On August 15, according to a statement released by the White House, Trump has no intention of imposing new sanctions on Russia, and his current focus is on diplomatic approaches.

Latest updates on the Ukraine negotiations: The negotiation teams of Russia and the US are as follows:

- Russian President Putin and US President Trump

- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rubio

- Russian Finance Minister Siluanov and US Treasury Secretary Bassett

- Special Representative Dmitriev and Whitcomb

Notably, the Russian delegation has added Defense Minister Belousov and Presidential Assistant Ushakov, while the US side has added Vice President Vance. Ushakov previously stated that the negotiations will be conducted in a "5-5" format, but it is unclear which of our members will not participate. Previously, Pentagon Chief Hagsette had mentioned the possibility of going to Alaska, but he did not appear on the delegation list.

▪️ Trump said: "Putin knows I am the toughest opponent he has ever faced." Some online commentators in Russia believe this is more of Trump's self-promotion, as European media worry that as a more experienced politician, Putin will outmaneuver Trump in the game.

▪️ Trump assessed the probability of failure of the meeting in Alaska at 25%. If the talks break down, Trump said he would not call anyone (whether Zelenskyy or EU leaders). He also said he was unsure whether an immediate ceasefire could be reached, but he believed there was hope: "I am more focused on achieving a peace agreement immediately and quickly achieving a ceasefire." Trump said he would let Ukraine and Russia discuss possible solutions involving "border and territorial compromises" and confirmed that if the talks fail, the US will impose sanctions. Conversely, if Trump claims victory as usual, sanctions will not be initiated. A media analysis suggested that Putin might accept minimal concessions to allow Trump to claim victory.

▪️ Rubio said: Trump hopes to assess the possibility of peace in Ukraine through the meeting. Washington will do its utmost to facilitate peace, but the decision lies with Moscow and Kyiv. He added that achieving peace requires security guarantees and territorial exchanges, but "assessing" and "deciding" are entirely different. Rubio's remarks seem to be paving the way for the Alaska meeting possibly yielding no results.

▪️ The Washington Post's commentators believe that if Putin is wise enough, he will adopt a delaying strategy—neither clearly rejecting nor fully accepting, but selectively agreeing to some clauses. Before the ceasefire takes effect, the Russian military will continue to exert pressure on the battlefield. The success or failure of the talks depends on attention to details, while Trump's negotiation style tends to be bold and decisive.

▪️ The Times cited anonymous Eastern European officials who said that Putin may use nuclear weapon negotiations to divert Trump's attention, or propose certain business cooperation initiatives.

▪️ The New York Times revealed that the Kyiv authorities had concealed Moscow's proposal for territorial exchange until Trump mentioned it personally. The Kyiv authorities considered the proposal unacceptable and tried to convince Washington that it was a trap. However, when Trump publicly stated on Friday that a peace agreement could include "territorial exchange," Zelenskyy was forced to express opposition. This "Trump proposal - Zelenskyy rejection" script is most favorable for us.

▪️ The Times learned that the British military command has abandoned the plan to deploy ground forces to Ukraine and is instead considering establishing an air patrol mechanism over western Ukraine. That's perfect—we will strike them if they dare to fly.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840473890099203/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.