Putin wins summit – Weekend 

Stay tuned to Qalampir.uz to get information on the details of the events that occurred around the world during the week

Putin’s victory 

Trump waited for Putin inside the plane for half an hour, a red carpet was laid for an international criminal, a disruptive B2 flew over the two Presidents, they went to the place where the talks would take place in a single car, Trump delivered a letter from his wife to his counterpart, and when the Russian leader was returning, he was escorted by US F-22 fighter jets. That’s it. So far, in Alaska, where hopes were pinned on changes in the global situation, these are the only things that stood out. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin issued any official statement about the summit. 

At the moment, we are forced to rely on the statements made by the two leaders at the press conference as the official explanation of the summit: “We agreed on many issues, the negotiations were productive,” and some hints from Trump’s interview with Fox News. However, most people are interested in the detailed and specific aspects of their private conversation in Trump’s official car, with few others present, and the nearly three-hour “three-on-three” format of the negotiations. Unfortunately, there is no way around it: the officials have disclosed almost nothing. 

Despite this, observers, European officials, and Western media are offering their commentaries and predictions about the summit and its possible outcomes. While some publications report that no agreement was reached in the Trump–Putin meeting, those around Zelensky have described the summit as “an event of no significance.” Trump’s boundless flattery toward Putin has caused concern in Europe. Allies have not hidden their worries about Western unity. In particular, the chair of the European Parliament’s defence committee, Strack-Zimmermann, stated that Western unity was thrown in the trash after the Alaska summit. Additionally, experts note that Putin’s visit to the U.S. signals his emergence from international isolation and marks his return to major global circles. Furthermore, Trump’s former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, claimed that the summit ended in a victory for Putin. According to his statements, Trump gained nothing from the meeting, whereas Putin achieved a great deal. Bolton emphasized that the Russian leader managed to bypass the sanctions, and no longer faces the imposition of a ceasefire, and that the date of the next meeting has not even been set. This indicates that Putin secured much of the outcome he desired. 

However, among the achievements John Bolton mentioned, only one seems to remain for now. Although neither the White House nor the Kremlin has provided detailed clarification on what was discussed in the closed-door talks or exactly who wanted what, media outlets are reporting that Trump and Putin discussed the Donbas region. According to the sources cited by Bloomberg and the Financial Times, Putin proposed to Trump that Donbass would become entirely Russian in exchange for halting further aggression. It is assumed that he would make no further claims on the remaining areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson that were partially occupied and would end the offensive along the current front lines. Looking at Trump’s post-summit interview with Fox News, the proposal seems to have appealed to him. He confirmed that the Alaska talks included discussions on guarantees for Ukraine’s security as well as the territories, though he did not go into specifics. US sources report that after the meeting with Putin, Trump conveyed this proposal to Zelensky and other European leaders during subsequent conversations. Meanwhile, Trump returned to his familiar talking points. He reiterated that any agreement on Ukraine now depends on Zelensky and the European states, that Zelensky must recognize how much he is losing, that Russia is powerful while Ukraine is not, and that Kyiv must negotiate a deal.

Melania’s letter to Putin 

Melania Trump, the current first lady of the United States, is believed to be one of the figures with a distinct sphere of influence in Donald Trump’s political activities. Especially this year, such opinions have become increasingly common. When Trump resumed arms deliveries to Ukraine and shifted his rhetoric toward Putin, discussions about the “Melania effect” gained wide attention. Her influence was also visible at the Alaska summit. Reports emerged that Trump’s wife, Melania, personally delivered a special letter to Putin. According to Fox News, citing its sources, the Russian leader read the letter immediately in front of the delegations. The text of the letter has now been published by Fox News, which has almost become a de facto White House press outlet. In the letter, First Lady Melania Trump mainly expressed her concerns about children and emphasized that it was time to stop. The text of the letter is as follows: 

Dear President Putin, 

Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger. 

As parents, we must nurture the next generation’s hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all — so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded. 

