Experts have warned that Russia is being “rewarded” for its invasion of Ukraine, as Donald Trump warmly greeted Vladimir Putin by rolling out the red carpet.
“He gave Putin more space to manipulate, mislead and buy time. Alaska has emboldened Putin, who is likely to prolong, not end, the war,” Orysia Lutsevych of think tank Chatham House said.
Volodymyr Zelensky is due to head to Washington DC on Monday to meet Trump in the, after the U.S. President hailed his meeting with the Russian leader as “very successful”.
A nearly three-hour summit in Alaska on Friday has ended without a ceasefire deal or an agreement on pausing Moscow’s war in Ukraine, despite both leaders describing the talks as productive.
Reports say that Trump has offered Ukraine Nato-style security guarantees similar to ‘Article 5’, though Kyiv would not officially join the bloc.
This means Nato members would be obliged to respond should Moscow attempt any further attacks in the future.
Putin has repeated Moscow's long-held position that what Russia claims to be the "root causes" of the conflict must be eliminated to achieve peace.
This is likely to include his demands for Ukraine’s formal renunciation of Nato membership, as well as agreeing to demilitarisation, new elections, no foreign military involvement and recognition of Russian sovereignty over the occupied Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine-Russia latest: Key points
- Zelenskyy planning to meet Trump in Washington
- Trump and Putin come to ‘agreements’ over Ukraine but no ceasefire
- ANALYSIS: He rolled out the red carpet for an indicted war criminal and all Trump got was an invitation to Moscow
- Trump and European leaders discussed 'Article 5' style guarantee for Ukraine
- Starmer speaks with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders, No10 says
- Despite lack of details, Kremlin hails talks as 'very positive' and 'productive'
Father and son killed in Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Kursk region, governor says
14:37 , Holly EvansTwo 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 EvansThe 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:
Donbas: Why Russia is desperate to capture eastern Ukraine’s industrial heartland
German chancellor Merz welcomes Trump's efforts to end Ukraine war
13:50 , Holly EvansGerman 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 EvansDonald 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:
Trump has ‘brought us closer than ever before to ending Ukraine war’, says Starmer
Not all European politicians and commentators are positive
13:25 , Holly EvansIn 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 EvansWhen 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:
Putin got everything he wanted from Trump – Ukraine will be terrified for what’s next
Trump walks away 'empty-handed' after rewarding Putin, expert says
12:53 , Holly EvansPutin 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 EvansIndia 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 EvansDonald 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 EvansPresident 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 EvansEU foreign policy chief says U.S. 'holds the power' to force Russia to negotiate
11:57 , Holly EvansThe 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 EvansItalian 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 EvansU.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 EvansOn 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.
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Trump plays into Putin's hands supporting prompt deal not ceasefire, Ukrainian lawmaker says
11:16 , Holly EvansBy 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 EvansA 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 EvansPrime 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.”
Warm handshakes and an invitation to Moscow: The key takeaways from Putin and Trump’s summit in Alaska
10:48 , Holly EvansThe highly-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been hailed as an essential and crucial step in forging a path towards peace in wartorn Ukraine.
Three hours later, both leaders emerged claiming that the summit had been a “success” and “productive”. Yet no ceasefire deal has been struck, and little information has been given as to what was actually discussed behind closed doors.
In Moscow, the meeting has been praised as a success, while in the West, it has left more questions than answers.
Here are the key takeaways from the summit:
'Russia is a great power and they're not," Trump says of Ukraine
10:37 , Holly EvansU.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday Ukraine should agree a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after holding a summit with President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield a ceasefire.
In a major shift, Trump also said he had agreed with Putin that the best way to end the war was to go straight to a peace settlement - not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and its European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding.
n a post-summit interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump signaled that he and Putin had discussed potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine.
"I think those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed on," Trump said.
"I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say no."
When asked by Hannity what he would advise Zelensky, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal."
"Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not. They're great soldiers," he added.
European leaders have prepared joint statement on Alaska talks, says Poland's Tusk
10:25 , Holly EvansEuropean leaders prepared a joint statement after evaluating information given by Donald Trump about the summit in Alaska and listening to the opinions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday.
"The conversation among European leaders evaluating the information provided by President Trump and the outcomes of the Alaska meeting has concluded," Tusk wrote on X.
"Together with @EmmanuelMacron, @_FriedrichMerz, @Keir_Starmer, @GiorgiaMeloni, we listened to the opinions of @ZelenskyyUa and prepared a joint statement."
Tusk did not say when the statement would be issued.
