Russia launched a sweeping attack on Ukraine which killed one person, injured at least 24 others, and damaged infrastructure and residential buildings, authorities said on Saturday.
Three children were among the 24 wounded in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, its Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported impacts on 14 regions by the attack, which used over 500 drones and 45 missiles.
Diplomatic efforts to end Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion have so far yielded little, even after U.S. President Donald Trump met separately with Russian and Ukrainian leaders earlier this month.
On Friday, Zelensky brought up Trump&#8217;s self-imposed deadline for deciding on new measures against Russia if President Vladimir Putin fails to commit to a one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
&#8220;Two weeks will be on Monday. And we will remind everybody,&#8221; he said.
Russia has said there is no agenda for a potential summit between Putin and Zelensky.
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&#8220;It is absolutely clear that Moscow used the time meant for preparing a leaders-level meeting to organize new massive attacks,&#8221; Zelensky said on Saturday, calling for sanctions on Russian banking and energy sectors.
The air force recorded five missile and 24 drone hits at 7 locations with debris falling on 21 sites, according to the statement on the Telegram messaging app.
The attack on Zaporizhzhia cut power to 25,000 residents, Fedorov said. The local energy facility said the attack damaged its equipment and that repairs were underway.
As of early Saturday, Ukrainian state-owned railway Ukrzaliznytsia said it had repaired the damage to its infrastructure in the Kyiv region.
(Reporting by Anastasiia MalenkoEditing by Bernadette Baum)

Ukraine

Russia Hits Ukrainian City With Massive Drone And Missile Attack

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

KYIV (Reuters) -Russia pounded Ukraine with deadly missiles and drone strikes early on Thursday in a sweeping attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said was Moscow&#8217;s answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.
At least 18 people, including four children, were killed in the capital, officials from the city administration said. As the sun rose, rescuers dug through a wrecked block on Kyiv&#8217;s left bank and pulled at least two bodies from the rubble.
The strikes damaged the European Union&#8217;s mission and British Council offices in the city, officials said. The European Union and London summoned Russian envoys to protest. There were no reports of casualties at either site.
&#8220;Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,&#8221; Zelenskiy said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. &#8220;It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.&#8221;
Russia said its attack had hit military industrial facilities and air bases, and that Ukraine had also attacked Russian targets. The Kremlin said it was still interested in pursuing peace talks.
Moscow has regularly denied targeting civilians. Ukrainian officials say scores of civilians have died in Russian strikes on densely populated areas over the recent months, and thousands since the start of the war.
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During the attack on Kyiv, explosions rang out as clouds of smoke rose into the night sky. Drones whirred overhead.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko described it as one of the biggest attacks on the city in recent months. At least 38 people were wounded in the hours-long assault which damaged buildings in all city districts, officials said.
Across the country, Ukraine&#8217;s military said Russian attacks struck 13 locations. National grid operator Ukrenergo said energy facilities were hit, causing power cuts.
A push by Kyiv and its allies to end the invasion that Moscow launched in February 2022 has yielded little, despite meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts.
Russia has stepped up air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far behind the front line and pushed a grinding offensive across much of the east in a bid to pressure Ukraine into giving up territory.
&#8216;ANOTHER GRIM REMINDER&#8217;
&#8220;This is another grim reminder of what is at stake. It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine, blindly killing civilians and even targeting the European Union,&#8221; EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
She said two missiles had struck near the office within 20 seconds of each other.
EU countries would soon come up with a 19th package of sanctions against Russia and were advancing work on how to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, she added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assault, which he said had damaged the British Council building. &#8220;Putin is killing children and civilians and sabotaging hopes of peace,&#8221; he wrote on X.
Ukraine&#8217;s military said air defences had downed 563 of nearly 600 drones and 26 of 31 missiles launched by Russia across the country.
One attack damaged a railway hub in central Ukraine&#8217;s Vinnytsia region, where officials said a strike on critical infrastructure had left 60,000 residents without power.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia would step up strikes on the country&#8217;s energy grid as winter approaches.
Russia&#8217;s Defence Ministry said Russian air defences destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight in at least seven regions.
Ukraine&#8217;s drone force said it had struck the Afipsky and Kuybyshevskyi oil refineries as part of that attack.
Russia added that its forces had used an unmanned speedboat to hit and sink a Ukrainian reconnaissance boat on Thursday in the mouth of the Danube River.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine&#8217;s navy, said the attack killed one person and several others were wounded or missing. He did not comment on the strike location.
The Danube ports are critically important for Ukraine, serving as an alternative to the Black Sea ports through which fuel and other critical cargoes are imported into the country.
(Reporting by Taras Garanich Anastasiia Malenko; Additional reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Bart Meijer in Brussels; Writing by Dan Peleschuk and Andrew Heavens; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Alex Richardson)
&nbsp;

Aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv

Putin Escalates: Russian Missiles Hit Ukraine, EU And British Buildings Targeted

Russia

Ukraine Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is prepared to impose economic sanctions against Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, fails to agree to a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very, very serious what I have in mind, if I have to do it, but I want to see it end,&#8221; Trump told a reporter who asked if Putin would face consequences. &#8220;We have economic sanctions. I&#8217;m talking about economic because we&#8217;re not going to get into a world war.&#8221;
The president has withheld long-threatened sanctions against Putin in his latest push to end the more than three-year-long war that has so far defied his efforts at mediation.
Trump is seeking one-on-one talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin. Though Zelensky has agreed in principle to such talks, Putin has not. The Kremlin has suggested no such meeting is currently on the cards.
&#8220;It will not be a world war, but it will be an economic war,&#8221; Trump said at a White House Cabinet meeting. &#8220;An economic war is going to be bad, and it&#8217;s going to be bad for Russia, and I don&#8217;t want that.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;Zelensky is not exactly innocent, either.&#8221;
Despite slow diplomatic progress, U.S. and European officials have been discussing potential security guarantees that Washington might provide Kyiv after a hypothetical deal is reached, potentially including support by air or intelligence sharing.
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Trump has long suggested using economic tools as leverage against warring nations. He is preparing to slap 25% more in tariffs on India&#8217;s U.S.-bound exports on Wednesday over New Delhi&#8217;s Russian oil buying.
India is one of the biggest consumers of Russian oil.
Trump suggested on Tuesday that he was open to &#8220;using a very strong tariff system that&#8217;s very costly to Russia or Ukraine&#8221; to make peace.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose; Editing by Don Durfee and Nia Williams).

U.S. President Trump And Russian  President Putin Meet On War In Ukraine At U.S. Air Base In Alaska

Trump Still Weighing ‘Very Serious’ Economic Sanctions On Russia

Sanctions

Vice President JD Vance treated &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker to a whirlwind trip around the globe during an interview that went to air during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast — and he addressed everything from President Donald Trump&#8217;s domestic policy to the administration&#8217;s dealings with communist China and Russia.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Vance sat down for a full interview with Welker, who questioned him about the recent negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
&#8220;The Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict,&#8221; Vance said, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re trying to negotiate as much as we can with both the Russians and Ukrainians to find a middle ground to stop the killing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;The Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>.
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to negotiate as much as we can with both the Russians and Ukrainians to find a middle ground to stop the killing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/b487LlfIyx">pic.twitter.com/b487LlfIyx</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959608502009184631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance gave some details on the concessions made by Russia, and went on to explain that Trump&#8217;s goal — rather than trying to deconstruct all the reasons the war started — was to &#8220;focus on the nit-picky details of now&#8221; and get to where they could stop the fighting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;[<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>] is not trying to focus on every nit-picky detail of how this thing started&#8230; He&#8217;s trying to focus on the nit-picky details of now — of what do the parties disagree on, what do they agree on, and how do you build a foundation from one side of that ledger to the… <a href="https://t.co/9C2aXYtFHM">pic.twitter.com/9C2aXYtFHM</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959609236175864214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker immediately challenged him on the Trump administration&#8217;s position with regard to China. Noting that China was one of the world&#8217;s biggest consumers of Russian oil, she pressed Vance on why the United States was not putting China under heavier sanctions.
&#8220;China&#8217;s actually the largest buyer of Russian oil,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Why no sanctions on China?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, obviously, we have a 54% tariff on the PRC right now, so we&#8217;ve already applied pretty hefty sanctions on the Chinese,&#8221; Vance shot back. &#8220;And we&#8217;ve had a number of conversations at all levels over the government to try to encourage the Chinese to be better partners and bring this war to a close.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC: &#8220;Why no sanctions on China?&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;Obviously, we have a 54% tariff on the PRC right now, so we&#8217;ve already applied pretty hefty sanctions on the Chinese&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IUeug9nkkU">pic.twitter.com/IUeug9nkkU</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959611584226967880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Welker continued to press, asking, &#8220;Where exactly is the pressure on Russia to do anything if you&#8217;re not right now imposing new sanctions?&#8221;
&#8220;The President has applied more economic pressure to the Russians to stop this war than Biden did in three years,&#8221; Vance replied. &#8220;This is how negotiation works.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;The President has applied more economic pressure to the Russians to stop this war than Biden did in three years&#8230; This is how negotiation works.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89lsaNlz8u">pic.twitter.com/89lsaNlz8u</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959611642599104891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This is how wars ultimately get settled,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;They all end with some kind of negotiation &#8230; He&#8217;s not going to force these parties to walk through the door. All he can do is open the door and ask them to negotiate in good faith.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;This is how wars ultimately get settled&#8230; They all end with some kind of negotiation&#8230; He&#8217;s not going to force these parties to walk through the door. All he can do is open the door and ask them to negotiate in good faith.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/OcFx8ZCYGq">pic.twitter.com/OcFx8ZCYGq</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959612590490804407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Despite hearing it directly from President Donald Trump in recent weeks, Welker asked Vance to &#8220;guarantee&#8221; that there would not be American &#8220;boots on the ground&#8221; if it came to defending Ukraine in a more direct fashion.
&#8220;The President has been very clear. There are not going to be [American] boots on the ground in Ukraine,&#8221; Vance replied.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;The President has been very clear. There are not going to be [American] boots on the ground in Ukraine.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/21LqlibKcU">pic.twitter.com/21LqlibKcU</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959612715816604149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We don&#8217;t control what Russia does. If we did, the war would&#8217;ve been over seven months ago,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;What we do believe, though, is that &#8230; the President of the United States has a lot of cards left to play to apply pressure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;We don&#8217;t control what Russia does. If we did, the war would&#8217;ve been over seven months ago. What we do believe, though, is that&#8230; the President of the United States has a lot of cards left to play to apply pressure.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/qOvXQB9NEQ">pic.twitter.com/qOvXQB9NEQ</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959613859490091462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On the domestic front, Welker pressed Vance to defend Texas Republicans and their newly-drawn Congressional map — one that is likely to afford Republicans as many as five additional seats in the 2026 midterms. Vance pushed right back, arguing that Democrats had been gerrymandering their states to unfair advantage for decades and saying that Republicans only meant to tip the scales back into balance.
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on redistricting.
&#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/q06A8CkniT">pic.twitter.com/q06A8CkniT</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959614788557836519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; Vance added, explaining that illegal aliens were being counted in the census for the purposes of congressional apportionment, meaning that &#8220;they end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>.
&#8220;Republicans are trying to balance out the scales a little bit for basic fairness and for the integrity of our democracy.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uxxDXQJege">pic.twitter.com/uxxDXQJege</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959618633765896314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on illegal aliens in the Census: &#8220;They do go in the congressional apportionment. That&#8217;s why California has so many more seats is because they count illegal aliens&#8230; They end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Lfu3kYaM6N">pic.twitter.com/Lfu3kYaM6N</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959619304350945548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And when it came to the deployment of the National Guard and the crackdown on crime in the nation&#8217;s capital, Vance once again laid out the reasoning in straightforward fashion. &#8220;Allowing vagrants and armed robberies to take over your city — that&#8217;s a policy choice. What President Trump is showing that if you just empower local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the bad guys, we can take back American streets,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;Allowing vagrants and armed robberies to take over your city — that&#8217;s a policy choice. What President Trump is showing that if you just empower local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the bad guys, we can take back American streets.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/upsNXlZDui">pic.twitter.com/upsNXlZDui</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959621293847753130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Watch the full interview below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH IN FULL: <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>&#8216;s interview on <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MeetThePress</a> <a href="https://t.co/s7s0eCZXAG">pic.twitter.com/s7s0eCZXAG</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959708596356239868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy Hosts Bilateral Talks With US Vice President JD Vance At Chevening House

