Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will be “forced” to meet by Donald Trump, US vice president JD Vance has said.
In a wide-ranging interview, the American politician dismissed calls from European leaders to allow the Ukrainian president to attend the planned meeting between the US and Russian leaders on Friday, saying it would not be “productive” at this point.
European leaders, including Keir Starmer, jointly welcomed the move towards peace on Saturday, but they warned that any talks should see Ukraine represented and not permit any land to be ceded to Russia.
Their statement came after Mr Trump suggested the deal may involve “some swapping of territories”, an idea Zelensky was quick to reject.
Mr Vance told Fox News that Mr Trump “has to be the one to bring these two together”, before criticising Europe for not “stepping up” and adding that the US is “done with the funding of the Ukraine war”.
Meanwhile, European Commission president Kaja Kallas has confirmed that European foreign ministers are scrambling to convene for an emergency meeting on Monday ahead of Mr Trump’s meeting with Mr Putin in Alaska.
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Key Points
- Trump will force Putin and Zelensky to sit down, Vance says
- European leaders rally behind Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
- EU chief says any deal between US and Russia must include Ukraine and EU
- Nato chief says Trump is 'clearly putting pressure on' Putin ahead of summit
- How have all sides reacted to Trump and Putin's planned meeting?
Watch: Trump to meet Putin in Alaska for Ukraine peace talks
04:00
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Tara Cobham
Full story: Vance says US is ‘done with funding Ukraine war’ ahead of Trump-Putin talks
03:00
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Tara Cobham
The US is “done with the funding of the Ukraine war”, vice president JD Vance has warned.
The American politician also vowed Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will be “forced” to meet by Donald Trump.
In a wide-ranging interview, he went on to dismiss European leaders’ calls to allow the Ukrainian president to attend the upcoming summit between the US and Russian leaders, insisting that it would not be “productive” at this point.
Read the full story here:
Trump position when it comes to a peace deal
02:00
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Tara Cobham
Donald Trump has often spoken admiringly of Vladimir Putin and even echoed his talking points on the war. He had a harsh confrontation with Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on 28 February, but later warmed his tone. As Putin resisted a ceasefire and continued his aerial bombardments, Trump showed exasperation with the Kremlin leader, threatening Moscow with new sanctions.
Although Trump expressed disappointment with Putin, his agreement to meet him without Zelensky at the table raised worries in Ukraine and its European allies, who fear it could allow the Russian to get Trump on his side and strong-arm Ukraine into concessions.
Trump said without giving details that "there'll be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both" Russia and Ukraine as part of any peace deal that he will discuss with Putin when they meet Friday.
Putin repeatedly warned Ukraine will face tougher conditions for peace if it doesn't accept Moscow's demands as Russian troops forge into other regions to build what he described as a "buffer zone." Some observers suggested Russia could trade those recent gains for the territories of the four annexed by Moscow still under Ukrainian control.
"That is potentially a situation that gives Putin a tremendous amount of leeway as long as he can use that leverage to force the Ukrainians into a deal that they may not like and to sideline the Europeans effectively," Sam Greene of King's College London said. "The question is, will Trump sign up to that and will he actually have the leverage to force the Ukrainians and the Europeans to accept it?"
Putin could accept a temporary truce to win Trump's sympathy as he seeks to achieve broader goals, Greene said.
"He could accept a ceasefire so long as it's one that leaves him in control, in which there's no real deterrence against renewed aggression somewhere down the line," he said. "He understands that his only route to getting there runs via Trump."
In a possible indication he thinks a ceasefire or peace deal could be close, Putin called the leaders of China, India, South Africa and several ex-Soviet nations in an apparent effort to inform these allies about prospective agreements.
Ukraine's vision of a peace deal
01:00
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Tara Cobham
The memorandum that Ukraine presented to Moscow in Istanbul emphasized the need for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to set stage for peace negotiations.
It reaffirmed Ukraine's consistent rejection of Russian demands for neutral status as an attack on its sovereignty, declaring it is free to choose its alliances and adding that its NATO membership will depend on consensus with the alliance.
