The absence of European leaders at the Putin-Trump meeting has sparked deep concerns among EU citizens about their interests being overlooked and Europe's diminishing influence in global geopolitics, according to analysts and media reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday wrapped up a high-stakes meeting in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, with progress made but no deal reached.
Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, leaders from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other countries, as well as the heads of NATO and the European Union, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, held a video conference with Trump.
They reiterated to Trump that the fundamental security interests of Europe and Ukraine must be upheld, and that any agreement should begin with a ceasefire. However, no European leaders were invited to the Trump-Putin meeting.
Peter Wijninga, a defense expert at the Dutch Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, warned that the Alaska summit, excluding both Ukraine and the EU, exposes deep divisions between Europe and the United States over the Ukraine crisis in an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NPO Radio.
Other experts argued that Europe's absence is not accidental, but rather the inevitable result of its long-term reliance on NATO and the United States for security. While this reliance reduces defense costs, it also weakens Europe's independent geopolitical capabilities, leaving Europe with less leverage at the negotiating table.
Analysts said that the Putin-Trump meeting has exposed the deep-seated contradictions in Europe's strategic autonomy.
The French daily newspaper Le Monde warned that "Europe is under the double grip of America", contending that European countries are under both military and ideological control of the U.S.
In the readers' comments compiled by the German weekly magazine Focus on Friday, many wrote that the EU has no say in the global power game and criticized the lack of hard power and unified diplomacy in the past decade, which they argued has made Europe only a spectator in the struggle between major powers.
Concerns mount in EU over leaders' absence at Putin-Trump talks
Concerns mount in EU over leaders' absence at Putin-Trump talks
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
