Summit with Putin set to top Trump’s agenda this week as Ukraine war takes center stage
President Donald Trump’s week will culminate in a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the two leaders are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and the broader state of U.S.–Russia relations on the global stage. The summit, scheduled for Friday, has drawn international scrutiny amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could attempt to broker terms for ending the conflict without formally involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaving him only a tacit role in negotiations. ZELENSKYY THANKS NATO, EUROPEAN LEADERS FOR BACKING HIS PUSH TO JOIN TRUMP‑PUTIN SUMMIT Trump has previously said that Putin and Zelenskyy were close to a ceasefire deal but signaled that war-weary Kyiv would have to concede significant territory, an outcome that Ukrainians and many European allies oppose. Russian forces currently occupy approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory stretching from the Russian border to Crimea — including regions vital to the country’s economy, rich in minerals, industry, and home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Both the White House and the Kremlin have acknowledged Zelenskyy’s request to join the talks, though no formal invitation has been extended to the Ukrainian leader. If granted a seat at the table, it would mark the first face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. The summit comes as Russia’s war grinds into its third year and fifth month, with Moscow showing little sign of abandoning its efforts to erode Ukraine’s sovereignty and reassert the territorial influence of the former Soviet empire. PUTIN ALLY WARNS ‘TITANIC EFFORTS’ ARE UNDERWAY TO SINK TRUMP SUMMIT OVER UKRAINE WAR The Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday that Trump and Putin are expected to “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution” in Ukraine. “This will evidently be a challenging process, but we will engage in it actively and energetically,” the statement added. Over the weekend, several European leaders voiced support for Zelenskyy’s push to attend this week’s summit, amid growing concerns that Kyiv’s long-term security could be negotiated without its direct involvement. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution brokered between Trump and Putin must uphold the security interests of both Ukraine and Europe. ZELENSKYY WON’T CEDE TERRITORY FOR PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF TRUMP‑PUTIN SUMMIT “The U.S. has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on Sunday. “Any deal between the U.S. and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security,” she added. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also voiced support for Zelenskyy’s attendance at the meeting and called the summit an opportunity to measure how serious Putin is about “bringing this terrible war to an end.” Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for their support and said that “the end of the war must be fair.” “I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations,” he said.
Trump continues supporting Sen. Lindsey Graham’s re-election bid while phoning into Republican event
President Donald Trump recently spoke to the South Carolina Republican Party’s Silver Elephant Gala through a phone that Sen. Lindsey Graham held up to a microphone. Trump, who endorsed Graham for re-election earlier this year, continued expressing his support for the senator while speaking on the phone. Trump said the senator has his “full endorsement,” calling him a “great guy,” saying that Graham has always been there for him when he needed him and he “won’t forget it.” CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH ERUPTS AFTER TRUMP’S GRAHAM ENDORSEMENT: ‘I AM NOT WITH TRUMP AT ALL WITH THIS ONE’ “Thank you for your surprise call, Mr. President!” Graham said in a post on X that also featured footage of Trump’s remarks about him. “With your support, I’ll keep delivering the America First agenda to the great people of South Carolina. I’m glad to have been part of the most awesome six months in modern history led by President @realDonaldTrump.” Graham, who has served in the Senate since 2003, is facing Republican primary challengers. TRUMP ENDORSES SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM FOR RE-ELECTION: ‘HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN’ Paul Dans, the former director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project at the Heritage Foundation and who is one of Graham’s challengers, attended the event where Trump spoke by phone. “Lindsey Graham’s terrified—his Senate seat’s at risk against me, his toughest challenger yet. After 32 years of broken term-limit promises, he’s done. Clinging to President Trump won’t save him from SC’s America First Patriots who see his grift. #LindseyPanic #PrezTrumpPlsHelpMe,” Dans wrote in a post on X. LINDSEY GRAHAM DRAWS DEMOCRATIC SENATE CHALLENGER WHO PREVIOUSLY LOST CONGRESSIONAL RACE Graham will be up for re-election in 2026.
‘Frighteningly close to tragedy’: Air India flight, with several MPs on board, makes emergency landing in Chennai
According to Flightradar24, the Air India flight AI2455 was scheduled to depart Thiruvananthapuram at 7:15 pm but took off at 8:17 pm. The flight, originally expected to arrive in Delhi at 10:45 pm, instead landed in Chennai. Read on for more details on this.
