Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a statement during a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardsonin Anchorage, Alaska on August 15. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The Russian media is still digesting the success of the Alaska summit for Russian President Vladimir Putin and has also shifted its attention to undermining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders ahead of today’s talks in Washington.

Leading Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov described Trump as a “serious, grown-up politician” and European leaders as “cartoon-like” in his Sunday night show.

The apparent reset in relations between the US and Russia is also the subject of much analysis. “You can hear the crack of breaking ice-floes” was the title of an opinion piece by prominent political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov in Russian government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

He argues Trump has chosen the path of cooperation with Russia out of pragmatism because “it offers a path that seems more realistic to Trump in conditions when it is impossible to force Moscow to do anything.”

The Russian media is also giddy at the prospect of Trump forcing Ukraine’s president into a corner Monday. “Either Disgrace – or Disgrace. Zelensky has no choice, every decision is suicide” was the headline this morning in Moscow daily, Moskovsky Komsomolets.

The article also suggests that if Zelensky rejects Putin’s demands, the US will once again withhold military aid.

The Russian media and its cohort of so-called milbloggers also refer to Zelensky as “expired,” or “the expired one,” because of Russia’s insistence he is illegitimate after Ukraine postponed elections after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

National elections cannot be held in Ukraine during martial law under the country’s constitution.

“The Ukrainian ‘expired’ usurper-commandant will have to listen to a virtual ultimatum from Trump and immediately react to it,” read a piece in Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda Monday.

“The expired one has arrived to get the advice of his support group” wrote military correspondent Aleksandr Kots Sunday to his 500,000 Telegram subscribers.

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MAKE OR BREAK Trump-Zelensky meeting live: Sir Keir Starmer arrives at the White House to kick off summit deciding Ukraine’s future

SIR Keir Starmer and Ukraine’s closest allies have arrived at the White House ahead of crunch peace talks with Donald Trump.

The US President declared a “big day” was to come as he prepares for a showdown summit with Volodymyr Zelensky and a host of European leaders.

4 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley at the White House Credit: AFP

4 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with President Trump’s Special Representative for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, in Washington Credit: Getty

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4 Major overnight Russian strikes on Odesa hit a main postal facility and a fuel terminal Credit: East2West

4 Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands as they pose on the tarmac after arriving at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson base Credit: AFP

Crunch talks are now just minutes away as global leaders all assemble in Washington DC, in hopes of mapping out a peace deal.

Trump and Zelensky will meet one-on-one before Starmer leads a group of European superpowers into a second round of talks.

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The leaders of France, Finland Germany and Italy alongside the heads of Nato and the EU are all now waiting at the White House before the group meeting convenes.

Speaking on the plane as he travelled across the Atlantic, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer said his main goal of the summit was to fight for Ukraine’s right to a “fair and lasting peace”.

It comes as Trump took to Truth Social earlier today to say: “A big day at the White House.

“We have never had so many European Leaders here at one time. A great honor for America!!! Let’s see what the results will be???”

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He also directly warned Zelensky that Ukraine can “end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight”.

Just three days ago, Trump rolled out red carpet and flew a B-2 bomber to greet Vladimir Putin at Alaska for historic peace talks.

Though the summit, which Trump hoped would push Russia towards a ceasefire, appeared to be an utter failure in the eyes of Ukraine – and Europe.

Today’s meeting will now give Europe and Ukraine a chance to respond to several agreements made by Russia and the US last week.

America has confirmed Kyiv will be offered Nato-esque protection – similar to the alliance’s Article 5 – which will see them step in if Putin ever attacks again.

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Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said the move is “game-changing” as it was the “first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.

Another key issue set to be discussed is teritorial swaps.

Swathes of eastern Ukraine remain on the negotiating table with Putin said to be willing to accept deals to freeze the frontline in areas if he is allowed to claim Donetsk and Luhansk.

But Zelensky said territory haggling could only be discussed “by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia” as he continues to push for a meeting with Putin.

Despite Russia appearing to want peace they have continued to unleash deadly strikes on civilians.

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An overnight drone attack on Kharkiv killed seven people, including two children – a toddler and a 16-year-old boy.

Zelensky accused Russia of purposely slaughtering children in the “cynical” strikes.

