Overview

• Trump now downplays a direct Putin–Zelensky meeting and says a three-way summit is likelier, adding the war may need to continue “a little longer.”
• Putin told the SCO forum that ‘understandings’ from his Alaska talks with Trump open a path to peace and said he is discussing them with Xi and other leaders.
• Lavrov conditioned any leader meeting on a set agenda and on calling Zelensky the head of a ‘regime,’ while the Kremlin blamed European governments for blocking progress.
• Ukraine says it is ready for leader-level talks, rejects territorial concessions and lower-level preparatory meetings as stalling, and urges stronger, enforceable guarantees.
• The White House denied any discussion of Chinese peacekeepers, approved additional munitions assistance, and reiterated no U.S. ground troops as Russian strikes continue across Ukrainian cities.