In a few short hours in Alaska, Vladimir Putin managed to convince Donald Trump that a Ukraine ceasefire was not the way to go, stave off US sanctions, and spectacularly shatter years of Western attempts to isolate the Russian president.

Russian pensioner Lyudmila said she was glued to the coverage of Vladimir Putin’s trip to Alaska on Friday for talks with Donald Trump on Ukraine.

In Anchorage, a summit between Trump and Putin, intended to address the Ukraine conflict, instead bolstered Putin’s standing on the global stage. Despite no concessions from Russia, the meeting provided Putin with legitimacy and visibility.