Free Republic

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a "glimmer of hope" has opened for peace talks in Ukraine after the summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. "A glimmer of hope has finally opened for peace talks in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part, along with its Western allies," Meloni said. Her remarks followed a joint European Union statement on the talks, which she also endorsed.

The European Union officials are weighing the possibility of easing sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. EU ambassadors are considering what concessions might persuade Moscow to accept a truce, though no timeline has been set for the potential offer. The news follows reports that an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors was held in Brussels shortly after United States President Donald Trump met with the Russian leader.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that United States President Donald Trump's efforts have "brought us closer than ever before" to ending the war in Ukraine. Starmer emphasized that the next steps must include talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that peace cannot be decided without his involvement. The British prime minsiter also confirmed that he spoke with Zelensky, Trump and European partners on Saturday, noting that all parties are ready to support the next phase. Starmer also pledged continued sanctions against Russia until it ends it military operation.

The White House revealed on Friday the team that will accompany US President Donald Trump to the Alaska summit on Friday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Luntick, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe are among the top US officials who will join Trump for his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his delegation. Additionally, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, among others, are expected to travel with the US president...

United States President Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "will make peace." "We will see if they can get along. And if they can, it will be great ... I thought the easiest [war to solve] would be this one, [but] it's actually the most difficult," he commented during a press conference. He reiterated that the potential second meeting will outweigh the importance of the one taking place tomorrow in Alaska. Trump revealed that this meeting could potentially involve both Putin and Zelensky, himself, as well as potentially some...

United States President Donald Trump commented on Thursday that he is unsure whether he will hold a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Speaking on Fox News radio, Trump explained that everything depends on how their meeting goes. The US head of state detailed that if discussions go well, the two will appear together and address the press. On the other hand, should talks not go well, the joint press conference will not happen. Trump further added that if negotiations go badly, he would hold a solo press briefing and head right back to...

United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "precursor" for future meetings, as Trump is willing to continue the dialogue. He added that the European Union should "put up or shut up" on Russia, accusing it of buying Russian oil refined in India and stressing that the US and the EU must coordinate on secondary sanctions on Russia.

The summit between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will begin at 11:30 local time (Alaska Daylight Time), and will kick off with a one-on-one conversation in which only interpreters will be present, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced on Thursday in a briefing. After the initial meeting, the parties will continue negotiations in the format of a working breakfast. "It is expected that everything will begin tomorrow, August 15, at approximately 11:30 local time (22:30 Moscow time/ 21:30 CET/ 15:30 ET) with a conversation between Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Donald Trump," the diplomat said. "This conversation...

United States President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that "there is a very good chance" that he'll have a second meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after their summit in Alaska this Friday, adding that it "would be more productive than the first." "If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting with President Putin and [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and myself if they'd like to have me there," Trump said. Speaking about the upcoming encounter with the Russian leader, Trump...

United States President Donald Trump stressed on Wednesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to stop the war in Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska, his country will face "severe consequences." Speaking to reporters, the US head of state did not specify what types of consequences Moscow would suffer. However, he insisted that he would be putting pressure on the country. The comments come after Trump's phone conversations with the European leaders. According to media reports, the US president told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that territorial swaps might be necessary.

United States President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during their call earlier today that territorial exchanges between Russia and Ukraine will be needed to achieve a peace deal, Axios reported on Wednesday. On the other hand, the US president stressed that he cannot make final decisions on territorial issues because he's "not from the region." The alleged remark echoes similar statements previously made by Trump, stressing the importance of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to achieve a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict. "Trump said it's Vladimir and Volodymyr who have to discuss territories with each...

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Tuesday that both the United States and Russia reaffirmed their "commitment to the success" of the upcoming Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the ministry issued a statement, saying that the officials also talked about "certain aspects of preparations for the upcoming meeting" between the leaders, set to take place in Alaska on August 15.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed on Tuesday that a trilateral meeting between the presidents of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine – Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky, respectively – might happen sometime in the future. Speaking at a press conference, Leavitt explained that the upcoming meeting in Alaska would be between Trump and Putin only as it was the president of Russia who invited his US counterpart to an in-person encounter through Washington's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. She underscored that Trump's goal is to "walk away with a better understanding" of how...

Russian President Vladimir Putin shared the information on his upcoming meeting with his United States counterpart Donald Trump in a telephone call with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday. According to the Kremlin's statement, Putin and Kim discussed the bilateral relations between their countries and their comprehensive agreements. Putin also thanked Kim for North Korea's help in what was described as the liberation of the Kursk region from the Ukrainian military. More to come...

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian commented on Tuesday on the upcoming meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that China is "glad to see" that the US and Russia are keeping in contact and improving their relations. Lin reiterated China's support for a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine. "We hope all parties concerned and stakeholders will take part in the negotiation process in due course and reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement acceptable to parties concerned at an early date," he said, without commenting on the absence of Ukrainian...

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing an additional 25% tariff on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian oil. More to come...

Russian President Vladimir Putin finished his meeting with United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin's press service said on Wednesday. The service did not reveal details of the meeting, which lasted around three hours. US President Donald Trump suggested that Witkoff's discussion with Putin will inform his decision on potential tariffs on countries buying Russian energy exports. Trump also set a deadline for agreeing on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which expires on Friday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday that it is "illegal" to issue statements threatening to force countries to stop trading with Russia. He referred to comments made by United States President Donald Trump, who said he will impose tariffs on India because it buys "massive amounts" of Russian oil and resells it for "big profits." Peskov underlined that sovereign countries have the right to choose their trade partners.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev blamed NATO's "anti-Russian" policy on Monday for Russia's formal withdrawal from its moratorium on deploying medium- and short-range missiles. "This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with," Medvedev wrote on X, warning, "Expect further steps." His remarks followed a formal declaration by the Russian Foreign Ministry, confirming the end of the moratorium and suggesting more aggressive deployments may follow.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova slammed the new United States President Donald Trump's trade policy, describing it as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. "This US policy constitutes a direct violation of the national sovereignty of states, an attempt to interfere in their internal affairs, not to mention the fact that it generally leads to a slowdown in economic growth, damage to supply chains, and fragmentation of the global economy," the spokeswoman said in a statement. However, Zakharova noted that neither sanctions nor tariffs "can do anything with the natural course of history," stressing...