Heavy strikes in Ukraine as Trump and Putin meet in Alaska for Summit (Worthy News Radio)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

ANCHORAGE/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine says Russia launched two ballistic missiles and nearly 100 drones overnight in more than a dozen locations across the country, as Moscow claimed it intercepted scores of Ukrainian drones over land and sea.

The wave of strikes came just hours before U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were set to meet in Alaska for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The summit, hosted in a state once sold by Russia to the United States, is viewed as a first step toward ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Anchorage for the talks, telling Russian television that his delegation came with a “clear and understandable position.” Lavrov was filmed stepping out wearing a sweater with the Soviet-era letters “СССР” — a nod to the former USSR, which included both Russia and Ukraine.

He added that most preparations for the summit were made during U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow last week.

Russian state media reported that President Putin made a stop in eastern Russia en route to Alaska, rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

NO NATO MEMBERSHIP

Moscow continues to demand complete control of four annexed Ukrainian regions, a withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces, no membership of the NATO military alliance for Ukraine, and the lifting of Western sanctions.

Putin also drew attention for comments praising North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine as “heroic.”

South Korea says more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.

However, Putin praised Trump’s efforts to strike a deal. “The current American administration is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis, and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” Putin said.

He hinted that Friday’s talks could also open the door to a nuclear arms control deal with Washington.

From the U.S. side, President Trump told Fox News Radio that the Alaska meeting is just the first step.

CHESS GAME

“It’s like a chess game. This meeting sets up the second meeting… and that second meeting is extremely important. I’d say there’s a twenty-five percent chance this one fails outright — but we’ll know very quickly,” Trump stressed.

Trump pledged to push for a ceasefire, while Ukraine insists no peace agreement can be reached without President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the table.

Strikes underscored the need for a truce: Hours before the summit, Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia attacked with two ballistic missiles and 97 drones, targeting frontline areas in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Chernihiv regions.

The missiles reportedly struck the Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 63 drones, the Air Force said.

However, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its air defenses shot down 53 Ukrainian drones over land and sea.

The attacks underscored the urgency of finding a way to end the war as both sides remain divided on how to find the path to peace.

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