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DONALD Trump has blasted Vladimir Putin for continuing to attack Ukraine as he warns the despot’s urge for killing may be in his genes.
The US President spoke on board Air Force One as he heads to Alaska for crucial war talks with Putin later today.
Both powerful leaders are en route to the summit with the streets of Anchorage already lined with pro-Ukrainian civilians coming out in force against Russia’s war.
Many are protesting about Putin being allowed to step foot on US soil due to him facing an arrest warrant over war crime allegations.
Others are demanding the conflict in Ukraine comes to an end due to the barbaric killing of innocent civilians each and every day.
Trump echoed some of the protester’s thoughts as he spoke to reporters ahead of his first face-to-face meeting with Putin in six years.
He said: “In [Putin’s] mind it helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing.
“Maybe it’s a part of the world, maybe it’s a part of his fabric, his genes, his genetics but he thinks it gives him strength in negotiating.
“I think it hurts him.”
Trump also warned that Russia faces “very severe” consequences if Putin doesn’t appear interested in agreeing to a peace deal during the summit.
Don has voiced concerns over how Putin may behave during the talks already as he described the summit as being like a chess game.
Trump reiterated these thoughts as took to Truth Social shortly before he left Washington to simply say: “HIGH STAKES!!!”
Russia‘s huge delegation started their journey across to the US earlier today as they sped through the shabby streets of Magadan.
Putin is expected to board a jet to Alaska later and complete the trip to the 49th state.
Trump will officially greet Putin before peace talks start at around 8:30pm UK time.
Putin is expected to ask to keep hold of all the land he has managed to illegally seize since starting the conflict in February 2022.
His thirst to conquer more land continued overnight as he launched aerial bombs in Dnipropetrovsk region with his troops edging forwards on the frontline.
Ukrainian forces have been forced to evacuate a town in Donetsk as the intense fighting rages on at the hands of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
Kyiv hit back with their own warning shots at Russia as they sent a final message to the Kremlin ahead of the talks.
They are believed to have downed one of Putin’s £32 million Su-30SM fighter jets close to Ukrainian-controlled Snake Island in the Black Sea.
Russia was also hit by heavy Ukrainian bombardment on the Olya port in Russia’s Astrakhan region.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions overnight.
Today’s historic peace summit will be held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
It will be the first meeting between the pair since 2019.
A notable absentee from the peace talks is Ukraine‘s Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump is expected to call up Kyiv’s brave wartime leader alongside his European allies following the summit to discuss the progress made.
A second meeting is then due to be scheduled which could see Putin and Zelensky meet face-to-face for the first time since the war started.
Read our live blog for the latest on the Trump and Putin peace talks…
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Belarusian President and Trump hold phone call, reports
Donald Trump held a phone call with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko during his flight to Alaska, according to Russian media.
Lukashenko is one of Putin’s closest allies amd has stuck by him throughout the war.
Trump detailed the call on Truth Social as he said: “I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko.
“The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners.
“We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one.
“We discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska.
“I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future.”
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Putin also meeting with a children’s hockey team
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Putin inspects Omega-3 pills in Magadan
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What are Trump and Putin up to?
Vladimir Putin is still in Russia with him being shown around the Omega-Sea enterprise in Magadan.
He is expected to catch a private jet to Alaska shortly alongside his delegation.
Donald Trump has just finished a media scrum on board Air Force One.
He is set to be in the air for around the next five hours before touching down in Alaska.
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Ukraine is ‘counting on America’ – Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the whole of Ukraine is counting on the US to drive Vladimir Putin towards a genuine peace deal at today’s Alaska summit.
Zelensky said on X: “The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side.
“It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia.
“We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible.”
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Putin yet to leave Russia for Alaska with him still in Magadan
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Steve Witkoff heads off to Alaska alongside Trump
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Poland’s Donald Tusk reminds the world that Russia aren’t ‘invincible’
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Listen: Trump warns Putin’s thirst for killing my be in his genes
Trump says tyrant Putin’s need to kill ‘might be in his genes’ but onslaught ‘hurts his negotiations’ as leaders head to Alaska for Ukraine peace summit
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Putin will face ‘very severe’ consequences – Trump
Trump told reporters that if Putin doesn’t appear interested in agreeing to a peace deal during the summit then he will face consequences.
The US President responded to a reporter asking about sanctions as he said: “Economically severe, it will be very severe.
“I’m not doing this for my health. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives, yes, very severe.”
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Trump: ‘No business until war settled’
Trump has vowed he will not “be doing business” with Putin until “we get the war settled”.
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, the US leader claimed Putin “wants a piece of the US economy”.
He said: “I notice he’s bringing a lot of business from Russia, and that’s good.
“I like that, because they want to do business, but we’re not doing business until we get the war settled.”
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Trump: ‘Something is going to come’ of summit
Donald Trump has insisted “something will come” of his talks with Putin today as he jets to Alaska.
The president is flying on Air Force One to meet the Russian tyrant later today.
Speaking on board, Trump said “something is going to come” of his meeting with Putin.
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Watch: Putin begins his journey to Alaska
Putin begins journey to Alaska for Trump war talks – but keeps up Ukraine onslaught as Doomsday Radio bursts into life -
Trump waves as he boards Air Force One
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The current front line in Ukraine
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Trump boards Air Force One as he heads to Alaska
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Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews
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Trump officially leaves White House and heads to Joint Base Andrews
Officials confirmed Donald Trump left the White House at 12:31pm (UK time) and is now on his way to Air Force One before jetting off to Alaska.
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Who is travelling with Trump?
Donald Trump’s US delegation travelling to Alaska alongside him on Air Force One has been revealed.
At least 16 people are expected to board.
The White House has confirmed that Secretary of state Marco Rubio, secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and CIA director John Ratcliffe will all make the trip with Trump.
Both Moscow and Washington have brought their finance or commerce ministers with them as experts suggest a trade deal could be on the table.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will also head to Alaska.
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Air Force One waiting to take Trump to Alaska
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Russian journalists forced to stay in makeshift beds inside sports hall due to remote meeting location
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HIGH STAKES, says President Trump
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The 10 days that led up to today’s summit
August 6 – US special envoy Steve Witkoff visits Moscow to hold talks with Vladimir Putin
August 8 – Donald Trump announces “highly anticipated” meeting between himself and Putin on Truth Social
August 11 – Trump says Ukraine and Russia may have to “swap” some territory in order to agree to peace deal
August 13 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders host a call together which later includes Trump and his vice-president JD Vance
August 14 – Zelensky travels to the UK and meets with Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street
August 15 – Trump and Putin set for face-to-face summit in Alaska
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Pro-Ukrainian supporters line up on the streets of Anchorage, Alaska
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Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks on summit from Alaska
Lavrov told a Russian reporter: “We never make any assumptions in advance. We know we have an argument, we have a clear and well-defined position, and we will present it.
“A lot has already been done here during Witkoff’s visits. And Witkoff spoke on behalf of President Trump.
“I hope that we will continue this very useful conversation.”
