Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order to begin negotiations to end the conflict “under conditions acceptable to Israel,” while approving Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be resisting a bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, casting doubt over whatever hopes for peace may have been generated by a week of summit diplomacy.
That bilateral meeting is supposed to be the next step in a process inaugurated by US President Donald Trump last Friday, when he and Putin met in Alaska.
European leaders told Trump in a follow-up meeting in Washington on Monday that if Putin doesn’t cooperate, more sanctions should be imposed on the creaking Russian economy.
The week of meetings did nothing to lessen hostilities in Ukraine, where Russia appeared to try to deal a decisive blow to Ukrainian defenders ahead of the Trump-Putin summit, but was instead pushed back from previously captured territory. It also maintained a steady rain of drones and missiles on Ukraine’s cities every day.
Ukraine, too, kept up pressure on Russia, continuing a highly successful series of strikes against refineries and oil depots that have deprived Russia of 13 percent of its refining capacity.
A day ahead of the Alaska summit, Russian forces attempted a major push towards Dobropillia, a city in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region that lies just 15km (9 miles) north of Pokrovsk, a target Russia has prioritised since last summer.
Ukrainian General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovalev said reserves had stabilised the situation. On Friday, Dnipro Group of Forces spokesman Colonel Viktor Trehubov confirmed Russian infiltrators had been cleared from Pokrovsk and a group of outlying villages. Geolocated satellite imagery also confirmed this on Saturday.
“Russia’s intention was to demonstrate strength ahead of Alaska, but in fact, for the occupier, this ends with its destruction,” Zelenskyy said in his Friday evening address.
Russia did seize some land. Its Defence Ministry confirmed the capture of Sobolivka near Kupiansk in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region on Tuesday, and Novogeorgievka in Dnipropetrovsk and Pankovka in Donetsk on Wednesday.
Russia also continued its aerial campaign against Ukraine’s cities, launching 1,421 missiles between August 14 and 21. Ukraine downed 1,114 of them. Over the same period, it downed 38 missiles out of a total of 62 launched.
Ukraine, too, continued its long-range campaign to destroy Russia’s ability to wage war. It struck the Lukoil oil refinery in Volgograd on August 14 and the Rosneft Syzran Oil Refinery in Samara region on Friday. Both attacks caused explosions and fires.
Ukraine on Friday also struck the port of Olya in Russia’s Astrakhan region, through which it says Russia imports drones and other war supplies from Iran. It said the strike had also destroyed the Port Olya 4 vessel, which was carrying Shahed-type drone components and ammunition from Iran.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones struck a Russian freight train carrying oil through Zaporizhia. Aerial video showed several oil cars burning.
Russian authorities said on Tuesday that they had thwarted an attempt to blow up the Crimea Bridge, a major supply route, when they seized a car carrying 130kg (286lbs) of explosives. The car had been “driven across many European countries” to end up in Georgia, they said. It was then supposed to travel to Russian territory on board a ferry, before being driven across the bridge and detonated.
Meanwhile, Trump appeared to seesaw between the positions of his interlocutors across the two summits.
On August 13, Trump had warned of “very severe consequences” if Putin did not stop the war in Ukraine. He had previously said he was considering a severe package of primary sanctions on Russia and secondary measures on countries buying its oil and gas that is being drafted in the US Senate.
After spending just under three hours in talks with Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage on Friday, Trump reversed himself on sanctions, opening a new rift between the US and Ukraine’s European allies.
“Because of what happened today, I don’t have to think about that. Maybe I have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks,” Trump told Fox presenter Sean Hannity.
“What happened” remained something of a mystery because Putin and Trump took no questions from the media, and the US leader made other concessions.
Trump moved away from his demand for a ceasefire, a condition he announced shortly after assuming office.
“The US president’s position has changed after talks with Putin, and now the discussion will focus not on a truce, but on the end of the war. And a new world order. Just as Moscow wanted,” Olga Skabeyeva, a prominent Russian state TV host, wrote on Telegram.
Trump has previously made another key concession to Moscow, and he repeated it en route to Alaska when he ruled out Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Asked what security guarantees Ukraine would receive, he said, “Not in the form of NATO, because, you know, there are things that will not happen.”
