In a video interview with Central News Agency on the 16th, former Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief economic advisor, Illarionov, said that Ukraine’s resilience and struggle have prevented major powers from acting arbitrarily. Ukraine, through its own strength, has made smaller countries an unavoidable checkpoint in the politics of major powers. (Photo provided by Illarionov) CNA reporter Chen Yunyu, London Fax, August 18, 2015
(CNA reporter Chen Yunyu, London, 17th) Illarionov, who served as the adviser to the Russian Prime Minister and chief economic adviser to the President, said that Russian President Putin is trying to fully control and eliminate Ukraine’s sovereignty. Ukraine has proved through actions that it will not surrender easily. No matter who is the US president, it is difficult to avoid Russia resorting to force Ukraine to surrender.
US President Trump and Putin held a face-to-face meeting in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, on the 15th. Trump said that the two sides had consensus on many issues, but no agreement had been reached yet.
In an exclusive interview with a Central News Agency reporter on the 16th, Andrei Illarionov analyzed that Trump’s thinking and decision-making patterns are easily exploited by Putin, as evidenced by his willingness to end the Russo-Ukrainian war through a so-called “territorial swap.” The definition and specific implementation details of this “territorial swap” are not the key points. The key point is that Trump has demonstrated a willingness to trade with the aggressor, but the target of the trade is the land of the “aggressed.”
Although “territorial exchange” can be literally understood as Russia and Ukraine each giving up their own territory in exchange, according to insiders’ leaks that have appeared in the media, the “territorial exchange” proposed by Russia does not involve Russian territory, but requires Ukraine to withdraw its troops from its own territory and even giving up Ukrainian territory that the Russian army has not yet been able to capture or has not yet established a solid control over. The “return” from Russia is only to freeze part of the battle line, and the prerequisite is that the “root cause” of the war must be eliminated.
According to Russia’s narrative and propaganda over the years, eliminating the “root causes” would mean propping up a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv and effectively disarming Ukraine. At a joint press conference with Trump after their meeting on the 15th, Putin stated that only when “all” root causes of the crisis are eliminated can Ukraine achieve lasting, stable peace. Putin also warned Ukraine and European countries not to undermine the peace process.
Considering Russia’s position and attitude, the actual content and effectiveness of any so-called security guarantees to Ukraine “agreed” by Moscow are unlikely to be optimistic.
In an interview with Fox News after the meeting, Trump said his advice to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting on Saturday would be to “make a deal.”
He said that it was necessary for Ukraine to do so, after all, “Russia is a very powerful country, and they (Ukraine) are not,” although “they (Ukraine) are great fighters.”
Illarionov served as Putin’s chief economic advisor from 2000 to 2005 and served as Russia’s top representative in the G7 club during its inclusion. In 2005, he resigned from Putin’s government due to his growing centralization of power, widespread corruption, and political interference in the economy. He subsequently joined the Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank, and is currently a senior analyst on Russian affairs at the Center for Security Policy.
Russia will claim victory in Alaska and shift responsibility for peace to Ukraine
Analyzing the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and its aftermath, Illarionov stated that Putin, who ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is a designated war criminal by the International Criminal Court (ICC), is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the G7, known for its free economy, democracy, and the rule of law. Yet, Putin was able to visit the US and receive such courtesy, effectively breaking through the diplomatic and political dilemma of what has been described as “international isolation.” Illarionov said this effectively legitimizes Putin’s aggression against Ukraine and other crimes.
Illarionov warned that Russia would definitely continue to exploit Putin’s “incredible victory” at the Alaska summit and use it for propaganda purposes.
On the 15th, Trump personally welcomed Putin at a US military base in Alaska. A red carpet was rolled out at the airport. While waiting, Trump applauded Putin three times as he slowly approached. As the two walked side by side, several US military aircraft, including a B-2 bomber, roared overhead. Some Western media interpreted this arrangement as a US flex of muscle toward Putin. Illarionov, however, viewed it as a US military formation flyover as part of the day’s military ceremony.