Spin Cycle: JD Vance Goes Around The World In 20 Minutes With ‘Meet the Press’

Spin Cycle: JD Vance Goes Around The World In 20 Minutes With 'Meet the Press'

Communist China

JD Vance

Kristen Welker

Media

Meet the Press

NBC News

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump renewed a threat to impose sanctions on Russia on Friday if there is no progress toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine in two weeks, showing frustration at Moscow a week after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to make a decision as to what we do and it&#8217;s going to be, it&#8217;s going to be a very important decision, and that&#8217;s whether or not it&#8217;s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it&#8217;s your fight,&#8221; Trump said.
He was unhappy about Russia&#8217;s deadly strike on a factory in Ukraine this week, he said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not happy about it, and I&#8217;m not happy about anything having to do with that war,&#8221; Trump told reporters at the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said on Friday that Russia was doing everything it could to prevent a meeting between him and Putin, while Russia&#8217;s foreign minister said the agenda for such a meeting was not ready.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for Putin to meet him, saying it is the only way to negotiate an end to the war.
Trump had said he had begun the arrangements for a Putin-Zelensky meeting after a call with the Russian leader on Monday that followed their Alaska meeting on August 15.
Zelensky accused Russia of stalling.
&#8220;The meeting is one of the components of how to end the war,&#8221; he said on Friday at a press conference in Kyiv with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. &#8220;And since they don&#8217;t want to end it, they will look for space to (avoid it).&#8221;
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC there was no agenda for such a summit.
&#8220;Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all,&#8221; he said.
The statement echoed Moscow&#8217;s established rhetoric about a leaders&#8217; meeting being impossible unless certain conditions were met.
Asked for his response to Lavrov&#8217;s comments and what the next steps are, Trump told reporters earlier on Friday: &#8220;Well, we&#8217;ll see. We&#8217;re going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. It&#8217;s like oil and vinegar a little bit.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Trump had taken sanctions off the table in preparation for his summit in Anchorage with Putin. But at the same White House event where he mentioned possible sanctions, he showed a photograph of his meeting with Putin on the red carpet in Alaska, saying Putin wanted to attend the World Cup 2026 soccer tournament in the United States.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to sign this for him. But I was sent one, and I thought you would like to see it, it&#8217;s a man named Vladimir Putin, who I believe will be coming, depending on what happens. He may be coming, and he may not, depending on what happens,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump&#8217;s comments did not address the fact that Russia was banned from international competitions such as the World Cup after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has not taken part in qualification for the 2026 tournament, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
During a visit to a nuclear research center on Friday, Putin said Trump&#8217;s leadership qualities would help restore U.S.-Russia relations.
&#8220;With the arrival of President Trump, I think that a light at the end of the tunnel has finally loomed. And now we had a very good, meaningful and frank meeting in Alaska,&#8221; Putin said.
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russia launched in 2022. Analysts estimate that more than a million soldiers on both sides have been killed or wounded and fighting is continuing unabated, with both sides also attacking energy facilities.
Russia has maintained its longstanding demand for Ukraine to give up land it still holds in two eastern regions while proposing to freeze the front line in two more southerly regions Moscow claims fully as its own and possibly hand back small pieces of other Ukrainian territory it controls.
Zelensky meanwhile has dropped his demand for a lengthy ceasefire as a prerequisite for a leaders&#8217; meeting, although he has previously said Ukraine cannot negotiate under the barrel of a gun.
At the press conference with Rutte, Zelensky said they had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. He said the guarantees ought to be similar to NATO&#8217;s Article 5, which considers an attack on one member of the alliance as an attack against all.
Rutte said NATO allies and Ukraine are working together to ensure security guarantees are strong enough that Russia will never try to attack again.
&#8220;Robust security guarantees will be essential, and this is what we are now working on to define,&#8221; he said.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Sabine Siebold, Steve Holland, Andrea Shalal and Jonathan Spicer; Writing by Max Hunder and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Rosalba O&#8217;Brien and Daniel Wallis)

