'Trump has rewarded Putin' as Russian forces flaunt US flag after historic Alaska summit

Footage from the frontline in southeastern Ukraine seems to show Russian military vehicles bearing the United States' flag, just days after Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. President concluded a week-long European tour with a return to the States and a much-anticipated meeting with his Russian counterpart, marking their first encounter since a 2018 summit.

"Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago. I really believe that," Trump announced to the press during a brief media briefing following the meeting.

Before the summit, Trump had given Putin a 50-day ultimatum, insisting he halt his invasion of Ukraine or face hefty tariffs against both Russia and its trading partners.

Since the start of the year, Russia has escalated missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, shifting military attention away from the stagnating frontlines to instead strike targets deep within Ukraine, resulting in civilian casualties, reports the Mirror.

Trump's three-hour discussion with Putin does not appear to have yielded the desired cease-fire agreement that the 78-year-old repeatedly pledged to secure within 24 hours of returning to office.

Instead, Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, with recent footage seemingly showing forces on the Zaporizhzhia front displaying the U.S. flag shortly after Putin's meeting with Trump.

Experts at the Royal Institute of International Affairs think tank, also known as Chatham House, claim Putin has been "rewarded" by Trump following their meeting, emboldening his army to openly flaunt the U.S. flag.

"The Alaska summit...failed to produce any tangible outcome to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine," observed Orysia Lutsevych, Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

"Russia has received a reward for its invasion. Trump called Russia a 'great country' and said there is strong mutual understanding between the two parties. This represents a further fissure in the already shaky Transatlantic alliance, the rupture of which is a primary Russian aim. The Alaska Summit represents another step towards this goal.

"Alaska has emboldened Putin, who is likely to prolong, not end, the war."

On Monday (August 18), Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside several European leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland, as well as representatives from NATO and the EU Commission.

Early indications from the discussions between the allied nations, which included a separate meeting between Trump and Zelensky before broader talks, suggest Europe's Coalition of the Willing is ready to offer Article 5-style security assurances to Ukraine.

This provision, mirroring NATO's framework, would see the European countries regard an assault on Ukraine as an assault against all. "During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America," Trump shared on his Truth Social platform.

Trump has also suggested "land swaps" between the warring nations, a proposal that has been met with criticism from Ukraine as it would effectively allow Putin to retain Ukrainian territory currently under Russian military occupation.