Zakończyła się rozmowa europejskich liderów oceniająca informację przekazaną przez prezydenta Trumpa i efekty spotkania na Alasce. Wspólnie z @EmmanuelMacron, @_FriedrichMerz, @Keir_Starmer, @GiorgiaMeloni wysłuchaliśmy opinii @ZelenskyyUa i przygotowaliśmy wspólne oświadczenie.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) August 16, 2025
Watch: Putin's reaction as reporter confronts Russian president on civilian killings
10:02 , Holly EvansTrump hails 'great and very successful day' in bid for peace agreement
09:51 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has taken to Truth Social to hail the Alaska summit as a “great and very successful day”.
He added that he had spoken to Zelensky and European allies, and that it had been agreed that a peace agreement was the way forward, rather than a ceasefire deal.
He wrote: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
Putin only interested in comprehensive agreement not ceasefire, source says
09:33 , Holly EvansAxios reporter Barak Ravid said, citing a source, that Trump told Zelensky and European leaders during the phone call that Putin was not interested in a ceasefire but in a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
"I think a fast peace deal is better than a ceasefire," Trump said in the call, according to Ravid, who cited a source on the call without identifying that person.
The report has not been verified.
🚨President Trump told Zelensky and NATO leaders that Putin doesn't want a ceasefire and prefers a comprehensive agreement to end the war. According to a source on the call Trump said: "I think a fast peace deal is better than a ceasefire"
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 16, 2025
Hungarian PM Orban says world is safer after Trump-Putin summit
09:14 , Holly EvansThe world is a safer place following the meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday.
"For years, we have watched the two largest nuclear powers eliminate the framework of their cooperation and send messages to each other," Orban wrote on Facebook. "It's over now. The world is a safer place today than it was yesterday."
Russian politicians hail Alaska summit as victory for Moscow
09:01 , Holly EvansIn the early hours of Saturday morning following a summit in Alaska between the leaders of Russia and the United States, senior politicians in Moscow were quick to trumpet the meeting as a win for Russia and its narrative of the war in Ukraine.
"The meeting in Alaska confirmed Russia's desire for peace, long-term and fair," said Andrei Klishas, a senior lawmaker from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.
He portrayed the summit as a coup for Russia and a loss for Ukraine and its European allies, who have been pushing for an unconditional ceasefire.
"The tasks of the SMO will be accomplished either by military or diplomatic means," Klishas wrote, using the acronym for Special Military Operation, the Kremlin's term for the war.
"A new architecture for European and international security is on the agenda, and everyone must accept it."
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president known for his hawkish views, said the summit proved that it was possible to hold talks without conditions - as Moscow has insisted - while the fighting in Ukraine rages on.
Russia's flagship Channel One morning state news bulletin on Saturday stressed the pageantry around the summit, its global profile, and the warm welcome extended to Putin, who had been ostracized by Western leaders since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump and European leaders had a one hour phone call following Alaska summit
08:48 , Holly EvansFrench President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and European partners on Saturday morning following the meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the Elysee office said in a statement on Saturday.
The phone conversation lasted for one hour and other there were seven other European leaders present, including Volodymyr Zelensky, Freidrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Alezander Stubb and Karol Nawrocki, as well as the secretary general of NATO, the statement said.
Zelenskyy planning to meet Trump in Washington
08:36 , Holly EvansVolodymyr Zelensky has announced he will visit Donald Trump in Washington DC on Monday, after an hour-long call with the U.S. president following his meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian president reaffirmed his “readiness to work with maximum effort” to achieve a peace deal.
He stressed: “ We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”
We had a long and substantive conversation with @POTUS. We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025
Ukraine reaffirms… pic.twitter.com/64IPVhtFaB
British personnel ready to arrive in Ukraine once fighting on hold, says UK government
08:26 , Holly EvansBritish personnel are ready to arrive in Ukraine just “days” after Moscow and Kyiv agree to put fighting on hold, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The UK Government earlier this summer backed international efforts to set up a “Multinational Force Ukraine”, a military plan to bolster Ukraine’s defences once the conflict eases, in a bid to ward off future Russian aggression.
“Planning has continued on an enduring basis to ensure that a force can deploy in the days following the cessation of hostilities,” an MoD spokesperson said.
According to the Government, “along with securing Ukraine’s skies and supporting safer seas, the force is expected to regenerate land forces by providing logistics, armaments, and training expertise”.
It “will strengthen Ukraine’s path to peace and stability by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s own forces”, the spokesperson added.
Early designs for the Multinational Force Ukraine were originally drafted last month, after military chiefs met in Paris to agree a strategy and co-ordinate plans with the EU, Nato, the US and more than 200 planners.
Read the full article here:
British personnel ready to arrive in Ukraine once fighting on hold – Government
Pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased over Ukraine war, Norway says
08:14 , Holly EvansRussia must face more pressure over the war in Ukraine, Norway's foreign minister said on Saturday, following a summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
"We must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it, to give the clear signal to Russia that it must pay the price (for its invasion of Ukraine)," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told reporters in Oslo.
