MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russian forces have made a sudden thrust into eastern Ukraine near the coal mining town of Dobropillia, a move that may be designed to increase the pressure on Kyiv to give up land as the U.S. and Russian presidents prepare to meet.
Ukraine&#8217;s authoritative DeepState war map showed on Tuesday that Russian forces had advanced by at least six miles north in two prongs in recent days, part of their drive to take full control of Ukraine&#8217;s Donetsk region.
The advance is one of the most dramatic in the last year. DeepState said the Russians had surged forward near three villages on a section of the frontline associated with the Ukrainian towns of Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, which Moscow is trying to encircle by exploiting Kyiv&#8217;s lack of manpower.
&#8220;The situation is quite chaotic, as the enemy, having found gaps in the defense, is infiltrating deeper, trying to quickly consolidate and accumulate forces for further advancement,&#8221; DeepState said on its Telegram channel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine when they meet in Alaska on Friday. Unconfirmed media reports say Putin has told Trump he wants Ukraine to hand over the part of the Donetsk region that Russia does not control.
There was no immediate comment on the advance from Moscow. Ukraine&#8217;s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, had ordered reinforcements to be deployed &#8220;to detect and destroy enemy sabotage groups that penetrate the line of defense,&#8221; Andriy Kovalov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army, told Interfax-Ukraine.
He said Russia was using its numerical superiority to try to infiltrate Ukrainian defense lines in small groups and had made 35 attempts to push back Ukrainian units, suffering heavy losses in the process. Viktor Trehubov, another Ukrainian military spokesperson, played down the development, saying the infiltration did not amount to a breakthrough.
Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group, said the situation had escalated rapidly, with Russian forces infiltrating past Ukrainian lines to a depth of roughly 10 miles during the past three days.
&#8220;Forwardmost Russian units have reportedly reached the Dobropillia – Kramatorsk road T0514 and Russian infiltration groups have also been reported near Dobropillia proper,&#8221; he wrote on X.
<h3>RUSSIA MAY GAIN LEVERAGE FOR TRUMP TALKS</h3>
Tatarigami_UA, a former Ukrainian army officer whose Frontelligence Insight analysis tracks the conflict, posted: &#8220;In both 2014 and 2015, Russia launched major offensives ahead of negotiations to gain leverage. The current situation is serious, but far from the collapse some suggest.&#8221;
Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said the Russians had been able to advance because of &#8220;a partial collapse in the front&#8221; due to Ukraine&#8217;s shortage of soldiers.
&#8220;This breakthrough is like a gift to Putin and Trump during the negotiations,&#8221; Markov said, suggesting it could increase pressure on Kyiv to cede some land to prevent the Russian army eventually taking the rest of Donetsk by force.
To do that, though, Russian forces would first need to take control of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka &#8211; which Russian military analysts call &#8220;fortress cities.&#8221;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly pushed back against the idea of ceding territory to Russia, saying any peace deal must be a just one.
Bohdan Krotevych, former chief of staff of Ukraine&#8217;s Azov brigade and a National Guard lieutenant colonel, took to X late on Monday to warn Zelensky of the threat, saying the frontline in the area was &#8220;a complete mess.&#8221;
&#8220;The line of combat engagement as a fixed line does not actually exist,&#8221; he said.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow. Additional reporting by Dan Peleschuk and Yuliia Dysa in Kyiv. Editing by Kevin Liffey and Giles Elgood.)

A still image from video released by Russian Defense Ministry shows what it said to be Russian soldier raising flag in Yablunivka in Donetsk region

