Overview

• A one-on-one summit between President Trump and President Putin is confirmed for Friday in Anchorage as an exploratory meeting on ceasefire and longer-term peace initiatives.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened a video call with President Zelenskyy and leaders of 26 EU states to present a five-point framework demanding Ukraine’s direct participation, a ceasefire before any talks, and no legal recognition of Russian-held land.
• President Trump characterized the Alaska encounter as a preliminary “sounding-out,” saying he will not finalize any deal while expressing support for a ceasefire and mentioning a possible territorial “land swap.”
• President Zelenskyy traveled to Berlin to reinforce that Ukraine must decide its own future and will not cede territory in exchange for peace.
• Hungary’s refusal to back the joint EU declaration underlines persistent divisions within the bloc even as most member states endorse the pre-summit conditions.