Following the meeting, the U.S. president spoke to his European counterparts, including Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer.
Starmer speaks with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders, No10 says
08:07 , Holly EvansSir Keir Starmer has spoken with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders after the US president met Vladimir Putin in Alaska overnight, Downing Street said.
On the call were leaders from Italy, France, Finland, Germany and Poland, as well as Nato’s Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission.
Sir Keir is due to speak again with European leaders this morning.
Trump’s awkward response to Putin’s invite to Moscow at Alaska summit
Trump holds phone calls with Zelensky and NATO leaders after summit with Putin
07:58 , Holly EvansU.S. President Donald Trump held a lengthy phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and subsequently spoke to NATO leaders after the U.S. president's Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said.
Despite lack of details, Kremlin hails talks as 'very positive' and 'productive'
07:40 , Oliver O'ConnellKremlin officials have hailed recent talks between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump as “very positive” and “definitely productive,” despite a notable lack of specific details emerging from the summit.
According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the discussions as “very positive,” adding that the summit allows Moscow and Washington to “continue to confidently move together along the path of searching for (Ukraine conflict) resolution options.”
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation and a member of the Russian delegation, echoed this sentiment, calling the summit “definitely productive.” Speaking after the talks, Dmitriev stated there were “lots of issues that we discussed” and “many” agreed upon, with more “to be agreed” upon in the future. However, he did not elaborate on the specific issues.
Dmitriev further highlighted the importance of economic ties, noting: “It’s very important that President Trump outlined a significant economic potential of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, and we will continue building U.S.-Russia relations going forward, despite lots of resistance to this.”
Despite the positive assessments, the summit concluded without a traditional press conference. RIA Novosti reported that Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin and Trump made “comprehensive statements” after the talks, leading to a decision not to take questions from journalists. Both leaders made their statements before departing the room, leaving reporters without the opportunity to pose questions.
With reporting from the AP
Kremlin says question of Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit was not discussed, TASS says
07:33 , Holly EvansKremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the question of a three-way summit between the Russian, U.S. and Ukrainian presidents had not been discussed, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Ushakov said he did not know yet when President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would meet again following Friday's summit in Alaska.
Alaska talks showed Putin is not looking for peace, says Czech minister
07:23 , Holly EvansTalks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska showed that the Russian president is not looking for peace and wants to weaken Western unity, Czech defence minister Jana Cernochova said on Saturday.
"The Trump-Putin talks in Alaska did not bring significant progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, but they confirmed that Putin is not seeking peace, but rather an opportunity to weaken Western unity and spread his propaganda," she wrote on X, adding that the West must continue supporting Ukraine.
Jednání Trump-Putin na Aljašce nepřineslo zásadní posun k ukončení války na Ukrajině, potvrdilo ovšem to, že Putin nehledá mír, ale příležitost oslabit jednotu Západu a šířit svou propagandu. Snaží se prodlužovat konflikt, aby dosáhl maxima svých cílů z hlediska ruské expanze.…
— Jana Černochová (@jana_cernochova) August 16, 2025
Trump says Putin and Zelensky both want him at future meetings in person
07:20 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin were going to set up a meeting to try to reach a ceasefire to end the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity following discussions with Putin in Alaska, Mr Trump offered his potential involvement.
“Now, it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it's up to President Zelensky... And if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting,” Trump remarked.
He added: “They're going to set up a meeting now between President Zelensky and President Putin and myself, I guess.”
Trump hand-delivered Putin a letter from First Lady Melania on ‘plight of children in Ukraine and Russia’: White House
07:15 , Shweta SharmaPresident Donald Trump hand-delivered Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from First Lady Melania Trump on the “plight of children in Ukraine and Russia,” according to a new report that cites White House officials.
Trump met with Putin for nearly three hours on Friday at a U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. In their first meeting in six years the two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine. Trump has pushed for peace in the region but no ceasefire deal came out of the talks.
Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia, wrote Putin a letter that mentioned the abductions of children in the over three-year war, which Trump gave to Putin at the summit, two White House officials told Reuters.
Trump gave Putin a letter from Melania about missing children: White House
Putin stops off in Russia's Far East after Trump meeting, Tass reports
07:07 , Shweta SharmaRussian president Vladimir Putin visited the region of Chukotka in Russia's far east on his way back from a summit with US president Donald Trump in Alaska, the Tass state news agency reported on Saturday.
Chukotka is separated from Alaska by the Bering Strait. Putin met with the regional governor there, Tass said.
ANALYSIS: He rolled out the red carpet for an indicted war criminal and all Trump got was an invitation to Moscow
07:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Independent’s 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 crystallize in this meeting of super powers dissolved. Even the key word of the whole farrago “ceasefire” had vanished.
