The Ukrainian military has claimed to have pushed Russia’s forces back by about 1.2 miles on part of the Sumy front in northern Ukraine.
"Ukrainian soldiers continue active combat actions to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements," the Ukrainian general staff said. It added that fighting was raging near the villages of Oleksiivka and Yunakivka, which lie 5km and 7km from the Russian border, respectively.
It comes as Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces as one condition for ending the war.
The Russian leader told Donald Trump that he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Ukraine gave in to the demand and addressed the “root causes of the conflict”.
The concessions were discussed at the highly anticipated summit of the two leaders in Alaska on Friday, which ended with no peace deal despite nearly three hours of talks. Sources very close to the meeting told The Independent the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky is due to head to Washington DC on Monday to meet Trump, after the US President hailed his meeting with the Russian leader as “very successful”.
Read More
Ukraine-Russia latest: Key points
- Putin said he could relax some territorial claims in exchange for Donetsk region
- Ukraine says it presses Russian troops back on part of Sumy front
- Zelensky planning to meet Trump in Washington
- Starmer speaks with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders, No10 says
- Analysis | He rolled out the red carpet for an indicted war criminal and all Trump got was an invitation to Moscow
Canada praises US stance on Ukraine security guarantees
20:58
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Jabed Ahmed
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed what he said was US openness to providing security guarantees to Ukraine under a peace deal to end Russia's war against Kyiv.
"Robust and credible security guarantees are essential to any just and lasting peace. I welcome the openness of the United States to providing security guarantees as part of Coalition of the Willing’s efforts," Carney said in a statement.
"The leadership of President Trump and the United States is creating the opportunity to end Russia's illegal war in Ukraine."
Full report | Putin demands Zelensky surrenders Donestsk region as condition for ending war in Ukraine
20:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports:
Ukraine says it presses Russian troops back on part of Sumy front
20:02
,
Jabed Ahmed
The Ukrainian military said that it had pushed Russian forces back by about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) on part of the Sumy front in northern Ukraine.
There was no immediate comment from Russia, which controls a little over 200 square kilometres in the region, according to Ukraine's battlefield mapping project DeepState.
"Ukrainian soldiers continue active combat actions to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements," the Ukrainian general staff wrote on Facebook.
It added that fighting was raging near the villages of Oleksiivka and Yunakivka, which lie 5 km and 7 km from the Russian border, respectively.
The ebb and flow of the battlefield lines has taken on greater political significance in recent days as Ukraine finds itself at another critical diplomatic juncture with U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up his efforts to broker an end to the war.
Watch | Starmer speaks with Trump after president’s Ukraine ceasefire talks with Putin
19:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Trump and Zelensky to meet at the White House Monday. Here’s what to expect
19:29
,
Jabed Ahmed
Katie Hawkinson reports:
Recap | Zelensky must be at future peace talks, Starmer says
18:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
The “path to peace in Ukraine” cannot be decided without Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he commended Donald Trump’s “pursuit of an end to the killing”.
The Prime minister said the US president’s actions had “brought us closer than ever before” to an end to the war in Ukraine.
But he insisted insisted Ukraine’s leader must take part in future peace talks after speaking with Mr Trump and Nato allies in the wake of the US president’s negotiations with Vladimir Putin.
Sir Keir spent Saturday morning speaking to western allies in the wake of the Anchorage summit.
Following the round of calls, the Prime minister said: “President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.
“While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelensky. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.”
18:31
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Jabed Ahmed
The key takeaways from Putin and Trump’s summit in Alaska
18:12
,
Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Holly Evans reports:
Comment | Putin got everything he wanted from Trump – Ukraine will be terrified for what comes next
17:49
,
Jabed Ahmed
Jon Sopel writes:
When I went to bed last night, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had just gone into their summit meeting in Anchorage, Alaska – and I really had not the faintest idea what I might wake up to.
Would it be a comprehensive peace deal agreed between the two of them that would totally screw Ukraine; or would it be a furious Trump announcing massive, punitive sanctions against Russia over Putin’s intransigence – something he had been threatening just a couple of weeks ago before announcing the summit? Or would it be any number of outcomes in between? Instead, we woke up to – well, what exactly?
Sure, there was a lot of vacuous vibe stuff about progress, constructive talks, deeper understanding, but let’s be clear about the headline: THERE WAS NO DEAL. The missiles, the attack drones, will continue and, as far as we can tell, there is no timetable for a ceasefire.
Read the full Voices article below:
Nordic-Baltic leaders say they remain steadfast in support of Ukraine
17:36
,
Jabed Ahmed
The leaders of eight Nordic-Baltic nations have said that they remain steadfast in their support for Ukraine and to the efforts by Donald Trump to end the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden said in a statement that achieving peace between Ukraine and Russia requires a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine.
