Overview

• President Trump said a trilateral summit with himself, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky is likelier than a Putin–Zelensky bilateral and suggested the sides may “have to fight a little longer” before talks.
• The Kremlin accused European governments of blocking progress, labeled them a “party of war,” and said operations in Ukraine will continue until it sees reciprocity from Kyiv.
• Russian commanders signaled continued offensive actions into the autumn, with Defence Minister Andrei Belousov claiming gains of 600–700 square km per month and General Valery Gerasimov outlining ongoing large‑scale strikes.
• The White House denied any discussion of Chinese peacekeepers for a proposed neutral zone even as reports circulated, and Ukraine rejected any Chinese role while showing more openness to Turkish participation.
• Frictions widened within the West as U.S. officials privately accused some European capitals of slowing talks, and Emmanuel Macron warned that failure to commit to a meeting by Trump’s deadline would show Putin is “playing” the U.S. president.