Read on...
Russia launches 85 drones and one missile at Ukraine overnight
06:53 , Shweta SharmaRussia launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile targeting Ukraine's territory, Ukraine's Air Force said on Saturday, even as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump met in Alaska to discuss a ceasefire.
Frontline territories in the Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were targeted in the overnight strikes, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
It said its air defence units destroyed 61 of the drones. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its daily morning report that 139 clashes had taken place on the front line over the past day.
Russia's air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight over various Russian regions, including 10 downed over the Rostov region, RIA agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian defence ministry.
The fighting continued as Trump and Putin ended their summit in Alaska with no agreement to resolve or pause Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Trump tells Fox News that Zelensky has ‘got to make a deal’ with Putin after Alaska summit
06:45 , Shweta SharmaPresident Donald Trump insists Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has “gotta make a deal” with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his Alaska summit with the Russian leader.
After the nearly three-hour meeting between the two leaders, with no agreement having been reached on the future of the war in Ukraine, Trump appeared for an interview on Fox News’ ‘Hannity’.
Host Sean Hannity asked what advice he would give to Zelensky and Trump replied: “Make the deal. Gotta make a deal.”
“Russia’s a very big power. And they’re not,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. has supplied Ukraine with weaponry.
Trump tells Fox News that Zelensky has ‘got to make a deal’ with Putin after summit
Stroking Trump’s ego, Putin echoes claim that if he’d beaten Biden in 2020 there would be no war in Ukraine
06:30 , Oliver O'ConnellRussian President Vladimir Putin stroked President Donald Trump’s ego after echoing his claim that if the Republican had won the 2020 presidential election, there would be no war in Ukraine.
The two leaders emerged after Friday’s closed-door talks in Anchorage, Alaska, stretched almost three hours, where they announced that some “great progress” had been made on ending the war but no ceasefire deal was reached.
During his address, Putin, who spoke first, also took aim at former President Joe Biden in a move that likely pleased Trump.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Putin echoes Trump claim that if he beat Biden in 2020 there’d be no Ukraine war
Editorial blasts Alaska summit as 'sickening, shameful, and useless'
06:26 , Shweta SharmaThe Kyiv Independent published a blistering editorial after the Alaska summit, condemning the warm reception Vladimir Putin received from Donald Trump.
The editorial described Putin as a “blood-soaked dictator and war criminal” who was given a royal welcome in the US, even as Russian attack drones struck Ukrainian cities.
It contrasted Trump’s red-carpet treatment of the Russian president with his earlier “public shaming” of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, calling both episodes “disgraceful.”
The paper accused Trump of indulging Putin rather than confronting him, warning that the Russian leader “doesn’t really make deals – he takes… until stopped by force.”
Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s choice of a USSR sweatshirt and Kremlin journalists joking about “chicken Kyiv” served on the flight to Alaska were cited as signs Moscow never took the peace talks seriously.
The editorial warned that Putin left the summit emboldened, not just over Ukraine but in his wider goal of unsettling the transatlantic alliance.
It said unless Ukraine is brought to the table, the US risks handing Putin another win in the next round of talks, while the red-carpet images of a “murderer” will linger far longer than any words spoken in Alaska.
Russia downs 29 Ukrainian drones overnight, RIA reports
06:11 , Shweta SharmaRussia's air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight over various Russian regions, including 10 downed over the Rostov region, RIA agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian defence ministry.
Trump called out for clapping for Putin
06:02 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump was seen clapping as he waited for Vladimir Putin to walk towards him on the red carpet after he got down from Air Force One.
The Russian president is then seen walking towards him and the two shook their hands.
The US president has been called out on social media for his warm greeting of an alleged war criminal.
“Clapping for the war criminal. What a disgrace to our country’s ideals. Trump always shows his true colors around Putin. And he always sells out America and our allies. I remember when Republican presidents—Ike, Reagan, Bush—always stood up to tyrants. This is pathetic,” Terry Moran, a user said on X.
Clapping for the war criminal. What a disgrace to our country’s ideals.
— Terry Moran 🇺🇸 (@TerryMoran) August 15, 2025
Trump always shows his true colors around Putin. And he always sells out America and our allies.
I remember when Republican presidents—Ike, Reagan, Bush—always stood up to tyrants. This is pathetic. pic.twitter.com/BOb5uC77jX
Democratic rep Jim McGovern said: “Trump rolls out the red carpet for a war criminal. On American soil. The US government should be arresting Putin, not hosting him. Shameful and embarrassing.”
Democratic sen Richard Blumenthal said his stomach turned when he heard the president of the United States characterize Putin as his fabulously good friend.
“Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. … The reality on the ground is that people are bleeding and dying all around Ukraine because Putin is continuing to bomb them,” he told CNN.
