Donald Trump is under fire in Washington after his red-carpet meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska — a sit-down lasting more than three hours that delivered no ceasefire, no sanctions, and no tangible outcomes.
Instead, Trump praised his “fantastic relationship” with the Russian president — even chauffeuring him around in a private car — while the war in Ukraine grinds on.
🔥 Lawmakers Erupt Over ‘Friendly Optics’
Capitol Hill erupted almost immediately:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) called for a ceasefire “well before Christmas,” but admitted Trump hadn’t moved the needle.
Bill O’Reilly blasted the summit for producing “no concrete gains” and urged Trump to “step up economic pressure.”
Sen. Jack Reed (D) slammed the optics, saying applause for Putin and a vague press conference amounted to “irresponsible diplomacy.”
Even Trump’s conservative allies warned that refusing new penalties on Russia sent the wrong signal.
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🕵️♂️ Meanwhile: Russia’s Crypto Escape Hatch
While Trump talked optics, Russia kept maneuvering around U.S. sanctions through crypto.
🔎 According to a new Chainalysis report:
A ruble-backed token, A7A5, has already processed $51.1B+ in transactions.
Activity dips on weekends — proof it’s driven mainly by businesses, not retail.
Garantex (a sanctioned platform) quietly reemerged as Grinex in 2024 to keep liquidity flowing.
The issuer Old Vector, backed by Promsvyazbank (a sanctioned Russian state bank), just got slapped with fresh U.S. Treasury sanctions.
👉 Analysts are calling it a deliberate Kremlin strategy to build a parallel financial system beyond Washington’s reach.
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🌍 The Big Picture
Trump insists the Alaska summit “went very well.” But critics argue Putin walked away with smiles — while Russia doubles down on building a sanctions-proof crypto economy.
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