Rahul Gandhi faces notice from Karnataka CEO on voter fraud allegations
Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) on Sunday issued a formal notice to leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, asking him to furnish documentary evidence for his allegations of voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Independence Day Mock Drill: Another security breach at Red Fort ahead of August 15 preparations in Delhi
A mock terrorist from the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, carrying imitation explosives up to the children’s section, breached Red Fort security. This is the third security lapse over the past few days in a mock drill being run on the premises ahead of the Independence Day celebration.
Parliament Monsoon Session 2025: Three key legislative bills to be discussed in Lok Sabha today
The Lok Sabha will convene today at 11 am with a packed agenda, featuring multiple committee reports, ministerial statements, and key legislative business. Here’s what’s on the table
Income Tax Bill 2025 to be introduced in Parliament today, here’s what to expect
The new bill will incorporate the recommendations of the Select Committee of Parliament. This follows the withdrawal of the earlier version of the Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced in February this year.
Ex-government officials pen letter blasting Kash Patel’s FBI ‘purge’
A group of former FBI, intelligence, diplomatic and national security officials released a letter blasting FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for firing several bureau agents, saying they were targeted for not being loyal to President Trump. The group, which dubs itself The Steady State, claims Agents Brian Driscoll, Michael Feinberg and Walter Giardina were fired as part of a campaign to dismantle the FBI’s “long-standing independence” while also setting it up as a “tool of political loyalty.” The Steady State also claimed the agents were canned because they were not loyal to President Donald Trump, before accusing the administration of appointing Patel and Bongino to powerful roles despite not having resumes that meet the “basic standards” to lead the “world’s premiere law enforcement agency.” “It is not about reform. It is about control. The aim, it seems, is to transform the FBI from a respected, constitutionally grounded investigative service into a personal enforcement arm of a political figure,” the letter reads. “We have seen these dynamics abroad—leaders who demand loyalty from security services not to the law, but to themselves. These regimes do not end well.” FBI OUSTS FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, AGENT INVOLVED IN J6 PROSECUTIONS, WITH MORE EXPECTED “The FBI has long been a bulwark against such corruption: an institution where rule of law and civil liberties are held in balance with the demands of national security,” the letter continued. “Its independence is not a bureaucratic feature; it is a democratic necessity.” The Steady State told their friends and colleagues in the FBI that they recognize the pressure they are under. “The nation is watching, and will be inspired by the FBI. And history will remember,” the letter concluded. Last Thursday, the FBI ousted Driscoll, the former FBI acting director, as well as others, including Giardina, a special agent at the FBI who played a role in the investigation of Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro. Also let go was Steve Jensen, the acting director in charge of the Washington Field Office. KASH PATEL TORCHES ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ ABOUT BONDI FEUD AMID MAGA FUROR OVER EPSTEIN FILES Driscoll, for his part, served as acting director of the FBI prior to the confirmation of Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations. Senior FBI officials told the trio they needed to leave by Friday. FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR DAN BONGINO SLAMS NEW YORK TIMES FOR ‘POORLY THOUGHT-OUT HIT PIECE’ The FBI, Bongino and Patel declined to comment on Fox News Digital’s questions about The Steady State’s claims and on reasons why the agents were removed from their positions. MSNBC journalist Ken Dilanian shared on social media a copy of the letter from Patel to Giardina. “This document provides official notice that you are being summarily dismissed from your position at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and removed from the federal service, under my authority as the FBI Director, effective immediately,” Patel wrote. You have exercised poor judgment and a lack of impartiality in carrying out duties, leading to the political weaponization of the government.” FBI’S TOP BOSS KASH PATEL SAYS BUREAU RAN COVER FOR HILLARY BUT IT ALL ENDS UNDER TRUMP Former FBI Agent Phil Kennedy, who has been vocal on social media regarding the new regime’s handling of personnel matters, shared The Steady State’s letter, referring to the firings as the recent FBI “purge.” “Walter Giardina, the disgraced anti-Trump Agent who worked on Jack Smith’s documents case with Kash’s pilot, has reportedly been terminated by the FBI,” Kennedy wrote in another post. “It’s a Bureau bloodbath.” News of the agents’ firings comes months after thousands of FBI personnel in February were ordered to fill out a questionnaire asking detailed questions about possible roles in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots. The questionnaire, first reported by Fox News Digital, sparked concern that it could be used to retaliate against agents involved in the January 6 investigations. Those concerns reached a fever pitch later that month, after then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the bureau to compile a list of all current and former personnel who worked on January 6 cases. The Trump administration has not yet said whether it will move to act against the individuals involved. In February, President Trump declined to answer questions over whether his administration would remove FBI employees involved in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, telling reporters only that he believes the bureau is “corrupt” and that then-FBI director nominee, Patel, would “straighten it out.