Trump-Putin summit in Alaska ends with no sign of Ukraine ceasefire deal
06:00 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended nearly three hours of high-stakes talks in Alaska without any sign of a Ukraine ceasefire deal – raising questions over the trajectory of the war and the fate of European security.
“We didn’t get there,” a downbeat US president said as he told reporters that the two leaders had not reached an agreement but the meeting had been “very productive”.
“We've made some headway,” he added.
World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley and White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg in Anchorage, Alaska, filed this report.
‘We didn’t get there’: Trump-Putin summit ends with no sign of ceasefire
European politicians mock Putin’s peace claims as empty and threatening
05:42 , Shweta SharmaEuropean leaders reacted with scepticism after Vladimir Putin’s latest remarks at the Alaska summit, with Lithuania accusing him of issuing veiled threats and the Czech Republic questioning his commitment to peace despite ongoing attacks on Ukraine.
Lithuanian defence minister Dovile Sakaliene accused Vladimir Putin of “more gaslighting and veiled threats” after the Russian leader warned Ukraine and Europe not to “sabotage” summit progress.
“War criminal with an addiction of radioactive poisoning of his critics addresses the US President with ‘Very good to see you in good health and to see you alive’,” she wrote.
"There's no deal until there's a deal," says President Donald Trump after meeting putin on American soil. Fair statement.
— Dovilė Šakalienė (@DSakaliene) August 16, 2025
“We expect that Ukraine and Europe will not try to sabotage the talks,” some more gaslighting & veiled threats from putin.
War criminal with an addiction…
Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavsky, meanwhile, welcomed Donald Trump’s efforts but questioned Putin’s intentions.
“If Putin were serious about negotiating peace, he would not have been attacking Ukraine all day today,” he said, according to Reuters.
“It seems Putin has bought himself more time,” Oleksiy Honcharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker wrote on social media. “No cease-fire or any kind of de-escalation has been agreed upon.”
Does Putin speak English? Politicos and experts weigh in
05:30 , Oliver O'ConnellThere were several moments where President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin exchanged words without interpreters at the high-stakes summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine — sparking debate about whether or not Putin speaks English.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Does Putin speak English? World wonders what leaders said in back of Trump’s Beast
No ceasefire, but Trump and Putin come to ‘agreements’ over Ukraine
05:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe highly anticipated talks between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin ended with no firm agreement on stopping the three-year war in Ukraine, as both leaders took notably different stances speaking after the high-stakes summit in Alaska.
At what was billed as a press conference following a nearly three-hour meeting between the two leaders and their top aides Friday, Putin attempted to set the terms when he spoke first after both emerged on the stage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage.
Putin appeared optimistic about the talks as he said he and Trump had come to ‘agreements’ and described Ukraine — the sovereign nation he invaded and has been pillaging since March 2022 — as Russia’s “brotherly nation” and claimed Russia wants to end the conflict.
By contrast, Trump followed in brief comments and said firmly: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Andrew Feinberg filed this report from Anchorage, Alaska, in conjunction with Rhian Lubin in New York.
Trump and Putin come to ‘agreements’ over Ukraine but no ceasefire
British personnel ready to arrive in Ukraine as soon as ceasefire is confirmed
04:56 , Shweta SharmaBritish troops could be on the ground in Ukraine within days of a ceasefire, the British Ministry of Defence has said.
The announcement comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin met his US counterpart Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the conflict that has raged for more than three years in eastern Europe.
The two leaders spoke for nearly three hours but failed to strike a deal, offering only brief statements afterwards. Trump described “some great progress” with “many points” agreed, though admitted “very few” issues remained unresolved.
London has already thrown its support behind an international plan to create a “Multinational Force Ukraine” – a military mission designed to bolster Kyiv’s defences and deter further Russian aggression once the fighting subsides.
“Planning has continued on an enduring basis to ensure that a force can deploy in the days following the cessation of hostilities,” an MoD spokesperson said.
According to the government, the force will help secure Ukraine’s skies, safeguard its seas, and rebuild its land forces by providing logistics, armaments, and training expertise.
“It will strengthen Ukraine’s path to peace and stability by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s own forces,” the spokesperson added.
The early blueprints for the mission were drawn up last month at a meeting of military chiefs in Paris, where the EU, Nato, the US and more than 200 planners agreed on a strategy and coordination plan.
In photos: Key moments from the Putin-Trump talks
04:41 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down for a three-hour meeting and later delivered a joint statement to the media.
The two left without taking questions.
Before departing, Putin laid flowers at the graves of Soviet soldiers at the Fort Richardson Memorial Cemetery.
Trump also boarded the plane to leave for the US.
Trump rolls out the red carpet for Putin as leaders shake hands on Alaska tarmac
04:30 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, greeting the leader warmly before they made the unusual move of departing together in the U.S. president’s limousine.