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‘No going into Nato by Ukraine,’ says Trump as Zelensky prepares for White House talks

5 hours ago Share Save Jude Sheerin BBC News, Washington Share Save

Watch: How Friday’s Trump-Putin summit unfolded… in under 2 minutes

Donald Trump has said the Ukrainian president can end Russia’s war “if he wants to”, but there will be “no going into Nato by Ukraine” as part of a peace deal. Hours before he was due to host Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Trump also said there would be “no getting back” the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion. Trump’s remarks follow his summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska that resulted in the US president dropping a demand for a ceasefire and calling instead for a permanent peace deal. After arriving in the US late on Sunday, Zelensky repeated his call for allies’ effective security guarantees.

A US envoy said on Sunday that Putin had agreed to a possible Nato-like security pact for Ukraine. The Russian president has consistently opposed the idea of Ukraine joining the military alliance.

Deadly Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities continued hours before the summit in Washington – killing at least 10 people, including children. In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, at least seven people were killed after a Russian drone hit an apartment block, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. At least three were killed in Zaporizhzhia, officials said. Zelensky described the attacks as a “demonstrative and cynical Russian strike” in a post on X. “Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings,” he said. What handing Donbas to Putin would mean for Ukraine

Washington talks could prove more vital than Trump-Putin summit

In maps: War-ravaged Ukrainian territories Earlier, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, saying: “President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Trump added. The president’s assertion is untrue: At least two Ukrainian soldiers are known to have been shot dead by Russian forces in Crimea in 2014. The Ukrainian naval vessel Cherkasy, a minesweeper, was also attacked by Russian forces when trying to leave the area. Before Trump’s return to power in January, Nato countries agreed on Kyiv’s “irreversible path” to membership in the alliance. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, alongside European leaders including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will join Zelensky in Washington for talks on Ukraine’s future on Monday. Also attending are French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It is unclear how many of them will go to the White House. Trump later added: “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” Zelensky posted on social media saying he was “grateful” for Trump’s invitation. “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably”. He also doubled down on the need for effective security guarantees from allies, “not like it was years ago… when Ukraine was given so called ‘security guarantees’ in 1994 but they didn’t work”. “Of course, Crimea should not have been given up then,” he added. “Just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022”.

February’s row between Zelensky, Vance and Trump

For so many heads of state to travel with such little notice across the Atlantic to what is essentially a wartime crisis meeting appears without precedent in the modern era, underscoring the sky-high stakes. Diplomatic sources say European officials are concerned that Trump may try to press Zelensky to agree to terms, after the Ukrainian leader was excluded from the Trump-Putin meeting on US soil last Friday. But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the BBC’s US partner CBS that any suggestion Zelensky might be bullied by Trump into accepting a peace deal was a “stupid media narrative”. Nato leaders also appear eager to avoid a repeat of Zelensky’s February trip to the Oval Office that ended abruptly after an argument with Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance. The altercation – which saw Trump accuse Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” – left Washington-Kyiv ties in tatters. But European leaders have been working diligently behind the scenes since then to mend the relationship. The Ukrainian leader has been coached to talk in terms of deal-making – language that resonates with Trump. In April, Ukraine signed a minerals agreement that gave the US a financial stake in the country, and Trump and Zelensky spoke privately at the Vatican before Pope Francis’s funeral. Ukraine made clear it was willing to pay for US weapons. By July, the two leaders had a phone call that the Ukrainian president described as “the best conversation we have had”. Meanwhile, Trump had begun to express exasperation with Russia’s unrelenting onslaught in Ukraine. He called Putin “absolutely crazy”, drastically shortened his deadline for a peace deal, and threatened economic sanctions on Moscow. As these deliberations grind on, Russian forces continue to advance on the battlefield. They now occupy almost a fifth of Ukraine since Moscow launched its full scale invasion in February 2022.

EPA Zelensky joined a virtual summit on Sunday with Nato and European leaders

It comes six months after the pair’s disastrous Oval Office shouting match

PATH TO PEACE Zelensky to meet Trump today flanked by Western allies as US confirms it will step in if Putin attacks Ukraine in future

VOLODYMYR Zelensky will be flanked by European leaders at the White House today as he again meets US President Donald Trump to talk peace in Ukraine.

The landmark moment comes as America finally confirmed it will step in if Vladimir Putin strikes again in future.

7 Keir Starmer will join Volodymyr Zelensky and a host of European leaders as they head to Washington for crunch talks with Donald Trump Credit: Alamy

7 Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands after holding a peace summit in Alaska Credit: Reuters

7 Ukrainian territorial defence soldiers fire an artillery gun as discussions around a peace agreement continue Credit: Getty

Mr Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff said those protections would come “not from Nato, but directly from the United States, and other European countries”.