Russia Makes Sudden Advance In Ukraine Days Before Trump-Putin Summit

Donald Trump

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump ripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday after Zelensky rejected Trump&#8217;s idea of a land swap with Russia to end the war.
Trump <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-on-holds-news-conference-on-washington-dc-security/664010">told</a> reporters in the White House Briefing Room that he disagrees with Zelensky &#8220;very, very severely,&#8221; adding that he &#8220;was a little bothered&#8221; by Zelensky&#8217;s resistance to his peace plan.
“I get along with Zelensky, but, you know, I disagree with what he’s done, very, very severely disagree. This is a war that should have never happened,” Trump said.
“I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelensky was saying, ‘Well, I have to get constitutional approval.’ I mean, he’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap, because there’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody — for the good of Ukraine,” he added. &#8220;Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They&#8217;ve occupied some very prime territory. We&#8217;re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.&#8221;
Zelensky <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/world/europe/zelensky-trump-ukraine-russia.html">said</a> on Saturday that &#8220;Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,&#8221; adding, “Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace. They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work.”
A potential land swap was discussed by President Trump last Friday, just before he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-says-hell-end-war-with-ukraine-with-one-major-concession?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Putin+Says+He%E2%80%99ll+End+War+With+Ukraine+With+One+Major+Concession">revealed plans</a> to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska at the end of this week. Putin reportedly told Trump envoy Steve Witkoff last week that he would end the war against Ukraine in exchange for the region in eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas. Russian troops have taken over large swaths of eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces continue to fight back, seeking to push out the Russian invaders.
“Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky wants to see peace,” Trump said at the White House last Friday.
He added that there would be “some swapping” of territories between Russia and Ukraine.
&#8220;It’s very complicated, but we’re going to get some back and we’re going to get some switched … to the betterment of both.&#8221;
Zelensky was not invited to meet with Trump and Putin in Alaska, but one of Trump&#8217;s stipulations for meeting with the Russian president is that Putin would agree to hold talks with Zelensky. Trump has publicly bashed both Zelensky and Putin in the past, with most of his recent criticism focusing on Putin and Russia&#8217;s continued targeting of Ukrainian civilian centers.
“We’re going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” Trump said on Monday. “Ultimately, I’m going to put the two of them in a room. I’ll be there, or I won’t be there, and I think it’ll get solved.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Volodymyr Zelensky

