As Presidents Vladimir Putin and prepare for their meeting in Alaska on Friday, European leaders are closely watching for any breakthroughs.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene, during a visit to Washington, D.C., expressed deep skepticism, telling Digital, “[There’s] absolute distrust in even the slightest idea that because he keeps annihilating Ukraine.”
She highlighted the ongoing conflict, stating, “Even now, when your president has clearly stated that he wants this war to end, and basically provides an opportunity for Putin to talk, still every single day and night, until those talks, he keeps bombing civilians,” and “He keeps annihilating Ukrainian land.”
The United Nations reported on Wednesday that civilian casualties in last month reached levels not seen since the initial invasion in 2022.
Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, stated, “For the second month in a row, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine hits a new three-year high.”
She added, “Only the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw more killed and injured than in this past month.”
The meeting between Trump and Putin marks Putin’s first return to the U.S. in a decade and the first meeting between a U.S. leader and the Kremlin chief since the began 3½ years ago.
However, doubts remain about the potential for progress, especially after previous discussions between the two leaders yielded little result beyond a “frustrated Trump and Putin’s continued bombardment.”
The Lithuanian defense minister emphasized, “We in Europe, we know on our own skin that Russia, and Putin specifically, does deliver only violence,” adding, “They do break every deal they have ever made. They do keep that Imperial ambition of disrespecting international rules, disrespecting borders of independent nations.”
Sakaliene stressed the importance of Trump assessing Putin’s genuine interest in peace, stating, “Therefore, what we believe is really important for President Trump to see for himself, is there even a tiniest wish for peace from Putin, or if there isn’t,” and “And if there isn’t, I’m really quite sure that your president, as a person with vast experience of dealing with very different people, can make his own conclusions.”
Trump has not yet specified his response if the meeting fails to advance peace, though he warned on Wednesday of “very severe consequences” if Putin is not serious.
The White House has not responded to Digital’s inquiries about potential additional sanctions.
Trump had pledged to impose 100% tariffs on Russian oil exports starting August 8 to target Russia’s war finances.
However, only India faced increased economic pressure, with tariffs raised to 50%. While still a high rate, it falls short of the initially threatened 100%.
China, another major importer of Russian oil, has avoided U.S. secondary tariffs due to ongoing trade negotiations, with a current tariff rate of 30%.
Security experts consulted by Digital are divided on the effectiveness of in deterring Putin’s war objectives, which NATO allies consider an existential threat to Europe.
Despite the uncertainty, Sakaliene expressed hope that the meeting will lead to swift action to end the war, either through a peace agreement or increased measures against Moscow by the U.S. and its European allies.
“[I think that, for all of us, it’s going to be a difficult weekend,” the defense minister said. “But what really gives hope to us is that President Trump said very clearly that he is not going to be lenient if Putin continues this war.”
“And if, after Friday, Putin continues to bomb Ukraine, then he’s going to react as we understand, really with the full force of justice.”