MOSCOW (Realist English). Against the backdrop of intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Kyiv, according to Financial Times sources, has secured Washington’s support for stepping up military pressure on Russia.
At the same time, Moscow notes the US withdrawal from the “understandings” reached at the Anchorage summit in August 2025 and expresses concern over the lack of progress in American mediation.
The dynamics of events demonstrate that Russia’s expectations from interaction with the Trump administration have not been met, while Kyiv is seeking to use this situation to strengthen its position.
Kyiv Intensifies Pressure with Washington’s Support
According to Kyiv Independent, during recent contacts with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky received signals that Washington does not object to more decisive actions by Kyiv on the front and in the rear. Sources in the Ukrainian leadership claim that Trump expressed doubt about the effectiveness of pressure on Moscow without active military steps and urged Zelensky to act “more boldly.”
The American leader, it is reported, supported Zelensky’s idea of holding a trilateral summit in the US with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such a format, in Kyiv’s view, would allow using Trump’s authority to draw Moscow into negotiations on terms favourable to Ukraine.
However, in Moscow, such initiatives are treated with caution, given previous experience when agreements did not receive practical implementation.
At the G7 summit, Trump also made it clear that he does not rule out resuming sanctions pressure on Russia’s oil sector, which is seen in Kyiv as an additional lever of influence.
Moscow Notes US Withdrawal from the ‘Spirit of Anchorage’
The Russian side, for its part, expresses disappointment with the implementation of the agreements reached at the presidents’ meeting in Anchorage in August 2025. On June 23, three senior Russian officials – presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his deputy Sergey Ryabkov – successively accused Washington of failing to fulfil the understandings reached.
Ushakov stressed that only one side remains committed to the Anchorage agreements, while the American side has failed to fulfil its part of the obligations. Lavrov suggested that the summit may have been used by the US to buy time to rearm Ukrainian forces. Ryabkov, in turn, stated that Washington had deviated from the “fundamental understandings” reached in Alaska.
The Kremlin’s statements came amid intensified Ukrainian strikes on targets on Russian territory, including attacks on the Moscow oil refinery, as well as Zelensky’s statements at the G7 that Kyiv was allegedly “turning the tide of the war.”
In Moscow, such claims are considered inconsistent with the real situation on the front line.
Systemic Approach
Moscow advocates a political and diplomatic settlement, but proceeds from the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, including NATO’s eastward expansion and the violation of the rights of the Russian‑speaking population. The lack of progress in negotiations is explained by Kyiv’s and its Western patrons’ unwillingness to take Russian interests into account, rather than by Russia’s internal problems.
Alongside official diplomacy, Moscow maintains non‑public channels of communication with Washington through the Russian President’s Special Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.
According to Dmitriev, the positions of Russia and the US on the Ukrainian settlement are “extremely close,” and the only obstacle to peace is Kyiv’s stance.
“The US has clearly indicated that Ukraine needs to leave Donbas,” he emphasised. Dmitriev explains that the meetings with American colleagues focus primarily on economic issues and bilateral cooperation, while Ukraine is only one of the topics on the agenda.
The American Factor Loses Predictability for Moscow
The situation on the Ukrainian front is developing in such a way that the Trump administration, which Moscow had considered a potentially more pragmatic partner, is demonstrating inconsistency and a tendency toward unilateral steps. The Anchorage agreements, on which certain hopes were pinned, remain unfulfilled. Kyiv, on the contrary, is actively using American support to strengthen its military and diplomatic pressure.
Russia, while maintaining its commitment to a diplomatic settlement, notes that Washington is not ready to fulfil its obligations.