It emphasized Kyiv's rejection of any restrictions on the size and other parameters of its armed forces, as well as curbs on the presence of foreign troops on its soil.
Ukraine's memorandum also opposed recognizing any Russian territorial gains, while describing the current line of contact as a starting point in negotiations.
The document noted the need for international security guarantees to ensure the implementation of peace agreements and prevent further aggression.
Kyiv's peace proposal also demanded the return of all deported and illegally displaced children and a total prisoner exchange.
It held the door open to gradual lifting of some of the sanctions against Russia if it abides by the agreement.
Russia's vision of a peace deal
Monday 11 August 2025 00:00
,
Tara Cobham
In a memorandum presented at talks in Istanbul in June, Russia offered Ukraine two options for establishing a 30-day ceasefire. One demanded Ukraine withdraw its forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – the four regions Moscow illegally annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured.
As an alternate condition for a ceasefire, Russia made a "package proposal" for Ukraine to halt mobilization efforts, freeze Western arms deliveries and ban any third-country forces on its soil. Moscow also suggested Ukraine end martial law and hold elections, after which the countries could sign a comprehensive peace treaty.
Once there's a truce, Moscow wants a deal to include the "international legal recognition" of its annexations of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the four regions in 2022.
Russia says a peace treaty should have Ukraine declare its neutral status between Russia and the West, abandon its bid to join NATO, limit the size of its armed forces and recognize Russian as an official language on par with Ukrainian - conditions reflecting Putin's earliest goals.
It also demands Ukraine ban the "glorification and propaganda of Nazism and neo-Nazism" and dissolve nationalist groups. Since the war began, Putin has falsely alleged that neo-Nazi groups were shaping Ukrainian politics under Zelenskyy, who is Jewish. They were fiercely dismissed by Kyiv and its Western allies.
In Russia's view, a comprehensive peace treaty should see both countries lift all sanctions and restrictions, abandon any claims to compensation for wartime damage, resume trade and communications, and reestablish diplomatic ties.
Asked Thursday whether Moscow has signaled any willingness to compromise to make a meeting with Trump possible, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov responded that there haven't been any shifts in the Russian position.
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace?
Sunday 10 August 2025 23:00
,
Tara Cobham
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, Mr 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.
My colleagues Tom Watling and Holly Bancroft report:
Ukraine's drone attack kills two in Tula and targets Moscow, Russia says
Sunday 10 August 2025 22:43
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Tara Cobham
Two people died in the Tula region as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack that also targeted Moscow and other Russian regions, Russia's regional official and the defence ministry said late on Sunday.
Two people have also been hospitalised following the attack on the Tula region that borders the Moscow region to its north, Tula Governor Dmitry Milyaev said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian defence ministry said that its air defence units destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones within a span of three hours late on Sunday, including 11 over the Tula region, one over the Moscow region and the rest over four other regions in Russia's south and west.
Russia and Ukraine hold fast to their demands ahead of Putin-Trump summit
Sunday 10 August 2025 22:00
,
Tara Cobham
The threats, pressure and ultimatums have come and gone, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained Moscow's uncompromising demands in the war in Ukraine, raising fears he could use a planned summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska to coerce Kyiv into accepting an unfavorable deal.
The maximalist demands reflect Putin's determination to reach the goals he set when he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022.
Putin sees a possible meeting with Trump as a chance to negotiate a broad deal that would not only cement Russia's territorial gains but also keep Ukraine from joining NATO and hosting any Western troops, allowing Moscow to gradually pull the country back into its orbit.
The Kremlin leader believes time is on his side as the exhausted and outgunned Ukrainian forces are struggling to stem Russian advances in many sectors of the over 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) front line while swarms of Russian missiles and drones batter Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also has stood firm in his positions, agreeing to a ceasefire proposed by Trump while reaffirming the country's refusal to abandon seeking NATO membership and rejecting acknowledgment of Russia's annexation of any of its regions.
Watch: Zelensky warns he will not give up land as Trump to meet Putin in Alaska
Sunday 10 August 2025 21:00
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Tara Cobham
Germany hopes Zelensky will be at Trump-Putin talks, chancellor says
Sunday 10 August 2025 20:13
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Tara Cobham
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hopes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be involved at the Russia-US summit.
