Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump confirms date for summit with Putin in Alaska – UK Times

Donald Trump has claimed the end of the Ukraine war could come in weeks, despite his latest deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire passing.

Last Monday, Trump dramatically shortened his previous 50-day ultimatum, giving Russia “10 to 12 days” to make progress toward peace or face tougher sanctions.

Sources close to the Kremlin say Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump’s threats, believing Russia holds the upper hand in the war and that the potential benefits of improved ties with Washington do not outweigh his military aims.

Here, The Independent looks at the times Trump has set deadlines for Russia:

US president Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil, escalating tensions between the two countries after trade talks collapsed.

The tariff, announced on 7 August and set to take effect in 21 days, will raise duties on certain Indian exports to as high as 50 per cent, making India subject to the highest import levy of any US trading partner.

India’s foreign ministry called the move “extremely unfortunate” and “unjustified,” pointing out that many other countries, including the US and EU, have continued trading with Russia.

“Our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that targeting India alone was unfair.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the US is committed to securing a ceasefire in Ukraine and called for support for all “constructive steps” toward peace.

“A dignified, reliable, and lasting peace can only be the result of our joint efforts,” he said in a brief statement following a call with the Czech president, according to Reuters.

Zelensky added that recent days have seen “many calls, many contacts at various levels,” and stressed the need for Europe to form a united position on key security issues.

His comments come just days before US president Donald Trump is expected to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August for direct peace talks. The meeting follows a Russian ceasefire proposal demanding major territorial concessions from Kyiv in exchange for halting hostilities.

President Donald Trump’s phone calls with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, often last for hours because of the Kremlin’s leader’s penchant for launching into long, grievance-based monologues, according to a new report.

Trump is currently seeking an in-person meeting with Putin in an attempt to thrash out an end to the war in Ukraine, which the president pledged to wrap up within 24 hours of returning to the White House in January.

Trump and Putin have held “multiple calls and passed numerous messages through intermediaries” of late, according to officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died while in Russian captivity last year, was laid to rest in Kyiv on Friday, as colleagues and press groups called for greater international pressure to free other Ukrainian reporters held by Moscow.

Hundreds gathered in central Kyiv to honour Roshchyna, 27, whose early frontline reporting offered rare insights into life under Russian occupation.

“It is very sad… it is really about losing a professional who was braver than any of us,” journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk told Reuters. “We pay tribute while there are still other Ukrainian reporters behind bars, and with what has happened to her, it is our duty not to stop.”

Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 during a reporting trip in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Her body was identified among remains handed back to Ukraine this year. Prosecutors said signs of injury and possible torture were found, though the exact cause of death remains unknown.

Askold Krushelnycky examines how Donald Trump’s fluctuating position on the Ukraine war has encouraged Kyiv to look closer to home to produce the weapons it needs to fight Russia

Volodymyr Zelensky’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, said he took part in an online meeting yesterday with national security advisers from the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Nato representatives.

In a post on X, Yermak said the group discussed ways to achieve a “sustainable and just peace for Ukraine as soon as possible”.

Vladimir Putin held calls with several key allies, including Chinese president Xi Jinping and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, on Friday, a report in The Kyiv Independent states.

According to Chinese state media CCTV, Putin briefed Xi on recent contact with the US, with Xi welcoming dialogue and reaffirming Beijing’s support for efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Lukashenko was also updated on “negotiations and agreements” with Washington, Belarusian outlet Belta reported.

The Kremlin said Putin also spoke with the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and India. Uzbek and Kazakh presidents were reportedly briefed on Putin’s meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff, while Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said on X, formerly Twitter, that he thanked Putin for sharing “the latest developments on Ukraine.”