When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the cameras will capture handshakes, flags, and grand claims of peace. But according to diplomatic insiders, the real outcome will be far less celebratory — and far more dangerous. The Anchorage summit, billed as a breakthrough to “end the war” in Ukraine, is shaping up to be the moment Putin secures exactly what he set out to achieve when he launched his invasion: permanent control over the territory he’s taken, a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, and the political rehabilitation of his global image. Ukraine itself will not be at the table.

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