"Helping Ukraine defeat Russia is doable" – DW

Zelensky Says US Summit In Alaska A 'Personal Victory' For Putin

Int'l Business Times

2 hours ago

Int'l Business Times

Zelensky Says US Summit In Alaska A 'Personal Victory' For Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had scored a "personal victory" by getting invited to talks with Donald Trump on US soil, and that the meeting further delayed sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky also ruled out withdrawing troops from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as part of a peace deal, after Trump suggested he and Putin might negotiate a land swap to end the war. The summit, set to take place in Alaska on Friday, will be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021 and comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's nearly three-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky, who is not scheduled to take part, has expressed concern that Russia will put forward hardline demands and that Trump will hammer out a deal that will see Ukraine cede swathes of territory. "We will not withdraw from the Donbas... if we withdraw from the Donbas today -- our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control -- we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive," Zelensky told reporters. The Donbas encompasses the eastern Ukrainian regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, both of which Russia claims as its own and has sought to control since its invasion began in 2022. Zelensky said Friday's summit would effectively postpone new US sanctions on Russia -- sanctions that Trump had promised to impose if Putin refused to halt his war. "First, he will meet on US territory, which I consider his personal victory. Second, he is coming out of isolation because he is meeting on US territory. Third, with this meeting, he has somehow postponed sanctions," Zelensky said. Zelensky also said he had received a "signal" from US envoy Steve Witkoff that Russia might agree to a ceasefire, without elaborating. "This was the first signal from them," Zelensky said. On the battlefield, Zelensky warned Russia had made sharp advances near the coal mining town of Dobropillia and was planning new ground assaults on at least three different areas of the front line. "Russian units have advanced 10 kilometres (six miles) deep in several spots. They all have no equipment, only weapons in their hands. Some have already been found, some destroyed, some taken prisoner. We will find the rest and destroy them in the near future," Zelensky said. A map published by Ukrainian battlefield monitor DeepState, which has close ties with Ukraine's military, showed Russia had made a double-pronged advance around 10 kilometres (six miles) deep in a narrow section of the front line near Dobropillia. Dobropillia, home to around 30,000 people before the war, has come under regular Russian drone attacks. The advance also threatens the largely destroyed town of Kostiantynivka, one of the last large urban areas in the Donetsk region still held by Ukraine. Russian forces have been accelerating their advances for months, pressing their advantage against overstretched Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian army said Tuesday it was engaged in "difficult" battles with Russian forces in the east, but denied Russia had a foothold near Dobropillia. "The situation is difficult and dynamic," it said in a statement. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, said Russia was sending small sabotage groups forwards. It said it was "premature" to call the Russian advances around Dobropillia "an operational-level breakthrough". A Ukrainian military group that oversees parts of the front in the Donetsk region also said Russia was probing Ukrainian lines with small sabotage groups, describing battles as "complex, unpleasant and dynamic". Trump has described his summit with Putin on Friday as a chance to check the Russian leader's ideas for ending the war. European leaders have meanwhile sought to ensure respect for Kyiv's interests. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, has made costly but incremental gains across the front in recent months and claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions while still fighting to control them. Ukrainian police meanwhile said that Russian attacks in the past hours had killed three people and wounded 12 others, including a child. Trump has suggested both Russia and Ukraine would have to cede territory for peace AFP Zelensky has warned against Trump and Putin making decisions without Ukraine's input AFP

