An ex-spy who attended the same KGB academy as Vladimir Putin has cautioned about the Russian leader’s manipulation skills, asserting that Putin has effectively “won” the upcoming summit with Trump.
Sergey Jirnov’s chilling warning comes just hours before the Russian dictator’s crunch face-off with Donald Trump in Alaska today.
Jirnov, who spent seven years in Russia’s intelligence service from 1984 to 1991, described the Alaska summit—touted as pivotal to the Ukraine conflict—as nothing more than a trap.
He told The Sun: “Even if he gets nothing at all, he has already won and Trump has already lost everything.
“Putin is a war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court.
“The West wanted to isolate him — and Trump is bringing him out of isolation and talking to him as an equal.”
Jirnov didn’t hold back on his assessment of the Kremlin chief’s psychological advantage.
He explained: “He knows how to recruit people, he knows how to manipulate them.
“Putin is intelligent and manipulative, he will manipulate Trump, he will tell him everything Trump wants to hear.
“He’ll eventually make promises, though this relationship isn’t rational on Trump’s end. It’s driven by emotion,” he remarked.
The former KGB agent, who first encountered Putin in 1980 when the then-young officer questioned him at the Moscow Olympics, thinks Europe should “squash” Putin like a bug.
He argues that a failure to reach a deal would favor Kyiv, because “Trump could concede everything to Putin… such as lifting sanctions, advancing economic ventures, and legitimizing Putin’s Russia. That would be catastrophic.”
The last face-to-face meet
DONALD Trump and Vladimir Putin last met in person at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.
It was during Trump’s first term as the president of America.
The meeting is widely remembered for a moment where Trump, with a smile, publicly warned the Russian leader: “Don’t meddle in the election, please.”
Their private discussions reportedly touched upon arms control, trade, and regional security issues
Alaska showdown
Trump and Putin are expected to meet privately at the Elmendorf-Richardson base near Anchorage at 11:30 am local (8:30 pm UK) today, amidst high security.
Putin, who rarely travels abroad since launching his full-scale invasion, will arrive with his feared “Musketeers” bodyguards, carrying everything from armour-piercing pistols to the infamous nuclear briefcase — and even a “poo suitcase” to stop any analysis of his health.
The Cold War-era base has been locked down by US and Russian forces, with over 32,000 troops, air defences, and electronic jamming systems in place.
The pair will thrash out “sensitive matters” behind closed doors before a joint press conference.
Trump has insisted Putin “is not going to mess around with me” and claimed the Russian leader “wants a deal”.
Speaking in the Oval Office, he said: “If I weren’t president, he would take over all of Ukraine… but I am president and he’s not going to mess around with me.”
While playing down the chances of an immediate ceasefire, Trump hinted at a more “important” second round of talks “very quickly” — this time with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “maybe some European leaders” in the room.
Putin has tried to sweeten the mood, praising Trump’s “sincere efforts” for peace, even as Zelensky warns he is “bluffing”.
Trump has vowed “very severe consequences” if this turns out to be the case.
Zelensky, fresh from meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK PM Sir Keir Starmer, has warned that any talks without Ukraine risk disaster.
Behind the scenes, reports suggest Trump may dangle offers of access to Alaska’s natural resources, eased sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry, and even a controversial “West Bank-style” model allowing Moscow to keep control of occupied Ukrainian regions without changing borders.
For Jirnov, such concessions would be catastrophic.
“If nothing happens at the Alaska summit, we have won,” he said.
“But if Trump gives Putin everything, we have lost everything.
“After that, it will be war against Trump with Putin — because Trump will no longer defend the interests of Europe and Ukraine, but Putin’s interests.”
Will there be peace in Ukraine?
THE prospect of peace in Ukraine remains uncertain as the Russia-Ukraine war continues into its fourth year.
While Trump’s diplomatic efforts and the planned meeting signal continued U.S. engagement, the gap between Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s conditions remains wide.
Putin’s history of stalling and Zelensky’s insistence on a full ceasefire and security guarantees suggest that a lasting peace agreement is unlikely in the immediate term without significant concessions from either side.
Next week’s meeting may produce a framework or memorandum for future talks, as Putin has indicated, but a concrete peace deal appears distant based on current dynamics.
Recent US-brokered talks, including direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, 2025, have yielded no breakthroughs, though agreements on prisoner exchanges signal some dialogue.
US President Donald Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, shortening a 50-day deadline for Russia to negotiate or face sanctions, but tensions persist with Russian advances in eastern Ukraine and intensified drone and missile strikes on cities like Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested territorial swaps, while Russia shows little willingness to compromise.
With ongoing military escalation and divergent American and European approaches, a lasting peace deal appears distant.