With No Ukraine Peace Deal, Trump Again Threatens Russia Sanctions

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Ukraine should have been allowed to conduct more offensive strikes against Russia early on in the war, arguing that former President Joe Biden didn&#8217;t let the country &#8220;FIGHT BACK.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115067017601499775">posted</a> on Truth Social that a nation must fight both offensively and defensively to have any &#8220;chance of winning.&#8221; The president&#8217;s comments come as he continues to push Russia and Ukraine toward a peace deal, while Russian President Vladimir Putin doubles down on his drone and missile attacks targeting Ukrainian cities.
&#8220;It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders [sic] country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning!&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President &#8211; ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!!&#8221;
When the United States first began sending weapons to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, the Biden administration held back on giving Kyiv any long-range missiles that could strike Russia within its borders. Last November, however, Biden <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/biden-approves-ukraines-use-of-long-range-missiles-inside-russia-003154be?mod=article_inline">approved</a> of Ukraine firing long-range U.S.-made missiles inside Russia.
When Biden authorized Ukraine&#8217;s use of long-range missiles to target Russia, then-president-elect Trump called the move &#8220;stupid,&#8221; according to The Wall Street Journal.
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“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We’re just escalating this war and making it worse,” he said.
The president&#8217;s comments on Thursday could be a negotiating tactic to keep pressure on Putin as the Russian dictator is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the coming weeks. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “the president is making an observation, which happens to be true,&#8221; according to the WSJ.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/moscow-draws-hard-line-over-security-guarantees-for-ukraine-4b1e8428?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAj0voDE1VVEYWsO0kxr-PPysLoc2J7XGdZ6ZXqHWakNyRjtJ7-A3rSiKVcoxgU%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68a77756&amp;gaa_sig=Z5E9i-Wzt5X0yX8iKE96lJUVBMuzpyNWHaiTGIxTqD87Z3fWXkx4z6pjzOyKIY3TNmJ8G_ye6MRwdtjRb6kHOg%3D%3D">raised</a> some doubts over whether a Putin-Zelensky summit would happen. The Kremlin also said that it would have veto power over any security guarantees for Ukraine after Trump and other European leaders vowed on Monday to provide security for Kyiv if a peace deal is reached. Lavrov added that China should be involved in the discussions on security guarantees.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-witkoff-ukraine-russia-putin-war-048aa829a69b4020ca368577bfe18aee">said</a> that during Trump&#8217;s summit with Putin last week, the Russian dictator agreed to U.S. and European security guarantees for Ukraine, adding that it “was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.&#8221;

‘Biden Would Not Let Ukraine FIGHT BACK’: Trump Says Kyiv Should’ve Launched More Attacks On Russia

