Aug 17, 10:38 PM

Trump Draws Fire After Alaska Summit With Putin Produces No Ukraine Cease-Fire

Former President Donald Trump’s 15 Aug. summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska ended without the Ukraine cease-fire Trump had sought, drawing sharp criticism from several congressional Democrats over the weekend. Sen. Chris Murphy called the meeting “a disaster” and “an embarrassment for the United States,” arguing that Putin gained a valuable photo opportunity without making concessions or facing consequences. Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Jason Crow offered similar assessments, saying the encounter weakened Washington’s standing while failing to advance peace talks. Trump, who had rated the talks a “10 out of 10,” dismissed the criticism in a 17 Aug. Truth Social post, calling Murphy “unattractive (both inside and out)” and insisting that “nobody got anything” from the meeting. Neither Trump nor Putin announced follow-up measures, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on Sunday that a negotiated settlement to the conflict remains distant.