Ukrainian troops advanced in Sumy oblast

Ukraine’s military reported new gains in the northeast on Friday, saying its forces had advanced about two kilometers (1.2 miles) in Sumy Oblast. The announcement came just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-profile meeting in Alaska, where they reportedly discussed a controversial “land swap” arrangement involving Ukrainian territory.

“Ukrainian soldiers continue to actively destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements,” the General Staff of Ukraine wrote on Telegram. The military said units had pushed Russian troops back in multiple sectors of the Sumy region, which borders Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.

The advances highlight Ukraine’s determination to reclaim ground despite grueling conditions. The reported push occurred near border villages just a few miles inside Ukrainian territory, underscoring the volatility of a front that has shifted repeatedly in recent months.

It remains unclear what concessions, if any, Vladimir Putin offered during his meeting with President Trump, beyond reiterating Russia’s demand for control over Donetsk Oblast and proposing a vague, time-limited ceasefire in Zaporizhia and Kherson

Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said on August 16, following the Alaska Summit, that he did not know when President Trump and President Putin would meet again and that there had been no discussion of a possible trilateral summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing a source briefed on Trump’s talks with Putin, reported that Putin proposed freezing the frontline in Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts in exchange for Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donetsk Oblast. According to this source, the U.S. delegation interpreted Putin’s position as signaling potential openness to negotiations over Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts as well—though this remains unconfirmed.

Ravid also reported that Putin requested U.S. recognition of “these four oblasts” (presumably Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson), along with occupied Crimea, as Russian territory. The Financial Times (FT), citing four sources with direct knowledge of the talks, reported that Putin demanded Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as a precondition for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Three of those sources told FT that Putin further offered to freeze the frontline in Kherson and Zaporizhia and pledged not to launch new territorial offensives—though it was unclear whether this commitment applied only to those two oblasts or more broadly—if Russia’s demands for Donetsk and Luhansk were met.

Notably, senior Russian officials and most Western media sources did not indicate that Putin mentioned Sumy or Kharkiv oblasts, despite ongoing Russian offensive operations in those regions. Newsmax White House correspondent Mike Carter reported on August 15, citing unnamed sources, that Putin appeared to soften some of his longstanding demands, dropping objections to both the teaching of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine and to Western security guarantees for Ukraine. According to Carter’s reporting, Putin would accept NATO states providing security assurances that would allow them to defend Ukraine if Russia violated any eventual agreement. However, those same sources stressed that Moscow and Kyiv would still need to negotiate the terms, definition, and implementation of any potential ceasefire.

Trump and Zelensky will meet in Washington next week after the US-Russia summit ends without agreement

After speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on August 18 to discuss the ongoing war. While Trump said his talks with Putin were productive, they did not lead to a formal agreement.

Zelensky confirmed that Trump had invited him to Washington to discuss what he called the "end of the killings, the end of the war." He said the U.S. was sending positive signals about its role in guaranteeing Ukraine's security and that he supports Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting with Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia.

In a later statement, Zelensky stressed that sanctions against Russia must be tightened if Moscow is not willing to cooperate on a just end to the war. He said all issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine's participation, and that includes any territorial issues.

Following his meeting with Putin, Trump wrote on social media that he believed the best path forward was a "fast peace deal" rather than a ceasefire, which he argued often doesn't last. A source close to the call between Trump and Zelensky confirmed that Trump briefed the Ukrainian leader about his meeting with Putin.

European leaders were also invited to join the Washington talks, though some have criticized the Alaska summit as a win for Putin with no real concessions from the Russian side.

Trump has said he and Putin "largely agreed" on territorial swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine, although the specifics of that remain unclear. A Ukrainian source said a proposal from Moscow would require Ukraine to give up territory in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in exchange for Russian forces pulling back from parts of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. Zelensky has maintained he would not give up territory to Russia as part of peace negotiations and has previously insisted on a ceasefire as a first step.