Howard Kurtz, host of Fox News, is renowned for his measured criticism of the media. Even so, he was unable to refrain from criticizing Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The fire fizzed out before the BBQ was lit, as is the case with all needless hyped events. This conference, which was touted as an opportunity to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and to reshape US-Russian relations, ended poorly. The conference ended with atypical quiet in front of reporters, ambiguous words, and no firm agreements.
Speaking on his program Media Buzz, Kurtz gave a direct summary of the event.
Kurtz said that not much had been accomplished.
It was a strong statement, and it seemed even harder coming from Fox News. However, this was a true judgment that reflected the feeling globally. After all of the media circus, rumors, and promises, political pundits and foreign policy specialists claimed that this summit was just about taking pictures. Not much was accomplished in Anchorage.
Trump hinted to a number of potential breakthroughs as the summit dates drew near. He was making hints that he might be able to bring peace to Ukraine and compel Putin into a truce.
But in the end, he acknowledged that the summit had failed, stating, “We didn’t get there.”
His violent handshake apparently did not go well with a career dictator and former KGB spy.
Howard Kurtz of Fox humiliates Trump with a scathing analysis of the Putin Summit: https://t.co/EdY6WcS9L8
August 18, 2025, Lynn Rucker (@LynnRucker8)
According to the Associated Press, no ceasefire agreement was reached at the summit. There were no promises on penalties or a fixed timetable for negotiations.
The most obvious error, though, was that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not present at the negotiations to settle the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It would be equivalent to an all-male group of legislators debating a women’s health measure in the White House if the nation’s leader, whose future one may be considering, was not invited.
Critics referred to this as the most significant strategic error, which contributed to the lack of attention from those outside the White House.The fact that Fox News was one among the media outlets covering the talks’ failure was more intriguing. Given that Fox frequently covers Trump’s political ploys, Kurtz’s open comments were an unexpected departure from the show’s usual fare.
Kurtz highlighted that inadequate planning and a lack of specifics were among the factors that contributed to the negotiations’ collapse. Americans and friends were left unsure of what, if anything, had been accomplished since the administration refused to answer queries from the media.
Just General Claims: Howard Kurtz of Fox Says It’s Clearly Not Much Was Achieved in the Trump-Putin Summithttps://t.co/S6JhdAz3Ka
August 17, 2025, Tuck The Frumpers (@realTuckFrumper)
Kurtz was not alone in criticizing the White House’s handling of the matter’s gravity. He referred to the summit as a blow to Trump.
The White House felt that it was the one making all the compromises, and the Kremlin won because he even welcomed Putin to the US without him making any concessions.
Throughout the entire conference, just one potential development surfaced. According to Trump ambassador Steve Witkoff, Putin may be amenable to a framework. Ukraine might receive security guarantees akin to those provided by NATO under this system.
All of these guarantees, meanwhile, do not guarantee Ukraine membership in NATO, and nothing has been agreed on paper. However, they might serve as a starting point for talks.
According to Meghan Hays on FOX News, the Trump/Putin meeting in Alaska made the United States an ally of Russia. Howard Kurtz, the host, and his producers did not question it.
GUIguana August 17, 2025 (@albedobell)
Meghan Hays used to work as President Joe Biden’s aide. She had criticized the summit’s appearance and criticized Putin’s red carpet greeting as a legitimacy gift. This, she said, has minimized Russia’s role as an aggressor.The conflict in Ukraine is still ongoing as of right now. And instead of ambiguous promises, the world is left waiting for real development.