Trump Blasts Zelensky For Showing Resistance To Potential Land Swap With Russia

As President Donald Trump gears up to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, all eyes — and ears — are on him and everything he says in the days leading up to the summit.
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.
Trump&#8217;s meeting with Putin is drawing attention for a number of reasons — not the least of which being the it could put an end to more than three years of brutality and bloodshed in Ukraine — but not everyone lining up to discuss the very important summit on the Sunday morning political shows appeared to have any faith or interest in it going well.
&#8220;We know that President Trump has wanted to meet with Vladimir Putin for a long time. He likes that one-on-one,&#8221; Martha Raddatz gave her take on the situation on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We know that President Trump has wanted to meet with Vladimir Putin for a long time. He likes that one-on-one,” <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> ahead of Trump’s upcoming meeting with the Russian president on Friday. <a href="https://t.co/muTVAKm2fT">https://t.co/muTVAKm2fT</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNJFlhMhKu">pic.twitter.com/uNJFlhMhKu</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954534969646178757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte seemed to be optimistic about the meeting — and told host Jonathan Karl as much. The meeting, he said, &#8220;will be important because it will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday’s summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “will be important because it will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end.” <a href="https://t.co/hRb4oV0Vss">https://t.co/hRb4oV0Vss</a> <a href="https://t.co/3o44OuTNRm">pic.twitter.com/3o44OuTNRm</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954535625689874864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He added that he had seen &#8220;clear evidence that President Trump is absolutely adamant to bring this war to an end, but also to keep maximum pressure on Putin.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit on Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that there is “clear evidence that President Trump is absolutely adamant to bring this war to an end, but also to keep maximum pressure on Putin.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jMxgEsJfRE">https://t.co/jMxgEsJfRE</a> <a href="https://t.co/59WBWfZL2Z">pic.twitter.com/59WBWfZL2Z</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954542232956023006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rutte also pushed back on &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan — who compared the Trump-Putin summit to the appeasement of Nazi Germany in 1938 — and argued that it was good for Trump to have brought Putin to the negotiating table.
&#8220;Obviously, when it comes to peace talks, the ceasefire, and what happens after that on territories, on security guarantees for Ukraine, Ukraine will have to be and will be involved,” Rutte said. “But on Friday, it is important to see how serious Putin is, and the only one who can do that is President Trump.”
“It&#8217;s really crucial that a meeting takes place,” he continued. “It is important to start the next phase of this process, putting pressure on the Russians exactly as President Trump has been doing over the last six months.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says President Trump “will test&#8221; Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska this Friday.
&#8220;It is important to see how serious Putin is, and the only one who can do that is President Trump,&#8221; he says, though he adds that &#8220;there… <a href="https://t.co/V4q1B7VgJE">pic.twitter.com/V4q1B7VgJE</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1954579621959323997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former National Security Advisor John Bolton cast doubt on the event, saying, &#8220;I think this is a very risky meeting upcoming from the perspective not just of Ukraine, but the Western alliance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think this is a very risky meeting upcoming from the perspective not just of Ukraine, but the Western alliance,” former Trump national security adviser John Bolton said ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. <a href="https://t.co/uYPr7zNoD1">https://t.co/uYPr7zNoD1</a> <a href="https://t.co/1p7hOorR3N">pic.twitter.com/1p7hOorR3N</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954544715346366910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bolton went on to claim that Trump was more interested in the possibility of recognition than he was in doing what was right to secure lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine. &#8220;I think what Trump has done is make it clear that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize more than anything else,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think what Trump has done is make it clear that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize more than anything else,&#8221; Pres. Trump&#8217;s former national security adviser John Bolton told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> when asked about Trump&#8217;s international record. <a href="https://t.co/ai4XPqIlro">https://t.co/ai4XPqIlro</a> <a href="https://t.co/cHPbJYZ68B">pic.twitter.com/cHPbJYZ68B</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954546302089367579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce made it sound like the meeting was proof of Trump&#8217;s willingness to give Putin the upper hand in negotiations.
&#8220;The Alaska summit — which will be Putin’s first trip to the United States in nearly a decade and his first meeting with an American president in more than four years — allows Putin to avoid the new sanctions,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“The Alaska summit — which will be Putin’s first trip to the United States in nearly a decade and his first meeting with an American president in more than four years — allows Putin to avoid the new sanctions.” <a href="https://twitter.com/marykbruce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryKBruce</a> on the Trump-Putin meeting: <a href="https://t.co/lSWoYe1z1f">https://t.co/lSWoYe1z1f</a> <a href="https://t.co/EQuzAxsxpt">pic.twitter.com/EQuzAxsxpt</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1954549374920397274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tried to stay neutral on the issue, telling CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash on &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; &#8220;Vladimir Putin is a really awful guy… If in fact an agreement can be negotiated which does not compromise what the Ukrainians feel that they need, I think that&#8217;s a positive step forward. We all want to see an end to the bloodshed.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSanders</a> responds to Trump’s upcoming summit with Putin: “Vladimir Putin is a really awful guy… If in fact an agreement can be negotiated which does not compromise what the Ukrainians feel that they need, I think that&#8217;s a positive step forward. We all want to see an end to… <a href="https://t.co/Ts0C6OIwuH">pic.twitter.com/Ts0C6OIwuH</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1954536672835539015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told Brennan that she believed Trump would negotiate with Putin &#8220;from the position of strength,&#8221; arguing that he had already sanctioned India and had threatened additional sanctions on Russia.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When asked whether it is a concern Russian President Putin will “talk his way into further land seizures” while negotiating for an end to the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova says she is “confident” the U.S. will negotiate with Putin “from the… <a href="https://t.co/raWqVksdP4">pic.twitter.com/raWqVksdP4</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1954570972138287598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-sets-condition-for-putin-to-meet-trump">Trump and Putin</a> are set to meet in Alaska on Friday.

