'He didn’t do anything tough:' Fmr. ambassador to Russia on Trump’s FAILURE to make deal with Putin

US-Russia Relations - The meeting between Trump and Putin fell short of expectations, with a shorter duration of approximately 4 and a half hours compared to the anticipated 6-7 hours [1] - A planned press conference with questions was replaced by a 12-minute remark with no questions taken [1] - Trump's initial promise of "severe consequences" for Russia if a ceasefire wasn't reached was not reflected in the public remarks, where the word "ceasefire" was not mentioned [1] - The US president invited an indicted war criminal to the United States, rolling out the red carpet, which is highly unusual [1] International Perception - The meeting's optics, such as the ride in "the beast" and Putin speaking first, were perceived as bizarre and abnormal, potentially damaging US leverage on the international stage [5][6][11] - Allies may view the US president as weak due to his admiration for Putin and failure to secure tangible outcomes [12][13] - The lack of pressure on Putin and his unchanged position on Ukraine, without facing consequences, is seen as a success for Russia [19] Ukrainian Perspective - Ukrainians were deeply disappointed by the meeting's lack of results, particularly the failure to achieve a ceasefire [8] - Zalinsky faces the challenge of reframing the narrative after Trump seemingly accepted Putin's perspective [9]