SITREP

Only Bad Options for Zelensky After Alaska Summit, Huge Israeli Crowds Demand Hostage Deal, Pakistan Floods Kill 337 Good morning. 🇺🇦 Only Bad Options for Zelensky After Alaska Summit Ukrainian President Zelensky faces an “impossible bind” ahead of Monday’s Washington talks with Trump: risk the US president’s wrath or accept territorial concessions for vague security guarantees that could enable Russia’s return in years to come. After Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin bypassed ceasefire demands and embraced “land swaps,” Zelensky must navigate memories of February’s bitter White House exchange that briefly halted military aid while seeking clarity on security guarantees and trilateral meeting timing. Trump’s special envoy suggested the US could offer “Article 5-like language” to Ukraine, but details remain unclear as Zelensky reaffirmed he won’t “give up territory or trade land” despite softening Ukrainian public support and mounting casualties from intensified Russian attacks. More - Bloomberg ...

Smotrich Vows Settlement Push, China’s Economy Weakens, Pressure on Russia’s Economy Good morning. 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Smotrich Vows Settlement Push Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revived the long-shelved E1 Plan to build 3,000 houses near Jerusalem, vowing it will “bury the idea of a Palestinian state” as over a dozen countries prepare to recognize Palestine in September. The settlement would split East Jerusalem from the West Bank by expanding Ma’ale Adumim between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, effectively dividing Palestinian territory into northern and southern sections. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the plan as “a breach of international law” that “undermines the two-state solution,” while Israeli NGO Peace Now warned the government is “driving us forward at full speed” toward “an abyss” as construction could begin within a year if fast-tracked approvals proceed. More - Financial Times ...

Children Dying of Hunger in Darfur, Oil Near Two-Month Low on Oversupply Fears, rump Promises Trilateral Meeting If Putin Summit ‘Goes Ok’ Good morning 🇸🇩 Children Dying of Hunger in Darfur Children are dying of starvation in Sudan’s besieged city of el-Fasher as prices have soared so dramatically that money for a week’s worth of meals now buys only one, with community kitchens serving animal feed residue to desperate families. The BBC obtained rare footage showing the 14-month RSF blockade has created catastrophic conditions where doctors report over 60 malnutrition deaths last week, with severely malnourished children “just waiting for their death” in hospitals lacking therapeutic food supplies. International aid groups condemned the “calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war” as cholera spreads through displaced person camps, while humanitarian convoys remain blocked despite UN appeals for access to the trapped population. More - BBC ...

Zelensky Rejects Donbas Concession, Iran Arrested 21,000 During Israel War Good morning. 🇺🇦 Zelensky Rejects Donbas Concession Ukrainian President Zelensky ruled out ceding the Donbas region to Russia in any peace deal, warning it would create “a bridgehead for Russians to prepare an offensive” ahead of Friday’s Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. Zelensky said Ukraine would reject proposals to surrender parts of Donbas despite Russian forces making a sudden 10km advance near Dobropillia, which he claimed was timed to create an “information space” showing “Russia is moving forward while Ukraine is losing.” The Ukrainian leader expressed frustration at being excluded from the Alaska summit, calling the location choice a “personal victory” for Putin who is “coming out of isolation” by meeting on US territory, while warning any agreements without Kyiv’s involvement would be “dead decisions.” More - BBC ...

Zelenskyy: Putin Planning ‘New Offensive’, Nigerian Troops Kill 100+ ‘Bandits’ Good morning, Apologies for the formatting issue with some versions of yesterday’s SITREP. 🇺🇦 Zelenskyy: Putin Planning ‘New Offensive’ Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned that Putin is preparing for “new offensive operations” rather than a ceasefire, despite Friday’s scheduled Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, saying intelligence reports show Russia redeploying troops for further assaults. Zelenskyy rejected Trump’s suggestion of “land swapping,” stating “concessions do not persuade a killer” as 26 European leaders stressed Ukraine’s right to “choose its own destiny” and that borders “must not be changed by force.” The warnings come as Trump said he would know “in the first two minutes” whether progress with Putin was possible, while the Institute for the Study of War noted Moscow isn’t preparing its public for anything short of “full victory in Ukraine.” More - Al Jazeera ...

