White House says Trump-Putin meeting is a ‘listening exercise'
'Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end,' said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
'This is a listening exercise for the president.'
Trump will meet one-on-one with Putin during the talks, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, the White House said. He may, in the future, also visit Russia.
'Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia,' said Leavitt. Key issues remain ahead of the talks. Trump has said the two sides will need to cede land to end the bloody 3-1/2-year-old conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country's constitution prohibits such a deal and that no arrangements can be made without Ukraine's participation in talks.
The White House declined to comment on conversations taking place prior to the Putin meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. Trump said on Monday that Zelenskyy may be invited to a future meeting with Putin.
'The president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end,' said Leavitt.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Next time in Moscow': Putin spoke last words in English at Alaska summit while inviting Trump to Russia
During the much awaited Alaska summit on Friday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin was speaking through a translator at the joint press conference with US President Donald Trump after concluding a nearly three hours three-on-three meeting. At the conclusion of his speech, Putin said, 'And next time in Moscow,' to a surprise for everyone as it was a rare public usage of English by the Russian leader. In a high-stake summit in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday regarding the Ukraine war, there were several moments when President Putin and Trump exchanged words without interpreters, sparking a parallel debate whether Putin speaks English or not. As Trump welcomed Putin on the red carpet, rolled out by the federal administration for the Russian leader, they joked and later conversed in the back seat president's limousine, dubbed 'The Beast.' 🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President @realDonaldTrump following talks in #Anchorage, Alaska: 💬 President #Putin: Next time in Moscow 💬 @POTUS: I could see it possibly happening#RussiaUSA — MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) August 16, 2025 As Putin concluded his remarks at the joint press conference, he invited Trump to Moscow for another round of discussion and said 'Next time in Moscow.' Trump, and others present were visibly surprised at the Russian president's usage of English and the US president replied, 'Ooh, that's an interesting one.' Putin spoke in Russian for the majority of his speech, except for inviting Trump to Moscow when he switched to English. The summit concluded without a ceasefire deal but Putin also said 'thank you so much' at the end of it in Alaska. Putin, who is a former Russian intelligence officer with the Soviet Union's security service, the KGB, uses translators to avoid the usage of English during diplomatic conversations. However, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in 2021 had said Putin, who is fluent in German, speaks good English and 'sometimes even corrects the translators.' Though both the leaders did not take any questions from the press after the completion of their press conference and concluding the Alaska summit, Putin even dodged questions by journalists upon arriving in Alaska by signalling that either he can't hear them or couldn't understand them.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Beyond elite universities: How Trump's funding cuts threatened the survival of tribal colleges in the US
A sign of welcome at Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Nebraska. When conversations around higher education funding in the United States turn political, the spotlight usually falls on elite institutions such as Harvard or Columbia. But as The New York Times reported, this spring, the financial anxieties stirred by the Trump administration's budget proposals were felt most acutely far from Ivy-covered campuses. They landed hardest on the country's 37 tribal colleges and universities, institutions almost wholly reliant on federal support to survive. A fragile funding ecosystem The Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC), chartered by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and the Santee Sioux Nation, stands along a two-lane highway near the Iowa border. It is one of the tribal colleges that depend on the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which has historically underwritten these institutions under federal laws and treaties. When the Trump administration proposed cutting the BIE's budget for tribal colleges to 22 million US dollars from 183 million, leaders at schools like NICC were forced to contemplate scenarios where classrooms might simply fall silent. NICC president Michael Oltrogge told The New York Times that even with one of the strongest reserve funds in tribal higher education — valued at about 5 million US dollars — the college could only keep its doors open for a year if the cuts materialised. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Nearby, Little Priest Tribal College president Manoj Patil estimated his institution could stretch six months longer. 'There's billions and billions of dollars of money out there, and you're looking at the smallest speck, and you're taking that by 83%?' he said incredulously, noting that most tribal colleges 'don't have much of anything.' Congressional pushback, but lasting unease Two congressional committees rejected the proposed cuts last month, signalling that the reductions were unlikely to pass in any final federal budget. Yet the episode underscored what The New York Times described as 'the fragile finances of America's tribal colleges.' Even when budgets are preserved, administrators live with deep uncertainty, aware that annual funding remains at the mercy of shifting political priorities. Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, told the Times that the real damage often extends beyond accounting sheets: 'It's students not knowing: 'Do I even start school right now? What's the point?'' Anchors of education and culture The stakes are particularly high because tribal colleges serve roles that go far beyond conventional higher education. They often act as community anchors in rural areas where no other college-level teaching exists for dozens of miles. Programs range from chemistry and truck driving to Indigenous language preservation. Little Priest Tribal College, chartered by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is the only college in the US that teaches Ho-Chunk, the language of the Winnebago people. At NICC, some classes meet in an earth lodge, and this fall the institution will debut its second baccalaureate degree, focused on Indigenous environmental health. Enrollment has been rising. The Times reported that NICC had 273 Native students last fall, more than doubling from 109 in 2018. For many, the choice is not simply academic but personal. Student Rosalind Grant explained that after struggling with 'culture shock' at a state university, she found belonging at NICC. 'It helped me create my sense of my Native American identity,' she said. A contested responsibility The administration offered little explanation for its proposal, which also included cuts to K-12 and construction budgets within the Bureau of Indian Education. The Interior Department later issued a statement, quoted by The New York Times , promising commitment to 'academic excellence, student well-being and culturally relevant instruction.' But for many educators, the episode raised deeper questions about the government's recognition of treaty obligations. Wynema Morris, who teaches Native American studies at NICC, described the proposal as evidence of disregard for commitments made under duress. 'We gave up the real estate — at the point of a gun and treaties,' she said. 'But what did we ever get for it in return, except death, disease and destruction?' The road ahead For now, congressional intervention has kept tribal colleges afloat. Yet administrators remain cautious. 'Tribal colleges live paycheck to paycheck,' Patil told the Times , capturing the precarious balance between resilience and vulnerability that defines these institutions. As the policy debate continues in Washington, the larger reality is clear: While the national conversation gravitates toward elite universities, the survival of tribal colleges — small in scale, but profound in cultural and educational importance — depends on decisions made in federal budgets year after year. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Stopping the killing is key': Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges Russia to halt strikes; calls Moscow's refusal to accept ceasefire 'complicating situation'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that Russia's refusal to accept a ceasefire was complicating efforts to end Ukraine's war, which has lasted over three years, and added that stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation," Zelenskyy said in a post on X. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades. But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war," he added. Talking about his much-awaited meeting in DC with US President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said that they are preparing for Monday's meet and added that it is important that everyone agrees there needs to be a conversation at the level of leaders to clarify all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work. "We in Ukraine welcome the principled statement of the Nordic-Baltic partners and are grateful for their very significant assistance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The unity of all strengthens each one!" he said. What Russia wanted from Ukraine in return of 'peace agreement' This statement came after a report came that Ukraine refused to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand of gaining full control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for ending the three-year war. Putin also said that in return, he will halt the frontlines in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where his troops control significant territory, and refrain from launching further offensives to seize additional land. Another diplomatic source said the US proposed offering Ukraine a 'non-Nato Article 5' security guarantee, a pledge of collective defense-style support without granting Nato membership, which was reportedly discussed and tentatively agreed with Putin. Trump calls for peace agreement while Zelenskyy urges stronger sanctions and trilateral talks on Ukraine While President Trump has called for a comprehensive peace agreement instead of a mere ceasefire, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urged stronger sanctions on Russia if a trilateral meeting does not take place. "In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool. Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine's participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine," he said. As part of the 'coalition of the willing,' Britain, France, and Germany will hold a video call with Ukraine's allies on Sunday to coordinate peace efforts, just a day before Zelenskyy travels to Washington following the US-Russia summit. The three European powers also expressed support for a proposed trilateral summit between Zelenskyy, Putin, and Trump, after the Alaska meeting failed to deliver a ceasefire.
