Was the Trump-Putin Meeting a Disastrous Embarrassment for the US?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Senator Chris Murphy criticizes the Trump-Putin meeting as a failure.
- Putin reportedly accomplished his goals without any repercussions.
- The meeting did not result in a ceasefire in Ukraine.
- Trump's remarks on the meeting contrast with the views of many lawmakers.
- Future discussions involving Zelensky are anticipated.
Washington, Aug 18 (NationPress) US Senator Chris Murphy, a prominent Democrat from Connecticut, has labeled President Donald Trump's recent encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin a “catastrophe”.
He asserted that the meeting allowed the Russian leader to secure “everything he wanted”.
“That meeting was a catastrophe. It was an embarrassment for the United States. It was a failure,” Murphy declared on Sunday during an interview with NBC News.
According to him, “Putin got everything he wanted.” He emphasized that the Russian leader sought that photo opportunity and wished to be absolved of his war crimes on the global stage. “He was invited to the United States.”
Trump and Putin convened in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15 to discuss the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, yet the high-stakes meeting concluded without the ceasefire Trump was hoping for.
Trump, who rated the meeting as a “10 out of 10”, remarked afterwards that it is now “really up to President Zelensky to get it done.”
Zelensky was not invited to the summit.
“We have a pretty good chance of getting it done,” Trump further stated.
Trump and Zelensky are slated to meet on Monday at the Oval Office.
Additionally, Trump has indicated intentions to organize a joint meeting involving himself, Putin, and Zelensky.
In the meantime, Putin described the meeting as “very beneficial”, yet neither Trump nor Putin addressed the cessation of fighting in Ukraine.
Murphy further told NBC News that “war criminals are not typically invited to the United States of America.”
“(Putin) is intentionally murdering civilians, he’s kidnapping children, and now he got to stand next to the President of the United States, legitimized in the view of the world,” the Senator commented.
He asserted that Putin “didn't have to concede anything” during the meeting with Trump, adding, “Nothing. Right? President Trump said he wanted a ceasefire. It appears the ceasefire wasn't even seriously discussed. And then, third, there's no consequences.”
Murphy also noted, “Trump said, 'If I don't get a ceasefire, Putin is going to pay a price.' And then he walked out of that meeting saying, 'I didn't get a ceasefire. I didn't get a peace deal, and I'm not even considering sanctions.'”
The politician highlighted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments on Sunday on ABC News, where he acknowledged that “we're still a long ways off” from a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia after the meeting fell flat.
“You heard Secretary Rubio downplay sanctions. And so Putin walks away with his photo op with zero commitments made and zero consequences,” Murphy remarked to NBC News.
“What a great day for Russia.”