91 m. 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

5 h. ago Trump’s critics say Putin ‘flattered’ Trump at the Alaska summit. Europe’s leaders aim to do the same

Trump’s meeting with Putin rolled back key red lines that Zelensky says Ukraine won’t cross. But Europe could be relying on Trump to flip-flop once again, writes John Bowden

Politics

15 h. ago Ukrainians left disappointed at Trump rolling out red carpet for ‘tyrant’ Putin

Ukrainians have reacted with anger to the welcome received by Russian president Vladimir Putin as he arrived in Alaska for a summit with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Friday (15 Aug).

Politics

16 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

16 h. ago How the world's media descended on Alaska only to find themselves with no beds, no phone signal and just 12 minutes of speeches from Trump and Putin

Members of media travelled thousands of miles to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for just over ten minutes of speeches from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Politics

17 h. ago Watch: US fighter jets escort Putin out of Alaska after Trump summit

The Kremlin has released footage of Vladimir Putin being escorted out of Alaska by US fighter jets after his meeting with Donald Trump on Friday (15 Aug).

Politics

18 h. ago European leaders including Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron to join Zelensky in Washington for Trump summit after US President's Alaska showdown

European leaders will join Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky for his crucial meeting with Donald Trump , European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said today.

Politics

20 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

21 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

28 h. ago Trump's bombshell but subtle gesture to Putin that everyone missed... it could be his most ingenious move yet: MARK HALPERIN

The Anchorage summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which opened with so much expectation, pomp and ceremony, ended in uncertainty.

Politics

31 h. ago Putin ‘immediately’ read Melania Trump’s letter in front of delegates at Alaska summit, report claims

The first lady’s letter addressed the “plight of children in Ukraine and Russia”

Politics

33 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

33 h. ago State department papers left behind on Alaska hotel printer reveal sensitive Trump

Pages found at Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage before high-stakes meeting between two global leaders

Politics

33 h. ago Trump's mystery aide plunged into Putin leak scandal as secret dossier is found in Alaska hotel

Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley has been plunged into scandal after a secret dossier detailing Donald Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin was found by guests at an Alaskan hotel.

Politics

33 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

34 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

35 h. ago Trump to back ceding of Ukrainian territory to Russia as part of peace deal

Details of post-summit call were leaked in which US president supports plan for Kyiv to give up Donbas regionDonald Trump will back a plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure an end to the war between the two countries, it was reported on Saturday, after details of his post-summit call with European leaders leaked out.Trump told European leaders that he believed a peace deal could be negotiated if the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, agreed to give up the Donbas region, which Russian invaders have not been able to seize in over three years of fighting, the New York Times reported, citing to two senior European officials. Continue reading...

Politics

35 h. ago Trump reportedly to back ceding of Ukrainian territory to Russia as part of peace deal

Details of post-summit call were leaked in which US president supports plan for Kyiv to give up Donbas regionDonald Trump will back a plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure an end to the war between the two countries, it was reported on Saturday, after details of his post-summit call with European leaders leaked out.Trump told European leaders that he believed a peace deal could be negotiated if the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, agreed to give up the Donbas region, which Russian invaders have not been able to seize in over three years of fighting, the New York Times reported, citing to two senior European officials. Continue reading...

Politics

35 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

36 h. ago Trump's mystery woman plunged into Putin leak scandal as secret dossier is found in Alaska hotel

Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley has been plunged into scandal after a secret dossier detailing Donald Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin was found by guests at an Alaskan hotel.

Politics