"We welcome President Trump's statement that the US is prepared to participate in security guarantees. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with other countries," the statement said.
Trump has said that he had agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies, until now with US support, have demanded.
Recap | Zelensky braces for perilous Trump talks on Monday
17:16
,
Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky will fly to Washington on Monday under heavy US pressure to agree a swift end to Russia's war in Ukraine, but determined to defend Kyiv's interests - without sparking a second Oval Office bust-up with Donald Trump.
The US president invited Zelensky to Washington after rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, Kyiv's arch foe, at a summit in Alaska that shocked many in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands have died since Russia's 2022 invasion.
The Alaska talks failed to produce the ceasefire that Trump sought, and the US leader said on Saturday that he now wanted a full-fledged peace deal and that Kyiv should accept because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not".
The blunt rhetoric throws the weight of expectation squarely back onto Zelensky, putting him in a potentially perilous position as he returns to Washington for the first time since his talks with Trump in the Oval Office spiralled into acrimony in February.
Trump briefed Zelensky on his talks with Putin during a call on Saturday that lasted more than an hour and a half, the Ukrainian leader said. They were joined after an hour by European and Nato officials, he added.
Analysis | He rolled out the red carpet for an indicted war criminal and all Trump got was an invitation to Moscow
16:54
,
Jabed Ahmed
Our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes:
The backslapping bonhomie that started the day vanished into the stormy sulk and red glower from Donald Trump across a podium from Vladimir Putin who still glowed with success. The Alaskan summit was a humiliation for Trump.
His hopes of winning a Nobel Peace Prize didn’t crystallise in this meeting of superpowers dissolved. Even the key word of the whole farrago – “ceasefire” – had vanished.
Ukraine and Europe, supporters of democracy and world order, were on tenterhooks worrying if Trump would repeat Putin’s demands and endorse them as his own. He has done that in the past.
Putin, clearly, had made no concessions. But, emerging from three and a half hours of talks, Trump and the Russian president had nothing to present to the world.
Read the full analysis below:
Pictured | Putin holds meeting with Kremlin officials following Trump meeting
16:38
,
Jabed Ahmed
Putin holds Kremlin meeting following Trump summit
16:26
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russian president Vladimir Putin is holding a meeting in the Kremlin with officials following his meeting with Donald Trump.
He says Russia respects the position of the United States regarding Ukraine and would also like to resolve the crisis in Ukraine by peaceful means.
Putin said he had discussed the reasons behind the Ukraine crisis with Trump.
He also said the visit to Alaska was “timely” and “useful”.
The US and Russia are now “closer to making appropriate decisions”, Putin added.
European leaders invited to Zelensky's Washington trip - report
16:21
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Jabed Ahmed
European leaders have been invited to attend talks between the Ukrainian and US presidents in Washington on Monday, a person familiar with the matter told news agency Reuters.
The source told Reuters it was not fully clear which leaders would attend.
We will bring you the latest as it becomes clear.
16:07
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Jabed Ahmed
Putin gave curt three-word response to reporters
15:55
,
Holly Evans
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a short response to reporters’ questions about his invasion of Ukraine during his summit withPresident Donald Trump in Alaska.
As the pair met in Alaska, MSNBC reported that journalists shouted various questions at Putin about the invasion of Ukraine and his talks with the president, including, “How can President Trump trust you?”
The translator told MSNBC that Putin responded with a dismissive three word response: “Let it go, let it go.”
Read the full article here:
US ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, Germany's Merz says
15:37
,
Holly Evans
The United States is ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday after the Alaska summit.
Merz was speaking to German public broadcaster ZDF after being briefed together with other European leaders by Trump on his talks with Putin.
He is also due to join Starmer on a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ conference on Sunday.
Putin said he could relax some territorial claims in exchange for Donetsk region, FT reports
15:20
,
Holly Evans
Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region as a condition for ending Russia's war but told Donald Trump he could freeze the rest of the frontline if his core demands were met, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
Putin made the request during his meeting with Trump in Alaska on Friday, the FT said, citing four people with direct knowledge of the talks.
In exchange for the Donetsk region, Putin said he would freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the report said.
European leaders invited to join Zelensky at White House, says report
15:07
,
Holly Evans
European leaders are invited to attend a Monday meeting with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing two senior European officials.
The meeting follows a summit between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which Washington said resulted in "great progress" but no deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.
A "Coalition of the Willing" video conference, which includes Sir Keir Starmer, will take place on Sunday afternoon.
Father and son killed in Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Kursk region, governor says
14:37
,
Holly Evans
Two people, a 52-year-old man and his 13-year-old son, were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia's Kursk region, the local governor said on Saturday.
In a statement published on Telegram, Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein said that the two had been killed when their car caught fire as a result of a drone strike.
