This Week in Explainers: How Trump’s ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine is falling apart

It’s been a week of big meetings involving some of the most powerful people in the world. Last weekend (August 15), we saw the much-hyped summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. There was no concrete deal, but Trump said the two leaders made “great progress”.

Days later, on Monday, the White House was the venue for an important multilateral. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Washington, DC, along with an influential entourage of European leaders – the UK PM Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian President Giorgia Meloni, among others.

Wonder what came out of it? There was a promise of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting and a trilateral between Trump and the two leaders, and the US president also hinted at security guarantees. But now, less than a week later, the peace talks appear to have stalled, with the US president signalling to Ukraine to attack Russia.

Moscow, meanwhile, has been busy forging ties with India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in the Russian capital, where he met his counterpart Sergey Lavrov and President Putin. As the Indian minister headed to Russia, China’s Wang Yi was in India. All this, amid Trump’s constant tariff threats.

In West Asia, the Gaza war only seems to be intensifying. Israel has approved a ground offensive in Gaza City despite domestic opposition and international condemnation. Its defence minister has threatened to destroy the city if Hamas refuses to disarm and release all hostages. Meanwhile, the UN has declared a famine there.

We talk about all these big developments and more in our weekly wrap of news from across the globe.

1. After the Alaska summit came the big White House meeting. This time, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy was not alone. Accompanying him were some of the most influential leaders in Europe. So what happened when Donald Trump met Zelenskyy in the Oval Office months after the spat? Well, his suit came up for discussion once again. But was there any breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine war? Not really. However, Trump promised a meeting between the leaders of the two warring nations. Here are the highlights of that day.

2. Donbas. That was what Putin wants in exchange for stopping the Ukraine war. Some senior officials said that he would provide a written promise not to attack again if this demand was met. But why does the Russian leader have his eyes set on this industrial region? We explain.

3. Not a ceasefire, but Trump was putting his weight behind a peace plan for Ukraine. However, after Russia’s biggest strikes on the country in weeks on Thursday (August 21), Trump seemed to suggest that Ukraine should hit back. It would be ‘impossible’ to win the war without attacking Moscow, he indicated. Does peace stand a chance then?

4. Yet Donald Trump has been wanting the Peace Nobel. He boasts of having ended six wars, including the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. But is there any truth to his claim? We check the facts.

5. Talking of wars, the one in Gaza continues to rage on. The Israeli Cabinet has approved plans for a massive assault on Gaza City. But sustaining a conflict for close to two years comes with challenges of its own. With 60,000 reservists called up and 20,000 more extended, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faces mounting fatigue, declining morale, and manpower shortages. How long can it carry on?

6. In the US, Indian truck driver Harjinder Singh grabbed headlines after he took an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway, killing three. Now, the US has stopped issuing visas for all truckers. But what really pushed the Trump administration to take such a drastic decision?

Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025

7. It’s a bizarre security protocol, one that has piqued the interest of many. Putin’s bodyguards reportedly carried a “poop suitcase” to Alaska during the recent visit. Turns out, they collect the president’s faecal waste during foreign visits. It’s a practice that is said to date back to 1999. But what’s the purpose?

8. This story is about a heist in Dubai. A gang of Asian robbers posed as wealthy buyers and stole a rare $25 million pink diamond. However, the police swung into action and recovered it a few hours later. Here’s how it all unfolded.

That’s our reading list for this week. From serious geopolitical news to the odd headlines, we have everything covered. If you like what you read, bookmark this page. Have a good Sunday.