Vladimir Putin is working on military preparations for new offensive operations in the Ukraine war, Volodymyr Zelensky warned ahead of the US-Russia summit in Alaska on Friday.
Citing reports from Ukraine’s intelligence and military command, Zelensky said: “So far, there is no indication whatsoever that the Russians have received signals to prepare for a post-war situation. On the contrary, they are redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations”.
The Russian president is “definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war,” he said.
His warning comes three days before Putin is set to meet the US president Donald Trump in Alaska for talks on whether it is possible to halt the war in Ukraine.
Trump has claimed he expects to know within moments of starting his meeting with Putin.
"At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made," Trump said at a White House press conference last night, announcing his “feel-out meeting” with the Russian president.
He also hinted at a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky after the Alaska summit.
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Key Points
- Trump suggests he'll know if Putin wants a peace deal within 'first two minutes of the meeting'
- Zelensky 'prepared to cede territory' under peace deal
- 'There'll be some land swapping' - Donald Trump
- Trump describes Putin Alaska talks as 'feel out' meeting
- US envoy suggests possible Zelensky role in Trump-Putin Alaska meeting
- Poland's Tusk says he feels fear and hope before Trump-Putin talks
Trump suggests he'll know if Putin wants a peace deal within 'first two minutes of the meeting'
04:14
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said he expects to know within moments of starting his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday whether it will be possible to work out a deal to halt the war in Ukraine.
"At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made," Trump said at a White House press conference that he called to announce plans for a federal takeover of Washington's police force to help combat crime.
He said he thought Friday's sitdown with Putin in Alaska would be "really a feel-out meeting”.
Trump added that "it'll be good, but it might be bad" and predicted he may say, "lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal”.
The US president said that, after his meeting with Putin, "the next meeting will be with Zelensky and Putin" but it could also be a meeting with "Putin and Zelensky and me”.
Zelensky urges stronger global pressure on Russia
02:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the international community to intensify pressure on Russia, accusing Vladimir Putin of dragging out the war and ignoring “numerous demands of the world” to stop the killings.
He said there were 137 combat clashes on the front line in the past day alone, with Russia “not reducing pressure and not counting its losses”.
In the Donetsk region’s Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine’s 32nd separate mechanised brigade destroyed 209 Russian troops in the past week, Mr Zelensky said.
Over the same period, Russia launched more than 1,000 air bombs, nearly 1,400 drones and multiple missile strikes on Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s president.
Mr Zelensky said Moscow must face “stronger pressure from the world” and warned against making concessions to the Kremlin.
“Concessions do not convince the killer,” he said.
“Only really strong protection of life stops the killer.”
Finland charges top officers of Russia-linked vessel that damaged undersea cables
01:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
'There'll be some land swapping' - Donald Trump on peace talks
Tuesday 12 August 2025 00:13
,
Alex Ross
Donald Trump has in the past talked about land swaps but neither Russia nor Ukraine has been open to ceding land as part of a peace deal.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, MrTrump said: "There'll be some land swapping going on."
"I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody, to the good of Ukraine," he said. He said Russia had occupied some "very prime territory" but "we're going to try to get some of that territory back."
Three Ukraine beachgoers killed by sea mines in Black Sea after ignoring swimming warnings
Tuesday 12 August 2025 00:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Analysis | Europe must show Putin it’s serious about peace in Ukraine – and prepare for war
Monday 11 August 2025 22:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Recap | Russian stocks climb to over three-month high ahead of Putin-Trump talks
Monday 11 August 2025 22:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russian stocks climbed to over three-month highs on Monday on hopes that a meeting this week between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin might move Moscow and Kyiv closer to a ceasefire.
Russia's main stock market index MOEX .IMOEX was 1.9% higher by 9.25am at 2,979 points, its strongest mark since 29 April.
Russian markets have been particularly jittery for the past two weeks since Trump set an 8 August deadline for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face tightened sanctions. All eyes are now on the 15 August meeting in Alaska.
