On the Feast of the Assumption, in the land where Orthodoxy first arrived in America, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet as Ukraine’s front collapses, BRICS overtakes the G7, and NATO admits Russia’s defense dominance — confronting a West still trapped in delusional visions of global control.
By Nick Stamatakis
Tomorrow, August 15 — the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary — a pivotal meeting unfolds in Alaska, the site where Orthodoxy first arrived in America and a powerful symbol of the spiritual and historical connection between Russia and the United States. Let us not forget: Russia supported America during and after the Revolution, played a key role in its first hundred years, and — until the neocons hijacked U.S. policy — often shared aligned geopolitical interests. Why do we forget that Russia and America fought side by side and won two World Wars? Against this backdrop, Vladimir Putin, the most powerful Orthodox leader in the world, meets Donald Trump in what may prove to be one of the most symbolic encounters of our time.
PHOTO: St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Anchorage, Alaska
The summit is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Alaska time, which corresponds to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, a U.S. Air Force base in Anchorage, underlying the security concerns by both sides, and especially the Russian side.
Putin Holds Most of the Cards
Ukraine’s Front Collapsing: The Ukrainian front is disintegrating rapidly — Pokrovsk and other sectors are falling. In attrition warfare, collapse rarely comes gradually; when the break arrives, it is sudden and devastating.
BRICS United Against Sanctions: In recent days, Russia, China, India, and Brazil have formed a united diplomatic front, making it clear that any sanctions Trump might propose would fail. China’s tightening of rare-earth exports could grind U.S. defense and tech industries to a halt.
The Arctic Question: Talks of a multi-trillion-dollar Arctic energy deal swirl. Yet the history here is telling: in 2013, Putin awarded then–ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson Russia’s highest honor after a $2 billion Arctic oil project was launched — only for Washington’s deep state to force its dismantling before production began. As in France’s exploitation of Niger’s uranium at 5% value, the West’s true aim has not been fair trade but resource seizure.
The War in Ukraine Is Lost: Russia holds at least 500,000 fully trained, armed troops in reserve. Simultaneously, Oreshnik missile drills highlight new systems more powerful than some nuclear arsenals. Russia’s economy is growing, inflation is stabilizing, and it remains anchored in a powerful coalition: BRICS, with a GDP 40% larger than the G7’s and over half the world’s population.
PHOTO: Failed actor and now puppet/dictator Zelensky will NOT attend. Trump made this clear, although he left a window for a quick second meeting where he might attend once he agrees on the basic framework.
Additional Strategic Dimensions
No “New Yalta” Yet — It is too early to speak of formal “spheres of influence” or a new Yalta. Alaska may be a starting point, but nothing is settled.
Timing and Congressional Recess — Trump chose August, when Congress is out, to sidestep a hostile legislature that would obstruct the meeting.
Old-School Diplomacy Resurfacing — Statements by Senator Marco Rubio and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggest detailed U.S.–Russia preparatory talks have already taken place, hinting at a return to methodical, realpolitik diplomacy.
The First in a Series — This is almost certainly the first of several summits. Zelensky is unlikely to be included unless he accepts the “Istanbul Plus” framework, recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions.
Putin Understands the Internal Struggle Trump Faces – This is a Last-Ditch Effort For Peace
Putin understands the deep internal struggle unfolding within the United States and across the West. He is well aware that Donald Trump, despite his populist appeal, remains constrained by the neocons and pro-Israel lobby that dominates Washington’s foreign policy establishment. By meeting face-to-face in Alaska, Putin seeks a direct personal channel to Trump — a way to bypass the filters, distortions, and pressures of the warmongers who profit from endless conflict. This is, in many ways, a last-ditch diplomatic effort to steer the world away from catastrophe. Yet Putin and the entire Global South are under no illusions: if this attempt to break the cycle of confrontation fails, they are fully prepared for a global war — one they believe will end the centuries-long dominance of the West.
A Choice Between Peace and Catastrophe
The financial oligarchs of Wall Street and the City of London must face the reality: their era of unilateral dominance is over. Yet they cling to the delusion that they can still dictate global affairs as if it were 1945 — or worse, 1990.
Even NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte has admitted: Russia produces as much ammunition in three months as NATO produces in an entire year.
On the economic stage: BRICS nations now command over 45% of global nominal GDP, more than 50% by PPP, and represent over half of humanity — without even counting aligned states.
And yet, Western political and financial elites continue to behave as if these realities do not exist. This is more than hubris — it is a dangerous disconnection from the world as it is, one that leaves no room for compromise and raises the risk of global war.
Ironically, there is reason to believe Trump and Putin understand these truths — and, beneath the public theater, may be positioning themselves to prevent that war, or even to fight and win it together on terms that reshape the global order.
On this Feast of the Virgin Mary, we pray for a meeting that brings not just a pause in conflict but a re-anchoring of the world in reality, before delusion drives us into catastrophe. Tomorrow, in Alaska, the world will be watching — and history will remember.
August 14, 2025, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
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CITATIONS
AP News – “NATO chief calls for ‘quantum leap’ in defense and says Russia could attack in 5 years.” https://apnews.com/article/ac7d5e3c2fc15747359c52d22a4d99da
RFE/RL – “Russia Outproducing NATO In Ammunition, Missiles.” https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-nato-weapons-production-us-germany/33482927.html
Kyiv Independent – “Russia makes a year’s worth of NATO ammunition in 3 months, Rutte says.” https://kyivindependent.com/russia-makes-a-years-worth-of-nato-ammunition-in-3-months-rutte-says
BRICS Official – “BRICS GDP outperforms global average.” https://brics.br/en/news/brics-gdp-outperforms-global-average-accounts-for-40-of-world-economy
Wikipedia – “17th BRICS summit.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_BRICS_summit
Any effort to bring sanity and peace in this world should be welcomed and supported. Let’s have peace in our world to enjoy our short life on earth and avoid a nuclear holocaust.