Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump ‘open to’ Zelensky attending Alaska summit with Putin

US president Donald Trump is about to satisfy with Vladimir Putin in Alaska subsequent week, the state that Russia as soon as laid declare to and nationalists need to take again.

Trump introduced Friday {that a} assembly has been set with the Russian chief on 15 August within the Final Frontier state to debate the struggle in Ukraine, which the president claimed he would finish “on Day One.”

Critics identified that Russia as soon as laid declare to the state of Alaska at the start of the 1770s—the place they mercilessly exploited Alaskan natives to hunt fur for the Russians—and nationalists have lengthy needed to take it again.

“Trump inviting struggle legal Putin to America is nauseating sufficient, however internet hosting him in Alaska — whereas Putin’s pet propagandists routinely demand it again from the US on state TV — is past the pale,” writer and commentator Julia Davis wrote on X. “Until Putin is arrested upon arrival, there is not any excuse.”

Donald Trump has stated he’ll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequent Friday to debate the struggle in Ukraine.

Putin is predicted to make use of the summit to set out Russia’s calls for for a ceasefire deal.

Talking to reporters on the White Home on Friday, Mr Trump admitted any peace deal could contain “some swapping of territories”.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky hit again, vowing he wouldn’t cede land, saying: “Ukrainians is not going to give their land to occupiers.”

Nonetheless, summit breakthroughs are exceedingly uncommon, The Unbiased’s Sean O’Grady explains

Russian air defence models shot down 121 Ukrainian drones in a single day, together with eight over the Saratov area, the nation’s defence ministry stated on Sunday.

In Saratov, one particular person was killed and several other others injured after particles from a destroyed drone broken three residential residences and an industrial facility, in keeping with regional governor Roman Busargin, who posted on the Telegram messaging app.

One particular person was hospitalised, and residents had been evacuated from the affected buildings.

The kind of industrial website hit has not been formally confirmed, however Ukrainian media reported that an oil refinery within the metropolis of Saratov caught fireplace following the assault.

Russia’s SHOT Telegram channel reported round eight explosions over Saratov and close by Engels, whereas flights to and from Saratov had been briefly halted for 2 hours to make sure air security, the aviation authority Rosaviatsia stated.

US vp JD Vance’s conferences with senior Ukrainian, US, and European officers within the UK on Saturday led to “important progress” towards President Trump’s purpose of ending the struggle in Ukraine, a US official advised Axios.

The talks had been held at Chevening Home in Kent with international secretary David Lammy, Ukrainian officers together with Andriy Yermak, and representatives from European allies. The in-person assembly was organized following a collection of convention calls between US, Ukrainian, and European officers within the days main as much as the talks.

The discussions come forward of the deliberate summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August.

In keeping with Axios, some Nato and Ukrainian allies had privately expressed issues that Trump may settle for Putin’s proposals with out absolutely contemplating its allies’ positions.

Donald Trump understands symbolism and imperial delusions, so Alaska is a becoming location for his assembly with Vladimir Putin on Friday. The US president will know that in Mr Putin’s eyes, Alaska must be Russian territory, offered in a second of weak spot by Alexander II.

Simply as, in Mr Trump’s thoughts, Canada and Greenland must be a part of the US.

The theatre of the summit, then, is all set. However a number of the solid might be lacking. By agreeing to a gathering of simply the 2 of them, Mr Trump seems to be convening a conspiracy to carve up Ukraine within the absence of its chief, Volodymyr Zelensky.

On the streets of Kyiv, reactions to the concept of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia ranged from scepticism to quiet resignation.

“It is probably not capitulation, however it could be a loss,” stated Ihor Usatenko, a 67-year-old pensioner, who stated he would contemplate ceding territory “on situation for compensation and, presumably, some reparations.”

Anastasia Yemelianova, 31, stated she was torn: “Actually, I’ve two solutions to that query. The primary is as an individual who loves her nation. I do not need to compromise inside myself,” she advised the AP. “However seeing all these deaths and understanding that my mom is now dwelling in Nikopol underneath shelling and my father is combating, I would like all this to finish as quickly as attainable.”

Others, like Svitlana Dobrynska, whose son died combating, rejected outright concessions however supported halting fight to save lots of lives.

“We do not have the chance to launch an offensive to recapture our territories,” the 57-year-old pensioner stated, “However to forestall individuals from dying, we are able to merely cease navy operations, signal some sort of settlement, however not surrender our territories.”

A Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone struck a civilian bus within the suburbs of Kherson on Saturday morning, killing two individuals and injuring 19 others, native authorities have stated.

The strike occurred round 8am native time. Sixteen individuals had been taken to hospital, with two in severe situation. The victims, aged between 23 and 83, suffered shrapnel and blast accidents.

As police recovered the victims’ our bodies from the bus, a second Russian FPV drone hit the realm, injuring three officers with concussions, in keeping with Ukraine’s Nationwide Police.

The assault comes amid escalating Russian strikes throughout Kherson Oblast. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin stated 36 settlements had been hit up to now day, leaving one particular person lifeless and three injured, together with a toddler.

Ukrainian authorities have been evacuating lots of of residents from the Korabel district of Kherson metropolis, which has been reduce off from the remainder of the town after Russian forces closely broken the one bridge connecting the realm final week.

In keeping with Politico, solely 600 of the 1,800 residents stay within the island district, with not less than 200 set to be evacuated on Friday. “Russians proceed to assault the bridge and the realm throughout evacuation,” stated Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration.

Earlier than Donald Trump introduced his summit with Vladimir Putin, his efforts to strain Russia into stopping the combating had delivered no progress.

The Kremlin’s larger military is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at nice value in troops and armour whereas it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities.

Exasperated that Putin didn’t heed his calls to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump had moved up an ultimatum to impose further sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs concentrating on nations that purchase Russian oil if the Kremlin didn’t transfer towards a settlement.

The deadline was Friday. However the White Home didn’t reply questions that night about attainable sanctions after Trump introduced the assembly with Putin.