BERLIN/MILAN (Reuters) -A Ukrainian man was arrested at a holiday bungalow in Italy on suspicion of coordinating attacks on three Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, officials said on Thursday, a breakthrough in an episode that sharpened tensions between Russia and the West.
Described by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, the explosions largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe, prompting a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and squeezing energy supplies on the continent. No one has taken responsibility for the blasts and Ukraine has denied any role.
The arrest comes just as Kyiv is engaged in fraught diplomatic discussions with the United States over how to end the war in Ukraine without giving away major concessions and swathes of its own territory to Russia.
&#8220;Politically we are firmly on Ukraine&#8217;s side and will continue to be so,&#8221; said Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig when asked if the arrest would affect Berlin&#8217;s ties to Kyiv. &#8220;What is important for me is that Germany is a country of law, and crimes in our jurisdiction are fully investigated.&#8221;
The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was part of a group of people who planted devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, a statement from the prosecutor&#8217;s office said.
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He and his accomplices had set off from Rostock on Germany&#8217;s northeastern coast in a sailing yacht to carry out the attack, it said. The vessel had been rented from a German company with the help of forged identity documents via middlemen, it added.
Authorities acted on a European arrest warrant for the suspect, who faces charges of collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage and destruction of important structures.
An official in the Ukrainian president&#8217;s office said he could not comment as it was not clear who had been arrested. The official reiterated Ukraine&#8217;s denial of any role in the blasts.
Successive Ukrainian governments have seen the pipelines as a symbol of, and vehicle for, Russia&#8217;s hold over European energy supplies that Kyiv argued made it hard to act against Moscow ever since Russia&#8217;s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
FORMER UKRAINIAN OFFICER?
The Wall Street Journal reported that the suspect was a retired captain in Ukraine’s armed forces and previously served in Ukraine’s security service SBU, as well as in an elite unit that defended Kyiv in the early months of Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The officer purportedly headed a team of two soldiers and four civilian divers covertly recruited by a special Ukrainian military unit to lay explosives that damaged the undersea pipelines, the WSJ said, citing investigators.
German prosecutors declined to comment on the WSJ report.
Carabinieri officers arrested the suspect overnight in San Clemente on Italy&#8217;s Adriatic coast, where he was supposed to spend a few days with his family.
&#8220;Once his presence had been verified, the Carabinieri surrounded the bungalow and launched a raid, during which the man surrendered without resistance,&#8221; a statement by the Carabinieri said, adding the suspect was 49 years old.
A police official told Reuters the suspect was arrested because, when providing documents at a hotel check-in, an alert flagging he was wanted popped up at the police headquarters, which dispatched a Carabinieri police patrol.
In September 2022, one of the two lines of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was damaged by mysterious blasts, along with both lines of Nord Stream 1 that carried Russian gas to Europe.
Moscow, without providing evidence, blamed Western sabotage for the blasts, which cut off most Russian gas supplies to the lucrative European market. The U.S. denied having anything to do with the attacks.
The Washington Post and Germany&#8217;s Der Spiegel magazine have previously said the team that carried out the attack was put together by a former Ukrainian intelligence officer, who denied involvement.
In January 2023, Germany raided a ship that it said may have been used to transport explosives and told the United Nations it believed trained divers could have attached devices to the pipelines at about 70 to 80 metres deep.
The boat, leased in Germany via a Poland-registered company, contained traces of octogen, the same explosive that was found at the underwater blast sites, according to the investigations by Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Europe&#8217;s deadliest conflict in 80 years, in which analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or injured.
(Reporting by Rachel More, Philippe LeroyBeaulieu, Sarah Marsh, Giulio Piovaccari, Gavin Jones, Thomas Escritt, Tom Balmforth, Stine Jacobsen; writing by Matthias WilliamsEditing by Gareth Jones and Philippa Fletcher)

Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm

Ukrainian Man Arrested For Nord Stream Attacks Heightens Tensions Between Russia And The West

Italy

Nord Stream Pipeline

KYIV (Reuters) -Russia targeted a U.S.-founded electronics manufacturer near Ukraine&#8217;s border with the European Union in a major air attack on Thursday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought U.S. support to bring Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
The overnight attack, which included 574 drones and 40 missiles, was one of the largest of Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of its neighbour, now in its fourth year.
One person was killed and 22 were wounded, most of them in the attack that damaged storage facilities at the electronics manufacturer in Ukraine&#8217;s far-Western Zakarpattia region, authorities said.
&#8220;It was a regular civilian business, supported by American investment, producing everyday items like coffee machines. And yet, it was also a target for the Russians,&#8221; Zelenskiy wrote on X.
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&#8220;This is very telling.&#8221;
Mukachevo mayor Andriy Baloha said the damaged enterprise belonged to the U.S.-listed company Flex Ltd. The corporate headquarters of the company, a global technology, supply chain and advanced manufacturing solutions partner, is in Austin, Texas and its registered office is in Singapore.
The company employed thousands of the area&#8217;s residents, Baloha said. Flex, which grew from a family firm founded in Silicon Valley in 1969, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In Ukraine&#8217;s western city of Lviv, the attack killed one person, wounded three others and damaged 26 homes, said Governor Maksym Kozytskyi. Authorities in southeastern Ukraine&#8217;s Dnipropetrovsk region also reported damage to businesses, homes and gas lines. Two industry sources told Reuters a key gas pumping facility had been attacked, without giving a location.
Russia said Putin had repeatedly said he was ready to meet Zelenskiy but that Ukraine was trying to undermine Trump&#8217;s efforts to resolve the conflict and its leader was illegitimate.
The defence ministry in Moscow said it had struck Ukrainian energy and airfield infrastructure as well as military industrial facilities overnight, and captured another frontline village &#8211; Oleksandro-Shultyne, Russian news agency RIA reported. Ukraine said it had hit a Russian oil refinery, a drone warehouse and a fuel base.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
SECURITY TALKS
U.S. President Donald Trump met both Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin over the past week in pursuit of a diplomatic end to the fighting but has acknowledged that his Russian counterpart may not want to make a deal. Zelenskiy urged Trump to react firmly if that was the case.
&#8220;We are ready. But what if the Russians are not ready?&#8221; he said in comments released on Thursday. &#8220;If the Russians are not ready, we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States.&#8221;
U.S. and European military planners have begun exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine, according to U.S. officials and sources, but the path to peace remained uncertain.
A defence ministry source in Turkey, which has opposed sanctions on Russia while also giving military help to Ukraine and joining a &#8220;Coalition of the Willing&#8221; to help it with post-conflict security, said peace was still far off.
&#8220;It is necessary to first secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, then determine the framework of a mission with a clear mandate, and clarify the extent to which each country will contribute,&#8221; the Turkish source said on condition of anonymity.
The Kremlin said Putin had discussed Ukraine with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, when Moscow also said attempts to resolve security issues without Russian involvement were a &#8220;road to nowhere&#8221;.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready for an honest talk about security guarantees for Ukraine and accused Ukraine&#8217;s European backers of &#8216;adventurism&#8217; by excluding Moscow from their discussions.
Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has used missiles and drones to strike Ukrainian towns and cities far from the front lines throughout the war.
Thousands of civilians, the vast majority of them Ukrainian, have been killed since Moscow&#8217;s full-scale invasion of February 2022. More than a million Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are estimated to have been killed or wounded.
(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Tomasz Janowski, Philippa Fletcher)
&nbsp;