Khinshtein said that the attack took place in Rylsk district, a border area close to the part of Kursk region that Ukraine occupied between August 2024 and March this year.
'Coalition of the willing' leaders to meet on Sunday, French president's office says
14:16
,
Holly Evans
"Coalition of the Willing" leaders will meet via video conference on Sunday afternoon ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on Monday, the French presidency office said on Saturday.
The meeting will be co-presided by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Sir Keir Starmer, the office said.
Donbas: Why Russia is desperate to capture eastern Ukraine’s industrial heartland
14:10
,
Holly Evans
The future of Ukraine’s industrial heartland in the east of the country will almost certainly play a key role in talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.
The Russian leader has demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donetsk as part of any ceasefire deal, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukrainian president has said that Putin wants to take the remaining 30 per cent of the eastern region, which has been the location of some of the fiercest battles in the three-and-a-half-year war.
Read the full article here:
German chancellor Merz welcomes Trump's efforts to end Ukraine war
13:50
,
Holly Evans
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday he welcomed Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine and achieve a lasting peace following the summit in Alaska.
"Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests," Merz said in a post on X that repeated parts of a joint statement issued earlier in the day by several European leaders, including Merz.
We welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace. Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests. pic.twitter.com/2yo7S2nH18
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) August 16, 2025
Trump has ‘brought us closer than ever before to ending Ukraine war’, says Starmer
13:40
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump has “brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine”, Sir Keir Starmer has said, following a highly anticipated summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday night.
Despite the talks ending without a ceasefire deal or an agreement on pausing Moscow’s war in Ukraine, the prime minister said “progress has been made”.
Sir Keir also welcomed the US president’s suggestion that he could provide “robust security guarantees” to support Ukraine - but reiterated that the next step in the peace process “must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy” after Friday’s summit excluded the Ukrainian leader.
Read the full article here:
Not all European politicians and commentators are positive
13:25
,
Holly Evans
In the aftermath of Trump’s claims that his meeting with Putin had been “very successful”, not all European politicians and commentators were as complimentary.
"Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing. As feared: no ceasefire, no peace," Wolfgang Ischinger, German ex-ambassador to the United States, posted on X.
"No real progress, a clear 1-0 for Putin, no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing."
Alaska: Putin hat seinen roten Teppich mit Trump bekommen, Trump dagegennichts. Wie zu befürchten war: Kein Waffenstillstand, kein Frieden. Kein wirklicher Fortschritt - ganz klar 1:0 für Putin - keine neuen Sanktionen. Für die Ukrainer: nichts. Für Europa: tiefst enttäuschend.
— Wolfgang Ischinger (@ischinger) August 15, 2025
Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko wrote: "Putin is a determined opponent, and, yes, he basically won this round because he got something for nothing. Still, Trump did not sell out Ukraine."
Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said that, by dropping any focus on a truce, "Trump is taking Russian President Vladimir Putin's position".
Putin got everything he wanted from Trump
13:10
,
Holly Evans
When I went to bed last night, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had just gone into their summit meeting in Anchorage, Alaska – and I really had not the faintest idea what I might wake up to.
Would it be a comprehensive peace deal agreed between the two of them that would totally screw Ukraine; or would it be a furious Trump announcing massive, punitive sanctions against Russia over Putin’s intransigence – something he had been threatening just a couple of weeks ago before announcing the summit?
Or would it be any number of outcomes in between? Instead, we woke up to – well, what exactly?
Sure, there was a lot of vacuous vibe stuff about progress, constructive talks, deeper understanding, but let’s be clear about the headline: THERE WAS NO DEAL. The missiles, the attack drones will continue, and, as far as we can tell, there is no timetable for a ceasefire.
Read the full analysis from Jon Sopel here:
Trump walks away 'empty-handed' after rewarding Putin, expert says
12:53
,
Holly Evans
Putin has received a “reward” for its invasion as Trump lays the blame at his predecessor Joe Biden’s doorstep, an expert says.
Orysia Lutsevych, Deputy Director of the Russia & Eurasia Programme and Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, says: “Russia has received a reward for its invasion.
“Trump called Russia a ‘great country’ and said there is strong mutual understanding between the two parties. This represents a further fissure in the already shaky Transatlantic alliance, the rupture of which is a primary Russian aim. The Alaska Summit represents another step towards this goal.
“Trump has lifted the blame from Putin by again calling it ‘Biden’s war’. This is exactly the kind of whitewashing that Putin needs both for his own public and for non-Western parts of the world, where Russia works hard to position this war as the fault of the West. Putin, in return, offered an endorsement of Trump’s claims of victory in the 2020 election and noted that it was rigged.
“Trump walked away empty-handed. The joint dinner was cancelled, so clearly not everything went according to plan – there was no deal to celebrate with the toast. But Putin was brought out of the cold in Alaska.
