Trump-Putin latest: Don hails ‘productive' talks with Vlad… but reveals ‘there is no deal yet' with ‘calls to be made'
Trump and Putin spoke side by side on stage in Alaska for around 10 minutes, signalling progress in their private talks but ending without a firm agreement.
Here are the key takeaways:
Putin says he is 'sincerely interested' in ending the conflict, which he called a 'tragedy.'
He insists Russia must eliminate the 'primary causes' of the war and warns Ukraine and Europe not to 'sabotage' talks.
He describes the meeting as a 'starting point for resolution' and calls his relationship with Trump 'business-like.'
Putin agrees with Trump's claim that the war would not have started if he had been in office after 2020.
Trump says there is still disagreement, adding: 'There is no deal until there is a deal' and 'we didn't get there' despite progress.
He says 'many points were agreed to' but 'a few' remain — with 'one' being the most significant, without specifying.
Trump says he will soon call Zelensky and European leaders, stressing it is 'ultimately up to them.'
He ends by saying he will 'probably' see Putin again soon, to which the Russian president replies: 'Next time in Moscow.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ukraine says it presses Russian troops back on part of Sumy front
KYIV, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that it had pushed Russian forces back by about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) on part of the Sumy front in northern Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Russia, which controls a little over 200 square kilometres in the region, according to Ukraine's battlefield mapping project DeepState. "Ukrainian soldiers continue active combat actions to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements," the Ukrainian general staff wrote on Facebook. It added that fighting was raging near the villages of Oleksiivka and Yunakivka, which lie 5 km and 7 km from the Russian border respectively. The ebb and flow of the battlefield lines have taken on greater political significance in recent days as Ukraine finds itself at another critical diplomatic juncture with U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up his efforts to broker an end to the war. The U.S. leader said he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had "determined" there should be no ceasefire and he would now focus on a quick deal to end the war that has raged since 2022. Russian troops earlier this week advanced up to 10 km near Dobropillia in Ukraine's east, raising fears of a wider breakthrough that would further threaten key cities. The Ukrainian military later said it had managed to halt the assault and push Russians back. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the Russian thrust as a failed attempt by Moscow to display battlefield strength ahead of Friday's summit between Putin and Trump in Alaska. He predicted more such efforts in a statement on Saturday. "...we anticipate that in the coming days the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions to create more favourable political circumstances for talks," he said.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Cash-strapped fire chiefs spend £500k on diversity roles as stations crumble
Scotland's fire service has splurged almost £500,000 on 'woke' diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) staff and projects in just three years. An audit of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's (SFRS) spending shows that its salary bill for 'diversity, equality, equity and inclusion' jobs has hit £458,121 since 2023. It has also spent taxpayer cash on initiatives such as branded lanyards and continues to pay a membership to Stonewall, despite other organisations ending their affiliation with the controversial LGBT charity. The revelations follow SFRS proposals to close up to 13 fire stations due to 'funding cuts', with the service having seen its budget fall by £57 million in real terms over 10 years. It also comes amid concerns for public and staff safety as almost half of Scotland's fire stations are in 'poor' or 'bad' condition. Almost three quarters of fire engines in Scotland are more than a decade old, while 18 fire stations do not have running water. Sharon Dowey, community safety spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: 'The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can ill-afford to be shelling out on woke DEI jobs and virtue-signalling exercises. The last thing they should be doing is throwing good money after bad on out of touch ideologies. 'SNP ministers must urgently work alongside the SFRS to ensure that crucial resources are being used appropriately rather than being squandered in this vein.' A freedom of information request by the Tories found that £484,888.07 had been spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion since 2023. That includes the salary bill, as well as £200 on branded lanyards to promote equality. Other initiatives include spending £6,000 on hosting an event to celebrate Scottish Women in the Fire Service in 2024. It also handed £8,937 to Stonewall as part of its Diversity Champion Membership, which offers guidance for employers on pronouns and gender-neutral spaces. The DEI spending also comes as the SFRS faces a number of operational difficulties. Figures last year showed the fragile state of the service, with 45 per cent of fire stations in poor or bad condition and 73 per cent of fire engines more than ten years old. The MoS told in June how 18 fire stations do not have running water, with some having to depend on wet wipes to wash down equipment. Assistant Chief Officer Jon Henderson, director of prevention at the SFRS, said: 'Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our working culture. 'This includes our employment practices, the services we provide and the values we work towards, which makes us a better organisation.' He added: 'It is well documented that SFRS has an insurmountable capital backlog of more than £800 million and that many of our ageing buildings require action. 'These areas are funded through different budget types and, as such, cannot be directly compared to our DEI-related spend.
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Trump shifts ceasefire position ahead of Zelensky talks
Donald Trump has said he wants to bypass a ceasefire in Ukraine to move directly to a permanent peace agreement after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir a major shift of position, the US president said on Truth Social following Friday's summit that this would be "the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine", adding ceasefires often "do not hold up".Trump will welcome Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, to Washington on Monday and urged him to agree to a peace a phone call with Trump after the summit, Zelensky called for a real, lasting peace, while adding that "the fire must cease" and killings stop. Trump's comments indicate a dramatic shift in his position on how to end the war, having said only on Friday ahead of the summit that he wanted a ceasefire "rapidly".Ukraine's main demand has been a quick ceasefire before talks about a longer-term settlement, and Trump reportedly told European leaders beforehand that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday that Putin had presented an offer that involved Ukraine handing over complete control of its eastern Donetsk region, which is 70% occupied by Russia. In return, Russia would reportedly agree to front lines being frozen and other unspecified concessions were apparently US president, who has previously said any peace deal would involve "some swapping of territories", is said to have relayed the offer to Zelensky in a phone call following the summit. Just days ago, Ukraine's president ruled out ceding control of the Donbas, saying it could be used as a springboard for future Russian attacks. The BBC's US partner CBS has reported, citing diplomatic sources, that European diplomats were concerned Trump may try to pressure Zelensky on Monday into agreeing to deal terms he and Putin may have discussed at the summit. CBS quotes sources as saying that Trump told European leaders in a call after the summit that Putin would make "some concessions", but failed to specify what they were. In an interview with Fox News following Friday's summit, Trump was asked what advice he has for the Ukrainian leader, to which he responded by saying "make a deal"."Russia's a very big power and they're not," he had previously threatened "very severe consequences" if Putin did not agree to end the war, last month setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary was announced by way of an agreement by either president following Friday's summit, but Trump insisted progress had been Saturday, Putin described the summit as "very useful" and said he had been able "set out our position" to Trump. "We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement," the Russian president the "coalition of the willing" - a group of countries that have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine that includes the UK, France, and Germany - will hold a call on Sunday afternoon before Zelensky's visit to the White House on Monday. A group of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said "the next step must now be further talks including President Zelensky".The leaders said they were "ready to work" towards a trilateral summit with European support."We stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia," they said, adding: "It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force."UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Trump's efforts to end the war, saying they had "brought us closer than ever before"."While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him," he in Kyiv, Ukrainians have described feeling "crushed" by the scenes from Alaska."I understand that for negotiations you shake hands, you can't just slap Putin in the face when he arrives. But this spectacle with the red carpet and the kneeling soldiers, it's terrible, it makes no sense," Serhii Orlyk, a 50-year-old veteran from the eastern Donetsk region said.