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Zelenskyy thanks NATO, European leaders for backing his push to join Trump‑Putin summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday thanked European leaders for backing his push to join this week’s U.S.–Russia summit, as Kyiv fears Washington and Moscow could strike a deal to end the war but in a way that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty. “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations,” Zelenskyy said. PUTIN ALLY WARNS ‘TITANIC EFFORTS’ ARE UNDERWAY TO SINK TRUMP SUMMIT OVER UKRAINE WAR The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution brokered between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin must protect the security interests of Ukraine and Europe. “The U.S. has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on Sunday. “Any deal between the U.S. and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security,” she added. ZELENSKYY WON’T CEDE TERRITORY FOR PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF TRUMP‑PUTIN SUMMIT AS TRILATERAL MEETING TEASED NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the upcoming summit “will be about testing Putin” and will serve as a measure of how serious the Russian leader is about “bringing this terrible war to an end.” Both the White House and the Kremlin have acknowledged Zelenskyy’s request to join the talks, though no formal invitation has been issued. Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15. If Zelenskyy were to take part, the meeting would mark the first between Putin and Zelenskyy since the start of Moscow’s war. SANCTIONING RUSSIA ACT THREATENS MOSCOW, ALLIES WITH 500% TARIFFS The meeting, which Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Friday, comes on the heels of Washington’s threats to impose steep tariffs on the Kremlin and its allies. Trump has previously singled out countries like India and China—top buyers of discounted Russian crude — for undermining G7 price caps and weakening the impact of Western sanctions. In response, bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act, which would impose a 500% tariff targeting the core of Russia’s economy — its oil and gas exports — if Moscow continues to resist peace efforts or escalates the conflict. Meanwhile, a senior member of Putin’s inner circle warned that multiple countries are mounting “titanic efforts” to undermine the upcoming summit between the Russian leader and Trump. “Undoubtedly, a number of countries interested in continuing the conflict will make titanic efforts to disrupt the planned meeting between President Putin and President Trump,” wrote Russia’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, in a Telegram post on Saturday, referencing the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine. While Dmitriev did not name specific countries, he warned that critics of the upcoming talks could seek to sabotage the summit through diplomatic maneuvers or disinformation through the media.
Hochul, once Cuomo’s second in command, identifies ‘areas of alignment’ with socialist Mamdani
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul – once lieutenant governor under Andrew Cuomo – said Sunday she has identified “areas of alignment” with democratic socialist New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream asked Hochul if she supported Mamdani, who is now running against Cuomo and others, after noting how the candidate praised her for hosting Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to deter a GOP redistricting plan. “We still have many differences. I don’t know how you whitewash that away,” Hochul said. “He can agree with me, and many people agree with, and I think it’s not just Democrats who say New Yorkers stand up for our rights. We do that. It’s what we’re hardwired to do. We’re fighters. I’m a mom from Buffalo. I guess they’re not used to taking on a mom from Buffalo, perhaps.” CUOMO SUPPORTERS LOOK TO WEALTHY ENCLAVE TO TAKE DOWN MAMDANI: REPORT “There’s many areas of disagreement, but also there’s areas of alignment, including affordability,” the governor added of Mamdani. “You know, his election touched a nerve. And people said, you know what, we’re just not getting ahead. And the Trump policies that were promised to lift people up, reduce costs, not touch Medicaid, make sure that tariffs create jobs, none of that happened. So there is this sense of we need some change now.” As governor, Hochul said she’s worked with two different mayors of New York City already, and she’ll continue to “work with whomever the voters want me to, and I’ll make it work.” GOV. HOCHUL DODGES ON WHETHER SHE’LL ENDORSE ZOHRAN MAMDANI “I will make it work out because I’m not going to go to war with the 8 million residents of New York that I also represent, so my job is to calm things down,” Hochul said. “Let’s see what the election results are, but people have to recognize that candidate for mayor has also touched a nerve and we need to be responsive to that. So I’m aligned with him that we need to start finding ways to make life more affordable for New Yorkers.” Hochul assumed the role of governor after Cuomo stepped down amid multiple controversies and she was later elected to a full term. After a June Democratic mayoral primary loss to Mamdani, Cuomo joined incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams as another independent candidate running in the general election. Adams and Cuomo have traded barbs about which of them should drop out before November to better the chances of a Mamdani defeat.