Former US Deputy Assistant Fiona Hill warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin used the recent Trump-Putin summit in Alaska as a distraction from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Hill stated that the optics of the summit favored Putin, and it appeared he set the agenda.
Hill suggested that Russia may have intentionally sought to create a show of pomp and pageantry to make a statement before discussing more substantive issues. This could be seen as a strategic move by Putin to gain leverage over Trump’s team.
In the interview, Hill also expressed concern over discussions on US mail-in voting during the summit. She believes Putin’s goal was to create chaos and sow discord in the US ahead of the 2026 midterms. Hill sees this as a diversion tactic from negotiations on Ukraine, where Russia is not willing to make concessions.
Hill emphasized that Putin’s actions are likely aimed at gaining an advantage for Trump in the short term, but will ultimately harm the US in its own political arena.
Source: https://kyma.com/decision-2024/national-politics/2025/08/17/former-deputy-assistant-to-president-trump-on-trump-putin-summit