Donald Trump/Vladimir Putin

Spin Cycle: Russia, Russia, And You Guessed It — More Russia

Media

Politics

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte voiced support on Sunday for President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that is scheduled for later this week.
Rutte appeared on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” and <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1954557171477176434">said</a> that Trump “broke the deadlock” and opened Putin to peace negotiations. In response to a question from host Margaret Brennan that compared the Trump-Putin meeting to appeasement of the Nazis in 1938, Rutte said Friday’s meeting will be about “testing” how serious Putin is about a ceasefire or an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Obviously, when it comes to peace talks, the ceasefire, and what happens after that on territories, on security guarantees for Ukraine, Ukraine will have to be and will be involved,” Rutte said. “But on Friday, it is important to see how serious Putin is, and the only one who can do that is President Trump.”
“It&#8217;s really crucial that a meeting takes place,” he continued. “It is important to start the next phase of this process, putting pressure on the Russians exactly as President Trump has been doing over the last six months.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says President Trump “will test&#8221; Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska this Friday.
&#8220;It is important to see how serious Putin is, and the only one who can do that is President Trump,&#8221; he says, though he adds that &#8220;there… <a href="https://t.co/V4q1B7VgJE">pic.twitter.com/V4q1B7VgJE</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1954579621959323997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Putin has reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-says-hell-end-war-with-ukraine-with-one-major-concession">told</a> the Trump administration that Russia would end the war if Ukraine ceded control of its eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russia largely controls though Ukraine’s military is fighting back in some spots. Putin also demanded recognition of Russian control of the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
On Friday, Trump said that a peace between Ukraine and Russia could involve “some swapping” of territories, a suggestion that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flatly rejected on Saturday.
“Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” said Zelensky, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/world/europe/zelensky-trump-ukraine-russia.html">The New York Times</a>.
“Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,” Zelensky added in a <a href="https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/15575">video</a> posted to Telegram. “They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work.”
Ukrainian support for continuing the war against Russia has collapsed, according to a Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693203/ukrainian-support-war-effort-collapses.aspx">poll</a> released last week. Support for finding a negotiated solution to end the war has surged to 69% up from 52% last year. Support to continue fighting dropped from 38% to 24% over the same period.

Mark Rutte

NATO Head Backs Meeting With Putin, Says Trump ‘Broke The Deadlock’

NATO

Vice President JD Vance gave a preview of his expectations for President Donald Trump&#8217;s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
&#8220;Look, it&#8217;s actually very simple,&#8221; Vance said during a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6376764434112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News interview</a> with &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; anchor Maria Bartiromo. &#8220;If you take where the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine is, we&#8217;re going to try to find some negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Watch Part 1 of <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaBartiromo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaBartiromo</a>&#8216;s exclusive interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SundayFutures</a> discussing the wars in Ukraine &amp; Israel, and the future of redistricting<a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/8HUL7DO7z1">pic.twitter.com/8HUL7DO7z1</a>
— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures/status/1954549055591231831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He continued, &#8220;It&#8217;s not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it. But I don&#8217;t think you can actually sit down and have this negotiation absent the leadership of Donald J. Trump.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1953940896203919604" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Truth Social that he would meet Putin in Alaska on Friday. He also <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/1953921321563218367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters that</a> a potential deal would include &#8220;some swapping of territories&#8221; to end the years-long conflict, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/world/europe/zelensky-trump-ukraine-russia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> the idea of giving up land.
Vance contended that he did not believe a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy before Trump&#8217;s expected meeting with Putin would be &#8220;that productive&#8221; to the peace effort.
&#8220;I think, fundamentally, the president of the United States has to be the one to kind of bring these two together,&#8221; Vance said, adding that &#8220;fundamentally, this is something where the president needs to force President Putin and President Zelenskyy really to sit down to figure out their differences.&#8221;
Vance said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been helping the Trump administration reach a breakthrough. He noted that one of the &#8220;most important logjams&#8221; was Putin saying that he would never sit down for a conversation with Zelenskyy.
&#8220;And the president has now got that to change,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;We&#8217;re at a point now where we&#8217;re now trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict.&#8221;

Vice President JD Vance

Vance Makes ‘Very Simple’ Prediction For Trump-Putin Meeting

JD Vance

U.S.

