Trump meeting Putin without Zelensky would be reprehensible

The “peace summit” between Presidents Trump and Putin with the notable absence of President Zelensky taking place in Alaska on Aug. 15 is morally reprehensible and a travesty. It is not normal.

You can’t make a decision about a country’s future without the presence of that country.

Despite directly causing hundreds of thousands of military and civilian deaths in Ukraine and Russia while invading Ukraine, Putin is being treated like a respected statesman. He is not. He is a war criminal and as such, will be arrested if he lands in 120 countries, including those in the EU who all belong to the International Criminal Court (ICC). (Surprisingly, the United States does not belong to the ICC.) And despite his criminal status, he is actually dictating the terms of this absurd meeting by not allowing President Zelensky of Ukraine to be present. What a charade!

Alaskans should be outraged. After all, we have welcomed hundreds of Ukrainians who had to flee their own country after Putin’s murderous invasion. We stand for Ukraine and Europe and freedom. We stand against authoritarianism in our own country and around the world. We believe in the American values of justice, fairness, and equality. And we don’t believe in rolling out the red carpet for criminals.

Bridget Smith

Juneau