No red carpet, no B2 bombers: Trump courts Putin, cools on Zelenskyy

India Today

2 days ago

US President Donald Trump's August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin captivated global audiences, not just for its unlikely venue in Alaska, but for its sheer theatricality. Against the dramatic backdrop of B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 Raptors roaring overhead, the two leaders strolled a short red carpet, exchanged handshakes, and posed for the cameras in a moment rich with symbolism. For the first time in nearly six years, the former adversaries shared the spotlight, culminating in a surprising gesture: Trump hitching a ride with Putin in the same limousine. advertisementBut if the Putin visit was marked by spectacle and stagecraft, the meeting that followed, between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was striking for its austerity. There were no jets, no red carpet, no ceremonial honours, no fanfare. Zelenskyy's arrival in Washington was quiet, even sombre. The absence of symbolism was palpable.President Trump welcomes President Zelenskyy to the White House pic.twitter.com/AUNT7Ayvaj— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) August 18, 2025For Zelenskyy, this trip carried the weight of both history and humiliation. At Trump's request, the Ukrainian president wore a formal suit, seemingly a gesture of diplomacy, after a prior visit drew criticism when Zelenskyy arrived in plane T-shirt, leaving US journalists questioning if he even owns a suit. That meeting, now infamous, ended with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating the Ukrainian leader over the war's direction. Trump had waved him off with the curt remark: 'Come back when you're ready for peace.'
Six months later, Zelenskyy returned. And while this latest meeting was decidedly calmer, the contrast with the Putin summit was unmistakable. Trump, in a moment of rare praise, complimented Zelenskyy's attire and noted that 'both sides want to end the war,' though he added pointedly, 'it's not the end of the road yet.'The optics of Trump's diplomacy remain as unpredictable as ever. Just days before the Putin meeting, he was publicly condemning the Russian leader, calling him 'crazy' for escalating bombings in Ukraine and even threatening sanctions. But by the time Putin landed in Alaska, Trump had reversed course, welcoming him with military fanfare and personal warmth.It is this volatility that defines Trump's approach: he doesn't so much pick sides as pick moments. On one day, he accuses Putin of madness. On another, he shares a limousine with him. For Ukraine, and for much of the world, this inconsistency is less strategy than spectacle, and one with real consequences.For Trump, the motive seems clear: he wants to claim credit for ending all the wars that exist or could have existed in the world and then boast about them on his own social media platform, Truth Social, to beg for a Nobel Prize for Peace. Just today, Trump repeated thrice that he has stopped six wars in six months. But for the seventh one, the Russia-Ukraine war, he had no concrete answer despite the back-to-back meetings.advertisementTrump has been eager to add another feather to his cap by ending the four-year-long war, but his ambitions are routinely undermined by the realities on the ground: both sides continue bombing each other, often within hours of ceasefire claims. Trump has repeatedly claimed he's on the verge of brokering an end to the conflict. But each time he leaps onto Truth Social to proclaim a ceasefire, the situation on the ground lurches in the opposite direction: missile strikes resume, cities burn, and any illusions of progress are reduced to ash.Despite pledging during his campaign that he would end the war before even setting foot back in the White House, eight months into his term, little has changed. While Trump insists that 'great progress' is being made, what the world continues to see are charred buildings, civilian casualties, and explosions happening in the two countries and on social media.For now, Trump's diplomacy remains more spectacle than substance. The stagecraft may grab attention, but the war rages on.- Ends
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