“Rather than limiting space to wage war in Europe, Trump offered him the opposite – a delay in imposing secondary sanctions on his oil export customers. He gave Putin more space to manipulate, mislead and buy time. Alaska has emboldened Putin, who is likely to prolong, not end, the war.”
India welcomes Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, foreign ministry says
12:47
,
Holly Evans
India welcomes the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska and appreciates the progress made in the meeting, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry said on Saturday.
"The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Melania Trump sends letter to Putin about abducted children
12:30
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, raised the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia in a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, two White House officials said on Friday.
President Trump hand-delivered the letter to Putin during their summit talks in Alaska, the officials told Reuters. Slovenian-born Melania Trump was not on the trip to Alaska.
The officials would not divulge the contents of the letter other than to say it mentioned the abductions of children resulting from the war in Ukraine.
The existence of the letter was not previously reported.
Russia's seizure of Ukrainian children has been a deeply sensitive one for Ukraine.
Ukraine has called the abductions of tens of thousands of its children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide.
Ukraine needs peace not pause between Russian invasions, Zelensky says
12:14
,
Holly Evans
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine needed a real, long-lasting peace and not "just another pause" between Russian invasions.
"Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the U.S.," he said on X following his call with the European leaders.
Zelensky stressed that territorial issues can only be decided with Ukraine.
Today, following a conversation with President Trump, we further coordinated positions with European leaders. The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025
Killings must stop as soon as…
Watch: Starmer speaks with Trump after president’s talks with Putin
12:00
,
Holly Evans
EU foreign policy chief says U.S. 'holds the power' to force Russia to negotiate
11:57
,
Holly Evans
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Saturday that Russia has no intention to end its war in Ukraine "anytime soon" but the United States holds the power to force serious negotiations.
"President (Donald) Trump’s resolve to get a peace deal is vital. Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments," Kallas said in a statement.
"The U.S. holds the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. The EU will work with Ukraine and the U.S."
Italy's Giorgia Meloni says 'glimmer of hope' appears for Ukraine war
11:51
,
Holly Evans
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday said U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin discussed security guarantees for Ukraine during their summit a day earlier in Alaska.
"The crucial point remains security guarantees to prevent new Russian invasions, and this is the aspect where the most interesting developments were recorded in Anchorage," Meloni said in a statement, her second about the summit.
Meloni said Trump had highlighted an earlier Italian proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine "inspired by NATO's Article 5."
"The starting point of the proposal is the definition of a collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the USA, ready to take action in case it is attacked again," said Meloni.
Si apre finalmente uno spiraglio per discutere di pace in Ucraina. L’Italia sta facendo la sua parte insieme ai suoi alleati occidentali.
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) August 16, 2025
Trump and European leaders discussed 'Article 5' style guarantee for Ukraine outside NATO, sources say
11:34
,
Holly Evans
U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders discussed possible security guarantees for Ukraine outside NATO but similar to the Alliance's "Article 5" during their call on Saturday, two people familiar with the matter said.
One of the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that European leaders were seeking clarity on what kind of U.S. role this would involve, but that there were no details yet.
NATO regards any attack launched on one of its 32 members as an attack on all under its Article 5 clause.
Russia says it has taken two more villages in Ukraine's Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions
11:24
,
Holly Evans
On the battlefield, Russia's defence ministry have said that its forces had taken Kolodyazi village in Ukraine's Donetsk region, alongside Vorone village in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukrainian officials earlier said Russia had launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight.
.
Trump plays into Putin's hands supporting prompt deal not ceasefire, Ukrainian lawmaker says
11:16
,
Holly Evans
By proposing to abandon the ceasefire in favour of a fast peace agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump is taking Russian President Vladimir Putin's position, a senior Ukrainian parliamentarian said on Saturday.
"Unfortunately, Trump has taken Putin's position, and this was Putin's demand," Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told Reuters.
"In Putin's view, a peace agreement means several dangerous things - Ukraine not joining NATO, his absurd demands for denazification and demilitarisation, the Russian language and the Russian church," he said.
European leaders issue statement welcoming U.S. security guarantees
11:09
,
Holly Evans
A group of European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer have released a joint statement after their call with Donald Trump, to debrief them on his meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The leaders, which included German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron, said they "welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace".
They called for Zelensky’s involvement in future meetings, with support from European allies.
The statement read: “We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees.
“The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries.
“Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to EU and NATO. It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.
“Our support to Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace.”
Starmer praises Trump's efforts as calls for 'robust security guarantees' for Ukraine
11:03
,
Holly Evans
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has released a statement praising Trump’s efforts to end the “illegal” war in Ukraine, stating: "His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended."
He said: “While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.
“This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.
“I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal.
“This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.
“In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.”
