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Saturday, August 16, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/world/trump-and-putin-shake-hands-first-summit-in-four-years-begins/

World

Trump and Putin shake hands – first summit in four years begins

The war in Ukraine

Published yesterday 23:20
– By Editorial Staff
The two presidents took a firm grip during their greeting at the US air base before later beginning the tense negotiations concerning, among other things, the war in Ukraine.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are holding a summit today at the US military base Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. This is the first time Putin has visited the United States in approximately ten years, and the Ukraine conflict is expected to dominate the talks.

President Trump personally received his Russian counterpart on the airfield’s runway when Putin arrived shortly after Air Force One. A red carpet had been rolled out with a large sign marked ‘Alaska 2025’ at its end, while four American fighter jets were positioned on both sides of the carpet.

The initial talks will only include the presidents and their closest advisors, before the full delegations join later. After the negotiations, Trump and Putin plan to hold a joint press conference.

The meeting could last up to seven hours

The summit could last between six and seven hours, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. While the Ukraine conflict is widely expected to be the meeting’s central theme, the agenda will encompass significantly more than that, according to Moscow.

– Other topics the two presidents are slated to discuss include bilateral Russia-US relations, possible joint economic projects, and other regional and international issues, says Peskov.

High-level delegations from both sides

The Russian delegation includes, in addition to Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and the president’s economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has been a key figure in the Ukraine negotiation process.

From the American side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are participating, according to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will also participate in an expanded bilateral meeting and lunch, the White House announced.

This is Putin’s eighth visit to the United States and the first in approximately a decade. The last time the Russian president was in America was in 2015, when he participated in the UN General Assembly in New York and held talks with then-President Barack Obama.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/vance-americans-are-fed-up-with-paying-for-the-ukraine-war/

World

Vance: Americans are fed up with paying for the Ukraine war

The war in Ukraine

Published 11 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
US Vice President-elect JD Vance believes that the EU must "play a bigger role" for what happens in its neighborhood.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US Vice President J.D. Vance states that the country is moving toward ending its economic support to Ukraine in the war against Russia.

At the same time, he emphasizes that he has nothing against Europe continuing to deliver American weapons to Kiev – as long as they pay for this themselves.

— I think the President, and I certainly think that America, we’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business. We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing. We want to stop the killing, Vance said in an interview with Fox News, which aired on Sunday.

He emphasized that public opinion in the US no longer supports continued economic aid to Kiev.

— But Americans, I think, are sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars, to this particular conflict, Vance continued.

“Got to step up”

The Vice President did, however, leave the door open for the US having nothing against continued European military support to Ukraine – even where American weapons are involved – as long as this happens without American financing.

— But if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers. We’re okay with that, but we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore, he added.

The interview was recorded before the official announcement of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, but was aired in its entirety only on Sunday. Vance also repeated the Trump administration’s line that European countries must themselves bear greater responsibility for the war.

— What we said to the Europeans is simply: First of all, this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your back door. You guys got to step up and play a bigger role in this thing. And if you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourselves, Vance explained.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/trump-and-putin-in-alaska-peace-agreement-or-continued-war/

World

Trump and Putin in Alaska – peace agreement or continued war?

The war in Ukraine

Published 11 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Putin and Trump in an earlier meeting in 2017.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU wants the US to increase pressure on Russia, and Ukrainian President Zelensky refuses to give up territory.

The meeting is marked by uncertainty, and a Russian negotiator warns of the risk that it could be sabotaged.

The summit in Alaska between the US’s Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin is one of the most talked-about diplomatic initiatives since the war in Ukraine began over three years ago.

On the agenda is the possibility of finding a path to peace – or at least a ceasefire – in a conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, destabilized European security, and drained the economies of many countries, especially in Europe.

So far, it is planned as a bilateral meeting, but the White House has expressed openness to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also participating in a trilateral discussion.

Zelensky himself has said clearly that he will never approve of Ukraine giving up territories to end the war. He emphasizes that a peace solution without Ukraine’s involvement would be meaningless.

EU opposition and Russian skepticism

Several European leaders have given their clear support to Zelensky and demand that the US increase pressure on Russia to force real peace negotiations.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently said that the US holds the tools to bring Russia to the negotiating table and that all talks must involve both Ukraine and the EU to ensure the continent’s security.

Meanwhile, Russia expresses skepticism about the meeting’s possibilities. A prominent Russian negotiator has warned that the meeting risks being sabotaged by forces that do not want to see an end to the conflict.

“Certainly, several nations that have a vested interest in prolonging the conflict will take titanic efforts (provocations and disinformation) to torpedo the planned meeting”, warns Kirill Dmitriev.

The continued Russian military offensive in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of territories deepens the divisions and makes diplomatic efforts extremely complicated.

Ulf Kristersson Volodymyr Zelenskyj
Volodymyr Zelensky thanks Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for all the economic support and all the weapons deliveries that Sweden has given to Ukraine. Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden

What can we expect from the meeting?