The rouble was up 0.4% at 79.65 to the dollar, according to data compiled by LSEG based on over-the-counter quotes, and gained 0.2% to 11.04 against China's yuan, the most traded foreign currency in Russia.
Recap | Polish PM Tusk says Kyiv must be involved in Ukraine peace talks
Monday 11 August 2025 21:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Poland's prime minister said on Monday he felt a mixture of fear and hope ahead of a Russia-US summit on the war in Ukraine this week, but added that Washington had pledged to consult its European partners before the talks.
"The American side has promised that it will consult with European partners on its position before the meeting in Alaska," Donald Tusk told a news conference.
"I will wait... for the effects of the meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin - I have many fears and a lot of hope."
He said that Trump's recent comments on the war in Ukraine could give the impression that the US president was increasingly understanding Ukrainian and European arguments regarding the conflict, but that he was not 100% sure that this position would be lasting.
French, Italian, German, Polish, British, Finnish and European Commission leaders on Saturday welcomed Trump's efforts to try to end the war, but emphasised the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.
Tusk said that the joint statement from European leaders showed that they were united in their approach to Ukraine peace talks, adding that Kyiv must be involved in any such discussions.
"For Poland and our partners, it is clear that state borders cannot be changed by force," he said. "Russia's war with Ukraine must not bring benefits to the aggressor."
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace?
Monday 11 August 2025 20:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Trump’s bold prediction about Zelensky-less Ukraine peace summit with Putin: ‘I’ll know in the first two minutes’
Monday 11 August 2025 19:24
,
Alexander Butler
Vance says US is ‘done with funding Ukraine war’ ahead of Trump-Putin talks
Monday 11 August 2025 19:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Zelensky says he spoke with Saudi Arabian crown prince
Monday 11 August 2025 18:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he spoke with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and thanked him for his "readiness to make efforts for peace".
"Communication with leaders is ongoing practically around the clock – we are in constant touch," he wrote on X. "Now is the moment when there is a real chance to achieve peace."
What we know so far about Alaska crunch talks
Monday 11 August 2025 17:31
,
Alexander Butler
US president Donald Trump is set to meet Vladimir Putin for crunch talks in Alaska on Friday.
Mr Trump described the meeting as a “feel out” and claimed he would know if the Russian president wanted to end the war “within two minutes”.
He said he would urge Mr Putin to end the war. “I’m going to be telling him... You’ve got to end it,” he said.
Asked about Mr Zelensky wanting to attend, Mr Trump added: “I would say he could go, but he’s gone to a lot of meetings, he’s been there for three and a half years and nothing happened.”
Analysis: Europe must show Putin it’s serious about peace in Ukraine – and prepare for war
Monday 11 August 2025 17:29
,
Alexander Butler
Europe’s destiny will be in the hands of two, maybe three, men on Friday. Decisions taken between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and (perhaps) Volodymyr Zelensky will determine the future of the continent.
The outcome can only go Europe’s way if its leaders, who know this, prepare their nations for the possibility of outright war with Moscow. They need to be able to elbow the US aside, and prepare their people for the worst.
In the chaotic whirl of events around the announcement of the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska – a state the US actually bought from Russia – the terms of the meeting remain misty and mysterious.
Trump describes Putin Alaska meeting as 'feel out'
Monday 11 August 2025 17:07
,
Alexander Butler
US president Donald Tump said crunch talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week would be a “feel out” meeting.
“So I'm going in to speak to Vladimir Putin, and I'm going to be telling him, you've got to end this war. You've got to end it,” Mr Trump said.
Asked about Mr Zelensky wanting to attend, Mr Trump added: “I would say he could go, but he’s gone to a lot of meetings, he’s been there for three and a half years and nothing happened.”
Zelensky 'prepared to cede territory' under peace deal
Monday 11 August 2025 17:05
,
Alexander Butler
Volodymyr Zelensky is prepared to cede Russian-held territory as part of a peace deal, according to reports.