At the historic meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, the two leaders greeted one another like old friends as they shook hands and patted each other’s backs on an actual red carpet laid out on the tarmac for the historic meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Trump, who exited Air Force One moments ahead of Putin’s deplaning, appeared excited by his Russian counterpart’s arrival, clapping as the strongman leader walked toward him.
Putin then appeared to give Trump a thumbs-up.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Trump rolls out the red carpet for Putin as leaders ride to summit together
Putin becomes meme just minutes into high-stakes Alaska summit with Trump
04:00 , Oliver O'ConnellJust minutes after the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off, social media users have already turned Putin’s expression into a meme.
Although the world leaders’ first one-on-one meeting in seven years was supposed to be focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Russian president’s facial expressions — a series of befuddled looks, eyes darting around with a furrowed brow — seem to have already stolen the show. Putin made the faces when reporters bombarded him with questions in the first few moments of the summit.
X users quickly turned his expressions into memes.
Kelly Rissman rounds up the jokes.
Putin becomes meme just minutes into high-stakes Alaska summit with Trump
Key takeaways from the Putin and Trump meeting
03:59 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat side by side on stage and exchanged warm words during their private talks.
The two leaders indicated progress had been made but they did not reach a solid agreement on Russia-Ukraine war.
- Putin said he was “sincerely interested” in ending what he called the “tragedy” of the conflict, but insisted Russia must first address its “primary causes”.
- He cautioned that Ukraine and Europe should not “sabotage” negotiations, describing the latest meeting as a “starting point for resolution”.
- The Russian president characterised his relationship with Trump as “business-like” and echoed the former US president’s claim that the war would not have broken out had he stayed in office after 2020.
- Trump, however, noted that “there is no deal until there is a deal”, admitting “we didn’t get there” despite progress.
- He said “many points were agreed” but a few remain unresolved, with one “most significant” issue left unspecified. He added he would soon speak with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, stressing the decision was “ultimately up to them”.
- Trump ended by saying he would “probably” meet Mr Putin again soon. The Russian leader replied: “Next time in Moscow.”
- The two leaders declined to take questions.
Putin met a tougher Trump in Alaska than the one he steamrolled in Helsinki seven years ago
03:51 , Kelly RissmanNearly eight years after Donald Trump turned in such an embarrassing performance at his first summit with Vladimir Putin that members of his own party were left struggling to defend him, critics feared he was set for a repeat performance in Alaska Friday.
Putin traveled from Moscow to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska — on what was once sovereign Russian land — after three years of isolation brought on by his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, hoping he could charm, cajole and flatter Trump into taking his side over that of Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump arrived first, and the two leaders met on a red-carpeted tarmac for a handshake. It was there that Putin got his first surprise.
Andrew Feinberg has the story.
‘No deal’: Putin met a tougher Trump than the one he steamrolled in Helsinki
ICYMI: Putin team trolls its way to Ukraine summit with Trump as it serves ‘Chicken Kyiv’
03:40 , Oliver O'ConnellRussian President Vladimir Putin’s team trolled Ukraine on the eve of the summit with President Donald Trump by serving “chicken Kyiv” to journalists on the flight to Alaska.
U.S. and Russian delegations began arriving in Anchorage Friday, as Trump posted a blunt two-word warning on Truth Social: “HIGH STAKES!!!”
On the state-chartered flight to the talks, Russian media were served “chicken Kyiv cutlets” according to the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan.
Rhian Lubin has the story.
Putin team trolls Ukraine as it serves ‘Chicken Kyiv’ on plane ahead of Trump summit
Pundits say meeting was ‘bad for Americans’ after Trump’s ‘no deal’ Alaska summit
03:30 , Kelly RissmanPundits — including some from Fox News — believed U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be “steamrolled” by Russian President Vladimir Putin after the world leaders’ summit in Alaska.
The highly anticipated meeting in Anchorage on Friday ended after around three hours with little clarity. Both leaders suggested progress had been made on talks about the future of the war in Ukraine but neither disclosed details during their joint appearance in front of the world’s press where neither took questions from journalists.
Putin spoke first, an atypical move for statements with the U.S. president on U.S. soil, touting the “agreement that we've reached together.”
While Trump called the meeting “extremely productive” and said the pair made “great progress,” he emphasized no agreement had been reached: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Former government officials and commentators seemed to overwhelmingly agree that Putin walked away from the meeting triumphant.
Read the full story.
Trump praises Hillary Clinton's Nobel Peace Prize remark as 'very nice'
03:24 , Kelly RissmanAhead of the highly anticipated summit on Friday, Hillary Clinton said she’d nominate President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he could broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that did not “capitulate” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump hailed the remarks as “very nice” while speaking on Fox News’ Sean Hannity after his meeting with Putin.
