TAMPA, Fla. — As President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a peace summit in Alaska, some Ukrainians in Tampa Bay said they aren’t optimistic the talks will lead to an end to the lengthy conflict.
The high-stakes meeting in Anchorage marked Putin’s first visit to the U.S. since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
According to ABC News, the leaders met for more than two hours and described the talks as “productive,” though no ceasefire or concrete deal was announced.
WATCH: Despite 'productive' summit, Ukrainians in Tampa Bay say ending conflict with Russia will be complicated
Both signaled more negotiations would follow. Trump said he planned to consult with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies.
Roman Voloshyn, co-owner of Pierogi Bar in St. Petersburg, has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, but his roots are in Ukraine, a nation still locked in the bloody conflict with Russia.
“I’m kind of confused why people don’t understand it’s a matter of survival. It’s not a territorial war. It’s not the war for the territories,” he said. “It’s an existential war.”
Even though both leaders claimed progress was made, Voloshyn doubts a real deal is on the horizon given the complex nature of conflict.
“It’s a political trap. This deal will never happen,” he said.
Anna Iermolaieva, a Ukrainian currently earning a PhD at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, also wants peace but also has her doubts. She said a deal should only be accepted under the right conditions.
“I don’t know a single person in my family or my friends, my social circles back home who does not want peace,” she said. “Everyone is tired of the war.”
Iermolaieva still has family in Ukraine, including two brothers serving in the Army. She said she has been personally touched by the war’s devastation.
“My best friend’s father died in the conflict,” she said.
For her, any agreement that allows Russia to keep captured territory would be unacceptable.
“If they move forward with that, I think it will only teach Russia, and not only Russia, other dictatorships across the globe, that you can attack an independent, internationally recognized country,” she said.
She also believes any deal should include the release of hostages, including children, and a security guarantee for Ukraine to guard it against any future aggression.
For now, both she and Voloshyn believe peace may still be a long way off, despite the summit’s hopeful tone.
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