Mr Merz said he will have a call with US president Donald Trump on Sunday in an interview with public broadcaster ARD.
“We are preparing intensively at the European level together with the U.S. government for this meeting,” Mr Merz said.
“And we hope and assume that the Ukrainian government and president Zelensky will be involved in this meeting."
Mr Zelensky won diplomatic backing from Europe and the NATO alliance on Sunday ahead of a Russia-US summit this week where Kyiv fears Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may try to dictate terms for ending the three-and-a-half-year war.
"We cannot accept that territorial issues are decided between Russia and America over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians," Mr Merz said.
He added that there can be no peace that rewards Russia’s aggressive actions and possibly encourages and emboldens further actions.
Russian strikes injure 12 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine says
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:20
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Tara Cobham
Russian strikes injured at least 12 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, the country's foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.
Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs, hitting residential areas, a bus station and a clinic, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X.
"At least 12 people were injured, one of whom was rescued by emergency workers from under the rubble of destroyed structures," the post added.
Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs, hitting residential areas, a bus station, and a clinic. At least 12 people were injured, one of whom was rescued by emergency workers from under the rubble of destroyed structures. Among the injured are men aged 24, 38, 39,… pic.twitter.com/YIl3QBhxSt
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) August 10, 2025
Russians crow over Trump-Putin summit being held in Alaska: ‘Makes the US an Arctic nation’
Sunday 10 August 2025 18:42
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Tara Cobham
Russian commentators and officials bragged about the perceived coup of Vladimir Putin getting a summit in Alaska Friday with President Donald Trump over a potential Ukraine War ceasefire.
It’s the first time that a Russian leader has been invited to American soil outside of the United Nations since 2007, and comes without the Kremlin having made any apparent concessions amid its war of aggression in Ukraine.
Just days before the summit was announced, Trump was sharing his anger at Putin’s consistent bombing of Ukraine and threatened to increase sanctions on Russia. The sudden decision to meet with the Russian leader prompted European and Ukrainian officials to scramble to respond to the new arrangement.
My colleague Gustaf Kilander reports:
Nordic-Baltic leaders reaffirm support for Ukraine and say Russia must end 'unlawful' war
Sunday 10 August 2025 18:00
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Tara Cobham
The leaders of eight Nordic-Baltic nations on Sunday jointly reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and said that peace could only come through consistent pressure being put on the Russian federation to halt its "unlawful" war.
The leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden said in a statement that they "reaffirm the principle that international borders must not be changed by force".
They added that they would continue to uphold and impose restrictive measures against the Russian Federation.
US president Donald Trump said on Friday he will meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin on 15 August in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war. A White House official has said Trump is open to Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky attending but preparations are underway only for a bilateral meeting.
Nato chief says Trump is 'clearly putting pressure on' Putin ahead of summit
Sunday 10 August 2025 17:30
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Tara Cobham
Nato’s secretary general has said Donald Trump is “clearly putting pressure on” Vladimir Putin ahead of the two leaders’ upcoming summit.
Mark Rutte on Sunday praised Washington for taking steps such as allowing more military equipment to flow to Ukraine and imposing secondary sanctions on India for purchasing Russian oil.
"Next Friday will be important because it will be about testing Putin – how serious he is – on bringing this terrible war to an end," Mr Rutte said in an interview with ABC's This Week.
He added: "It will be, of course, about security guarantees, but also about the absolute need to acknowledge that Ukraine decides on its own future, that Ukraine has to be a sovereign nation, deciding on its own geopolitical future."
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, now holds nearly a fifth of the country.
Mr Rutte said a future peace deal could not include legal recognition of Russian control over Ukrainian land, although it might include de facto recognition.
He compared it to the situation after World War Two when the United States accepted that the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were de facto controlled by the Soviet Union but did not legally recognise their annexation.
