Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Aug 18: US. President Donald Trump has fired back at Democratic Senator Chris Murphy after the latter labeled the recent Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin a "disaster" and an "embarrassment" for the United States. In a sharply worded post on his platform Truth Social, Trump dismissed Murphy as a “lightweight” and “very unattractive,” both “inside and out,” blaming him and others for obstructing efforts to end the Ukraine war.

The backlash from Trump comes after Murphy, accused the president of giving Putin everything he wanted—including international legitimacy and a high-profile photo opportunity—while downplaying Russia’s war crimes.

"Putin got everything he wanted," Murphy said, emphasizing that “war criminals are not normally invited to the United States of America.”

In response, Trump insisted that no such concessions were made. “Actually, 'nobody got anything,' too soon, but getting close,” he wrote, claiming that the Alaska summit marked significant progress toward peace. He further accused Murphy, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and other critics of making it “much harder” to end the war due to their "stupidity."

The controversial meeting between Trump and Putin took place at the Arctic Warrior Convention Centre in Alaska, where the two leaders reportedly held three hours of closed-door discussions. Also present were Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and senior aides.

Although no ceasefire was announced, Trump stated in a follow-up Fox News interview that "a lot of points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine," while emphasizing that any agreement would require Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s approval. “It’s not a done deal at all,” he said.

Following the summit, Trump held a phone call with Zelensky and several European leaders to brief them on the outcome of the talks. However, the peace roadmap Trump reportedly proposed—calling for Ukraine to cede Crimea to Russia and drop its bid to join NATO—has drawn concern across European capitals.

On Sunday, Trump doubled down on his position, suggesting on Truth Social that Zelensky could “end the war almost immediately, if he wants to,” implying that accepting Russian demands could bring swift peace. “No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!)...and no going into NATO by Ukraine. Some things never change!” he wrote.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are expected to meet with Trump and Zelensky soon. Many are reportedly uneasy that Trump may pressure Ukraine to accept a deal that aligns more with Moscow’s goals than Kyiv’s interests.

As diplomatic tensions rise, the Alaska summit and Trump’s public remarks continue to fuel debate over U.S. foreign policy direction, international law, and the future of the conflict in Ukraine.