Russia Says Trump-Putin Peace Momentum ‘Exhausted’ as Europe Blamed for Derailing Ukraine Talks

Key Facts

Published: October 8, 2025 Location: Moscow, Washington D.C. Source: Reuters, Newsweek

• Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said peace momentum from the Trump-Putin Alaska summit is “largely exhausted.”
• Moscow blames European powers for derailing progress toward a Ukraine ceasefire.
• Trump says he’s disappointed in Putin and is weighing tougher measures to pressure Moscow.
• Ryabkov warns U.S. Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine would mark a “qualitative” escalation.

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday that the momentum toward a Ukraine peace agreement—sparked after President Vladimir Putin’s August summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska—has “largely been exhausted,” blaming European allies of Kyiv for obstructing diplomatic progress.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who manages Moscow’s relations with Washington and oversees arms control, said European powers had “torpedoed” the spirit of cooperation that followed the August 15 meeting, held at a Cold War-era airbase in Anchorage.

“Unfortunately, we have to admit that Anchorage’s powerful momentum in favor of agreements has been largely exhausted by the efforts of opponents and supporters of the war,” Ryabkov said, according to Russian state media. “This is the result of destructive activities, primarily by the Europeans.”

The remarks mark a setback for Trump, who has sought to end the Russia-Ukraine war through direct diplomacy rather than military escalation. The former U.S. president has expressed frustration with Putin for not acting to end the conflict, calling Russia a “paper tiger.”

Ryabkov also warned that the potential delivery of U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would represent a “qualitative change” in the war. Trump said earlier this week he would demand assurances from Kyiv before approving such weapons, citing concerns about escalating the conflict.

The ongoing war, now in its fourth year, continues to rage along Ukraine’s eastern front. Kyiv has pleaded with Western allies for more advanced weaponry and harsher sanctions on Moscow, while NATO-Russia tensions have deepened over alleged drone incursions and airspace violations across Europe.

Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Western governments accuse Moscow of waging an imperial-style land grab, while the Kremlin blames NATO’s post-1991 expansion for threatening Russia’s security.

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