Ukraine and Europe agree to none of these concessions, and European leaders said they would accompany Zelenskyy to Washington for a follow-up summit on Monday.
Zelenskyy had begun to prepare for another meeting with Trump at least 10 days ago, when the Alaska summit was announced.
Last week he agreed five principles with European allies – that a ceasefire was a precondition for peace talks, that sanctions should be strengthened if Russia did not cooperate, that Russia could not have a veto over security guarantees for Ukraine, that the US had to be included as a security guarantor along with Europe, and that no deal concerning Ukraine could be made without Ukraine’s consent.
During Monday’s summit in the White House, European leaders appeared to have won only their last two points.
Trump has agreed to make no deals with Putin without Ukraine’s consent.
“It’s not a done deal at all. Ukraine has to agree,” he told Hannity on Friday.
On security guarantees, Trump told reporters ahead of talks, “They’re going to be our first line of defence because they’re there, they’re Europe, but we’re going to help them out also, we’ll be involved.”
“The fact that you [Trump] have said ‘I am willing to participate in security guarantees’ is a big step, is really a breakthrough, and thank you for that,” said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who was present at the summit.
On Tuesday, Trump clarified on the Fox News entertainment network that this did not mean sending US troops to Ukraine, but meant lending air defence support.
It was unclear if Trump had agreed to a collective defence with Ukraine, as Zelenskyy and EU leaders have asked. “We need security to work in practice, like Article 5 of NATO,” said Zelenskyy on Saturday after meeting with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Certainly, a gulf continued to separate Trump from the leaders of Europe on the first three points.
“I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire. So let’s work on that, and let’s try to put pressure on Russia. Because the credibility of these efforts we’re undertaking today are depending on at least a ceasefire from the beginning of negotiations,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron told an NBC interviewer it would be “impossible” for Ukrainian officials to negotiate a peace deal as bombs were falling on their cities.
But Trump said a ceasefire was not a part of any of the “six wars” he claims to have settled.
Russia poured scorn on European security guarantees. “The brainless Gallic rooster can’t let go of the idea of sending troops to ‘Ukraine’,” wrote Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s National Security Council.
“We cannot agree with the current proposal to resolve issues of collective security without Russia,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a press conference on Wednesday, calling the idea “utopian”.
Macron pointed out that Russia became a security guarantor of Ukraine when recognising its independence in 1991, and that led to the Russian invasion.
Russia also appeared to ignore the diplomatic path outlined by Trump and the Europeans, consisting of a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy in the next two weeks, followed by a trilateral meeting that would include Trump.
Although White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that Putin had agreed to the bilateral meeting, there was no Kremlin confirmation as of Thursday afternoon.
Instead, Lavrov offered merely to send more senior negotiators to an existing format of bilateral talks with Ukraine that doesn’t include the two presidents – an offer echoed by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
This appeared to be what Putin had in mind when he expressed faith in Alaska that “moving along this path, we can reach the end of the conflict in Ukraine sooner rather than later”.
Reuters reported that Putin had demanded the unoccupied parts of Ukraine’s eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk ahead of the Alaska summit, in return for a few pockets of land Russia has seized and a freezing of the front line in the southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson.
The sources were two unnamed White House officials.
There was no mention of what would happen in other parts of the front; Ukraine is also currently defending its northern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.
Trump later told Hannity that he and Putin had “largely agreed” on a territorial deal in Alaska. “I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” he said, adding, “Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say ‘no’.”
According to Reuters, Zelenskyy did say no.
European leaders continue to stand on principle, saying no land can be won through aggression, and Ukraine shouldn’t be asked to cede any territory to Russia as part of a formula known as “land for peace”.
“Once we recognise part of Donbas [as Russian territory]… There is no more international order,” Macron said, using a term that refers to the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. “This isn’t compliant with the UN Charter. And the day after, our collective credibility, the US, Europeans, permanent members of the Security Council, will be totally zero.”
But Trump mentioned this month that any peace deal will involve a “land swap” between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump also appeared willing to concede large tracts of Ukrainian land to Russia.