The Ukrainian president told European leaders Ukrainian territory seized by Russia since Vladimir Putin’s illegal February 2022 invasion could be on the table, The Daily Telegraph reported.
But Mr Zelensky urged European countries to push back on any settlement proposed by US president Donald Trump that would see Kyiv handing over land Ukraine still holds.
This would mean handing Russia control of the territory it occupies in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea.
Full report | Putin cannot be trusted ‘as far as you could throw him’, Starmer warns
Monday 11 August 2025 17:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
Bulletin | Three killed by underwater mines at Ukraine holiday spot
Monday 11 August 2025 16:01
,
Jabed Ahmed
- Three people were killed after triggering explosive devices while swimming in restricted areas of the Black Sea in Ukraine.
- The incidents occurred on Sunday in Karolino-Bugaz and Zatoka, within the Odesa region.
- Oleh Kiper, Governor of Odesa, confirmed the deaths, stating the victims were in waters closed to the public.
- The Black Sea is heavily mined by both Russian and Ukrainian forces, making unverified areas extremely dangerous.
- Authorities are investigating the incidents and have urged the public to only use officially designated safe swimming zones.
Germany convenes call of European leaders on Ukraine
Monday 11 August 2025 15:28
,
Jabed Ahmed
Germany is convening a virtual meeting of European leaders on Wednesday to discuss how to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine ahead of a European call with US President Donald Trump, a government spokesperson said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and EU and Nato officials are set to join the meeting at 2pm, with the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy and Poland, the spokesperson said.
The calls come ahead of a scheduled meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine in Alaska on Friday.
Trump has said the parties to the war were close to a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict.
Analysis | Europe must show Putin it’s serious about peace in Ukraine – and prepare for war
Monday 11 August 2025 14:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes:
Europe’s destiny will be in the hands of two, maybe three, men on Friday. Decisions taken between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and (perhaps) Volodymyr Zelensky will determine the future of the Continent.
The outcome can only go Europe’s way if its leaders, who know this, prepare their nations for the possibility of outright war with Moscow.
They need to be able to elbow the US aside and prepare their people for the worst.
In the chaotic whirl of events around the announcement of the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, a state the US actually bought from Russia, the terms of the meeting remain misty and mysterious.
Read the full analysis below:
Zelensky says he spoke with India's Modi about Russian sanctions
Monday 11 August 2025 14:29
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had a long conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the two discussed sanctions on Russian oil and agreed to meet in person in September.
"It is important that India is supporting our peace efforts and shares the position that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation," he wrote on X.
"It is important that every leader who has tangible leverage over Russia sends the corresponding signals to Moscow."
Putin cannot be trusted as far as you could throw him', No 10 says
Monday 11 August 2025 14:03
,
Kate Devlin
Vladimir Putin should never be trusted "as far as you could throw him," Downing Street said as it said the UK would stand with Ukraine until there was a "just peace".
Keir Starmer's official spokesman also said no settlement should be imposed on Ukraine, as Trump prepares to meet Putin in Alaska.
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer thought the Russian leader could be trusted in peace talks over the future of Ukraine, No 10 said: "Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine.
"We will obviously support President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations.
"But it is exactly why we've been leading this work on the coalition of the willing, because any ceasefire, as I say, cannot just be an opportunity for President Putin to go away, re-arm, restrengthen, and then go again.
"So we're not going to leave it to trust. We're going to ensure that we're prepared such that we achieve a ceasefire.
"The coalition of willing and the security guarantees are in place... that learns the lessons of the past, where we clearly have not had those meaningful security guarantees in place, which did allow President Putin to re-arm and go again."
European leaders united in response to Trump and Putin’s meeting
Monday 11 August 2025 13:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian drone attacks kill three, target Moscow, Russia says
Monday 11 August 2025 12:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Three people were killed in overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's Tula and Nizhny Novgorod regions, a senior Russian regional official and the defence ministry said.
