Raging Russia accuses Britain of trying to SABOTAGE Trump & Putin talks after Starmer warns Don ‘don't trust' Vlad
The world's eyes will be on Alaska on Friday as both leaders prepare to meet for the historic summit that could mark the beginning of the end of the Russian invasion.
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But the Kremlin has hit out at Britain, accusing it of trying to disrupt the peace talks after Sir Keir Starmer warned the Russian leader cannot be "trusted".
The Russian embassy in London slammed No10 and said: "We note the ongoing attempts by London and some of its partners to disrupt a peace resolution of the conflict by eliminating its root causes.
"This is clearly demonstrated by the statements and activity developed by the British leadership in the run-up to the Russian-American summit in Alaska."
Sir Keir Starmer backed Trump's plans but urged to be more caution.
The PM's official spokesman said: "Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine.
"Any ceasefire cannot just be an opportunity for President Putin to go away, re-arm, restrengthen, and then go again."
Trump said on August 8 that he hopes to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.
Washington and Moscow are said to be eyeing a deal to put an end to the bloody conflict in Ukraine - but it may not be all good news for Kyiv.
Trump told reporters in The White House that Zelensky is "going to have to get ready to sign something" in order to bring peace to his nation.
Top diplomats from the US and Russia and currently working on an agreement to finalise post-war territories, senior officials told Bloomberg.
Could wanted war criminal Putin be ARRESTED when he meets Trump? How Vlad will use loophole to escape cuffs in Alaska
Sources said Trump's team is trying to get Ukraine and its European allies on board to get a peace deal that would see Kyiv make some concessions.
One major sticking point for Moscow is the annexation of Ukrainian territory - one of Putin's long-term demands.
Zelensky has been adamant that Ukraine will not accept any further annexation of its land.
Although he suggested Russia could be allowed to retain some of the land it has taken.
Moscow is likely to demand that Ukraine cede its entire eastern Donbas area to Russia, as well as Crimea - which Moscow annexed in 2014.
This means Ukrainian troops will need to withdraw from the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk - the regions still being held by Kyiv.
In return, Moscow would stop its offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine along the current battlelines, according to the officials.
Kyiv risks being presented with a take-it-or-leave-it offer during the high-stakes meeting.
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Zelensky has told European leaders they must reject any settlement proposals by the US that demand Ukraine give up further land.
Trump announced on Friday that the only way to resolve the issues is for both sides to accept losses of land.
He said: "It's complicated, actually. Nothing is easy. It's very complicated.
"We're going to get some switched. There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both."
The MAGA prez said he would try to return territory to Ukraine.
Don added: "Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory.
"We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine."
Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were "unchanged".
Slave to one's habits
Zelensky has warned that Putin has no intention of seeking peace.
He claimed Putin would try to fool Trump and continue waging his bloody war against Ukraine.
The embattled president said: "[Putin] is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war.
"He is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before.
'The Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war.
Zelensky said that Putin was redeploying troops and forces "in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations.
'If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.'
Igor Novikov, Zelensky's ex-adviser, spoke to The Sun about the Putin and Trump meeting on US soil.
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He said: "Trump understands that he needs to put enough sanction pressure and military pressure on Russia for them to consider ending this war.
"But at the same time, Putin tries to manipulate and charm him, massage his ego into a position where Russia wins time and the US moves further away from helping Ukraine.
"Whatever they decide upon. It won't be taken for granted by the Ukrainian people."
Zelensky was initially thought to be a possible third member around the table at Friday's superpower summit.
The first announcements from the White House suggested Putin would meet Trump, followed by a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.
But that was swiftly shut down by the Kremlin, and an aide denied it had ever been agreed to on the Russian side.
Could Putin be arrested in Alaska?
By Patrick Harrington, Foreign news reporter
VLADIMIR Putin will jet to Alaska for a historic summit with President Trump on Friday to seek an end to the war- but he does so as a wanted international criminal.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) slapped him with an arrest warrant in 2023 over allegations of war crimes - so the "billion-dollar question" is: can Putin be cuffed in Alaska?
Putin would in theory be nabbed if he were to visit any of 125 countries around the world - including the UK, France, Germany and Canada.
But the US the is among the minority of countries which does not recognise the rule of the ICC.
It sit among the ranks of Russia, China, Pakistan and a handful of others in disregarding the framework.
This means that, unlike most nations, the US "is not bound to arrest Putin".
So the Kremlin can be confident that their leader will be leaving the Arctic state in his own plane - and trotting the globe without any threat of repercussions.
The US president also dismissed claims that next week's historic summit hinges on a three-way meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Asked if Putin needed to meet Zelensky in order to meet him, Trump clarified: "No, he doesn't."
Despite that, the White House is preparing for a possible trilateral summit.
Over the weekend, a source briefed on the internal talks told The Sun: "It's being discussed."