White House

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Trump administration earlier this week that he would end the war with Ukraine in exchange for the region in eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-proposal-0021453b?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAggJDROuneUpYV33qmX-6yZrQNIzxWuz-RSL52CCnGuKe4GFcz0FJx_oY6NkhI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6896659f&amp;gaa_sig=HkjAQLBnzfoGftyZP5-qD-D68C7812arHIWAUN31gqvLfA4zWrwHSX7WOV_QVVT3L_V-bSVVIcau-PPXwcuznw%3D%3D">reported</a> on Friday.
The WSJ cited European and Ukrainian officials, who were briefed by Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on discussions with Putin. Putin reportedly made the offer to Witkoff during their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
Russia wants full control of Ukraine&#8217;s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, along with the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. Russian forces are now mostly in control of Donetsk and Luhansk, but Ukrainian troops are still fighting back in some areas in the regions.
European officials told the WSJ that they were concerned over Putin&#8217;s proposal, saying that it could be the Russian dictator&#8217;s way of avoiding punishment from President Trump, who is expected to impose secondary tariffs on Russia. European leaders also questioned whether Putin would be willing to give up fighting for Ukraine&#8217;s Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, which are southwest of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Trump announced on Friday that he would be meeting with Putin on August 15 in Alaska. &#8220;The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114995403653615328">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Trump said at the White House earlier on Friday that a summit with Putin had been in the works, and a location for talks had been decided upon. Some of Trump&#8217;s stipulations for the summit include that no European leaders be present and that Putin agree to also meet with Zelensky.
&#8220;Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky wants to see peace,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1953915459708842361">said</a>.
The president <a href="https://x.com/SkyNews/status/1953917792685543903">added</a> that there would be &#8220;some swapping&#8221; of territories between Russia and Ukraine.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very complicated, but we&#8217;re going to get some back and we&#8217;re going to get some switched &#8230; to the betterment of both,&#8221; he added.
Trump&#8217;s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine ended on Friday, unless he agrees to extend it, with a summit between Putin and Zelensky appearing more likely. Asked whether the deadline was still firm, Trump replied, “We’re going to see what [Putin] has to say. It’s going to be up to him.”
The president ramped up the pressure on Putin to end the conflict, which has resulted in an estimated hundreds of thousands of deaths over the past three years, as Putin continued to launch drone and missile attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian centers. Last week, Trump also repositioned two nuclear submarines after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened that Trump&#8217;s ultimatums to Putin were a &#8220;step towards war.&#8221;

Putin Says He’ll End War With Ukraine With One Major Concession

Trump Administration

A White House official told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/07/us-news/trump-to-meet-putin-in-coming-days-with-venue-to-be-announced-later-kremlin-says/">The New York Post</a> on Thursday that for President Donald Trump to agree to a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader must also agree to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia said earlier on Thursday that the United States had agreed &#8220;in principle&#8221; to a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin, with a location for the meeting being secured. The White House rejected Russia&#8217;s assertion, however, saying that no location had been decided upon and that Trump had not yet agreed to meet with the Russian president. The White House added that Putin must agree to sit face-to-face with Zelensky for any meeting with Trump to take place. ABC News also <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/kremlin-trump-putin-agreed-meeting-coming-days/story?id=124438908">reported</a> on the White House&#8217;s stipulation.
The Kremlin said earlier on Thursday that a &#8220;meeting between Putin and Trump [will take place] in the coming days,&#8221; adding that &#8220;work on the summit has now begun.&#8221;
&#8220;The venue of the meeting between the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, has been agreed, and the Kremlin will inform about it later,&#8221; Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
The statement from Russia came one day after Trump&#8217;s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-envoy-steve-witkoff-holds-3-hour-meeting-with-putin-as-peace-deadline-nears?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Envoy+Steve+Witkoff+Holds+3-Hour+Meeting+With+Putin+As+Peace+Deadline+Nears">met</a> with Putin for around three hours, discussing the war with Ukraine and Russia&#8217;s relationship with the United States. After Witkoff briefed Trump on the meeting, the president reportedly told Zelensky and European leaders in a phone call that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-looking-to-meet-with-putin-zelensky-next-week-report?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Looking+To+Meet+With+Putin%2C+Zelensky+Next+Week%3A+Report">plans</a> to meet with Putin next week. Trump said that he only wanted to meet with Putin and Zelensky — with no European counterparts in the room, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/us/politics/trump-meeting-putin-zelensky.html">reported</a>.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on Wednesday afternoon that a Trump-Putin summit in the &#8220;near future&#8221; is possible, but added that &#8220;a lot has to happen before that can occur.&#8221;
“Today was a good day, but we got a lot of work ahead. There are still many impediments to overcome,” Rubio said.
Since the war began in February 2022, Putin has rebuffed any attempts to meet with Zelensky, claiming that he is an illegitimate leader after he suspended elections under martial law. Trump has been pushing Putin to get a peace deal done with Ukraine, giving Moscow until Friday to come to an agreement before the United States imposes secondary tariffs on Russia, a move that could affect Russia&#8217;s war chest by punishing countries that continue to send cash to the Russian regime in exchange for oil.