Six months after his disastrous Oval Office shouting match with the US President, Ukraine’s hero leader Mr Zelensky will travel to Washington DC today alongside more than half a dozen allies.

PM Sir Keir Starmer will join the leaders of France, Germany and Italy alongside the heads of Nato and the EU in a firm show of solidarity against the Russians.

Following Mr Trump’s historic Alaska summit with Putin last week, swathes of eastern Ukraine are on the negotiating table.

Ukraine is also set to be forced to abandon its dream of formally joining Nato, but is desperately seeking future guarantees for its remaining territory.

But Mr Zelensky yesterday said territory haggling could only be discussed “by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia” at his expected showdown with Putin.

European leaders including Sir Keir held a video conference ahead of the White House meeting where they warned the Kremlin’s barbarous invasion must not see “borders redrawn by force”.

After her own meeting on Sunday with Mr Zelensky, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.”

But US officials insisted it was Mr Trump who invited all of the key players as the time had come to finally work out how to police any peace deal with Russia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the key issue was, “How do we stop this from happening again?” as he opened the door for a major role for the US in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” that has vowed to protect Ukraine’s future sovereignty.

Donald Trump shares recap video of Putin summit on Truth Social

He said: “They’re not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelensky from being bullied. They’re coming here tomorrow because we’ve been working with the Europeans. We invited them to come.”

He added Mr Trump may finally be ready to make the “big move” to have the US play an active role in underwriting Ukraine’s security despite months of refusing to make that pledge.

Mr Witkoff told CNN that following Mr Trump’s talks with Putin: “We were able to win the following concession — that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato.”

Nato’s Article 5 states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all — and allies must come to its defence.

Mr Witkoff said the move would be “game changing” as it was the “first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.

He added: “We didn’t think we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article 5 protection from the US in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified.”

Mr Rubio insisted no final decision had been made on US involvement.

Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Big progress on Russia. Stay tuned!”

Sir Keir told coalition members that the military planning for such a scenario was now at an “advanced stage” and was bolstered by America’s pledge.

7 Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Trump in Washington on Monday Credit: Getty

7 It comes six months after his disastrous Oval Office shouting match with the US President Credit: AFP

7

However, Mr Rubio warned that breakthrough would come at a cost to Ukraine, which must give up at least parts of the Donbas territory.

Russia has been meddling in the border region since 2014, but does not control the mineral-rich region despite a full-scale invasion in 2022.

A heroic 3½-year stand by the Western-backed Ukrainian Armed Forces has seen the Donetsk and Luhansk regions split by bloody stalemate, with Russia attempting to grind its way through inch by inch.

In the Alaska talks, it is understood Putin insisted a peace deal would mean Ukraine surrendering these two key regions in full despite remaining in control of some parts.

But Mr Zelensky rejected those terms yesterday, telling reporters in Brussels: “We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now — the contact line is the best line for talking.”

It was not clear what Russia had offered in concessions beyond some other slivers of land currently occupied in the south-east of Ukraine.

Has the Alaska summit helped broker a peace deal? AS Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin both flew out of Alaska on Friday it appeared as though the summit was an utter failure in the eyes of Ukraine. There had been no agreements on a peace deal as Trump appeared to be hesitant to truly reveal what demands Putin was making. But a few hours after the meeting ended Trump took to social media to reveal the meeting was a success in his eyes. Trump said Russia and Ukraine both believe a full peace deal is “the best way” to end the war – rather than a short term ceasefire. Now diplomatic sources have revealed some of the initial details of the potential agreement, according to news agency AFP. The US has reportedly proposed an agreement that would see Ukraine not join Nato – but instead be offered Nato-esque protections similar to Article 5. Article 5 on Nato’s founding treaty agrees collective defense – meaning allies see an attack on one as an attack on all of them. Trump reportedly floated the plan with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders during a call after his meeting with Putin. The US President is set to discuss the terms of an agreement with Zelensky on Monday when he travels to the White House. Zelensky did not directly address any potential plan but he did say on X: “We discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing security for Ukraine.”

The Kremlin also rejected an immediate ceasefire to allow for talks to take place, with Mr Trump siding with that demand during his three-hour, face-to-face showdown with his Russian counterpart.

The US President said it was more important to seek a lasting peace accord than a mere pause that could be quickly broken.

But the Trump administration insisted there would need to be concessions on both sides, as the Europeans vowed to keep their boot on Putin’s throat through punishing economic sanctions.