Vladimir Zharikhin, a Kremlin-affiliated expert, suggested Trump had ruled out as impossible the return of Crimea to Ukraine, calling it de facto recognition of its possession by Russia.
Despite its ongoing war, Russia insists that “Neither Crimea, nor Donbas, nor Novorossiya as territories have ever been our goal,” Lavrov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel. “We never spoke about seizing any territories,” he said.
“Our goal was to protect the people, the Russian people, who had lived on these lands for centuries, who discovered these lands,” Lavrov said.
The United States has issued a new round of sanctions against Iran, seeking to disrupt oil exports by going after a global network of companies owned by a single Greek shipper.
In a statement published by the US Treasury Department on Thursday, the government announced sanctions on companies and vessels owned by Antonios Margaritis. The sanctions follow several other rounds aimed at making it more difficult for Tehran to sell oil abroad.
“Margaritis has leveraged his decades of experience in the shipping industry to illicitly facilitate the transportation and sale of Iranian petroleum,” the statement notes. “Several other vessels and operators are also being designated today for their role facilitating Iranian oil exports, which generates revenue that contributes to Iran’s advanced weapons programs.”
Nine companies based in Greece, Hong Kong, the Marshall Islands and the United Arab Emirates were sanctioned, along with 12 vessels – some of which carry flags of convenience from other nations.
Among those sanctioned was the Marshall Islands-based Changbai Glory Shipping Limited, the owner of a Liberian-flagged ship that since March 2025 alone has transported more than four million barrels of Iranian oil to China.
Walmart’s second-quarter results are showing that United States consumers across the spectrum are still flocking to the retailer’s stores despite economic headwinds, but its shares have dipped as the company’s margins ebbed and inventory costs rose.
The world’s largest retailer has scooped up market share from rivals as wealthier consumers frequent the store more often, worried about the effects of tariffs on prices, the company’s results on Thursday showed.
That has fueled an 85 percent surge in the stock over the last year-and-a-half that some analysts say has made its valuation too lofty.
Shares were down 4 percent in midday trading in New York, as its second-quarter profit was lower than expected, registering Walmart’s first earnings miss in more than three years.
Investors also focused on Walmart’s gross margins for the quarter, which fell short of their expectations, even though the company raised its fiscal year sales and profit forecasts.
Overall gross margins were about flat at 24.5 percent versus 24.4 percent last quarter, missing consensus estimates of 24.9 percent, according to brokerage DA Davidson.
“Expectations were high for a margin beat and we didn’t get that, so we’re getting a little bit of a pullback on the stock,” said Steven Shemesh, RBC Capital Markets analyst.
Still, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based chain’s results showed it has continued to benefit from growing price sensitivity among Americans, earning revenue of $177.4bn in the second quarter. Analysts on average were expecting $176.16bn, according to LSEG data. Adjusted earnings per share of 68 cents in the second quarter fell short of analyst expectations of 74 cents.
Consumer sentiment has weakened due to fears of tariffs fueling higher inflation, hitting the bottom lines of some retail chains, but Walmart’s sales have remained resilient. Companies have been able to withstand paying those import levies through front-running of inventories, but as those products are sold, the next shipments are pricier, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said.
“As we replenish inventory at post-tariff price levels, we’ve continued to see our cost increase each week,” he said on a call with analysts, noting those costs will continue rising in the second half of the year. The effects of tariffs have so been gradual enough for consumer habits to change only modestly.
Walmart had warned it would increase prices this summer to offset tariff-related costs on certain goods imported to the US, a move that drew criticism from President Donald Trump. Consumer-level inflation is increasing modestly, while wholesale inflation spiked in July to its fastest rate in more than three years.
According to an S&P Global survey released on Thursday, input prices paid by businesses hit a three-month high in July, with companies citing tariffs as the key driver. Prices charged by businesses for goods and services hit a three-year high, as companies passed along costs to consumers. A day earlier, rival Target warned of tariff-induced cost pressures.
Walmart got a boost from a sharper online strategy as more customers relied on home deliveries. Its global e-commerce sales jumped 25 percent during the second quarter, and Walmart said one-third of deliveries from stores took three hours or less.