Russian drone and missile strike in Lviv

Russia Slams Ukraine In Massive Strikes, Blames Kyiv For Blocking Peace Talks

Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, NATO scrambled two German warplanes after Russia launched missiles and drones at a Ukrainian city near the border with Romania, a NATO member.
The Russian missiles and drones targeted an area less than a mile from Romania&#8217;s border, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/nato-scrambles-warplanes-russia-hits-near-romanian-border-ukraine">reported</a>. The Romanian government said that two German Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were flown out &#8220;to monitor the air situation&#8221; as part of NATO&#8217;s Enhanced Air Policing. No Russian missiles or drones crossed over into NATO territory.
Russia also targeted Ukraine&#8217;s northern Sumy region on Tuesday night in an attack that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said wounded 14 people.
&#8220;A family with wounded children – 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years old – sought assistance after the attack. In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, a glide bomb strike damaged five apartment buildings, and at least three people still remain under the rubble,&#8221; Zelensky posted on X early Wednesday morning. &#8220;The rescue operation continues. There was also a treacherous strike on a gas distribution station in the Odesa region. Shelling also targeted the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions. In total, more than 60 drones and a ballistic missile were used.&#8221;
Zelensky added that Russia&#8217;s attacks &#8220;only confirm the need to put pressure on Moscow, the need to impose new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy is fully effective.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Last night, a drone strike on Okhtyrka in the Sumy region injured 14 people. A family with wounded children – 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years old – sought assistance after the attack. In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, a glide bomb strike damaged five apartment buildings, and at… <a href="https://t.co/TWRPo4Po6F">pic.twitter.com/TWRPo4Po6F</a>
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1958080483100700983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
The attack is just the latest in a major Russian offensive that has taken place as President Donald Trump attempts to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work out a peace deal. Earlier this week, Russia launched its largest attack of the month shortly after Zelensky and other European leaders met with Trump at the White House to discuss a potential path to peace with Russia. On Monday night and into Tuesday morning, Moscow fired 270 drones and 10 missiles at Ukraine, with at least 40 drones and four missiles striking in Ukraine&#8217;s central Poltava region, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-launches-largest-attack-august-ukraine-after-trump/story?id=124768391">reported</a>.
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Despite Putin&#8217;s continued aggression, President Trump still believes Russia and Ukraine can reach a peace agreement and end the bloodshed. Trump set up a one-on-one meeting for Putin and Zelensky, scheduled to take place in the next two weeks. The president also said he would be willing to step in for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky if the Ukrainian leader wants him to.
Following his meeting with Putin last week, Trump said he wanted more than a &#8220;mere Ceasefire Agreement&#8221; between Russia and Ukraine, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115037569702889410">writing</a> on Truth Social that &#8220;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.&#8221;
Trump vowed to provide security guarantees for Ukraine if Kyiv reaches a deal with Moscow, but he promised that U.S. troops would not be on the ground in the country. The president also left the door open to the United States providing air support for Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached.

