Alaska Summit Leaves Zelensky Iced Out as Trump and Putin Play it Cool
The Alaska summit, despite its public framing as a diplomatic discussion, ultimately functioned as a high-stakes business negotiation between Trump and Putin, with Ukraine’s president largely sidelined.
Behind the staged pleasantries and photo ops, the meeting was centered on determining leverage, territory, and influence — a transactional calculus reminiscent of deal-making rather than genuine conflict resolution.
Geoff Gilson served as a speechwriter for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, crafting language that framed the West’s resolve against Soviet aggression. Frank Gaffney was Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, directly engaged in shaping U.S. strategy against Moscow. Together, they offer a one-two punch of experience in the art — and reality — of superpower negotiations.
Zelensky’s third wheel status underscored the reality that Ukraine was effectively treated as a bargaining chip, its fate discussed and potentially allocated without its direct input. The summit’s optics suggested cooperation and dialogue, but in practice, it revealed a power play in which the two leaders prioritized strategic advantage and mutual gains over the sovereignty and security of the country at the center of the conflict.
They can break down how the Alaska meeting compares with the Reagan–Thatcher–Gorbachev encounters — from expectations before the talks, to what actually unfolded behind closed doors, to the signals hidden in each side’s public remarks. They know how leaders balance diplomacy and deterrence, and how words at a summit can be used to set the stage for strategic victories — or to mask tactical retreats.
Right now, analysts are divided. Some frame the summit as a “feeler” session; others see it as a legitimacy-boost for Putin, especially with Ukraine not at the table. Gilson and Gaffney can address the central question: When does symbolism become leverage? They can map out when we’ll know who’s “won” — and what that will look like in concrete terms.
Will success be a verifiable ceasefire in Ukraine? Will Putin emerge emboldened, having secured the optics of equality on U.S. soil? Will Trump’s “deal-maker” posture yield tangible results or be remembered as strategic miscalculation?
The parallels to the Cold War are striking — a test of wills between global rivals, played out under the glare of world attention. Reagan and Thatcher approached Gorbachev with firmness backed by clear, enforceable terms. Gaffney and Gilson can show whether today’s diplomacy reflects that playbook — or whether it’s an entirely new game with new rules.
Producers who bring one or both onto their program will give audiences not just hot-take punditry, but deep, firsthand insight into how great-power summits are won, lost, and remembered.
Relevant Article(s):
Trump: No Business With Putin Until Ukraine War Is ‘Settled’ | TIME
Trump heads to Alaska summit with Putin, says he wants Ukraine ceasefire ‘today’ | Reuters
Trump-Putin summit: Here’s who Trump and Putin are bringing to Alaska
OPTIONAL Q&A
- What were your first impressions of the Alaska Summit’s tone compared to Cold War summits you witnessed?
- How does the optics of this meeting compare with the Reagan–Thatcher–Gorbachev encounters?
- Were there any signals — verbal or nonverbal — from either side that stood out as significant?
- How much of a summit’s success or failure is visible immediately versus only months later?
- Do you see parallels between Putin’s strategy today and Gorbachev’s approach in the 1980s?
- What are the risks if symbolic wins are mistaken for real diplomatic gains?
- If you were advising today’s leaders, what would you have done differently going into the Alaska meeting?
- When will the “winners” and “losers” of this summit become clear, and what will that look like?
ABOUT FRANK GAFFNEY…
Frank J. Gaffney is the President of the Institute for the American Future. He acted as President Reagan’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy. Mr. Gaffney founded and led for thirty-seven years the Center for Security Policy. He is the host of “Securing America with Frank Gaffney” on the Real America’s Voice network and the co-author of The Indictment: Prosecuting the Chinese Communist Party and Friends for Crimes Against America, China and the World.
Websites:
www.CenterForSecurityPolicy.org
ABOUT GEOFF GILSON…
Geoff Gilson is a retired lawyer, development consultant, and political strategist and speechwriter. He began his career crafting speeches for Margaret Thatcher and leveraged his dual British-US citizenship to navigate elite political circles. With decades of front-row access to senior UK and US officials, Gilson served as a key operative for the British Conservative Party, gaining unparalleled insight into global power structures.
His book, Maggie’s Hammer, is a meticulously researched and gripping exposé that unravels a complex web of money laundering, arms deals, and political collusion, that leads all the way to connections between Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Margaret Thatcher, and Vladimir Putin. Gilson’s 30-year investigation traces covert operations from the Iran-Iraq War to Russian financial schemes, revealing covert ties to Robert Maxwell, Israeli Intelligence, and the Russian Mob. His particular knowledge of the links between Epstein, Trump, Russian Collusion, and Tulsi Gabbard’s Report, combined with his firsthand knowledge of UK-US relations, Iran, and Israel, make him an exceptional podcast guest.
Maggie’s Hammer | My best friend was killed arranging arms deals for Mrs Thatcher …
CONTACT: Todd Baumann of Special Guests Publicity
512-966-0983 / Bookings@SpecialGuests.com