Two people died and two were hospitalised following an attack before midnight on Sunday in the Tula region that borders the Moscow region to its north, Tula Governor Dmitry Milyaev said on the Telegram messaging app.
One person was killed and two others were hospitalised following a Ukrainian attack targeting an industrial zone in the Nizhny Novgorod region in western Russia, Gleb Nikitin, the governor of the region, said on Telegram.
Russian air defence units destroyed a total of 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 12 over the Tula region, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The ministry only reports how many drones its units shoot down, not how many Ukraine launches.
Seven drones were downed en route to Russia's capital overnight and on Monday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Starmer backs Trump’s Ukraine peace push, but Kyiv must be involved - No 10
Monday 11 August 2025 12:52
,
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer supports Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war with Ukraine, but Kyiv must be involved in any settlement about ending the fighting, his spokesperson has said.
MR Trump will meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska on 15 August, and Ukraine fears that the two leaders may try to dictate terms for ending the three-and-a-half-year-old war.
"We will never trust President Putin as far as you can throw him, but we will support Ukraine and President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations," Sir Keir’s spokesperson said.
"Any peace must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it, and we will not reward aggression or compromise sovereignty. Ukraine will decide its own future, and we will support it every step of the way."
Three Ukraine beachgoers killed by sea mines in Black Sea after ignoring swimming warnings
Monday 11 August 2025 12:27
,
Jabed Ahmed
Three people have been killed after setting off explosive devices while swimming in restricted areas in Ukraine, officials have said.
Oleh Kiper, Governor of Odesa, said one man died in Karolino-Bugaz, while a man and a woman were killed in Zatoka.
The Black Sea has long been a popular holiday destination in Ukraine, but many of its beaches have been declared unsafe since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Read the full report below:
Soldiers under bombardment in eastern Ukraine say peace still feels far away
Monday 11 August 2025 11:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Zelensky urges stronger global pressure on Russia
Monday 11 August 2025 11:31
,
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the international community to intensify pressure on Russia, accusing Vladimir Putin of dragging out the war and ignoring “numerous demands of the world” to stop the killings.
He said there were 137 combat clashes on the front line in the past day alone, with Russia “not reducing pressure and not counting its losses”.
In the Donetsk region’s Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine’s 32nd separate mechanised brigade destroyed 209 Russian troops in the past week, Mr Zelensky said.
Over the same period, Russia launched more than 1,000 air bombs, nearly 1,400 drones and multiple missile strikes on Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s president.
Mr Zelensky said Moscow must face “stronger pressure from the world” and warned against making concessions to the Kremlin.
“Concessions do not convince the killer,” he said.
“Only really strong protection of life stops the killer.”
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace?
Monday 11 August 2025 11:29
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russian army says it has taken control of another settlement in eastern Ukraine
Monday 11 August 2025 10:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia's Defence Ministry has said that its forces had taken control of the settlement of Lunacharske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, which Ukraine renamed Fedorivka in 2016.
The Independent could not confirm the battlefield report.
Polish PM Tusk says Kyiv must be involved in Ukraine peace talks
Monday 11 August 2025 10:39
,
Jabed Ahmed
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Ukraine must be part of any discussions on ending the war, warning that Russia “must be aware that the West does not accept Russian demands that would involve Ukraine giving up territory”.
Mr Tusk said the United States had pledged to consult its European partners before a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I have many fears and a lot of hope regarding [the] Trump–Putin meeting,” he added.
Russian stocks climb to over three-month high ahead of Putin-Trump talks
Monday 11 August 2025 10:11
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russian stocks climbed to over three-month highs on Monday on hopes that a meeting this week between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin might move Moscow and Kyiv closer to a ceasefire.
Russia's main stock market index MOEX .IMOEX was 1.9% higher by 9.25am at 2,979 points, its strongest mark since 29 April.
Russian markets have been particularly jittery for the past two weeks since Trump set an 8 August deadline for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face tightened sanctions. All eyes are now on the 15 August meeting in Alaska.
