The only *real* economic pressure Trump is prepared to apply on Putin is to drive global oil prices low (even below what's good for the US oil industry). And the only reason he's prepared to do so (via pressure on Saudi Arabia) is because it helps him with inflation at home.

The summit—if that term still applies to what was in effect a reduced bilateral event—ended almost exactly as I predicted two days earlier. What we saw was “Helsinki 2”: not the Helsinki of 1975, which Moscow hoped to emulate, but the 2018 version. A meeting that looked like a

Zelensky confirms he will arrive in Washington on Monday for a meeting with Trump

If confirmed so much about nothing-burger

TRUMP TOLD ZELENSKIY AND NATO LEADERS THAT PUTIN DOESN'T WANT A CEASEFIRE AND PREFERS A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT TO END THE WAR - AXIOS REPORTER ON X

Two headlines from German magazine Stern

Here is the European joint statement - Ukraine needs "ironclad security guarantees" - No limitations on Ukraine's armed forces - No Russian veto on Kyiv's EU/Nato membership - No decisions on Ukraine's territory without Ukraine - No let up on Russian sanctions

Latest statement by Coalition of the Willing drops idea of ceasefire before peace talks, indicating Putin has successfully wrestled control of the sequencing of any peace settlement.

After bringing in reinforcements and being able to contain the russian 🇷🇺 breakthrough, ukrainian 🇺🇦 troops counter-attacked and managed to push back the russians. Ukraine has taken back control of the "New Donbass Line" 🧵THREAD🧵1/15 ⬇️

Was the situation that catastrophic ? Yes. Russian unit broke through the frontline and advanced ~15km to the point they crossed on foots all major obstacles. They managed to temporarly cut the Dobropilla-Kramatorsk road and threathen all the central part of Donetsk oblast front

“Europe always ends up reacting to Trump, trapped in circles of Trump activity — so a strategy seems impossible for Europe to muster”

It does not match our talking points only the reality