McMillon expects current shopping habits to persist through the third and fourth quarters. He noted middle- and lower-income households are making noticeable adjustments in response to rising prices, either by reducing the number of items in their baskets or by opting for private-label brands. This shift has not been seen among higher-income households, which Walmart defines as those earning over $100,000 annually.
Walmart expects annual sales to grow in the range of 3.75 percent to 4.75 percent, compared to its prior forecast of a 3 percent to 4 percent increase. Adjusted earnings per share are expected in the range of $2.52 to $2.62, compared to its previous range of $2.50 to $2.60.
Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said the company is looking at more possible financial outcomes than before because of trade policy talks, uncertain demand, and the need to stay flexible for future growth. Based on what it saw in the second quarter, Walmart expects the impact on margins and earnings from the higher cost of goods to be smaller in the current quarter than it previously thought, Rainey said.
“Broad consumer and macro trends remain favourable to Walmart, especially in the shape of consumers wanting to maximise bang for their buck,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail consultancy GlobalData.
Walmart’s total US comparable sales rose 4.6 percent, beating analysts’ estimates of a 3.8 percent increase. The company noted strong customer response to over 7,400 “rollbacks,” its term for discounted prices, with 30 percent more rollbacks on grocery items.
Average spending at the till rose 3.1 percent from an increase of 0.6 percent last year, but growth in customer visits fell to 1.5 percent from 3.6 percent in the year-earlier period. Walmart logged 40 percent growth in marketplace sales, including electronics, automotive, toys, and media and gaming.
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot said on Thursday the Premier League champions will only sign the right player for the right price, but refused to be drawn on the club’s position regarding unsettled Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Since Liverpool’s reported 110-million-pound ($148m) bid for the 25-year-old Sweden international was rejected earlier this month, they have not held further talks, but equally do not appear to have given up hope of bringing Isak to Anfield.
Newcastle, for their part, are reported to be demanding a British record transfer fee of 150 million pounds ($201.1m) for Isak.
The forward’s decision to go public on Tuesday, accusing Newcastle of breaking promises and saying he “can’t continue” and “change is in the best interests of everyone”, has intensified speculation about Isak’s future.
Newcastle’s response was to insist: “We have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met”.
The back-and-forth exchanges have all added another layer of interest to Liverpool’s match at Newcastle’s St James ‘ Park on Monday, with Isak expected to be absent again as he continues to train away from the squad.
Slot, speaking at a pre-match news conference on Thursday, said, “I am happy with the squad, but if we think there is a player who can really make us better, then this club has always shown they can bring them in”.
The Dutch manager, who has seen Liverpool’s 300-million-plus-pound ($402.1m) spending spree during the break, offset by more than 200 million pounds ($268.1m) worth of sales, added, “But it needs to be everything we want: right transfer fee, right position and the player wants to come to us.
” I don’t think]it will be a busy end to the summer transfer window] because]that would mean] I would be unhappy with the squad, and I am happy with the squad.
“I say two players for each positions is ideal, but sometimes, less is more, so you are not disappointing players”.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said ahead of the new season that Isak “controlled” his own future.
Slot, meanwhile, rejected the suggestion Liverpool’s trip to the northeast would be made easier by Isak’s absence and the ensuing turmoil it has caused Newcastle.
“I don’t think they are a club with troubles”, he said. “I assume Isak is not playing, but they still have Anthony Gordon as a nine, they have Anthony Elanga as a right winger, and Harvey Barnes from the left – and Jacob Murphy is not even playing.
” This is the Premier League, we all have a lot of options and Newcastle have them, as well. “
But Slot’s options at right-back have been reduced, with new signing Jeremie Frimpong ruled out until after next month’s international break with a hamstring injury sustained in their opening victory over Bournemouth.
Joe Gomez was pressed into action for 18 minutes despite having had just two training sessions after three weeks out with injury.
Gomez could still be in contention at Newcastle, with Conor Bradley only returning to training on Thursday.
We only have two injuries right now, but they are both in the same position, “said Slot.” The advantage is that there are other players who can play.