5 d. ago Putin would have ‘played’ Trump if he doesn’t meet Zelensky, Macron says

The leaders of France and Germany on Friday vowed to step up pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine, warning that President Vladimir Putin was showing little appetite to end Moscow’s 3½-year onslaught against its neighbour. French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin would have “played” US President Donald Trump if the Russian leader failed to fulfil a pledge to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added it looked like Putin was “unwilling” to...

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2 w. ago Trump and Putin meet in Alaska, hospital scandal in China: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump, Putin leave Ukraine war summit with no deal – as it happened 2. Chinese researchers lodge concerns over US debt as Beijing limits exposure 3. How Chinese investors quietly transformed Athens – one visa at a time 4. Chinese ‘vertical dramas’ are booming in America. Should Hollywood be...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war talks: Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Anchorage, Alaska

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon begin a high-stakes summit in the Alaskan port city of Anchorage. The meeting will focus on the prospect of a ceasefire to end Russia’s devastating three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine, and will be the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. Initially seen as a meeting that could reshape the global order, determine Ukraine’s future, and redefine America’s...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war talks: Trump and Putin meet in Alaska as summit begins

US President Donald Trump has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, for their first face-to-face meeting since Trump returned to office this year. The summit will focus on the prospect of a ceasefire to end Russia’s devastating three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine. Initially seen as a meeting that could reshape the global order, determine Ukraine’s future and redefine America’s standing with its allies, the Trump...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war talks: summit ends with no deal, but Trump says he is hopeful

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have failed to find a deal to end the Ukraine war, they said at the close of their summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Friday The summit, held on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, was focused on the prospect of a ceasefire to end Russia’s devastating three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine. But Trump told the press on Friday that there would be ‘no deal until there’s a deal’. This live blog has been made freely...

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2 w. ago Trump, Putin leave Ukraine war summit with no deal – as it happened

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have failed to find a deal to end the Ukraine war, they said at the close of their summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Friday The summit, held on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, was focused on the...

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3 w. ago As Trump prepares to meet Putin, prospects for peace in Ukraine war seem slim

The stage is set for what could mark a turning point – or yet another false dawn – in efforts to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic efforts to resolve the grinding Ukraine conflict, now in its fourth year, US President Donald Trump is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin for face-to-face talks in Alaska on Friday. Security will be extraordinarily tight: airspace over the port city will be closed on Friday and Saturday and the US Secret...

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3 w. ago Before meeting Putin on Ukraine, Trump says incentives do not equal reward

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that any incentives he might offer his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to halt Moscow’s war against Ukraine should not be construed as a reward, and dodged questions about what carrots he might dangle, such as access to American rare earth resources or Nato troop reductions. “No, I don’t think it’s a reward. I think that what we have is a situation that should never have started,” Trump told reporters, when asked whether incentives for peace could...

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3 w. ago China and India’s disputed border, Trump to meet Putin: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China urged to monitor disputed border as India upgrades road to move tanks 2. Hong Kong Airlines alerts Korean authorities after 4 passengers clash mid-air 3. Trump says he will meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 for Ukraine talks 4. China counts down to start of work on Xinjiang-Tibet...

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3 w. ago Trump says he will meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 for Ukraine talks

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska, after signalling that he would support an agreement on Moscow’s war against Ukraine that would involve “some swapping of territories”. “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Truth Social,...

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