2 h. ago Zelensky’s message to Trump as US president meets Putin for crunch Alaska summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a message to Donald Trump and America as the US president arrived in Alaska for crunch peace talks with Vladimir Putin.

Politics

2 h. ago Trump and Putin shake hands as leaders arrive for historic Alaska summit

This is the historic moment US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as the world leaders arrived in Alaska for crunch Ukraine peace talks.

Politics

11 h. ago Russian foreign minister wears USSR jumper as he arrives at Trump

Donald Trump has said that there is a 25 per cent chance the summit might fail

Politics

12 h. ago Sergei Lavrov trolls the West by wearing Soviet CCCP top to showdown between Trump and Putin in Alaska 

The shirt has been seen as an inflammatory and offensive gesture towards Ukraine because CCCP is a Russian abbreviation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Politics

53 h. ago Merz’s manoeuvres on world stage fail to quell doubts about his leadership

The German chancellor’s high-wire statesmanship on Ukraine has done little to alleviate his domestic woesEurope live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz hosted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Wednesday as a weakened leader 100 days into his term, with his attempts to rally western support for Kyiv and wrangle Donald Trump failing to silence his domestic critics.The German chancellor took the initiative for Wednesday’s lightning round of telephone conferences bringing in EU leaders, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance. Zelenskyy’s surprise arrival in Berlin to sit in on the calls underlined Merz’s starring role in the diplomatic efforts. Continue reading...

Politics

55 h. ago DC mayor hardens stance as federal troops arrive on streets following Trump’s orders: Live updates

Troops spotted at Armory and Washington Monument as president’s crime crackdown got underway

Politics

56 h. ago Baltic foreign ministers: We know Russian occupation is never temporary

Land swaps and de facto annexation in Ukraine won’t bring peace and could lead to decades of brutal subjugation

Politics

59 h. ago Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for calls with European leaders and Trump ahead of US

Ukrainian president will join calls with Trump and Vance in last chance to shape US position before Alaska meetingUkraine will not cede land that could be Russian springboard for new warWe are now getting reports via agencies that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has now arrived in Berlin ahead of the series of calls later today.Separately, Estonia has moved to expel a Russian diplomat over alleged “direct and active” involvement in “undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia.” Continue reading...

Politics

69 h. ago National guard begins deploying on DC streets after Trump police takeover

Officials say troops to start appearing in nation’s capital on Tuesday night as president’s move widely condemnedUS politics live – latest updatesThe Washington DC national guard will begin deploying on the city’s streets on Tuesday night, a day after Donald Trump ordered their arrival and took control of the city’s police force, calling Washington DC a “lawless” city, despite official crime statistics saying otherwise, a White House official confirmed.The national guard is expected to “begin being on the streets starting tonight”. Defense officials said a small number of the roughly 800 guard members planned for the mission had already been mobilized by Tuesday afternoon, with more expected to arrive in the coming days. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago National guard arrives in DC as mayors warn of Trump power grab

The US president deployed troops after taking control of DC police, sparking fears of similar moves elsewhereUS politics live – latest updatesNational guard troops began to arrive at their headquarters in Washington DC on Tuesday as Democratic mayors warned Donald Trump against expanding his law and order power grab in other major cities.The US president announced on Monday that he was sending the national guard into the nation’s capital and putting city police under federal control, even though the violent crime rate is at a 30-year low. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago ‘She’s the one that matters’: the growing influence of Melania on Donald Trump

First lady is facing increased scrutiny as political experts suggest she is behind US president’s recent volte-faces on Gaza and PutinWhen Melania Trump arrives in Britain for her husband’s second state visit next month, it will not just be the photographic pack straining every lens for clues as to her opaque mood or signs of froideur in their marriage. It will also be British officials.Six months into his second term as US president, a period in which Donald Trump has pirouetted on just about every big international issue, mandarins in Whitehall have realised they need to focus less time on trying to tame him, and more on looking at his wife. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump threatens to take ‘federal control’ of DC after Doge staffer attack – US politics live updates

President claims on social media that DC is ‘totally out of control’ and if the city doesn’t ‘get it’s act together’ he will have ‘no choice but to take Federal control’After taking six months to conclude that Vladimir Putin may not be a kindred transactional authoritarian leader but an ideological nationalist seeking the return of what “belongs to Russia”, the deadline Donald Trump set for the Russian president to agree a Ukraine ceasefire or face US sanctions on oil exports arrives on Friday.What Trump – who some had claimed was a Russian asset – does next to punish Putin could define his presidency. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago World awaits Trump’s next move as Russia ceasefire deadline approaches

US president has been unusually reticent about plans to punish Russia if it does not agree to end Ukraine warEurope live – latest updatesAfter needing six months to conclude that Vladimir Putin may not be a kindred transactional authoritarian leader, but an ideological nationalist seeking the return of what “belongs to Russia”, the deadline Donald Trump set for the Russian president to agree a Ukraine ceasefire or face US sanctions on oil exports arrives on Friday.What Trump – who some had claimed was a Russian asset – does next to punish Putin could define his presidency. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Call for Nato action after Russian drone intrudes on Lithuania

Russia talking down Medvedev’s influence after nuclear threats; oligarch’s superyacht goes on sale with proceeds to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,260Lithuania has called for Nato help to boost its air defences after Russian military drones repeatedly violated its airspace. “Last Monday, a Russian military drone violated Lithuanian airspace,” said Kęstutis Budrys, the foreign minister in Vilnius. “This marks the second such incident in less than a month. Similar airspace violations have also been reported recently by other allies.”Budrys added that he and the defence minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, had asked the Nato secretary general for “immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania and accelerate the full implementation of the rotational air defence model. Air defence is vital to allied security. Securing Nato’s eastern flank must remain a top priority for the alliance.”Amid the nuclear row between Donald Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin has moved to play ...

Events

4 w. ago North Korea BANS foreign tourists from its glitzy new beach resort

The abrupt reversal comes only days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the site on July 12, where he was hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Society