VLADIMIR Putin has just hours left to convince Donald Trump he’s serious about ending the war in Ukraine – or face a punishing wave of US sanctions.
The White House’s Friday deadline demands “progress” from Moscow towards reaching peace after three years of conflict.
Otherwise, Washington will slam down secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s oil lifeline and key alleys like Russia and China.
But as the clock ticks, Putin appears defiant.
Overnight, Russian drones hit homes, schools, and sports facilities across Ukraine in fresh airstrikes.
Ukrainian civilians were wounded in the assault, including a 16-year-old girl in Bucha.
The town’s mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said: “We have destruction as a result of a Russian terrorist attack on our community.
“Russia is a terrorist country. The whole world should know about this… so that no one would shake hands with Russia knowing about the murders and atrocities against Ukrainians.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s patience is wearing thin.
Speaking last night, a visibly frustrated Trump said of Putin: “It’s going to be up to him.
“We’re going to see what he has to say. Very disappointed.”
Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since returning to office, boasting that he could stop it in a single day.
But despite backchannel phone calls and “typically friendly” exchanges with Putin, peace remains elusive.
“They would like to meet with me. I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killings,” Trump said.
But the US President dismissed claims that next week’s historic summit hinges on a three-way meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Asked if Putin needed to meet Zelensky in order to meet him, Trump clarified: “No, he doesn’t.”
by Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
RIGHT now, everything hangs in the balance – and the power dynamic could shift in a heartbeat.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former British Army officer and military analyst, said the fact the summit is even happening is a win in itself.
But as for who’s calling the shots? That’s where things get complicated.
Noting the Russian leader still believes he’s making ground in Ukraine, the expert told The Sun: “Until fairly recently, it’s been pretty clear that President Putin has absolutely no desire for peace.
“His aim at the beginning of his special military operation over three and a half years ago was to subjugate the whole of Ukraine.”
According to de Bretton-Gordon, Trump has only recently woken up to the fact that he’s being played.
“It would appear that Trump has had a bit of an epiphany, a bit of a change of mind, and has now realised that Putin has been playing him.”
And now, Don is bringing the businessman in him and threatening to hit Russia where it hurts most: the wallet.
“If Trump follows through with his sanctions and tariffs… then this is the reason I think that Putin has come to the table,” de Bretton-Gordon explained.
“Economic and financial analysts who really know about these things believe that the Russian economy would peter out pretty quickly without the massive amounts of money and resources it gets from oil.”
In other words, Trump holds the economic sledgehammer — if he’s willing to swing it.
But Putin isn’t out of the game. His forces are still advancing, still hammering Ukrainian cities, and still killing civilians.
“Russia seems to be moving forward slowly,” de Bretton-Gordon warned.
“Attacking civilian targets in Ukraine at an unbelievable scale.”
Zelensky, meanwhile, remains the wild card.
“The people who are most important here are the Ukrainians,” he said.
“A bad deal for Ukraine is worse than no deal at all.”
And that’s the real risk. Trump might be chasing headlines, not justice.
“I think Trump probably just wants to get a deal of some description,” the former army officer said.
“One just hopes that Trump doesn’t try and do some sort of backhand deal with Putin, just so that he can claim that there is now peace in Ukraine, because the short-term peace is no good to anybody.”
So who has the upper hand? Right now, it’s still up for grabs.
But if Trump sticks to his economic guns, and if Putin starts to feel the heat on the home front, the balance might just tip.
TRAVIS Kelce and Taylor Swift missed a family funeral this week.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his music megastar girlfriend both missed the memorial in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.
TMZ published photos of the funeral for Travis’ dad Ed Kelce’s long-term partner.
Ed announced the death of his girlfriend Maureen Maguire last week at age 74.
He confirmed on his Facebook page that Maureen died “peacefully surrounded by her loved ones” on August 1.
A cause of death is not known.
TMZ had photos of Travis’ older brother Jason at the funeral on Thursday.
Jason Kelce was joined by wife Kylie, the pictures showed.
Travis, meanwhile, is in the middle of Kansas City Chiefs training camp.
He is with the team at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Maureen’s obituary read, “Though she began her life in New York City, Maureen spent the majority of her years in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
“She built a warm and vibrant home filled with love, laughter, and family traditions.
“She began her career as an elementary school teacher and devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising her family, a role she embraced with boundless love and care.”
Maureen was also described as, “A devoted mother whose greatest pride was her children.”
“Maureen found joy in life’s simple pleasures.
“She loved the beach – especially the shore – and had a deep affection for dogs.
“In recent years, she spent treasured time in Cape May with her family, enjoying peaceful days by the ocean.”
Ed and Maureen went to watch both his sons Travis and Jason play in NFL games.
The football father also shared a picture of when Maureen met Travis’ girlfriend Swift.
The obituary continued, “She also grew an unexpected love for football later in life, sharing many laughs and adventures with her beloved friend Ed Kelce and her loyal dog Butch.
“Together, they traveled often and attended football games and concerts, and embraced every opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest.”
“Maureen was known for her impeccable taste and signature style — wearing tennis skirts religiously despite never playing the game.
“A natural hostess, she was famous for throwing the best parties, always full of warmth, laughter, and unforgettable food.
“She had a rare gift for making friends with strangers and making everyone around her feel special, seen, and welcomed.
“Her presence had a way of turning ordinary moments into something memorable.”