Putin-Trump Ukraine summit: What's on the cards? – DW – 08/12/2025

DW

3 hours ago

DW

Putin-Trump Ukraine summit: What's on the cards? – DW – 08/12/2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will meet in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war. What do they expect to get out of the summit? Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump have agreed to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Ukraine. The meeting was announced shortly before Trump's ceasefire ultimatum was set to expire. Although experts doubt the summit will deliver any major breakthroughs, some factors could force Putin to agree to a ceasefire. The upcoming meeting is the first time both leaders are coming together since US President Trump's reelection. In mid-July, Trump said he was disappointed with Putin over Russia's bombing of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, but also said that he was "not done with him yet." The White House and Kremlin announced the meeting after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Putin in the Kremlin on August 6, though it is unclear what exactly will be discussed in Alaska. We do know that the talks will focus on Ukraine, but the country itself will not be represented at the meeting. Washington and Moscow are not planning for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the summit. All experts DW interviewed about the upcoming summit expect it will primarily benefit the Russian president. "Putin has always been keen to ensure that he and the US president — whoever holds that office — decide the fate of the world, and that corresponding images are broadcast around the world," Russia's former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov told DW. Russian exiled opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov told DW the Alaska meeting would provide a unique opportunity for Putin to shake hands with one of the leaders of the West. "The mere fact that Putin has the chance to meet Trump is already a huge plus" for the Russian president, Gudkov said. "Trump is basically legitimizing a war criminal and allowing Putin to participate in negotiations with the West." If it weren't for Trump, Gudkov said, no Western leader would be negotiating with Putin. It became clear in late July that Trump was annoyed by Putin's unwillingness to end the fighting in Ukraine. Trump declared that he was no longer interested in talks with Putin and gave him an ultimatum of 50 days to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war, which he later shortened to just ten days. Experts told DW they believe that the realization that Trump is losing patience may have prompted the Kremlin to agree to the upcoming talks. Kirill Rogov, a political analyst who heads the Russian-language online media outlet which publishes analyses by Russian scientists, says a number of factors may compel Putin to seek an end to the Ukraine war. Rogov points to the weakened Russian economy, the sluggish advance of Russian forces in Ukraine and secondary US sanctions that could harm Russia. "Putin also hopes to extract the highest possible price for his approval at this moment. By the end of the year, Putin could be in an even worse position if it turns out that the Russian offensive has had little effect and the battlefield situation remains unchanged," Rogov said. Further US sanctions could also cause Russia to lose India as a buyer of its crude oil, and force it to prepare for yet another offensive in Ukraine for the third year in a row. Last week US news outlet published a report citing anonymous sources indicating that the Kremlin had realized that Steve Witkoff's Russia visit represented the last opportunity to reach an agreement with Trump. said the Kremlin may now offer an airspace ceasefire by way of a concession. Gudkov, however, believes this approach, coordinated with the Trump administration, would primarily benefit Moscow rather than Kyiv. Gudkov said Ukraine has carried out "effective" counterattacks against Russia, which resulted in the temporary closure of Russian airports on numerous occasions. He said Ukraine had also struck weapons depots, military equipment and oil refineries in Russia. This, he added, was important from a psychological point of view, making Russians understand the war is raging close to home, not far away, solely playing out on their televisions. "If these [Ukrainian] air strikes stop, Putin will calmly continue his advance on land, where he has the advantage," Gudkov told DW. Yet Russian President Putin may not face any serious consequences, even if both leaders fail to make any significant progress during the upcoming Alaska talks, says political analyst Rogov. "Putin can count on Trump to be lenient with him because Trump's attitude toward Putin has always been special," Rogov told DW. "Trump always avoids situations where direct pressure is exerted on Putin. And every time pressure seems inevitable, Trump declares that a new opportunity to reach an agreement has risen and therefore no real pressure is needed." He cites talks between Putin and Trump against the backdrop of the expired ceasefire ultimatum as one such example. Gudkov believes that there are no real means left to put pressure on Russia. For example, despite sanctions, hundreds of tankers continue to transport Russian oil across the world's oceans. Gudkov thinks a quick ceasefire is more likely to result from domestic factors that could put pressure on the Kremlin rather than external factors. The longer the war lasts, Gudkov says, the harder it will be for Putin to sell it as a Russian victory. "At some point, Russians won't care whether Ukraine is in NATO or how this war ends — they will only care about it ending," Gudkov said.