Tactical Leadership Programme Albacete

Russian Attack Hits Close To NATO Ally, Warplanes Scrambled

President Trump renews his push to eliminate mail-in voting by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterms. The U.S. Navy deploys three destroyers off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s escalating war on drug cartels. The White House touts a string of recent victories, including progress on a Ukraine peace deal, a sharp drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market.
It’s Wednesday, August 20, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump Vows to End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump announced on Monday that he is renewing his push to eliminate mail-in voting nationwide by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, calling the practice a &#8220;fraud.&#8221; 
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to stop mail-in ballots because it&#8217;s corrupt,&#8221; Trump said Monday, arguing that it is the &#8220;only way&#8221; Democrats can win elections. The president is also taking aim at electronic voting machines, which he called &#8220;seriously controversial,&#8221; in favor of watermarked paper ballots. The expected executive order is likely to face immediate legal challenges, as states constitutionally control election administration. 
Democrats have vowed to fight the move. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) said any measure making it harder to vote would be &#8220;dead on arrival in the Senate.&#8221; Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called Trump a &#8220;weak president grasping at straws,&#8221; and claimed that mail ballots do not help one party over another. However, data from the 2024 election shows that Democrats were significantly more likely than Republicans to vote by mail, with an 18-point split between the two parties. 
<h2>U.S. Deploys Warships to Confront Venezuelan Cartel</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The U.S. Navy has deployed three guided-missile destroyers to international waters off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s escalating military confrontation with Latin American drug cartels. 
The deployment includes three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 4,000 sailors and Marines, P-8 spy planes, and at least one attack submarine. The move is a direct challenge to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. has indicted and designated as the head of a &#8220;narco terror cartel.&#8221; Maduro responded by threatening to deploy 4.5 million of his own militiamen. 
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump &#8220;is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.&#8221; The U.S. currently has a $50 million bounty on Maduro. 
The military action has a historical precedent. In 1989, former President George H.W. Bush sent 20,000 troops into Panama to arrest dictator Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges. That invasion was justified by a legal memo asserting the president&#8217;s authority to arrest fugitives in other countries. 
<h2>White House Touts Wins on Peace, Crime, and Economy</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962613" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Trump administration is touting a series of major victories on foreign and domestic policy, including significant progress toward a peace deal in Ukraine, a dramatic drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market. 
Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump is pushing for a trilateral meeting with the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to finalize a peace deal immediately. European leaders, who had previously been critical of Trump, are now expressing optimism about his approach after he secured a major concession from Putin on a U.S.-backed security guarantee for Ukraine. 
At home, the federal takeover of the D.C. police is yielding dramatic results. The D.C. Police Union reports that in the last seven days, carjackings are down 83%, robberies are down 46%, and violent crime is down 22%. Attorney General Pam Bondi says nearly 500 arrests have been made since the crackdown began. 
The economic news is also positive. The DOW Jones Industrial Average touched an all-time high on Tuesday, defying predictions of a bear market. A new poll of economists shows that a majority now expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September, a move Trump has long advocated for that would likely boost the housing market.

MRN 8.20.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump Vows To End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting, Moves Ships To Venezuela To Fight Cartels

Economy

Elections

Mail-In Voting

U.S. Navy

Venezuela

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tore into the White House press corps on Tuesday afternoon, accusing the media of &#8220;negative and downright false coverage&#8221; of President Donald Trump and his efforts to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Leavitt spoke from the James S. Brady Briefing Room podium, where she argued that &#8220;much of the left-wing media has been actively rooting against the president of the United States in the pursuit of peace&#8221; from the very beginning of Trump&#8217;s peace-making efforts.
&#8220;Initially, the media ridiculously claimed that President Trump was somehow beholden to Russia for even agreeing to have a face-to-face discussion with President Putin inside of the United States,&#8221; Leavitt argued. &#8220;The media said President Trump was making a grave mistake by, quote, &#8216;legitimizing&#8217; Putin.  They were aghast that President Trump would treat another world leader like a world leader.&#8221;
The White House press secretary accused the press of &#8220;relentlessly&#8221; attacking the president and claiming that he suffered a &#8220;major defeat&#8221; for not leaving that initial meeting with Vladimir Putin with a final agreement — &#8220;even though he said, heading into that meeting, this was a meeting to listen and to understand how to move the ball forward,&#8221; Leavitt argued.
<div id="attachment_962629" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-blasts-white-house-press-for-actively-rooting-against-trumps-peace-efforts/us-politics-briefing-leavitt-6" rel="attachment wp-att-962629"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-962629" class="wp-image-962629 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230300432-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230300432-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230300432-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230300432-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2230300432.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 19, 2025. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Leavitt pointed to the pundits, hosts, reporters, and &#8220;so-called experts in the foreign policy establishment&#8221; who suggested over the weekend that the U.S.-Russia bilateral talks had been a failure, though President Trump &#8220;has solved seven global conflicts in seven months&#8221; and &#8220;brokered the Abraham Accords in his first term, on top of more than half a dozen other peace deals this year alone.&#8221;
And she reminded the press that the president of Ukraine and all the major leaders of Europe flew across the Atlantic to meet with Trump at the White House because of the progress that was made in that meeting with Putin.
&#8220;It was highly productive,&#8221; Leavitt said of the Trump and Putin meeting, &#8220;and it was successful.&#8221;
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&#8220;This is why Americans&#8217; trust in the mass media is at a lowest point in more than five decades,&#8221; she said from the podium. &#8220;Diplomacy is a delicate process, and instead of reporting the facts about what is happening here at this White House and what is happening between this president and other leaders around the world, many outlets in this room continue to try to actively undermine the president and sabotage the efforts toward peace.  That is why I felt the need to set the record straight.&#8221;
Leavitt&#8217;s remarks caused a stir not only in the briefing room, but among other members of the president&#8217;s administration. Vice President JD Vance was watching Leavitt&#8217;s briefing and posted approvingly on X in real time: &#8220;Karoline Leavitt lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Karoline Leavitt lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1957855752447496341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
The White House press secretary was following up on a promise she had made during her very first briefing in January: to hold the press accountable.
&#8220;While I vow to provide the truth from this podium, we ask that all of you in this room hold yourselves to that same standard,&#8221; she told the assembled press in late January. &#8220;We know for a fact there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family, and we will not accept that.&#8221;
&#8220;We will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House,&#8221; she warned. &#8220;So, yes, I will hold myself to the truth, and I expect everyone in this room to do the same.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_962635" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-blasts-white-house-press-for-actively-rooting-against-trumps-peace-efforts/white-house-press-briefing-10" rel="attachment wp-att-962635"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-962635" class="wp-image-962635 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2195915513-866x576.jpg" alt="" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2195915513-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2195915513-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2195915513-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2195915513.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" /></a>Press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first official news briefing at the White House on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
Leavitt has certainly held true to her promise, singling out reporters when she considers their questions unfair or duplicitous. On Tuesday, for example, a New York Times reporter questioned Leavitt: &#8220;If the point is to get everybody on the same page, why wouldn&#8217;t Trump just take the call from Putin while the other leaders were in the room. He said it would be disrespectful to do that, but why is that disrespectful?&#8221;
The reporter was referring to Trump&#8217;s move to leave the room to take a private call from President Putin on Monday amid negotiations with European leaders.
&#8220;With all due respect,&#8221; responded Leavitt with a smile, &#8220;only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that.&#8221;
A White House official reminded The Daily Wire that the president himself repeatedly called out the media and similar naysayers on Truth Social only a few days ago, reminding his critics: &#8220;Despite all of my lightweight and very jealous critics, I’ll get it done — I always do!!!&#8221;
&#8220;The president set the tone in his Truth Social posts over the past few days — we are not going to allow the left-wing legacy media to derail the progress made in this historic peace process,&#8221; the White House official told The Daily Wire. &#8220;President Trump has broken a three and a half year deadlock and the media wants you to believe that’s somehow actually a failure. Karoline, following the president’s lead, is cutting through their dishonest narrative and taking the truth directly to the American people.&#8221;
And Leavitt chimed in further at the end of the day on Tuesday.
&#8220;From the beginning of this process, much of the left-wing media has been actively rooting against the President of the United States in his pursuit of peace,&#8221; she argued. &#8220;President Trump finally broke the deadlock between Russia and Ukraine and created a real opportunity for a lasting peace for the first time in 3.5 years of brutal war.&#8221;
&#8220;But instead of accurately reporting the facts, dishonest outlets are actively trying to sabotage these peace efforts,&#8221; she concluded, reiterating her statement during the briefing: &#8220;This is why Americans’ trust in the mass media is at its lowest point in more than five decades.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-BRIEFING-LEAVITT

