UNM's Sanikidze: Alaska talks show Putin continues war, peace not on agenda

Levan Sanikidze, one of the leaders of Georgia’s opposition United National Movement, on Saturday said the recent Alaska meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin demonstrated that Putin had no intention of ending the war in Ukraine.

“The main outcome of the meeting is that Putin continues the war and does not seek peace. What is most important for us is that a long-term, favourable peace agreement for Ukraine has become more realistic because Russia is far weaker today than it was in 2022”, Sanikidze said.

He noted the official dinner planned between Putin and Trump had not taken place, as Putin left early, highlighting not only statements but actual outcomes matter. “It is also very important for us that Ukraine’s fate will not be decided without [the involvement of] Ukraine and Europe. Any future meeting must include Ukraine’s President”, he added.

Sanikidze emphasized that long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, with concrete guarantors and conditions favourable to Ukraine rather than Russia, were now more achievable. He described Putin as a “bloody dictator, President of a terrorist state, and a hub of global evil,” intent on continuing the violent conflict that began on February 24, 2022.

Sanikidze added despite Russia’s weakening military capabilities - losing influence in Syria, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and failing in Moldova and Romania - Putin remained the primary obstacle to a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.