White House Sets Condition For Putin To Meet Trump

Executive

Global Politics

President Donald Trump told European leaders in a phone call on Wednesday that he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week as he hopes to see the warring nations reach a peace deal, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/us/politics/trump-meeting-putin-zelensky.html">reported</a>.
Trump spoke to some of America&#8217;s European allies shortly after hearing a report from his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-envoy-steve-witkoff-holds-3-hour-meeting-with-putin-as-peace-deadline-nears?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Envoy+Steve+Witkoff+Holds+3-Hour+Meeting+With+Putin+As+Peace+Deadline+Nears">met with Putin</a> in Moscow earlier on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that during the meeting with Witkoff, Putin proposed a summit with Trump, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/06/putin-trump-meeting-ukraine-ceasefire">reported</a>.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox Business Wednesday afternoon that a Trump-Putin summit is possible in the &#8220;near future.&#8221;
&#8220;If things continue to progress, an opportunity will present itself very soon for the president to meet both with Vladimir Putin and with President Zelensky at some point here, hopefully in the near future,&#8221; Rubio <a href="https://x.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1953196378328375690">said</a>. &#8220;But obviously, a lot has to happen before that can occur.&#8221;
&#8220;Today was a good day, but we got a lot of work ahead. There are still many impediments to overcome,&#8221; Rubio added.
The president reportedly said that he wanted the meeting to only include Putin, Zelensky, and himself — and no European counterparts, according to the Times. No location has been decided on for a potential summit between the world leaders. Trump&#8217;s phone call also included Zelensky, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump said earlier on Wednesday that Witkoff &#8220;had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.&#8221;
&#8220;Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114982898525988419">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
The Kremlin added that the talks between Putin and Witkoff resulted in “a very useful and constructive conversation.&#8221;
If a meeting comes to fruition next week, it would be just past Trump&#8217;s deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, a deadline that hits on Friday. The president has become increasingly frustrated with Putin as the Russian dictator continues to carry out deadly strikes on Ukrainian civilian centers and has shown no sign of bringing an end to the fighting.
If Russia does not reach a peace deal with Ukraine by the end of the week, Trump has threatened to punish the country with secondary tariffs, which would be placed on nations that do business with Russia in hopes of cutting into Putin&#8217;s war chest. A U.S. official told Axios that the secondary tariffs are still expected to come down on Russia and its oil customers on Friday.
Last week, Trump also sent a stern warning to Moscow in the form of two nuclear submarines, which he said he repositioned after &#8220;inflammatory&#8221; comments from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin

