Trump and Putin to discuss Ukraine peace deal in Alaska
Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions forced to flee their homes.
Mr Putin held consultations with the leaders of China and India ahead of the summit with Mr Trump, who has spent his first months in office trying to broker peace in Ukraine without making a breakthrough.
"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska," Mr Trump said on his Truth Social site.
He said earlier at the White House that "there'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" Ukraine and Russia, without providing further details.
Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have failed to bear fruit, and it remains unclear whether a summit would bring peace any closer.
Russian bombardments have forced millions of people to flee their homes and have destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Mr Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe and Ukraine for a ceasefire.
The Russian leader has also ruled out holding talks with Volodymyr Zelensky at this stage, a meeting the Ukrainian president says is necessary to make headway on a deal.
At talks in Istanbul last month, Russian negotiators outlined hardline territorial demands for halting its advance - calling for Ukraine to withdraw from some territory it controls and to renounce Western military support.
The Alaska summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Mr Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin last sat together in 2019 at a G20 summit meeting in Japan during Trump's first term. They have spoken by telephone several times since January.
Witkoff visit
The Kremlin said that Mr Putin had updated Chinese President Xi Jinping on "the main results of his conversation" with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Moscow earlier this week.
The Chinese leader expressed support for a "long-term" solution to the conflict, the Kremlin said.
China's Xinhua state news agency quoted Mr Xi as having told Mr Putin: "China is glad to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis."
Russia and China have deepened political, economic and military ties since the start of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
Mr Putin also spoke by phone to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after both countries condemned new US tariffs over New Delhi's oil purchases from Russia.
The Chinese and Indian leaders have both tried to tout their own peace initiatives for Ukraine, though they have gained little traction.
Mr Putin, a former KGB agent who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, said in June that he was ready to meet Mr Zelensky, but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the conflict.
In his regular evening address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky said "it is only fair that Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations."
Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin said that families with children would be evacuated from 19 more villages in the region's east, where Russian forces have been advancing.
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RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Europe pushes for Ukraine role in Trump-Putin talks
A US official said Ukraine could be a part of negotiations between the United States and Russia, as European leaders pushed for Ukraine's inclusion ahead of talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The two leaders will meet in the US state of Alaska on 15 August to try to resolve the three-year war, but the European Union has insisted that Ukraine and European powers should be part of any deal to end the conflict. EU foreign ministers will discuss the talks in a meeting by video link today, joined by their Ukrainian counterpart. It comes as Tánaiste Simon Harris is to warn that this week represents a "pivotal moment" for the war in Ukraine. Mr Harris will also attend the virtual Foreign Affairs Council meeting today, scheduled to discuss the conflict. He is expected to say that Ukraine must be involved in any talks that take place and that a ceasefire is more imperative now than ever. He will say that Ireland will continue to show "unwavering support" to Ukrainian people who have suffered "unimaginable violence and hardship". US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could attend this week's US-Russia summit in Alaska. The idea of a US-Russia meeting without Mr Zelensky has raised concerns that a deal would require Ukraine to cede swaths of territory, which the EU has rejected. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and Finland and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement, urging Mr Trump to put more pressure on Russia. In a flurry of diplomacy, Mr Zelensky held calls with 13 counterparts over three days including Ukraine's main backers Germany, Britain and France. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped and assumed that Mr Zelensky would attend the leaders' summit. Leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden - also said no decisions should be taken without Ukraine's involvement. Talks on ending the war could only take place during a ceasefire, they added in a joint statement. Asked on CNN if Mr Zelensky could be present, Mr Whitaker responded that "yes, I certainly think it's possible." "Certainly, there can't be a deal that everybody that's involved in it doesn't agree to. And, I mean, obviously, it's a high priority to get this war to end," he added. Mr Whitaker said the decision would ultimately be Mr Trump's to make, and there was no word yesterday from the White House. 'Testing Putin' Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said any deal between the United States and Russia to end the war in Ukraine had to include Ukraine and the bloc. "President Trump is right that Russia has to end its war against Ukraine," Ms Kallas said in a statement yesterday. "The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security," she added. "I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the EU foreign ministers today to discuss our next steps," she said. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga will also take part in this afternoon's meeting, the ministry said. NATO chief Mark Rutte told ABC's "This Week" broadcast that Mr Trump was "putting pressure on Putin". "Next Friday will be important because it will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end," he added. Ukraine's military said it had taken back a village in the Sumy region from the Russian army, which has made significant recent gains. The village is on the frontline in the north of the country and about 20km west of the main fighting between the two armies in the northern region. A 'just peace' As a prerequisite to any peace settlement, Russia has demanded Ukraine pull its forces out of the regions and commit to being a neutral state, shun US and EU military support and be excluded from joining NATO. Ukraine said it would never recognise Russian control over its sovereign territory, though it acknowledged that getting land captured by Russia back would have to come through diplomacy, not on the battlefield. The EU's Ms Kallas backed Ukraine's position. "As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," the EU foreign policy chief said. NATO's Mr Rutte said it was a reality that "Russia is controlling some of Ukrainian territory" and suggested a future deal could acknowledge this. "When it comes to acknowledging, for example, maybe in a future deal, that Russia is controlling, de facto, factually, some of the territory of Ukraine. It has to be effectual recognition and not a political de jure recognition," Mr Rutte told ABC. Mr Zelensky thanked those countries backing Ukraine's position in his evening address. "The war must be ended as soon as possible with a fair peace," he said. "A fair peace is needed." "Clear support for the fact that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation. Just as it should be with every other independent state," he added.
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Tánaiste to warn this week is ‘pivotal moment' for Gaza and Ukraine as EU ministers meet before Trump-Putin summit
The meeting will focus on Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East in light of the recent Israeli security cabinet decision. On Russia, Ministers will discuss the latest developments with regard to Russia's ongoing illegal aggression against Ukraine, ahead of an expected meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin on Friday. Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Tánaiste said: 'We welcome all genuine efforts to arrive at a just and lasting peace, one that upholds the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and does not reward aggression. 'Ireland has always been clear that there can be no decisions about Ukraine, without Ukraine. 'This is also a matter of European security. I look forward to discussing with my EU counterparts how best we can continue to support Ukraine and ensure that it enters negotiations from a position of strength. 'We will also continue to engage with our US counterparts, at every level, and urge them to work for a negotiated and fair peace – one that ensures the future prosperity of Ukraine', Mr Harris said. Ministers will also discuss the situation in the Middle East and Mr Harris said the meeting comes at a critical moment for Gaza, 'where the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic'. "Since the last Council when the HRVP updated ministers on the steps she agreed with Israel to improve the humanitarian situation, we have not seen indications of any significant improvements. On the contrary, there is evidence that the worst-case famine scenario is unfolding in Gaza. In addition, Israel has recently announced plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza, which I have strongly condemned alongside other EU ministers. "I will be urging concrete EU action demanding that Israel immediately lift its blockade and allow the full, unimpeded resumption of humanitarian aid. I will also again press for appropriate follow-up action at EU level in response to Israel's breaches of its human rights obligations, which is all the more urgent as Israel repeatedly demonstrates that it is not listening to the concerns of its EU partners.'
The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
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