European leaders rally behind Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Sunday 10 August 2025 17:00
,
Tara Cobham
European nations have rallied behind Ukraine, saying peace in the war-torn nation cannot be resolved without Kyiv, ahead of an upcoming meeting between US president Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Mr Trump said Friday's meeting with his Russian counterpart on US soil would focus on ending the war, now in its fourth year.
In response, Mr Zelensky thanked European allies in a post on X, writing Sunday: "The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people."
The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 10, 2025
Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President…
Russia and Ukraine exchange drone strikes ahead of peace talks
Sunday 10 August 2025 16:20
,
Albert Toth
One person was killed, and several apartments and an industrial facility were damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on the south Russian region of Saratov, the governor said on Sunday.
Roman Busargin posted on the Telegram messaging app that residents were evacuated after debris from a destroyed drone damaged three apartments in the overnight attack.
"Several residents required medical assistance," Busargin said. "Aid was provided onsite, and one person has been hospitalised. Unfortunately, one person has died."
The fighting comes less than a week before peace talks are set to be held between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Russian air defence units destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, the defence ministry said. It reports only how many drones its defence units down, not how many Ukraine launches.
Busargin did not specify what kind of industrial site was damaged.
Social media footage showed thick black smoke rising over what looked like an industrial zone. Reuters verified the location seen in one of the videos as matching file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not verify when the video was filmed.
Ukrainian media, including the RBK-Ukraine media outlet, reported that the oil refinery in the city of Saratov, the administrative centre of the region, was on fire after a drone attack.
The reports have not been independently verified. There was no official comment from Russia.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes on each other's territory in the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kyiv says its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure that is key to Moscow's war efforts, including energy and military infrastructure, and are in response to Russia's continued strikes.
JD Vance: America is "done with the funding of the Ukraine war"
Sunday 10 August 2025 16:00
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Albert Toth
US vice-president has sat down with broadcaster Fox News to discuss a range of topics, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speaking about the European response to the peace talks, Vance criticised the continent’s leaders for not ‘stepping up’ during the war.
“What we said to the Europeans is simply: this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your backdoor. You guys have gotta step up and take a bigger role in this thing,” he said.
“And if you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and substantial way in funding this war yourself.
“I think the president and I certainly think that America, we’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business.
“We wanna bring about a peaceful settlement of this thing, we wanna stop the killing.”
Vance: Trump will force Putin and Zelensky to sit down
Sunday 10 August 2025 15:50
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Albert Toth
US vice president JD Vance says he does not believe it would be “productive” for Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin to meet before Trump meets Putin alone on Friday.
Speaking to Fox News, he said: “I think fundamentally, the president of the United States has to be the one to bring these two together.”
“We are of course going to talk to the Ukrainians, I actually spoke with the Ukrainians this morning.”
“But fundamentally, this is something where the president needs to force president Putin and president Zelensky really to sit down and figure out their differences.”
“We of course condemn the invasion that happened, we don’t like that this is where things are, but we’ve gotta make peace here, and the only way to make peace is to sit down and talk.”
“You can’t finger point, you can’t wag your finger at somebody and say ‘you’re wrong, we’re right’, the way to peace is to have a decisive leader sit down and force people to come together.”
Discussing how Trump has helped move the conflict towards a conclusion, the vice president said: “One of the most important logjams is that Vladimir Putin said that he would never sit down with Zelensky ... the president has now got that to change.
“We’re at a point now where we’re 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.”
Vance: Trump will force Putin and Zelensky to sit down
Sunday 10 August 2025 15:50
,
Albert Toth
US vice president JD Vance says he does not believe it would be “productive” for Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin to meet before Trump meets Putin alone on Friday.
Speaking to Fox News, he said: “I think fundamentally, the president of the United States has to be the one to bring these two together.”
“We are of course going to talk to the Ukrainians, I actually spoke with the Ukrainians this morning.”
“But fundamentally, this is something where the president needs to force president Putin and president Zelensky really to sit down and figure out their differences.”
“We of course condemn the invasion that happened, we don’t like that this is where things are, but we’ve gotta make peace here, and the only way to make peace is to sit down and talk.”
