His self-positioning as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia is nothing more than a "trick" - a maneuver to avoid U.S. responsibility (“This is not my war”).Consequently, it is a manipulative attempt to influence Ukraine by deliberately weakening its negotiating position. We have lost an ally and "gained" a mediator - the balance has shifted. Not in our favor.But Trump’s problem is that Putin reads his moves and laughs at them. Lately, he has even openly mocked him. “All of Trump’s disappointments stem from excessive expectations.”“Putin truly wants to talk with Trump, but from a position of strength, not weakness. Therefore, unlike Trump, he does not back down from his demands and negotiating positions, which he has maintained from the very beginning.”But there is also an unspoken goal of this Russian war: the geopolitical weakening of the United States and a revenge by former KGB members of the USSR for their defeat in the Cold War. It is precisely for this reason that Putin will go to Alaska - and this is exactly what Donald Trump does not understand.The summit will end as a psychological triumph for Vladimir Putin, but his decisions will not be implemented - because there will be no one to carry them out.SourceAbout the author: Volodymyr Horbach, political analyst at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, expert on Ukraine’s foreign and domestic policy.The editorial board does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by blog authors.