The Daily Populous Sunday June 28th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by kyivindependent.com and submitted by ArgentineBeauty

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on June 28 said Russia's belief in "understandings" reached with the U.S. during last year's Alaska summit has been proven wrong.

"The reality makes one thing clear: if the 'Spirit of Anchorage' even existed, it is certainly dead now," Sybiha said, mocking Russia's talking point about supposed agreements reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in August 2025.

The comments come shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no deals have been concluded in Anchorage, contradicting Moscow's version of the events.

"For Russia, the lesson of Anchorage is that any peace plan developed without Ukraine is doomed to become a spirit and disappear," Sybiha said.

Moscow should stop "believing in spirits" and sit down for serious talks, or face deteriorating position in the war, Ukraine's chief diplomat added.

The so-called "Alaska understanding" refers to Moscow's request that Washington to pressure Ukraine to withdraw completely from Donbas, one person familiar with the Alaska discussions previously told the Kyiv Independent.

The demand — which would involve Ukrainian forces giving up territory it currently controls — is a non-starter for Kyiv.

During a G7 summit earlier this month, Trump expressed mounting frustration with Putin and said he may walk back the "Alaska understandings," Axios reported, citing undisclosed official sources.

Trump also recently said President Volodymyr Zelensky was "doing pretty well" in the war, noting Ukraine's recent large-scale drone attacks against Moscow.

His remarks came shortly after a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that Trump privately prompted Zelensky to act "more boldly" toward Russia.

While Russian officials have denied this, they have also lashed out at Washington for not following through on the alleged promises made in Alaska, reflecting Moscow's growing unease with the U.S. position on the war.

meglobob on June 28th, 2026 at 11:54 UTC »

Spirit of Anchorage was just a joint US / Russia delusion.

You can't have a peace without Ukraine and Europe being involved as well.

But also just straight up peace talks between Ukraine & Russia with everyone else just staying out of it would probably work best.

ArgentineBeauty on June 28th, 2026 at 11:42 UTC »

Moscow should stop "believing in spirits" and sit down for serious talks, or face deteriorating position in the war, Ukraine's chief diplomat added

Russia still seems to be negotiating as if it's 2025.

June alone has seen Ukraine repeatedly hit refineries, defence factories and fuel infrastructure deep inside Russia. The longer Russia.waits, the more the situation keeps changing and not in its favour.

temporarycreature on June 28th, 2026 at 11:37 UTC »

That's the thing, nothing was done in Anchorage, it was a dog and pony show, nothing was agreed to, nothing was signed.