“You can’t finger point, you can’t wag your finger at somebody and say ‘you’re wrong, we’re right’, the way to peace is to have a decisive leader sit down and force people to come together.”
Discussing how Trump has helped move the conflict towards a conclusion, the vice president said: “One of the most important logjams is that Vladimir Putin said that he would never sit down with Zelensky ... the president has now got that to change.
“We’re at a point now where we’re 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.”
Russian voices hit out European criticism of peace talks
Sunday 10 August 2025 15:20
,
Albert Toth
While US sources have said Trump is “open” to including Ukraine in peace talks with Putin, Russian authorities have played down the idea.
The Russian president last week ruled out meeting Zelensky, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met.
Responding to European criticism of Ukraine’s lack of involvement in the talks, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said: “The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict.”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union resembled “necrophilia.”
Kallas: Russian-occupied regions still belong to Ukraine
Sunday 10 August 2025 15:00
,
Albert Toth
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.
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control?
Sunday 10 August 2025 14:41
,
Albert Toth
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, Mr 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.
But in a statement on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea, saying that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.
The Independent maps out the situation on the ground:
When have Trump and Putin met before?
Sunday 10 August 2025 14:30
,
Albert Toth
Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin several times during his first US presidential term, from 2017 to 2021.
The pair’s relationship is now very different as Trump reaches 200 days into his first term, with Putin ordering a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The two world leaders held their first official in 2018 in Helsinki, Finland, where they fielded questions from press but shared very little details from their private talks.
The meeting on Friday will mark Trump’s first in-person meeting with Putin since he took office for a second time.
The pair did, however, hold a formal phone call in February this year for around 90 minutes, largely focusing on the war in Ukraine.
EU chief says any deal between US and Russia must include Ukraine and EU
Sunday 10 August 2025 14:09
,
Albert Toth
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that any deal between Washington and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine must include Ukraine and the EU, adding that she will convene a meeting of European foreign ministers on Monday to discuss next steps.
“The U.S. has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the U.S. and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security,” Ms Kallas, who is also vice-president of the European Commission, said.
She added: “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.”
Ms Kallas also said that ministers will discuss the situation in Gaza.
Trump's promises to end the war in Ukraine – a timeline
Sunday 10 August 2025 14:00
,
Albert Toth
US president Donald Trump will meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Sunday to discuss how to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
On Friday, Trump has claimed the end of the Ukraine war could come in weeks, despite his latest deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
And earlier in the week, Trump dramatically shortened his previous 50-day ultimatum, giving Russia “10 to 12 days” to make progress toward peace or face tougher sanctions.
Having repeatedly vowed to end the war “within 24 hours” of taking up office, Trump now faces mounting pressure as his deadlines slip and Putin shows no sign of backing down.
Here, The Independent looks at the times Trump has set deadlines for Russia:
Three killed on Ukraine's Odesa region beaches by unexploded objects
Sunday 10 August 2025 13:40
,
Albert Toth
Three swimmers were killed by unexploded objects in Ukraine's southern Odesa region at two beaches where swimming has been banned, regional officials said on Sunday.
Regional governor Oleh Kiper said one man was killed in Karolino-Buhaz and another man and woman killed in nearby Zatoka, both down the coast from the regional capital.
"All of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in prohibited recreational zones," he said in a statement.
"This once again proves that being in unchecked waters is fatally dangerous!!!"
The Black Sea region has long been a popular summer destination, but authorities have urged caution since Russia's full-scale invasion left mines scattered near its coast.
Kiper said 32 areas have been deemed safe for swimming, and 30 of those are located in the city of Odesa
Ukraine says it struck oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region
Sunday 10 August 2025 13:20
,
Albert Toth
Ukraine's military said on Sunday that it had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in an overnight drone attack.
In a statement, the General Staff said the strike on the Saratov oil refinery had caused explosions and a fire.
One person was killed, and several apartments and an industrial facility were damaged the attack, the governor said on Sunday.
Roman Busargin posted on the Telegram messaging app that residents were evacuated after debris from a destroyed drone damaged three apartments in the overnight attack.
