81 m. ago Trump swallowing Putin’s lies is a bigger threat to Ukraine than bombs | Rafael Behr

In Alaska the Russian leader will claim to want peace, but only on his terms – and play on the president’s desperation to ‘make a deal’ quicklyWars do not have to be won. Total victories loom largest in the popular imagination because those are the stories nations always tell to sustain patriotic feeling. The fuller version of history is written in stalemates.That is worth remembering when Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Both leaders have incentives to pretend that Ukraine’s fate can be settled decisively without any Ukrainians at the negotiating table. That doesn’t make it so. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Ukraine will not cede land that could be Russian springboard for new war, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian leader sees no sign of Russia preparing for ceasefire after reports of frontline breach in DonbasVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine could not agree to a Russian proposal to give up more of his country’s territory in exchange for a ceasefire because Moscow would use what it gained as a springboard to start a future war.The Ukrainian president said he did not believe that Donald Trump supported Russia’s demands, and he expressed hope the US leader would act as an honest mediator when he meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Continue reading...

Events

14 h. ago Everything we know as Trump meets with European leaders and Zelensky for emergency virtual summit

Trump said on Monday he would “get everybody’s ideas” before meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday

Politics

15 h. ago Trump’s military takeover of Washington DC is a sheer demonstration of power | Moira Dongan

No one believes that the deployment of troops to America’s most liberal, most racially diverse, and most culturally thriving cities is about solving a real problemPresident Trump imposed a military takeover of the nation’s capital on Monday, sending National Guard troops to Washington. He also seized control of the DC municipal police department, invoking an obscure section of the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act which allows the president to take control of local law enforcement in the district for a period of one month in times of emergency.That there is no emergency is irrelevant: Trump has declared one in order to exercise powers that are only available to him in a state of exception, which is, of course, what the whole country increasingly finds itself to be experiencing as the president expands the powers of his office from those of a constitutional executive into something more like the power of authoritarian control.Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Events

18 h. ago EU leaders defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide future ahead of Trump

Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty signed by all EU leaders except for Viktor Orbán before call with TrumpEurope live – latest updatesRead all our coverage of the Ukraine warEuropean Union leaders made a rallying call to defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide its own future in advance of their virtual summit with Donald Trump – convened to discuss US strategy before the president’s talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday.With the exception of Hungary, all EU leaders signed a joint statement, with Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, also calling for the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to attend the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday. Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. ago Zelensky warns Trump not to trust Putin ahead of crunch Ukraine and Russia talks

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Donald Trump not to trust Russian leader Vladimir Putin ahead of their bilateral summit in Alaska this Friday (15 August).

Events

23 h. ago EU leaders say Ukraine should have freedom to decide its future ahead of Trump

Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty endorsed by all European Union leaders except for Hungary’s Viktor OrbánRead all our coverage of the Ukraine warAll but one of the European heads of state and government have said that Ukrainians must have the freedom to decide their future, ahead of a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.“Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the leaders said, adding that “we share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.” Continue reading...

Politics

31 h. ago Starmer set to speak to Trump alongside European leaders ahead of Putin meeting

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned on Monday that peace ‘must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it’.

Politics

37 h. ago Trump deploys National Guard in Washington over ‘safety emergency’

Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledges crime ‘spike’ in 2023 but says there has been a sharp decline since

Politics

38 h. ago Trump confirms 'there will be land swapping' in Russia and Ukraine peace deal

Trump confirmed some land will be moved at the "battle lines" changed, ahead of his meeting with Putin, despite the Ukrainian leader confirming two days after that no land will be swapped

Economics

38 h. ago Merz invites Trump to emergency call with EU leaders before Putin summit

Proposal, which would also include Volodymyr Zelenskyy, comes as European calls grow for red lines in Ukraine talksThe German chancellor has invited Donald Trump to join emergency virtual talks with EU leaders and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, as European demands grow that the US president agree red lines before Friday’s summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin.Neither Zelenskyy nor European leaders have been invited to Trump’s meeting with the Russian president. Continue reading...

Politics

39 h. ago Keir Starmer warns Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin can't be trusted 'as far as you can throw him' ahead of US President's talks with Russian leader

The US President is set to meet the Russian leader in Alaska later this week for peace talks over Ukraine .

Politics

39 h. ago Trump places Washington DC police under federal control and will deploy National Guard – live updates

Trump declares ‘public safety emergency’ despite record crime low; DC mayor says ‘any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false’Trump vows to ‘clean up’ DC crime despite sharp drop in violenceDonald Trump said on Truth Social today that DC “will be LIBERATED today”.Ahead of his press conference, in just over an hour, the president said that “crime, savagery, filth, and scum will disappear” from the city.I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN! The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!! Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago EU leaders push to consult with Trump ahead of Putin meeting on Ukraine

Foreign ministers expected to demand Russia agree to ceasefire and include Zelenskyy during emergency meetingEurope live – latest updatesEuropean leaders claiming Russia represents an existential threat to their continent are pushing for consultations with Donald Trump to spell out Europe’s red lines before his meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine war on Friday in Alaska.The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said he was optimistic the US president would formally consult with European leaders before his meeting, adding that the summit between Trump and Putin filled him with hope and fear. Continue reading...

Politics

42 h. ago Europe tells Trump Russia must understand Ukraine will not give up territory as leaders voice concern over possible deal with Putin

Raising concerns over a deal with Putin , they have also insisted that Ukraine must be involved in any peace talks.

Politics

60 h. ago Europe’s leaders raise pressure on Trump to involve Ukraine in Putin talks

Move comes as Germany warns White House against any deal hatched ‘over heads of Europeans and Ukrainians’Europe’s leaders have raised the pressure on Donald Trump to involve Ukraine in a planned summit with Vladimir Putin, as Germany warned the White House against any deal hatched “over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians”.Speaking before a bilateral meeting expected to take place between the US and Russian leaders on Friday in Alaska, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said he hoped and assumed that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would also be involved. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago JD Vance says Zelensky meeting Putin would not be 'productive'

U.S. Vice President JD Vance previewed the anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week.

Politics

64 h. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ demand peace talks must include Kyiv

Europe promises to ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine as Trump and Putin prepare to meet for summit on FridayThe Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

66 h. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ insistence on Ukraine role at peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ statement before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be part of ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

67 h. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ statement on Ukraine role in peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ insistence before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be involved in ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies insisting that the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics