President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday drew praise from several European leaders who said his efforts have opened the door to peace in Ukraine. While the summit did not produce a ceasefire or formal agreement, Trump announced progress toward a potential comprehensive peace deal after three and a half years of war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered rare public praise for the Trump administration on Thursday, calling it “energetic and sincere” just one day before his first in-person meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump since 2019. The talks, set for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, will mark Putin’s first visit to American soil in a decade.
China has announced sanctions against two Lithuanian banks, UAB Urbo Bankas and Mano Bankas AB, in retaliation for the European Union’s recent inclusion of Chinese financial institutions in its latest sanctions package against Russia.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Saturday at Chevening House in Kent, England, with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives from Ukraine and Europe in what a U.S. official described as “significant progress” toward ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting, hosted by Lammy at Washington’s request, lasted several hours and was aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s stated goal of securing peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Finnish prosecutors have charged the captain and two senior officers of a Russia-linked oil tanker accused of damaging undersea power and communication cables between Finland and Estonia last year. The men, whose names have not been released, face charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications. They have denied the allegations.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard commended President Donald Trump on Friday for his leadership in securing peace deals and said she has “cautious optimism” that he could broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Saturday that Kyiv will not surrender any territory to Russia, hours after Washington and Moscow confirmed plans for an August 15 summit in Alaska aimed at ending the three-year war. The meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will proceed despite objections from Ukraine and European allies that Kyiv must be included in any negotiations.
President Trump is reportedly preparing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, following a “highly productive” three-hour meeting in Moscow between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and President Putin.
