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Trump and Putin to Meet in Alaska, Zelensky May Join Talks

Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, August 15, 2025. The announcement, made on Trump’s Truth Social account, described the event as a “highly anticipated meeting” and promised further details in the coming days.

While Trump stated the date and location were set, a senior White House official reportedly noted that the plans remain “fluid.” According to that official, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may also become involved in the discussions.

The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts to address the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Moscow had earlier indicated that it expected Trump and Putin to meet in person to discuss the war, with top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirming that a venue had been agreed upon.

This development follows U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff’s recent visit to Russia, where he met directly with Putin. Those talks were described as a “last-bid attempt” to secure peace in Ukraine, though little concrete progress has been reported so far.

Observers note that Trump’s tone on the conflict has shifted over time—from initial optimism about diplomatic solutions to clear frustration at the lack of movement from Moscow.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump remains “open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky” if it could help advance peace negotiations. The Alaska summit, if it proceeds as planned, could mark one of the most high-profile diplomatic events of the year.

Trump Hits India with 25 Percent Tariff, ‘Penalty’ for Enabling Russia

The U.S. will levy a 25 percent tariff on India, which includes a “penalty” for buying military equipment and energy from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

“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 wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He continued:

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.

When reporters asked Trump on Tuesday if a deal with India had been finalized, Trump shot back, “No, it’s not,” the Hill reported. The tariff announcement less than 24 hours later confirmed that answer. (Read more from “Trump Hits India with 25 Percent Tariff, ‘Penalty’ for Enabling Russia” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

NATO Chief: Putin Envoy Derailed Ukraine Peace Talks with Lecture on 800 Years of Russian History

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte revealed in conversation with President Donald Trump on Monday that the Russian government sabotaged peace talks with Ukraine in May by sending a historian to meticulously document the history of Russia beginning in 1250.

Rutte was in Washington to meet with President Trump, who announced a plan to dramatically expand Ukraine’s access to American weapons and laid down an ultimatum to Russian leader Vladimir Putin that requires him to conclude his invasion of Ukraine in 50 days or face punitive secondary tariffs of 100 percent on Russian trade partners. Trump told reporters the deadline was necessary because the Russian government, and Putin personally, were refusing to engage authentically with Kyiv to find an end to the conflict. Trump complained that Putin would be polite and gracious in private phone calls, then immediately escalate the mass killing of civilians, outraging the American president.

Trump has prioritized finding an end to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, since long before his inauguration to a second term in office. He has emphasized the need for both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to engage in difficult conversations earnestly, sternly pressuring Zelensky and scolding him for not being ready for peace following a failed White House engagement in February. In the past month, however, Trump has increasingly expressed frustration with Putin as Zelensky has stepped up attempts to hold viable negotiations.

“I felt that we had a deal about four times and here we are still talking about it,” Trump told reporters on Monday, appearing to blame Russia, not Ukraine, for the failure.

Rutte, sitting alongside Trump, explained that the latest round of talks failed because the Russian government did not take them seriously. (Read more from “NATO Chief: Putin Envoy Derailed Ukraine Peace Talks with Lecture on 800 Years of Russian History” HERE)

Trump Strikes Deal With NATO To Send Weapons To Ukraine On Europe’s Dime

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his administration would sell the “best equipment” and “best missiles” to NATO for Ukraine’s defense and threatened to impose 100% “secondary tariffs” on Russia as it continues to wage war on Ukraine.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said, “We’ve made a deal today where we’re going to be sending them weapons and they’re going to be paying for them.”

“The United States will not be having any payment made,” he added. “We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”

“We have an ocean separating us,” the president continued. “We make the best stuff, but we can’t keep doing this — and Biden should’ve done this years ago.”

(Read more from “Trump Strikes Deal With NATO To Send Weapons To Ukraine On Europe’s Dime” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

CNN: Trump Threatened to ‘Bomb’ Moscow to Prevent Attack on Ukraine

President Donald Trump reportedly threatened to “bomb” Moscow as part of an effort to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine, according to CNN.

Trump’s comments were reportedly made during a 2024 “private gathering of donors,” audio footage “provided” to the outlet showed.

In addition to threatening Putin that he would bomb Moscow if he went “into Ukraine,” Trump reportedly also issued a “similar warning” to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s**t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,’” Trump said during the event.

CNN reported that Trump’s comments came as he was making “his case for a second term.” (Read more from “CNN: Trump Threatened to ‘Bomb’ Moscow to Prevent Attack on Ukraine” HERE)

Russia Bombards Ukraine in Extensive Missile and Drone Attack Hours After Trump-Putin Phone Call

Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other cities on Friday in the largest missile and drone attack so far in the war, just hours after Vladimir Putin’s phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ukrainian authorities reported little damage except for some residential buildings in five neighborhoods, the New York Times reported from Kyiv.