Trump Looking To Meet With Putin, Zelensky Next Week: Report

President Donald Trump&#8217;s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for three hours on Wednesday, just two days before Trump&#8217;s deadline for Russia to agree to peace with Ukraine.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114982898525988419">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting was &#8220;highly productive,&#8221; adding that &#8220;great progress was made!&#8221;
&#8220;Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,&#8221; Trump wrote.
The Kremlin said the meeting resulted in &#8220;a very useful and constructive conversation,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/trump-envoy-witkoff-arrives-moscow-ahead-ukraine-ceasefire/story?id=124402204">reported</a>. The discussion focused on the war in Ukraine, along with potential &#8220;strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia,&#8221; according to Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov. Witkoff also met with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia&#8217;s sovereign wealth fund.
Ushakov said that the Kremlin would wait until Witkoff reports to Trump to comment further on the meeting. As of Wednesday afternoon, the White House has not provided any details on Witkoff&#8217;s talks with Putin.
The meeting marked Witkoff&#8217;s fifth visit with Putin since Trump was sworn into office for his second term and vowed to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. So far, none of Witkoff&#8217;s meetings with the Russian authoritarian have resulted in any action toward peace between Moscow and Kyiv. The only deals Russia and Ukraine have agreed to are prisoner swaps and a Black Sea ceasefire that both nations accused each other of breaking.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-shortens-initial-50-day-deadline-for-putin-to-reach-peace-deal-with-ukraine">increased pressure</a> on Putin to reach a peace deal, giving Russia until Friday — a much shorter timeframe than the 50-day deadline he initially gave Putin last month. Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia">said</a> Friday that he repositioned two nuclear submarines in response to former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev saying that Trump&#8217;s ultimatums to Russia were &#8220;a step towards war.&#8221;
&#8220;Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,&#8221; Trump said after announcing that he was moving the nuclear subs. He added that Medvedev should &#8220;watch his words&#8221; and that he was &#8220;entering very dangerous territory!&#8221;
Russia responded after Trump&#8217;s move, saying that the Kremlin &#8220;is very cautious about nuclear nonproliferation matters, and we believe everyone should be very careful about nuclear rhetoric.&#8221;
&#8220;There can be no winner in a nuclear war,&#8221; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added. &#8220;This is probably the key premise we rely on. We do not think there is talk of any escalation.&#8221;
As Russian airstrikes on Ukraine have increased in recent weeks, Trump has threatened to punish Russia with secondary tariffs if it does not end the fighting by his Friday deadline. The secondary tariffs would be imposed on countries that do business with Russia, such as buying Russian oil, a move that the Trump administration hopes would cut deeply into Moscow&#8217;s war chest. Russia&#8217;s biggest oil customers are India and China.
This article has been updated to include a post from President Trump.

Putin, Witkoff

Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff Holds 3-Hour Meeting With Putin As Peace Deadline Nears

Steve Witkoff

Russia warned against nuclear escalation on Monday in the Kremlin&#8217;s first public remarks addressing President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia">reposition</a> two nuclear submarines near Russia on Friday.
Trump ordered the submarines to be moved in response to former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev&#8217;s &#8220;highly provocative statements,&#8221; which included a warning that Trump&#8217;s ultimatums to Russia were &#8220;a step towards war.&#8221;
“Russia is very cautious about nuclear nonproliferation matters, and we believe everyone should be very careful about nuclear rhetoric,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/08/04/russia-trump-nuclear-threats-ukraine-submarines/">The Washington Post</a>.
Peskov also appeared to distance Russian President Vladimir Putin from Medvedev, who is often seen as Putin&#8217;s attack dog.
“In our country, foreign policy is formulated by the head of state, President Putin,” Peskov said. He did not answer when asked if the Kremlin would tell Medvedev to cool down his rhetoric. The spokesman added that Moscow is not considering &#8220;any escalation&#8221; with the United States.
“There can be no winner in a nuclear war,” Peskov added. “This is probably the key premise we rely on. We do not think there is talk of any escalation.”
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump blasted Medvedev and his &#8220;foolish and inflammatory statements,&#8221; writing, “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.&#8221;
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Putin later this week as Trump ramps up pressure on Russia to end its war with Ukraine. Witkoff&#8217;s visit, which would be his fifth visit with Putin, comes just before Trump&#8217;s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine. The president has vowed to impose secondary tariffs on Russia if it does not agree to peace with Ukraine by August 9.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-lot-of-unnecessary-death-trump-drops-new-figures-on-russian-battlefield-losses">revealed</a> last week that nearly 20,000 Russian troops were killed in combat over the past month, raising the total number of Russians killed during the more than three-year-long war to 112,500. Some estimates put the number of Russian casualties much higher.
“That is a lot of unnecessary DEATH!” Trump said.
“Ukraine has also lost civilians, but in smaller numbers, as Russian rockets crash into Kyiv, and other Ukrainian locales,” he added. “This is a War that should have never happened — This is Biden’s War, not ‘TRUMP’s.’ I’m just here to see if I can stop it!”

