The days following the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have revealed much about the shifting geometry of wartime diplomacy. Within 72 hours, the White House hosted an extraordinary gathering of Western leaders alongside Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskky, who had already met President Trump in the Oval Office prior to this.

The choreography was deliberate: to assure Kyiv that, despite the lack of progress with Moscow, its allies remain engaged. Yet, the symbolism should not mask the persistent gaps in substance. Mr Zelenskky’s visit was less about breakthroughs and more about damage control. After Alaska produced no ceasefire and allowed Mr Putin to project confidence, the Ukrainian leader needed to reaffirm that his nation was not being side-lined.

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His strategy ~ tempered rhetoric, quiet persistence, and the pointed use of maps and figures to dramatise Ukraine’s resilience ~........

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