'Spirit of Anchorage' is dead - Ukraine's FM says Russia needs to learn one key lesson
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Getty Images)
The Kremlin should stop living in illusions and move toward real negotiations. Ukraine has explained why peace plans made without Kyiv are doomed to fail, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
The head of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry noted that Russians often refer to the so-called "spirit of Anchorage," although no one can clearly explain what it actually means.
According to him, Russia believes in this symbolic image and tries to convince others of its significance.
"The reality makes one thing clear: if the "spirit of Anchorage" even existed, it is certainly dead now," Sybiha wrote.
The minister emphasized that the key conclusion for the Kremlin is that any peace plans prepared without Ukraine's participation are doomed to fail.
"Moscow should stop believing in spirits and instead respond to Ukraine’s serious proposals to sit down at the negotiating table and end the war," he stressed.
Sybiha also stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not achieve his goals on the battlefield.
"The longer Putin refuses to accept the reality that he will never achieve any goals on the battlefield, the worse things will get for Russia," he concluded.
What is the "spirit of Anchorage"
Recall that the term "spirit of Anchorage" appeared after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Anchorage in August 2025.
In the Kremlin, the term began to be used to describe an alleged mutual understanding with the United States regarding a possible end to the war in Ukraine and the future security architecture.
Later, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that during the talks Trump and Putin allegedly discussed a large-scale division of Ukrainian territories. According to him, the implementation of such a scenario was prevented by decisive intervention from European allies.
At the same time, Washington has repeatedly denied the existence of any agreements following the Anchorage meeting. In particular, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the parties only discussed various proposals, but no agreements on Ukraine were concluded.
Despite this, Russian authorities continued to refer to the "spirit of Anchorage" for some time. However, recently the Kremlin stated that it no longer expects the implementation of any agreements linked to the Anchorage talks and will instead focus on achieving its own goals.
Even Trump himself, during a recent G7 summit, told European leaders that he may abandon the so-called "Anchorage agreements." According to Axios, this referred to a scenario that envisaged Russian control over Donbas as part of a potential peace deal.
