After months of diplomatic fumbling and attempted negotiations, all while Russia has not stopped ramping up its war machine, Ukraine's fate is set to be put on the table once again on Friday, August 15. A highly anticipated meeting between the Russian and American presidents will take place in Alaska's Anchorage region, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited. Zelensky has stepped up his efforts to rally support and called for unity among his European allies to influence the summit, urging them to keep up pressure on Vladimir Putin.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump said he hoped to organize a trilateral summit following the first meeting in Alaska. He also threatened Russia with "very severe consequences" if it refused to accept a ceasefire after the talks.

Yet these threats are hardly taken seriously in Ukraine anymore. Since Trump returned to power in January, he has repeatedly said he would sanction his Russian counterpart to force him to stop the invasion, without ever following through. The August 15 meeting was, for that matter, announced on the final day of the United States' ultimatum, on August 8, just before the deadline by which Trump was supposed to impose sanctions on Russia if it did not accept an immediate ceasefire. The meeting in Alaska, by contrast, is set to take place while Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine.

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