the conflict along the current front lines.
…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has secured a remote sit down between European leaders, as well as Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, this Wednesday.
They hope to be consulted on America's plan to end Russia's invasion, but ex-UK Foreign Office head Lord McDonald would be surprised to see a last-minute European invite for Friday.
"The end will be as protracted as the war has been long," he warned." (BBC News: 11 August 2025) (my emphasis)
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