Putin-Trump Ukraine summit: What's in the cards? – DW – 08/12/2025

DW

3 hours ago

DW

Putin-Trump Ukraine summit: What's in the cards? – DW – 08/12/2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will meet in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war. What do they expect to get out of the summit? Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump have agreed to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Ukraine. The meeting was announced shortly before Trump's ceasefire ultimatum was set to expire. Although experts doubt the summit will deliver any major breakthroughs, some factors could force Putin to agree to a ceasefire. The upcoming meeting is the first time both leaders are coming together since US President Trump's reelection. In mid-July, Trump said he was disappointed with Putin over Russia's bombing of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, but also said that he was "not done with him yet." The White House and Kremlin announced the meeting after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Putin in the Kremlin on August 6, though it is unclear what exactly will be discussed in Alaska. We do know that the talks will focus on Ukraine, but the country itself will not be represented at the meeting. Washington and Moscow are not planning for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the summit. All experts DW interviewed about the upcoming summit expect it will primarily benefit the Russian president. "Putin has always been keen to ensure that he and the US president — whoever holds that office — decide the fate of the world, and that corresponding images are broadcast around the world," Russia's former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov told DW. Russian exiled opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov told DW the Alaska meeting would provide a unique opportunity for Putin to shake hands with one of the leaders of the West. "The mere fact that Putin has the chance to meet Trump is already a huge plus" for the Russian president, Gudkov said. "Trump is basically legitimizing a war criminal and allowing Putin to participate in negotiations with the West." If it weren't for Trump, Gudkov said, no Western leader would be negotiating with Putin. It became clear in late July that Trump was annoyed by Putin's unwillingness to end the fighting in Ukraine. Trump declared that he was no longer interested in talks with Putin and gave him an ultimatum of 50 days to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war, which he later shortened to just ten days. Experts told DW they believe that the realization that Trump is losing patience may have prompted the Kremlin to agree to the upcoming talks. Kirill Rogov, a political analyst who heads the Russian-language online media outlet which publishes analyses by Russian scientists, says a number of factors may compel Putin to seek an end to the Ukraine war. Rogov points to the weakened Russian economy, the sluggish advance of Russian forces in Ukraine and secondary US sanctions that could harm Russia. "Putin also hopes to extract the highest possible price for his approval at this moment. By the end of the year, Putin could be in an even worse position if it turns out that the Russian offensive has had little effect and the battlefield situation remains unchanged," Rogov said. Further US sanctions could also cause Russia to lose India as a buyer of its crude oil, and force it to prepare for yet another offensive in Ukraine for the third year in a row. Last week US news outlet published a report citing anonymous sources indicating that the Kremlin had realized that Steve Witkoff's Russia visit represented the last opportunity to reach an agreement with Trump. said the Kremlin may now offer an airspace ceasefire by way of a concession. Gudkov, however, believes this approach, coordinated with the Trump administration, would primarily benefit Moscow rather than Kyiv. Gudkov said Ukraine has carried out "effective" counterattacks against Russia, which resulted in the temporary closure of Russian airports on numerous occasions. He said Ukraine had also struck weapons depots, military equipment and oil refineries in Russia. This, he added, was important from a psychological point of view, making Russians understand the war is raging close to home, not far away, solely playing out on their televisions. "If these [Ukrainian] air strikes stop, Putin will calmly continue his advance on land, where he has the advantage," Gudkov told DW. Yet Russian President Putin may not face any serious consequences, even if both leaders fail to make any significant progress during the upcoming Alaska talks, says political analyst Rogov. "Putin can count on Trump to be lenient with him because Trump's attitude toward Putin has always been special," Rogov told DW. "Trump always avoids situations where direct pressure is exerted on Putin. And every time pressure seems inevitable, Trump declares that a new opportunity to reach an agreement has risen and therefore no real pressure is needed." He cites talks between Putin and Trump against the backdrop of the expired ceasefire ultimatum as one such example. Gudkov believes that there are no real means left to put pressure on Russia. For example, despite sanctions, hundreds of tankers continue to transport Russian oil across the world's oceans. Gudkov thinks a quick ceasefire is more likely to result from domestic factors that could put pressure on the Kremlin rather than external factors. The longer the war lasts, Gudkov says, the harder it will be for Putin to sell it as a Russian victory. "At some point, Russians won't care whether Ukraine is in NATO or how this war ends — they will only care about it ending," Gudkov said.

"Helping Ukraine defeat Russia is doable" – DW – 07/11/2025

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Zelensky Says US Summit In Alaska A 'Personal Victory' For Putin

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"Helping Ukraine defeat Russia is doable" – DW – 07/11/2025

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Zelensky Says US Summit In Alaska A 'Personal Victory' For Putin

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