Karoline Leavitt Blasts White House Press For ‘Actively Rooting’ Against Trump’s Peace Efforts

Karoline Leavitt

White House

President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-u-s-boots-on-the-ground-in-ukraine-trump-pledges?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=No+U.S.+Boots+On+The+Ground+In+Ukraine%2C+Trump+Pledges">vowed</a> not to place U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine on Tuesday, but he didn’t rule out providing air support for the country as he pushes for a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Trump told the hosts of “Fox &amp; Friends” Tuesday morning that European countries “are willing to put people on the ground” in Ukraine, and that the United States could potentially provide air support.
“We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you talk about by air because nobody has stuff we have,” Trump said.
The president added that he doesn’t believe the United States or its European allies would have to step in to push back against further Russian aggression if a peace deal is reached.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I think if a deal is made — you know, famous last words, right? — but I think if a deal is made, I think Russia’s had it, they’ve all had it. And for a very extended period of time, I don’t think there will be a problem,” Trump said. “But there will be some form of security. It can’t be NATO because that’s just not something that would ever, ever happen.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a> that the U.S. may give Ukraine air support as part of the peace deal.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a different kind of a thing for them&#8230;when it comes to security, they are willing to put people on the ground, we &#8216;re willing to help them with things, especially, probably,… <a href="https://t.co/7CxucrpMMy">pic.twitter.com/7CxucrpMMy</a>
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) <a href="https://twitter.com/reaganreese_/status/1957796884694671719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added later on Tuesday that air support for Ukraine remains “an option and a possibility.”
“The president understands that security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace,” Leavitt said.
Trump told “Fox &amp; Friends” that the American people have his “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-u-s-boots-on-the-ground-in-ukraine-trump-pledges?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=No+U.S.+Boots+On+The+Ground+In+Ukraine%2C+Trump+Pledges">assurance</a>” that no American boots would be on the ground in Ukraine under any security guarantees.
“You have my assurance — and I’m president. I’m just trying to stop people from being killed,” Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would likely only accept the terms of a peace deal with Russia if Kyiv receives security guarantees from the United States and Europe, such as peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine. Russia, however, has repeatedly shot down the idea of troops from any NATO countries being deployed to Ukraine. The Kremlin said on Monday, “We reiterate our longstanding position of unequivocally rejecting any scenarios involving the deployment of NATO military contingents in Ukraine, as this risks uncontrollable escalation with unpredictable consequences.”
In February, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was open to European troops being sent to Ukraine to ensure peace if a deal is made with Ukraine, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08/19/us/trump-zelensky-ukraine-russia/western-forces-nato-peacekeepers-trump?smid=url-share">reported</a>.
“He will accept that,” Trump said. “I specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it.”

National-Independence-Day-Celebration-July-4-2025

Trump ‘Willing’ To Back Ukraine With American Air Power

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