‘There Can Be No Winner In A Nuclear War’: Russia Responds After Trump Dispatches Submarines

Nuclear war

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had been informed nearly 20,000 Russian troops were killed in combat over the past month, raising the total number of Russian military deaths during the &#8220;ridiculous war&#8221; with Ukraine to 112,500.
Trump added that Ukraine has lost around 8,000 soldiers since January 1, a number that does not include soldiers who are missing. The president did not specify the source of the statistics or who provided him with the updated casualty figures.
&#8220;That is a lot of unnecessary DEATH!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114954267210702518">wrote</a>.
&#8220;Ukraine has also lost civilians, but in smaller numbers, as Russian rockets crash into Kyiv, and other Ukrainian locales,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This is a War that should have never happened — This is Biden’s War, not &#8216;TRUMP’s.&#8217; I’m just here to see if I can stop it!&#8221;
Precise casualty numbers in the Ukraine-Russia war have been difficult to estimate given both countries&#8217; propaganda efforts to undercount the total number of deaths on their side. The most recent estimate said that Russia would see one million soldiers either dead or wounded by the summer of 2025, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-battlefield-woes-ukraine">according</a> to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The CSIS study put the number of Russian soldiers killed in the war at 250,000.
&#8220;To put these numbers into historical perspective, Russia has suffered roughly five times as many fatalities in Ukraine as in all Russian and Soviet wars combined between the end of World War II and the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022,&#8221; CSIS wrote in its June 3 report.
Trump has ramped up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal with Ukraine and end the bloodshed. He has also blasted Putin for continued attacks on Ukraine while the countries negotiate. Peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have continued for months with little progress, and Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Putin after Russian forces launched multiple major airstrikes on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Dispatches+Nuclear+Submarines+After+%E2%80%98Highly+Provocative+Statements%E2%80%99+From+Russia">announced</a> on Friday that he was dispatching two U.S. nuclear submarines “to be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev.”
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Medvedev, who operates as Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s attack dog, has mocked Trump&#8217;s ultimatums for Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

‘A Lot Of Unnecessary DEATH!’: Trump Drops New Figures On Russian Battlefield Losses

Poltiics

President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that India would be hit with a 25% tariff starting August 1 and an additional “penalty” for buying military equipment and energy from Russia. 
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social that criticized India’s business with Russia amid the war in Ukraine. In recent days, Trump has been increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the fighting and come to the negotiating table. 
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114942106248731470">wrote</a>. 
“Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST,” he added. 
In a later post, he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114942113260599578">wrote</a>, &#8220;WE HAVE A MASSIVE TRADE DEFICIT WITH INDIA!!!”
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the U.S. <a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/south-central-asia/india">exported</a> around $41.8 billion in goods to India in 2024 while importing $87.4 billion, equalling a $45.7 billion trade deficit. The &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs for India were initially set at 26%.
Trump has yet to reveal what further &#8220;penalty&#8221; India could face. 
The Trump administration has previously<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-warns-china-on-russian-oil-purchases-that-could-bring-100-tariffs?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bessent+Warns+China+On+Russian+Oil+Purchases+That+Could+Bring+100%25+Tariffs"> threatened</a> to use a similar tactic against China and other countries for purchasing sanctioned Russian oil. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the continued purchase of Russian oil could lead to massive tariffs. 
“The Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously. We don’t want to impede on their sovereignty, so they’d like to pay a 100% tariff,” Bessent said.
Trump has become increasingly outspoken with his frustration with Putin and the ongoing war. Earlier this week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-shortens-initial-50-day-deadline-for-putin-to-reach-peace-deal-with-ukraine?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Shortens+Initial+50-Day+Deadline+For+Putin+To+Reach+Peace+Deal+With+Ukraine">shortened</a> the 50-day deadline he had set for Putin to make a peace deal with Ukraine. That came after the administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-shortens-initial-50-day-deadline-for-putin-to-reach-peace-deal-with-ukraine?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Shortens+Initial+50-Day+Deadline+For+Putin+To+Reach+Peace+Deal+With+Ukraine">moved</a> to resume weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this month after a brief pause. 
“We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city, like Kyiv, and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘That’s not the way to do it.&#8217;”

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