NATO Chief: Ukraine Territory ‘On Table’, Four Al Jazeera Journalists Killed by IDF, Uganda Denies Besigye Bail in Treason Case Good morning. 🇺🇦 NATO Chief: Ukraine Territory ‘On Table’ NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this week’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska may open negotiations about Ukrainian territory, suggesting Ukraine could acknowledge Russia’s de facto control without formal sovereignty recognition. Rutte’s comments come as European leaders conduct “frenetic rounds” of virtual meetings to devise strategy before Friday’s summit, fearing Ukraine could be pressured into accepting significant territorial losses. Vice President JD Vance expects a “very simple” outcome based on current battle lines, while Zelensky maintains Ukraine “won’t - and constitutionally can’t - cede territory,” warning against accepting Putin’s “spin” on negotiations as European officials reaffirm that “international borders must not be changed by force.” More - Bloomberg ...

Israel Plans Gaza City Occupation, Europe Seeks Rare Earth Independence Good morning. 🇵🇸 Israel Plans Gaza City Occupation Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan for military occupation of Gaza City, marking a major escalation that will force tens of thousands of starving residents to evacuate by October 7. An Israeli official said the operation involves displacing “all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the central camps” while imposing a siege on Hamas militants and launching a ground offensive. UK Prime Minister Starmer called the plan “wrong,” saying it “will only bring more bloodshed,” while Hamas accused Netanyahu of abandoning hostages to serve his “personal interests and extremist ideological agenda” as nearly 200 Palestinians have died from starvation in the famine-stricken territory. More - Al Jazeera ...

Trump-Putin-Zelensky Summit Planned, Trump Plans 100% Chip Tariffs 🇺🇦 Trump, Putin, Zelensky Talks Planned President Trump said there’s a “good chance” he could meet with Putin and Zelensky after calling talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian leader “very good,” though he provided no details on timing or conditions. The Kremlin described the Moscow discussions as “constructive” with both sides exchanging “signals,” while the White House said Russia expressed desire to meet Trump who remains “open to meeting with both leaders.” The optimism comes despite muted expectations for Friday’s ceasefire deadline, with Trump simultaneously imposing an additional 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil and Russia continuing large-scale air attacks on Ukraine including a deadly strike on a Zaporizhzhia holiday camp. More - BBC ...

Russia Considers Air Truce Offer, Reports: Netanyahu Plans Full Gaza Reoccupation, BLS Worries Threaten $2 Trillion Treasuries Market, Hezbollah Rejects Disarmament Amid Lebanon Push Good morning. 🇺🇦 Russia Considers Air Truce Offer Russia is weighing an air truce with Ukraine as a potential concession to Trump ahead of US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit this week, though Moscow remains determined to continue the war without a general ceasefire. The proposal could involve pausing drone and missile strikes as a deescalation gesture, provided Ukraine also agrees, as Putin seeks to avoid threatened secondary sanctions while his forces continue battlefield advances. Trump has grown frustrated with Putin’s refusal to agree to ceasefire during six phone calls since February, threatening heavy tariffs on countries buying Russian oil starting Friday, while Belarus President Lukashenko publicly raised the “air truce” concept during recent remarks with Putin. More - Bloomberg ...

Trump Threatens India Tariff Hike, Brazil Orders Bolsonaro House Arrest, DRC-Rwanda Economic Framework Agreed Good morning, 🇮🇳 Trump Threatens India Tariff Hike President Trump vowed to “substantially raise” tariffs on Indian exports beyond the current 25% rate over India’s purchases of Russian oil, saying New Delhi profits from reselling discounted Russian crude on global markets. India’s foreign ministry slammed the targeting as “unjustified and unreasonable,” noting it began buying Russian oil after traditional supplies were diverted to Europe and the US “encouraged such imports.” The escalation comes ahead of Trump’s August 8 deadline for Russia to reach a Ukraine truce, with secondary sanctions threatened against countries buying Russian energy as India has become a major buyer at 1.7 million barrels daily. More - Bloomberg ...