5 h. ago I used to run the Foreign Office. This is my advice for today’s extraordinary White House meeting

With so much at stake for Europe, the most important thing is to choose a lead speaker. I’d go with Starmer or RutteSimon McDonald was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, 2015-2020, and is now a crossbench peerLast week’s extraordinary summit meeting in Alaska is being followed today by an even more extraordinary international conference in Washington. None of the participants knew they were going to take part two days ago. In recent decades, diplomacy has been increasingly conducted in ad hoc contact groups – but the group of seven countries (the US, Ukraine, the UK, Germany, Finland, Italy and France) and two international organisations (Nato and the EU) has never met in this way before.Officials will be preparing in the usual way, assembling briefing packs and writing talking points, aiming to please their bosses and, hopefully, allowing them to make the most effective intervention. Continue reading...

Society

15 h. ago Readers' letters: Vladimir Putin got everything he wanted from Alaska summit

A reader says Vladimir Putin was the clear winner in the Alaska summit on the fate of Ukraine

Politics

20 h. ago Putin won in Anchorage. Now Zelenskyy and Europe are in an even more perilous position | Rajan Menon

Trump’s summit failed to achieve a ceasefire, but the Russian president will be very happy with how events are unfoldingDonald Trump portrays himself as a hard-nosed dealmaker. Yet in the run-up to Friday’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, his claim that the Russian leader held him in high regard and was therefore serious about ending the war in Ukraine sounded naive. Putin doesn’t let sentimentality shape his political and military decisions. Nor has he disavowed his longstanding claim to four Ukrainian provinces: Donetsk and Luhansk, which together comprise Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south. Despite Russia’s overwhelming numerical advantage in troops and weaponry, Putin occupies only one province, Luhansk, almost entirely. Yet he persists.In the days before his meeting with Putin, Trump said the Russian economy “stinks” and that falling oil prices would cause Russia’s war to run aground. The war has certainly placed severe s...

Politics

24 h. ago Putin describes ‘very frank’ conversation with Trump at crunch Ukraine summit

Vladimir Putin described his talks with Donald Trump in Alaska as “very frank” and said both sides expressed a shared interest in ending the war in Ukraine.

Politics

25 h. ago Zelensky accuses Russia of 'complicating' end to war as embattled Ukrainian leader is summoned to the White House

Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House tomorrow for a one-on-one which Donald Trump believes could pave the way for a three-way meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Events

36 h. ago Is Zelensky about to walk into another White House ambush after Trump’s Putin meeting?

Trump’s problem with Zelensky is personal but, as World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley explains, he may finally understand that Ukraine cannot be handed to Putin

Politics

37 h. ago Putin demands Zelensky surrenders Donetsk region as condition for ending war in Ukraine

Details of the Russian president’s demands for Ukrainian territory come ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with Donald Trump in Washington on Monday

Politics

38 h. ago Putin demands Zelensky surrenders Donestsk region as condition for ending war in Ukraine

Details on Vladimir Putin’s demand for Ukrainian terriotary comes ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky meeting Donald Trump in Washington on Monday

Politics

39 h. ago Trump urges Zelensky to 'make a deal' to end Ukraine war after ceasefire pivot following talks with Putin in Alaska

US President says ‘we didn’t get there’ after nearly three hour meeting with his Russian counterpart in Anchorage

Politics

39 h. ago After an inconclusive summit, Ukraine’s fate hangs in the balance

Donald Trump appears to be urging Volodymyr Zelensky to give up land for peace

Politics

40 h. ago Putin demands full control of Donetsk and Luhansk as condition for ending Ukraine war – live

Putin told Trump he would halt further advances and freeze Ukrainian frontline where Russian forces occupy significant areas, sources sayZelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday after Putin summit briefingUkraine’s president has said he will fly to Washington on Monday to meet Donald Trump following the Alaska summit amid speculation that the US president will ask him to cede territory to end the war.Next week’s meeting will mark the first return to the White House for Volodymyr Zelenskyy since his infamous row with Trump and the vice-president, JD Vance, in the Oval Office in February. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Trump reportedly backs Ukrainian land concession in peace plan with Putin – live

Putin in return offered ceasefire across Ukraine and written promise to not attack again, according to senior officialsZelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday after Putin summit briefingAt the Alaska summit, Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for ending the war, but offered Trump a freeze along the remaining frontline, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told the Guardian.Although Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, Ukraine still holds key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk and heavily fortified positions whose defence has cost tens of thousands of lives. Continue reading...

Politics

42 h. ago Putin told Trump he could relax some territorial claims in exchange for Donetsk region

Russian president offered at Alaska summit to freeze front lines if Ukraine withdraws from crucial eastern area

Politics

44 h. ago Putin ‘rewarded’ for Ukraine invasion with Trump summit, experts warn

The summit was aimed at kickstarting a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.

Events

44 h. ago Why Putin's grin as he left Alaska says it all: The 'Don and Vlad' show may have ended without a big finale, but there seems one clear winner, writes NICK ALLEN

The world had waited with bated breath but the Don and Vlad show ended in confusion rather than with a bang.

Politics

46 h. ago Ukraine summit: Zelensky must be at future peace talks, Starmer says after Trump

Sir Keir spent Saturday morning speaking to western allies

Politics

47 h. ago Lip reader exposes Donald Trump's crunch remark to Vladimir Putin after handshake

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, for a summit to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and a lip reader has decoded conversations between the pair

Politics

47 h. ago Keir Starmer says Ukraine peace 'closer than ever' after Trump summit

Keir Starmer praised Donald Trump's efforts, but said any further talks must include Volodymyr Zelensky

Politics

49 h. ago Moment US B2 stealth bomber thunders over Putin as he arrives at Alaska summit

As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin touched down on Friday in Alaska for the historic summit to discuss the future of Ukraine but failed to secure a peace deal.

Politics

51 h. ago Why Putin's grin as he left Alaska says it all: The 'Don and Vlad' may have

The world had waited with bated breath but the Don and Vlad show ended in confusion rather than with a bang.

Politics