A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity — an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology. 

Yet in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them — a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future. Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter. 

In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you will serve humanity itself. Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today. 

It is time. 

Sincerely, 
 Melania Trump

Now Zelenskyy is going 

After Putin, it’s Zelensky’s turn to visit Trump. On August 18, he will meet with Donald Trump in Washington. After finishing his meeting with Putin, Trump rated the Alaska summit a perfect 10 out of 10 and said he would also call NATO leaders and Zelensky to inform them about the meeting before returning. Later, on the six-hour flight back from Alaska, he reportedly spoke for 1.5 hours with Zelensky and then had a very long conversation with the leaders of NATO member states. The phone call in which Zelensky received the invitation clarified many things. The Ukrainian President stated that his conversation with the U.S. leader was substantive and expressed gratitude for the invitation, noting that he was going to Washington to address everything. He also mentioned that a trilateral format would be suitable to discuss several issues. Meanwhile, Trump is looking forward to meeting Zelensky, with whom he had an equal-footing discussion at the White House earlier this March.  

If you remember, during that meeting, Trump had emphasized that he could return whenever Zelensky was ready for peace. Now he is going to the U.S. again. It is impossible to predict how this meeting will unfold or what will happen. During the previous controversial meeting, everything seemed in order between the two sides at first, and Ukraine appeared ready to put its natural resources at the disposal of the U.S. However, Vice President JD Vance, who joined the conversation like an awkward spoon, ruined everything, as many still recall from that session. 

On the eve of Zelensky’s visit to the White House, there is some stir in Europe. EU leaders have stated that after the Putin–Trump meeting, they are ready to impose new sanctions on Russia. They reject any restrictions on delivering weapons to Kyiv or on integrating Ukraine into the EU and NATO. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that following the Putin–Trump meeting, a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine is set to hold a meeting. 

As you know, the European Union has been struggling to act decisively on serious issues. Member states like Hungary and Slovakia have long spread a sense of unruliness within the Union. For this reason, Brussels felt a strong need for a “coalition of the willing”. The formation of such a coalition is also a sign that unity within the EU is a thing of the past.  

At the same time, unity has noticeably weakened not only within the EU but also within NATO. This all comes down to disagreements over Ukraine’s accession to the alliance. Russia’s invasion and the Kremlin’s ultimatums have made joining NATO extremely complicated for Kyiv today. Many NATO member states are against admitting a country that has serious issues regarding territorial integrity. Countries like Hungary do not even hide their opposition to this matter. 

For this reason, today, Europe and the US are discussing the possibility of providing Ukraine with the security and defense guarantees outlined in Article 5 of the NATO Charter, even if it does not gain full membership in the alliance. In other words, this refers to Article 5, which stipulates that if one NATO member is attacked from outside, all members act together against the common enemy. This article forms the very essence of the alliance. NATO is NATO because of Article 5. 

It was not a foreign publication but Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who revealed these guarantees. Sources indicate that the US has also agreed to this proposal. According to several media outlets, Kyiv received an offer from Washington regarding security guarantees under NATO, even without becoming a full member of the alliance. 

It is reported that this issue may have been discussed between Trump and Putin in Alaska. However, for now, no one knows exactly how these guarantees would work or how Putin could agree to them, since he has been opposed to Ukraine joining the alliance from the very beginning. After all, Article 5 essentially means being almost like a NATO member.

China steps into the 22nd century 

While major players like the US, Russia, and Europe remain focused on the issue of Ukraine, China is leaving others behind by creating technological miracles. During the week, China announced unexpected news. It concerns a robot expected to perform surrogate functions. Simply put, the company Kaiwa Technology plans to present the world’s first humanoid robot capable of simulating pregnancy and carrying a human embryo, that is, giving birth to a child in 2026. This kind of innovation will undoubtedly put pressure on Silicon Valley in the United States. 

This project is being developed due to strong social demand. In particular, it is aimed at addressing the declining birth rate and the growing problem of infertility in the country. According to the company’s founder, artificial womb technology has already reached its final stage. It has been reported that the robot will be able to replicate the entire process, from fertilization to childbirth. Its price is expected to be around 14,000 dollars. Dr. Zhang Sifen, a PhD from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, stated that artificial womb technology has already reached an advanced stage of development. Now, by integrating it into the robot’s abdominal cavity, interaction between humans and robots could make pregnancy possible, ensuring the growth of the embryo inside. 

It should also be noted that this method of incubation has already been tested on animals. However, it was not a human embryo but an animal embryo that successfully underwent the trial. In 2017, American scientists managed to raise a prematurely born lamb using an artificial womb. Experts, however, believe that in order to fully replicate the process with a human embryo, the technology still needs further refinement. We will see what results such an experiment may bring in China a year from now.

Kazakhstan is richer than Russia and China 

With a population of 20.33 million and a GDP of $300 billion, Kazakhstan, the wealthiest country in Central Asia, has now surpassed both Russia and China in terms of GDP per capita. According to statistics released by the International Monetary Fund, this year Kazakhstan’s figure stands at $14,770. In Russia, it is $14,260, while in China it is $13,690. With such economic growth, Kazakhstan has now become the leader among CIS countries in terms of GDP per capita. This indicator takes into account current prices and inflation, which makes it a fairly accurate reflection of the country’s level of economic well-being. Experts attribute this achievement to several key factors. Kazakhstan possesses large reserves of oil, gas, and uranium, with the export of energy resources and minerals remaining the main driving force of the economy. In recent years, the country has also been actively developing raw material processing and the production of high-value-added goods.  

Unfortunately, Uzbekistan has not yet been able to achieve noteworthy results in this regard. While in neighboring Kazakhstan, the figure has approached $15,000, in Uzbekistan, it amounts to only about $3,500. This means that Uzbekistan’s GDP per capita is four times lower than that of Kazakhstan. 

Indeed, as noted above, Kazakhstan’s high figures are mainly tied to its natural resources. In addition, the size of the population plays a crucial role in determining GDP per capita. For example, Kazakhstan has just over 20 million people, while Uzbekistan’s population exceeds 37 million. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan’s economic situation is much stronger than that of its southern neighbor. Its GDP has surpassed $300 billion, whereas in Uzbekistan this figure stands at around $130 billion. 

Moreover, another World Bank report forecasts that for Uzbekistan to become a high-income country—meaning per capita income exceeding $14,000, it would take at least another 100 years. For Kazakhstan, however, it is estimated that reaching such a status would take about 30 years. Here too, the gap is more than threefold. By the way, as noted above, Kazakhstan has already surpassed the $14,000 mark in terms of GDP per capita. But here we are talking about Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. These are slightly different concepts. GDP includes all goods and services produced within a country’s territory in a given year. GNI, on the other hand, represents the net income earned by a country’s citizens and companies, excluding the profits of foreign companies operating domestically.

Pakistan and India in Conflict Again 

At a time when summits are being held with high hopes to end wars and massacres in one part of the world, two major Asian states are preparing the next crisis for the globe. New Delhi and Islamabad are once again at odds with each other. One announced the creation of missile forces, while the other responded by unveiling plans for a new defense system. What is most striking is that these statements were made almost simultaneously. 

First, on August 14, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the establishment of missile forces within the country’s armed forces. According to Sharif, these forces will be equipped with modern technology and will mark a new stage in strengthening the combat potential of Pakistan’s army. A senior official in the security service did not hide the fact that the primary target of these missiles would be India. 

A day later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that by 2035 the country would develop an advanced weapons system called Sudarshan Chakra, or “Modern Technological Shield.” This system is designed to protect cities and strategic sites, combining advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-strike capabilities. It is said to be capable of neutralizing threats from the air, land, and sea. However, Modi did not provide detailed information about the new defense system in his speech. Even so, experts speculate that the technology may resemble Israel’s “Iron Dome.”