Nordic countries make urgent Putin plea to Trump

Eight Nordic and Baltic countries have issued a unified call urging Donald Trump to keep firm pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after the U.S. leader’s high-stakes summit in Alaska.

Trump and Putin

In a joint statement, the Nordic-Baltic Eight — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden — emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine could only end through sustained diplomatic and economic pressure. The leaders welcomed Trump’s stated commitment to seeking peace but warned that any concessions to Moscow would hand Putin a strategic advantage. “Peace will only come through a combination of determined diplomacy, unwavering support for Ukraine and consistent pressure on the Russian Federation,” the group said. The statement served as both support and a cautionary message to Washington, stressing that Putin “only responds to pressure” and that the U.S. should not bow to Russian demands during negotiations. The Nordic-Baltic Eight reiterated that they would continue enforcing restrictive measures against Moscow while backing Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Western Allies

The bloc also welcomed Trump’s efforts “to lay the foundations for a just and enduring peace” in Ukraine and Europe, while underscoring that international borders must not be redrawn by force. Other Western allies weighed in on the summit’s stakes. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CBS News that any peace process must involve Ukraine, but first, “it is important to see how serious Putin is.”

Zelensky vs. Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky forcefully rejected suggestions that Kyiv could trade territory for peace. Responding to reports that land swaps were on the table, Zelensky warned in his nightly address that Russia intended to manipulate the United States during the summit. “We understand the Russians’ intention to try to deceive America — we will not allow this,” he said. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) echoed this caution, suggesting the Kremlin’s strategy was less about meaningful peace talks and more about dividing the U.S. from its European allies by framing them as obstacles to Trump’s peace ambitions. Some analysts have explored possible compromises. Anatole Lieven, director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told outlets that trading parts of Ukrainian-controlled Donbas for Russian-held territory “makes good sense.” He acknowledged, however, that this would be “deeply painful for Kyiv” and has already been dismissed by Zelensky. Lieven also argued that “leaving the status of the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhia for future negotiation also makes good sense.” Said Lieven, “Ukraine cannot be expected to withdraw from the large part of these provinces it still holds. Nor can Russia realistically be expected to abandon its territorial claim.”

U.S. aid

Lieven warned that if Ukraine rejects such a deal and Trump ends U.S. aid, “Russia will likely take very much more.” However, others believe Trump’s willingness to hold the summit is itself a concession. Retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan wrote on Substack that agreeing to meet “is a very significant win for Putin.” He added that “Russia is not [in] a position to make demands of the Trump administration.” He further criticized Trump’s reported openness to bargaining over Ukrainian territory, writing, “That the American president thinks he is in a position to bargain away Ukrainian territory smacks of gross ignorance, demonstrates zero strategic empathy, and shows a total lack of understanding of Ukraine’s objectives.”

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