He said Trump’s “high-level courtesy” to Putin was rare even compared with the treatment given to traditional US allies.
US President Trump (front right) greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin (front left) at a US military base in Alaska on the 15th. The two walked the red carpet together. (Photo from x.com/White House)
He also pointed out that Putin was invited to ride in the same car with Trump to the meeting venue, an invitation that also violated diplomatic convention. Some commentators believe that this was the only one-on-one moment between Trump and Putin that day, and it was the most important moment of the entire Alaska summit. The formal Trump-Putin meeting was a 3+3 format (three representatives from the United States and three from Russia).
After the summit, the Kremlin released a video to TASS and other media outlets, purportedly shot from the window of Putin’s plane. The video showed a US F-35 fighter jet “escorting” Putin from the US back to Russia. Regardless of the authenticity of the video, it’s clear that without the summit, Russia would have struggled to launch its propaganda campaign.
Notably, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who attended the talks with Putin, was photographed arriving in Alaska wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCCP) (Russian abbreviation for “Soviet Union”). The accompanying press corps was served Chicken Kiev. Many analysts believe Putin harbors ambitions to recreate the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire, with Ukraine being just a crucial step.
Regarding Trump’s planned White House meeting with Zelenskyy on the afternoon of the 18th, Illarionov believes Trump will attempt to shift the pressure and ultimate responsibility for achieving peace onto Ukraine, emphasizing that peace depends primarily on Ukraine’s attitude. This echoes Putin’s oft-stated position that “everything is Ukraine’s fault.”
Despite repeatedly boasting about his good relationship with Putin, Trump failed to persuade Putin to agree to a ceasefire, and Russia did not suffer any “serious consequences” or “severe sanctions” as a result. Trump once again shelved and postponed the “deadline” he had set for Russia.
Illarionov said the irony is that Trump’s past statements have repeatedly shown that he believes the war can only be resolved by powerful figures like him and Putin. As a result, Trump is now forced to “persuade” Zelensky to make concessions, otherwise the problem will remain unresolved. Zelensky has become the central factor, even though Trump sees him as the leader of a “small country.”
He emphasized that the key is that Ukraine’s tenacity and hard work have prevented major powers from doing whatever they want; Ukraine, with its own strength, has made small countries an unavoidable checkpoint in the politics of major powers.
Lesson for Taiwan: Ultimately, destiny lies in the hands of the Taiwanese people themselves
Illarionov believes that Alaska summit was an attempt to repeat the 1938 Munich Agreement, in which a few major powers agreed to sacrifice the sovereignty of a small country (then Czechoslovakia) in the absence of the small country.
Fortunately, the Munich scenario did not repeat itself in 2025. The key reason is that today’s Ukraine is not the Czechoslovakia of the past: Ukrainian leaders have not surrendered to the powerful, the country has been engaged in full-scale war for more than three years, and Europe’s support for Ukraine is also very different from its attitude towards Czechoslovakia, which immediately chose to abandon and surrender.
Illarionov emphasized that Ukraine’s experience is an important revelation for Taiwan: Taiwan’s destiny lies in the hands of the Taiwanese people themselves and ultimately depends on the decisions and actions of the Taiwanese people, not the leaders of the United States, China or other countries.
“Those in danger must first try to save themselves,” Illarionov said, citing a Russian proverb. While assistance from others and other countries is certainly important, the primary key lies with Taiwanese people themselves. We must not place excessive hopes on others, even though it’s human nature to “seek support.”
In an exclusive interview with Central News Agency on the 16th, former Russian President Putin’s chief economic advisor, Illarionov said that regardless of who is president of the United States, it would not affect Putin’s actions to try to fully control and eliminate Ukraine’s sovereignty. (Video screenshot) Central News Agency reporter Chen Yunyu, London Fax, August 18, 2015
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Author: Andrei Illarionov
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