The rouble was up 0.4% at 79.65 to the dollar, according to data compiled by LSEG based on over-the-counter quotes, and gained 0.2% to 11.04 against China's yuan, the most traded foreign currency in Russia.
Russian nationalists have long demanded the return of Alaska. Now Trump has invited ICC-indicted Putin to the state
Monday 11 August 2025 09:47
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia launches 71 drones towards Ukraine overnight
Monday 11 August 2025 09:32
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia launched 71 Iranian-made Shahed-type drones towards Ukraine, Ukraine’s Air Force has said.
The air force says it shot down 59 drones, and 12 UAVs hit six different locations.
Trump reveals where and when he will meet Putin for Ukraine peace talks
Monday 11 August 2025 09:18
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russia downs seven drones targeting capital, Moscow Mayor says
Monday 11 August 2025 08:58
,
Jabed Ahmed
Russian air defence systems downed seven Ukrainian drones en route to Russia's capital overnight and on Monday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Three people were killed in Ukrainian overnight drone attacks targeting the Tula and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as Moscow, Russia's regional official and the defence ministry said on Monday.
Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russia say peace feels distant as diplomacy takes over in few days
Monday 11 August 2025 08:28
,
Arpan Rai
For Ukrainian soldiers deployed on the frontline against Russian forces, peace talks feel distant and unlikely to end the war.
Explosions from Russian weapons — from glide bombs to artillery shells — thunder regularly overhead, keeping them underground except when they fire the M777 howitzer buried near their trench.
Few believe the current talks can end the war. More likely, they say, is a brief pause in hostilities before Russia resumes the assault with greater force.
"At minimum, the result would be to stop active fighting — that would be the first sign of some kind of settlement," said soldier Dmytro Loviniukov of the 148th Brigade.
"Right now, that's not happening. And while these talks are taking place, they (the Russians) are only strengthening their positions on the front line."
US envoy suggests possible Zelensky role in Trump-Putin Alaska meeting
Monday 11 August 2025 08:14
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky could participate in this week’s US-Russia summit in Alaska, America's ambassador to Nato suggested.
Asked whether Zelensky could meet US president Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, ambassador Matthew Whitaker said, “Yes, I certainly think it’s possible.”
“Certainly, there can’t be a deal that everybody that’s involved in it doesn’t agree to. And, I mean, obviously, it’s a high priority to get this war to end,” the ambassador said.
"The decision to invite Zelensky was entirely Trump’s, Whitaker said, adding that “if he thinks that is the best scenario to invite Zelensky, then he will do that".
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace?
Monday 11 August 2025 07:59
,
Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump has signalled that Ukraine might have to give up territory to end the war with Russia as he prepares to meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks.
Announcing the talks with the Russian president, set to take place in Alaska on Friday, Trump said: “There will be some swapping of territories”.
The White House is reportedly trying to sway European leaders to accept an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea. In exchange, it would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, areas which Russia is partially occupying, CBS reported.
Here’s a map showing where Russian forces are currently occupying Ukraine and the most active frontlines:
Moscow mayor says two drones downed en route to capital
Monday 11 August 2025 07:57
,
Arpan Rai
Russian air defence systems have downed two Ukrainian drones en route to the capital city, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said this morning.
In the early hours today, Russian air defence units destroyed a total of 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 12 over the Tula region and two over the Moscow region.
The ministry only reports how many drones its units down, not how many Ukraine launches.
Top EU official says Russian-occupied regions still belong to Ukraine
Monday 11 August 2025 07:30
,
Arpan Rai
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says that any deal struck between the US and Russia on Ukraine’s future must also involve the country and the EU.
Also the European Commission vice-president, Kallas added that European foreign ministers will scramble to meet on Monday ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin on Friday.
Adding to European voices that have called for no land to be ceded as part of any deal, Kallas said: “as we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine”.
“A deal must not provide a springboard for further Russian aggression against Ukraine, the transatlantic alliance and Europe,” she added.