Mr Rubio said: “We may not like it, it may not be pleasant, it may be distasteful, but in order for there to be an end of the war, there are things Russia wants that it cannot get, and there are things Ukraine wants it’s not going to get.”

On how long talks could take, he added: “I’m not saying we’re on the verge of a peace deal, but I am saying we saw enough movement to justify a follow-up with Zelensky and the Europeans.”

He warned of further sanctions for Russia if the peace talks collapse over future security guarantees for Ukraine.

Putin insists that Ukraine cannot join Nato, but allies are working on a plan to give Kyiv legally binding guarantees Russian aggression would be matched by force.

Mr Zelensky said such guarantees “must be practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, at sea, and must be developed with Europe’s participation”.

7

President Trump claimed Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could bring the nation’s war with Russia to a halt “almost immediately” if he’s willing to make two major concessions.

Trump called for Ukraine to drop its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a demand long made by Russia, and also said there would be “no getting back” Crimea — signaling to the nation to accept Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation of the region during the Obama administration.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” the commander-in-chief proclaimed in a late-night Truth Social post.

4 The president called for Ukraine to drop its bid to join NATO, a demand long made by Russia, and also said there would be “no getting back” Crimea. TruthSocial / @realDonaldTrump

Trump’s message comes just one day before a high-profile summit Monday at the White House, where he is expected to meet with Zelensky and several European leaders to discuss next steps in the three-and-a-half-year conflict.

“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!! President DJT,” Trump wrote in another Truth Social post earlier Sunday.

Ahead of the planned meeting, Zelensky posted to X to thank the United States for its support, but also signaled that peace must not be short-lived.

“I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably,” Zelensky wrote Sunday night.

4 Trump’s message comes just one day before a high-profile summit Monday at the White House, where he is expected to meet with Zelensky and several European leaders. Getty Images

The Ukrainian leader also spoke out on Crimea, alleging its relinquishment to Moscow paved the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s future invasion of Ukraine.

“And peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East — part of Donbas — and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called ‘security guarantees’ in 1994, but they didn’t work,” he tweeted.

“Crimea should not have been given up then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022. Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence,” he wrote.

“Now, our soldiers have successes in Donetsk and Sumy regions. I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance. Russia must end this war, which it itself started,” Zelensky said.

4 Map showing the Russian controlled territory. Donald Pearsall / NY Post Design

Trump’s rambling social posts follow remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said any lasting peace deal would require both Russia and Ukraine to make hard compromises.

“What it’s going to take to stop the fighting, if we’re being honest and serious here, is both sides are going to have to give, and both sides should expect to get something from this,” Rubio told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“It’s very difficult because Ukraine obviously feels, you know, harmed, and rightfully so, because they were invaded,” he added. “And the Russian side, because they feel like they got momentum in the battlefield.”

Rubio didn’t delve into specifics about the territorial concessions Ukraine will have to make, which is expected to be the topic of discussion between Zelensky and Trump during their White House meeting Monday.

On Sunday, Trump reposted a user’s remark on Truth Social that Ukraine will have to make territorial concessions to Russia in order to end the war.

4 At Friday’s summit in Alaska, Putin had demanded that Ukraine surrender the remaining quarter of Donetsk, a minerals-rich, Russian-speaking region, as part of a deal to end the war. ZUMAPRESS.com

Putin had demanded that Ukraine surrender the remaining quarter of Donetsk, a minerals-rich, Russian-speaking region, as part of a deal to end the war during Friday’s summit in Alaska.

In exchange, Putin expressed a willingness to freeze fighting on the front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russia has struggled to make significant progress, Axios reported.

Zelensky, however, said that while Kyiv would be open to “land swaps” in exchange for peace, Putin’s demands to cede the entirety of the Donetsk region — including parts under Ukrainian control — are off the table.

“We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now,” Zelensky told reporters in Brussels on Sunday. “The contact line is the best line for talking.

“Russia is still unsuccessful in the Donetsk region,” he added. “Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land.”

While Russia currently controls a large swath of territory across both regions, Ukraine has been able to keep Moscow’s forces from claiming the entire regions during three years of all-out war.

Kyiv still holds the key cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, with hundreds of Moscow’s troops killed or wounded every week in the quagmire.

Critics also fear that, because of the heavy Ukrainian fortifications in Donetsk, if they were to hand the region over to the Russians, the Kremlin could cut much farther into Ukraine in a possible future attack.