A meeting with Putin and Trump will come after weeks of constant barbs being fired at the Russian tyrant by America's leader.
Trump has expressed frustration with Putin, questioning whether the Russian leader really wants peace with Ukraine.
Putin has snubbed peace for months and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids - which could soon hit 1,000 drones and missiles a day.
Just days ago, 31 people died including five children after the Russians fired an Iskander missile into a residential tower block in Kyiv.
Why is meeting being held in Alaska?
Russia expert Colonel Hamish de-Bretton Gordon said there are a few other reasons Putin is likely chuffed with Alaska as the meeting point.
He said: "President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security, and his desire not to wander out of friendly airspace.
"There's not much of that to Alaska - would only be in international airspace for a few miles."
It also means Russian power is making a return to the territory once owned by the Tsardom of Russia.
Putin's distant predecessor Tsar Alexander II sold it to America in 1867 for $7.2 million — or two cents per acre.
And the Great State of Alaska is also a very long way away from Europe, and all the pesky diplomats who have got under Putin's skin.
The choice of location for meetings between rival superpowers carries enormous significance.
Many times, the charged encounters have been backdropped by Washington or Moscow - as well as Geneva, Vienna and even a Soviet cruise ship.
But Alaskan officials are delighted that their icy land will for the first time host a superpower summit.
Its geographical location automatically makes it a logical option, placed as it is directly between the US and the expanse of eastern Russia.
You can even see Russian territory while standing on Alaskan soil - if you stand on the island of Little Diomede and look out to Big Diomede.
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BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
'The world is behaving irrationally' - Putin's warm welcome in Alaska gets cold reaction in Ukraine
Ukrainians went to bed on Friday night with the frightening possibility that Donald Trump could be seduced by Vladimir Putin into offering significant concessions on the woke up on Saturday morning to find that the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska instead had fizzled out without any strategic or political agreements. It was a rare example of a failed summit coming as a the absence of any real developments, attention in Ukraine turned to the presentational aspects of the summit – the "optics", in political the man responsible for the devastating war of aggression against Ukraine, had received the warmest welcome possible in Alaska. American soldiers knelt to literally roll out the red carpet for him. Trump applauded him as he approached and offered a friendly handshake. The two leaders rode together alone in Trump's presidential limousine and Putin could be seen laughing as the car pulled away. Live updatesFive takeaways from the Trump-Putin summitTrump touts peace deal after leaving Alaska For the Russian president, who has been shunned internationally since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the greeting marked the beginning of a remarkable return to the global diplomatic stage and set a tone that would continue throughout the Ukraine, it was not a welcome sight."Red carpets and this level of ceremony are normal at international events, but in this case – for an aggressor responsible for the deaths of millions – it should not have happened," said Maria Drachova, 40, a lawyer in the capital who woke up and watched the footage over breakfast, said it appeared as though "the entire event was staged to please Putin"."The rational world is behaving irrationally by giving him this welcome," she said. Putin's plane had been escorted into the airbase in Alaska by four American fighter jets and as he strolled down the red carpet, talking jovially with Trump, an American B-2 bomber flew overhead flanked by four more who had stayed up late to watch the spectacle were seeing the "legitimisation of a war criminal at the highest level", said Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Ukrainian writer and political analyst."There was no need for this pomp at all," Kovalenko said. "This is a meeting that should have been conducted in a much more restrained way – minimalistic, without this level of respect."After the greetings, Trump and Putin sat down in front of a gaggle of reporters at Elmendorf Air Force Base, under a banner that read "Pursuing Peace". A question was shouted at Putin: "Will you you stop killing civilians?"The Russian leader appeared to smirk, and gestured to his ear to suggest he couldn't with the smiles, laughter, and general good will on show, the gesture struck a very sour note in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded in Russia's war of aggression."When I saw what happened I felt crushed," said Serhii Orlyk, 50, from the eastern province of Donetsk, which has been largely seized by Russian forces and seen some of the most intense fighting of the war."I lost my home twice, in Sloviansk and in Donetsk. I lost relatives," Orlyk said. "I understand that to agree on something, there must be protocol, you cannot just slap Putin in the face when he arrives. But it was a very unpleasant spectacle – especially his smirks." The deference to Putin continued after the negotiations. In a joint statement to the press, Trump gave way to the Russian leader to speak first. He spoke for about eight minutes, carefully avoiding any mention of how the war began – with a striking and unprovoked act by appeared energetic, satisfied by how the summit had gone. Trump, by contrast, appeared uncharacteristically deflated, and spoke for barely two minutes. He could not boast of anything approaching a deal – the currency by which he tends to he had handed the initiative to Putin, said Kier Giles, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House."It was a massive victory for Putin even before he got off the plane, to be rehabilitated in this manner," Giles said. "Trump has facilitated him arriving to be greeted as a head of state, when he ought to be finding it difficult to travel because he is an internationally wanted war criminal." Trump's approach would be unlikely to inspire European leaders to follow suit, Giles said. "If anything, it will reinforce how important it is not to endorse Putin's demands on Ukraine, and not to subject themselves to the same kinds of spectacle that is earning Trump scorn."In a statement on Saturday, President Zelensky stressed the importance of European leaders being present at every stage of the negotiations. They are often seen as a bulwark against the possibility of Trump being unduly influenced by before that happens, Zelensky will head on Monday back to Washington, the scene of his disastrous Oval Office clash with Trump back in February. He will be hoping for a better outcome this time, and a path to peace that doesn't involve surrendering to Russia's aggressive US had a "wide range of tools" at its disposal to assist Ukraine in that mission, said Oleksandr Kovalenko, the political analyst. But pomp and ceremony for President Putin should not be among them, he said."Perhaps this was all intended to deceive and flatter Putin, and push him into following the White House's strategy," Kovalenko said."But I doubt it. More likely it is Trump's whim, without any strategy at all."
Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump adopts Putin's preference for route to Ukraine peace after meeting in Alaska
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/KYIV, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after hosting a summit with President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield a ceasefire. In a major shift, Trump also said he had agreed with Putin that negotiators should go straight to a peace settlement - not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and its European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would travel to Washington on Monday, while Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Trump met with Putin for nearly three hours in Alaska on Friday at the first U.S.-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. That statement will be welcomed in Moscow, which says it wants a full settlement - not a pause - but that this will be complex because positions are "diametrically opposed". Russia's forces have been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. Before the summit, Trump had said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. But afterwards he said that, after his talks with Zelenskiy, "if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin". Monday's talks will be held in the White House Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a brutal public dressing-down in February, accusing him of ingratitude. Zelenskiy said after speaking with Trump that he supported the idea of a three-way meeting. But Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held positions on the war, and made no mention of meeting Zelenskiy. His aide Yuri Ushakov told the Russian state news agency TASS a three-way summit had not been discussed. In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has underlined the need for security guarantees for Kyiv, to deter Russia from invading again in the future. He said he and Trump had discussed "positive signals from the American side" on taking part, and that Ukraine needed a lasting peace, not "just another pause" between Russian invasions. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the most interesting developments of the summit concerned security guarantees for Ukraine inspired by the transatlantic NATO alliance's Article 5. "The starting point of the proposal is the definition of a collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the USA, ready to take action in case it is attacked again," she said. Putin, who has hitherto opposed foreign involvement in keeping the peace, said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine's security must be "ensured". "I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine," Putin told a briefing where neither leader took questions. "We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals ... will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue." For Putin, the very fact of sitting down with Trump represented a victory. The Kremlin leader had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump also spoke to European leaders including Meloni after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was closer than ever, thanks to Trump, but added: "... until (Putin) stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions." A statement from European leaders said "Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees" and that no limits should be placed on its armed forces or right to seek NATO membership - key Russian demands. Some European politicians and commentators were scathing. "Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing. As feared: no ceasefire, no peace," Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to Washington, posted on X. "No real progress – a clear 1-0 for Putin – no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing." Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko wrote: "Putin is a determined opponent, and, yes, he basically won this round because he got something for nothing." Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence in the 3-1/2-year war, while fighting raged on the front line. Trump told Fox he would now hold off on imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, but that he might have to "think about it" in two or three weeks. He ended his remarks after the summit by telling Putin: "We'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon." "Next time in Moscow," a smiling Putin responded in English. Trump said he might "get a little heat on that one" but that he could "possibly see it happening".
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
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Donald Trump's actions have brought the end of the war in Ukraine "closer than ever before", Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister's statement comes despite the fact that the US president and Vladimir Putin failed to reach a deal on a ceasefire at a summit in Alaska on Friday. He also said the "path to peace in Ukraine" cannot be decided without Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, and that the UK's "unwavering support" will continue as long as it takes. The highly-anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin had been pitched as an important step towards peace in Ukraine, but no concrete agreements were made. In the wake of the Anchorage summit, the prime minister spent Saturday morning speaking to western allies. Following the calls, he said in a statement: "I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. "President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. "His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended," Sir Keir said. Until Putin stops his "barbaric assault", that allies would "keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions", he added. A Downing Street source told the BBC that any peace deal needed security agreements and "US involvement is a key part of that". Following a call with Trump on Saturday, Zelensky called for a lasting peace, "not just another pause between Russian invasions". Zelensky is due to fly to Washington DC on Monday to meet Mr Trump, with the aim of paving the way to further talks. He stressed that Kyiv should be included in future discussions, and said he expected Russia to "increase pressure and strikes" in the coming days to "create more favourable circumstances for talks with global actors".