"Several residents required medical assistance," Busargin said. "Aid was provided onsite, and one person has been hospitalised. Unfortunately, one person has died."
Russian air defence units destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, the defence ministry said. It reports only how many drones its defence units down, not how many Ukraine launches.
At a glance: European leaders' joint statement ahead of Putin-Trump meeting
Sunday 10 August 2025 13:00
,
Albert Toth
Responding to the meeting between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, European leaders said: “We welcome President Trump’s work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine.
“We are convinced that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed.
|The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.”
“We continue to stand firmly by the side of Ukraine. We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests. And we will continue to cooperate closely with President Trump and with the United States of America, and with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, for a peace in Ukraine that protects our vital security interests.”
The statement was signed by British PM Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Freidrich Merz, Polish PM Donald Tusk, Finnish president Alexander Stubb and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The letter in full was released by No 10
Recap: European leaders and Zelensky at odds with Trump over Putin meeting
Sunday 10 August 2025 12:40
,
Albert Toth
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked European nations who have rallied behind his country ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Mr Trump has said Friday's meeting in Alaska with his Russian counterpart was to discuss ending the more than three-year war.
Saturday's statement by top European leaders emphasising that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv's involvement came after the White House confirmed the US president was willing to grant Mr Putin the one-on-one meeting Russia has long pushed for, and suggestions from Mr Trump that a peace deal could include "some swapping of territories".
This raised fears Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty.
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that Mr Trump remained open to a trilateral summit with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, he will have a bilateral meeting requested by Mr Putin.
Mr Trump had earlier said he would meet Mr Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Mr Zelensky.
Ukrainian officials previously told the AP privately that Kyiv would be amenable to a peace deal that would de facto recognise Ukraine's inability to regain lost territories militarily. But Mr Zelensky on Saturday insisted that formally ceding land was out of the question.
Trump remains silent on prospect of Zelensky meeting
Sunday 10 August 2025 12:20
,
Albert Toth
Only five days away from his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, US president Donald Trump has not yet committed a position on inviting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to the talks.
A White House spokesperson has confirmed only that Trump is ‘open to’ the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the three leaders, but further details have not been shared.
Alongside European leaders, Zelensky has called for Ukraine to be represented at the talks.
The Independent reports:
Why are Putin and Trump meeting in Alaska?
Sunday 10 August 2025 12:00
,
Albert Toth
US president Donald Trump has confirmed he will be meeting with his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Located to the west of Canada, the US state is not connected to the mainland, making it the only non-contiguous state in continental North America.
Alaska became a US state in 1959, nearly 100 years after the land was purchased by the country from the Russian Federation in 1867.
The chosen location is likely practical rather than symbolic, as it offers a middle ground between the two nations.
The Russian president’s delegation will make its way over the Bering Strait – 51 miles at its narrowest point – which separates Russia and the US to attend the meeting.
For security reasons, the exact location has remained undisclosed, and likely will not be in Alaska’s capital, Juneau.
How did Trump announce planned meeting with Putin?
Sunday 10 August 2025 11:40
,
Albert Toth
Announcing his meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Trump said: “I’ll be meeting very shortly with President Putin. It would have been sooner but I guess there’s security arrangements that unfortunately people have to make. Otherwise I’d do it much quicker”
“He would, too. He’d like to meet as soon as possible, I agree with it.”
He went on to add: “It’s a war that never should have happened. It would have never happened if I were president. There was no reason for it.”
Earlier this year, a meeting between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump turned hostile as US vice president JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of being “disrespectful.”
How have all sides reacted to Trump and Putin's planned meeting?
Sunday 10 August 2025 11:20
,
Albert Toth
United States
Donald Trump has said a peace deal may involve the “swapping of territories” between Russia and Ukraine.
“We're going to get some back. We're going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” he said.
The US president did not comment on whether Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky would be included in the talks, but a White House spokesperson has said he is “open to” it.
Russia
The Kremlin confirmed the summit in an online statement and said the two leaders would “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis”.
"It seems entirely logical for our delegation to fly across the Bering Strait simply, and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska," President Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said in a statement posted to the Kremlin's news channel.
Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the plan