“It's very nice if she said that. That's very nice. I really appreciate it too, actually,” he said Friday evening on Hannity.
Now we know just how useless Trump’s Alaska summit really was ... to everyone but Vladimir Putin
03:20 , Oliver O'ConnellHolly Baxter writes:
Before President Trump’s tête-à-tête with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was already downplaying the stakes.
Wednesday morning, she described the summit as a “listening exercise” — which is, frankly, a relief. After all, when you’re a time-poor autocrat juggling a Monday invasion, a midweek labor camp opening, and a weekend of jailing political opponents, it’s easy to feel unheard.
Sure, Putin invaded Ukraine. And yes, countless people have suffered ... on both sides. But perhaps — and I think we can all agree this is the real tragedy here — no one has taken the time to validate his feelings.
So it was heartening, then, to see Vlad and Donald touch down on Alaskan soil midday Friday and greet each other with warmth: a smattering of applause from Trump, a weirdly prolonged handshake, and then the two friends sliding into the same back seat — a notable break in protocol — for the drive to their meeting.
Read on...
Trump’s Alaska summit really was useless ... to everyone but Vladimir Putin
ANALYSIS: He rolled out the red carpet for an indicted war criminal and all Trump got was an invitation to Moscow
03:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Independent’s 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 crystallize in this meeting of super powers dissolved. Even the key word of the whole farrago “ceasefire” had vanished.
Read on...
Putin strokes Trump’s ego, echoing claim that if he’d beaten Biden in 2020 there would be no war in Ukraine
02:53 , Oliver O'ConnellRussian President Vladimir Putin stroked President Donald Trump’s ego after echoing his claim that if the Republican had won the 2020 presidential election, there would be no war in Ukraine.
The two leaders emerged after Friday’s closed-door talks in Anchorage, Alaska, stretched almost three hours, where they announced that some “great progress” had been made on ending the war but no ceasefire deal was reached.
During his address, Putin, who spoke first, also took aim at former President Joe Biden in a move that likely pleased Trump.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Putin echoes Trump claim that if he beat Biden in 2020 there’d be no Ukraine war
Trump said he had 'very sincere' conversation with Putin after public statements
02:47 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump has also claimed he held a “very sincere” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their public remarks in Alaska.
Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Friday, Trump elaborated on the interaction when asked if they had spent time alone.
He said: “Yeah, I did. I did, actually, after our speeches. He made a very good speech, and I also finished it up. And afterwards we spoke. Right after that, we spoke very sincerely. I think he wants to see it done.”
The White House posted this photo of the two leaders earlier:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 16, 2025
Trump says Putin and Zelensky both want him at future meetings in person
02:41 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin were going to set up a meeting to try to reach a ceasefire to end the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity following discussions with Putin in Alaska, Mr Trump offered his potential involvement.
“Now, it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it's up to President Zelensky... And if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting,” Trump remarked.
He added: “They're going to set up a meeting now between President Zelensky and President Putin and myself, I guess.”
Trump says Zelensky should 'make a deal'
02:25 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump has suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should “make a deal” with Russia, describing Russia as “a very big power.”
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump acknowledged that Ukraine “maybe they will say no” to such a proposition.
He also reflected on his encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, characterising it as “a very warm meeting between two very important countries.”
Without providing specifics, Trump indicated he believes the parties “are close to a deal, but I don’t like saying it,” suggesting that discussing it further could jeopardize the process.
Hannity: Based on today, what’s your advice to Zelenskyy?
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2025
Trump: Make a deal. Russia’s a very big power. And they’re not… pic.twitter.com/EsJfDKRe4F
Trump claims Putin called US 'hot as a pistol'
02:15 , Oliver O'ConnellTrump tells Hannity: “And Vladimir said just a little while ago, I have never seen anybody do so much, so fast. He said your country is, like, hot as a pistol. And a year ago, he thought it was dead.”
Trump: "Vladimir said just a little while ago, he said 'I've never seen anybody do so much so fast.' He said, 'your country is, like, hot as a pistol,' and a year ago he thought it was dead." pic.twitter.com/5Ll7UuZPjV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 16, 2025
Trump says 'no deal until there's a deal,' but progress was made
02:13 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump continues to tells Hannity he had “a very good meeting today” with Putin, saying only that “a lot of very good points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine and on behalf of the whole NATO situation.”
Trump: But we had a very good meeting today and I think a lot of points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine…. pic.twitter.com/uoiLcrEc77
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2025
Trump appears to indicate that the ball is in Ukraine and Europe’s court, saying: “Now it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also say the European nations have to get involved a little bit.”