Russia has increased its missile and drone attacks on besieged Ukraine in recent months as a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire between the two countries remains elusive. The attack this week will likely set a new record for the largest missile and drone strikes, per Ukrainian officials.

Putin has escalated pressure on Ukraine as President Trump has attempted to facilitate peace negotiations between the two countries. These talks have made little progress. Though Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed ceasefire in March, Russia refused to consider the framework.

After the phone call between the Americana and Russian presidents just before the attack, Trump lamented that he “didn’t make any progress with him at all.” (Read more from “Russia Bombards Ukraine in Extensive Missile and Drone Attack Hours After Trump-Putin Phone Call” HERE)

Russian Soldier Kills, Eats Comrade in Twisted Attempt to Survive Ukraine War: Report

. . .A Russian soldier on the frontlines in Ukraine murdered his comrade and ate the corpse to survive the grim wartime conditions — only to end up dying anyway, Kyiv’s military intelligence reported.

A call between two Russian soldiers who shared the jaw-dropping story of the cannibalistic ‘Brelok’, who killed his countryman ‘Foma’, was allegedly intercepted by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, according to the Kyiv Post.

“F–king hell… Brelok f–king ate him, f–k me… nobody went anywhere. Brelok took him out and then ate him for f–king two weeks,” the first caller said.

“No f–king way… Holy sh-t… F—k my bald skull. Was Brelok really found as a 200?” the other person replied, using Soviet era slang for a soldier found killed in action.

“Yeah, they say he was a 200. He ate his comrade. So yeah… something to think about. I was shocked myself,” the caller concluded.

The ghoulish cannibal was found dead, according to the report. (Read more from “Russian Soldier Kills, Eats Comrade in Twisted Attempt to Survive Ukraine War: Report” HERE)

Ukraine’s Surprise Drone Strike Shuts Down Moscow Airports As U.S. Experts Warn: “It Could Happen Here”

Ukraine executed another bold drone assault deep inside Russian territory on Sunday, temporarily shutting down two of Moscow’s busiest airports.

The strike not only demonstrated Kyiv’s growing reach but also raised alarm bells among U.S. national security experts, who warn America could be just as vulnerable to such a surprise attack.

Russian air defense systems intercepted multiple drones flying toward Moscow, prompting authorities to shut down Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports early Sunday morning, Reuters reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed the incident on Telegram, saying that emergency teams were deployed to the crash sites. Both airports resumed operations later that morning, according to Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport. (Read more from “Ukraine’s Surprise Drone Strike Shuts Down Moscow Airports As U.S. Experts Warn: “It Could Happen Here” HERE)

Ukraine Launches Massive Surprise Attack, Dismantles Russian Nuclear Bomber Fleet: ‘A New Pearl Harbor’

Ukrainian forces stunned the Russian military Sunday after wiping out and damaging dozens of nuclear bombers and other aircraft with ambitious and complicated attacks that struck President Vladimir Putin’s air bases deep inside the country, Kyiv says.

Even pro-Moscow military bloggers are calling the strike — which used drones hidden in trucks — “the Russian Pearl Harbor.”

The attack came just a day before the leaders of Ukraine and Russia were potentially set to meet in Istanbul as part of US-backed cease-fire talks.

The mission carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) using first-person-view (FPV) drones hit 41 Russian heavy bombers and other warplanes at four separate airfields thousands of miles from Ukraine.

The cost of the destroyed aircraft, most of which Russia no longer even manufactures, is at least $7 billion, Kyiv said. (Read more from “Ukraine Launches Massive Surprise Attack, Dismantles Russian Nuclear Bomber Fleet: ‘A New Pearl Harbor’” HERE)

Putin to Skip Peace Talks as Trump Pushes for Immediate End to War

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s absence from the second round of in-person peace talks between Russia and Ukraine sends a clear signal that the Kremlin has no genuine interest in ending the war it started. Putin’s decision to skip the negotiating table underscores his continued commitment to aggression over diplomacy. However, President Donald Trump said meeting with world leaders is crucial to signing a peace agreement.

On Monday, June 2nd, Istanbul is set to host a planned meeting involving Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to discuss potential ceasefire talks amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. However, the future of these negotiations remains uncertain, as Russia has submitted “specific proposals” to Washington but has not shared them with Kyiv.

Meanwhile, it is uncertain whether Ukraine will attend the meeting, with outlets pointing out that Kyiv is “keeping Russia guessing.”

According to reports, Kyiv wants to exchange negotiation points with Moscow before the talks begin. At the same time, Russia insists on only sharing its proposals in person and behind closed doors, emphasizing that talks should remain private.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that, despite Russia’s claims of spending over a week preparing a memorandum for peace talks, they have yet to share it with Ukraine, international partners, or Turkey, the host of the initial meeting. (Read more from “Putin to Skip Peace Talks as Trump Pushes for Immediate End to War” HERE)