The meeting will be the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since the Russian invasion in 2022, and has attracted broad international attention. Critics argue that any real breakthroughs are difficult to expect, while there is some hope that diplomatic channels will be opened further.

Expectations are therefore cautious but still clear: Trump wants to pressure Putin into a ceasefire, while Russia has set high demands that the Ukrainian government and the Western world are unwilling to accept. Zelensky and European allies emphasize that peace must be built on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

How much this can be combined with Putin’s ambitions and Trump’s own negotiation tactics remains to be seen.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/7-out-of-10-ukrainians-want-to-negotiate-for-peace/

World

7 out of 10 Ukrainians want to negotiate for peace

The war in Ukraine

Published 9 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's tone toward Russia has changed markedly in recent times - a sign that peace may be near?
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A clear shift in public opinion is evident in Ukraine after more than three years of war. In Gallup’s latest poll, conducted in early July, 69% of respondents say they want to end the war as soon as possible through peace negotiations.

Only 24% prefer to continue fighting until victory. This represents a complete reversal compared to 2022, when 73% wanted to continue fighting for victory and only 22% advocated for negotiations.

Despite the desire for negotiations, few Ukrainians believe the fighting will end soon. 25% consider it likely that active fighting will end within the next twelve months, but only 5% see this as “very likely”.

68% believe that an end to fighting within a year is unlikely. Meanwhile, daily missile and drone attacks continue, and fighting remains intense along several front sections.

Fewer and fewer Ukrainians believe in victory on the battlefield. Illustration: Gallup

“Support for the war effort has declined steadily across all segments of the Ukrainian population, regardless of region or demographic group. This shift comes as diplomatic efforts gain new traction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled readiness for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposing renewed negotiations, while U.S. President Donald Trump is attempting to pressure the Kremlin with the threat of sanctions”, writes Gallup analyst Benedict Vigers, continuing:

“Despite these moves, the conflict continues largely unabated. Daily missile and drone attacks persist, and fighting remains intense along multiple sections of the front line”.

Fewer believe in NATO and EU

Ukrainians’ view of US political leadership has also shifted dramatically. In 2025, 16% say they are satisfied with US leadership, while 73% disapprove – the highest level to date. The strong sympathies that existed in 2022, when 66% approved of US leadership, have thus practically disappeared.

The Ukrainian people have a very negative view of current US leadership. Illustration: Gallup

Belief that Ukraine will join the US-led military alliance NATO has also fallen sharply. In 2022, 64% believed in membership within ten years; in 2023, the figure rose to 69%. Last year it had dropped to 51%, and in 2025 it stands at 32% – roughly half the level of three years earlier.

Meanwhile, the proportion who believe Ukraine will never become a NATO member has increased to 33%, which matches the proportion still expecting entry within a decade.

Regarding the EU, expectations are stronger, though dampened compared to earlier. A narrow majority, 52%, believe in EU membership within ten years in 2025, compared to 61% last year and 73% in both 2022 and 2023.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Gallup poll – July 2025

  • 69% want to end the war through negotiations
  • 24% want to continue fighting until victory
  • 25% believe the fighting will stop within a year (5% "very likely")
  • 68% believe the fighting will not stop within a year
  • 16% approve of US leadership, 73% disapprove
  • 32% believe in NATO membership within 10 years
  • 33% believe Ukraine will never become a NATO member
  • 52% believe in EU membership within 10 years

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/nordic-countries-unite-on-new-major-aid-package-for-ukraine/

The Nordics

Nordic countries unite on new major aid package for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 6 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The support package will include ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, among other items.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sweden, Norway and Denmark are joining forces in a new military aid package for Ukraine. Sweden is providing the largest portion of the assistance, which includes air defense systems, anti-tank weapons and ammunition.

In July, Donald Trump and NATO agreed on an aid package for Ukraine – an initiative where the US delivers advanced defense equipment to selected NATO countries, which in turn coordinate and finance further deliveries to Ukraine. So far, about ten NATO countries, including Sweden, have endorsed this arrangement.

Now Sweden, Norway and Denmark have decided to jointly contribute a military aid package totaling $500 million – Sweden’s share amounts to around $275 million.

— We welcome the US decision to provide equipment to Ukraine, including ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, and that NATO is coordinating the support. Ukraine has a great need for support from allies and partners to defend itself against Russian aggression, says Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson (Moderate Party) at a press conference.

— Ukraine stands on the front line for our freedom and democracy. Blue-yellow solidarity is therefore the single most important thing right now. We stand by their side for as long as it takes, aid package after aid package – military and humanitarian. Together in NATO, together with Ukraine, we continue to defend freedom, claims Swedish Education and Integration Minister Simona Mohamsson (Liberal Party).

The aid package will include air defense systems, anti-tank weapons and ammunition that will be procured by the US and delivered to Ukraine. Sweden has previously contributed military support worth nearly €8 billion since the war in Ukraine began.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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