The Alaska Meeting and Beyond: Tracking Trump’s Evolving Russia-Ukraine Strategy

President Donald Trump’s strategy for the Russia-Ukraine war continues to evolve, with his “very positive” call with Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday marking a significant new phase. This latest development builds upon, and in some ways diverges from, the approach signaled during his earlier meetings with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A key milestone was the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, which was followed by Zelensky’s visit to Washington in August. At that time, Trump’s focus was on encouraging a potential peace deal policed by Europeans. The strategy seemed to be one of high-level mediation between the two sides.
However, recent events suggest a shift. Trump’s stated “disappointment” in Putin last month, combined with this weekend’s call, indicates a move toward a more pro-Ukrainian stance. The emphasis has shifted from neutral mediation to actively strengthening one party to create leverage for negotiations.
The call with Zelensky crystallized this new phase. The discussion was not about policing a hypothetical deal, but about providing “concrete” military support in the form of enhanced air defenses. Zelensky’s doctrine of achieving “real diplomacy” through “strength” now appears to be the central pillar of the joint US-Ukraine strategy.
This evolution from a mediator to a committed backer of Ukrainian strength is a crucial development. It suggests that the Trump administration has concluded that direct talks are unlikely to succeed without first altering the military balance on the ground. The path forward, redefined in this call, is now clearly one of empowerment before engagement.