Trump: Now it is really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations have to get involved a little bit pic.twitter.com/yA26SOsRT3
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2025
Trump won't say what sticking point of talks on Ukraine was
02:10 , Oliver O'ConnellSean Hannity asked President Donald Trump what the one big issue he and President Vladimir Putin don't agree on was: “Are you prepared to go public with that?”
Trump replied: “No, I'd rather not. I guess somebody is gonna go public with it, they'll figure it out.”
HANNITY: You said there was one big issue you and Putin don't agree on. Are you prepared to go public with that?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 16, 2025
TRUMP: No, I'd rather not. I guess somebody is gonna go public with it, they'll figure it out. pic.twitter.com/HNWUWs1QtA
'I was very happy to hear him say if I was president that war never would have happened'
02:08 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump sat down with Sean Hannity of Fox News immediately after he and President Vladimir Putin spoke to the press following their meeting.
Trump told Hannity he was “very happy” to hear Putin say that the Ukraine war would never have happened if he had been president.
Trump: I was very happy to hear him say if I was president that war never would have happened pic.twitter.com/GawmiVRKrL
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2025
Despite lack of details, Kremlin hails talks as 'very positive' and 'productive'
02:03 , Oliver O'ConnellKremlin officials have hailed recent talks between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump as “very positive” and “definitely productive,” despite a notable lack of specific details emerging from the summit.
According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the discussions as “very positive,” adding that the summit allows Moscow and Washington to “continue to confidently move together along the path of searching for (Ukraine conflict) resolution options.”
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation and a member of the Russian delegation, echoed this sentiment, calling the summit “definitely productive.” Speaking after the talks, Dmitriev stated there were “lots of issues that we discussed” and “many” agreed upon, with more “to be agreed” upon in the future. However, he did not elaborate on the specific issues.
Dmitriev further highlighted the importance of economic ties, noting: “It’s very important that President Trump outlined a significant economic potential of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, and we will continue building U.S.-Russia relations going forward, despite lots of resistance to this.”
Despite the positive assessments, the summit concluded without a traditional press conference. RIA Novosti reported that Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin and Trump made “comprehensive statements” after the talks, leading to a decision not to take questions from journalists. Both leaders made their statements before departing the room, leaving reporters without the opportunity to pose questions.
With reporting from the AP
Today, Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for authoritarian thug Vladimir Putin. Instead of standing with Ukraine and our allies, Trump stood shoulder to shoulder with an autocrat that has terrorized the Ukrainian people and the globe for years. While we wait for critical details of what was discussed—on first take it appears Trump handed Putin legitimacy, a global stage, zero accountability, and got nothing in return. Our fear is that this wasn’t diplomacy—it was just theater.
Trump seemed to be 'steamrolled' by Putin
01:50 , Oliver O'ConnellMore cutting commentary from Fox News, with White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich saying: “The way that it felt in the room was not good. It did not seem like things went well. And it seemed like Putin came in and steamrolled, got right into what he wanted to say, and got his photo next to the president and then left.”
Fox News Reporter Jacqui Heinrich: The way that it felt in the room was not good. It did not seem like things went well. And it seemed like Putin came in and steamrolled, got right into what he wanted to say and got his photo next to the president and then left pic.twitter.com/eTu4SdfA13
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2025
ICYMI: Piers Morgan quickly backtracks after ‘mistakenly’ posting photo of Trump wearing kneepads ahead of Putin summit
01:40 , Oliver O'ConnellPiers Morgan said he thought a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads was a real image of the president preparing for his “high stakes” summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that he deleted the photo when he realized it was fake.
The British tabloid host went on to claim that the satirical pic of Trump merely came across his social media feed and he immediately reposted it alongside well-wishes to Trump.
Needless to say, Morgan faced a flood of mockery for posting the mocked-up photo of the president, something he acknowledged after deleting the image.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Piers Morgan quickly deletes photo of Trump wearing kneepads ahead of Putin summit
Tomorrow's front page
01:32 , Oliver O'Connell
Trump and Putin depart summit
01:23 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin have departed Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on their respective official planes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin departs Anchorage, Alaska following meeting with President Trump. pic.twitter.com/ws15pSWhxB
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 16, 2025
There did not appear to be as warm a farewell as there had been a welcome.
While they rode to the summit together in the backseat of Trump’s armored Cadillac, they departed in separate cars afterward.
JUST IN: President Trump boards Air Force One after "productive" meeting with President Putin in Alaska. pic.twitter.com/DPmOw3IBKc
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 16, 2025
Trump rated Putin meeting as 10
01:21 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump told Fox News following his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he gave "today a 10" on a scale of one to 10.
Kilmeade: "I just was texting back and forth with Sean Hannity, who just sat down with the president. He said on a scale of 1 to 10, 'I give today a 10.' So that's the president grading what he thought of the meeting." pic.twitter.com/RUJN0yaZ0J
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 16, 2025
