Alaska meet puts neocons back in their box, at least for a while, and that seems to have been the whole point of the Alaska trip.

At least nothing else appears to have happened.

No sanctions, no tariffs, no word on completely ending US support but nothing on continuing it either and certainly no hope of the US going to war with Russia (security guarantees).

No deals, no giving way, just some 'clarification of positions' that everyone really already knew anyway.

Looks like the EU/UK are still expected to carry the full load from now on.

That just means a quicker death for Ukraine than if the US still continued to give all they could which, since the stock piles run out, was never going to be enough to keep the patient alive for much longer anyway.


Zelensky had flown to Germany on the 13th to get a deal of his own but Europe doesn't have any military aid left to give either, or money, and is not strong enough to give security guarantees, it's also not able to make Ukraine fit the criteria for entry into the EU or NATO.

So that was a waste of an air ticket.

Ukraine's survival does not lay with the EU/UK, they're unable to change the situation and are also not willing to go to war with Russia. Anyway, they're more concerned with keeping the US in Europe than the fate of Ukraine.

The 'path to peace' is with Russia but no one in the west will admit that so we'll all sit round to watch the slow death coming.

Ukraine's survival lays in negotiating with Russia and 68% of Ukrainians understand this according to the recent Gallup poll.

Their leader though would rather drive the country over the cliff.

No matter what Trump will still get the blame, the neocons will pretend more could have been done, the Europeans will say they had this if Ukraine could have just hung on for another 7 years and Zelensky, hiding out in one of his many multimillion dollar villas, will say he was betrayed.


Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army admits big problems north of Pokrovsk.

As said several days ago the Ukrainians are having difficulties dislodging the Russians they find sharing their last defence line with in the Donbas.

Turns out that fortified defence lines work best when you are behind them and the enemy is in front and not so much when you are behind them and the enemy is behind you.


SITREP 8/13/25: Pokrovsk Breakthrough Continuation

https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sit ... tent=share


Lt Col Daniel Davis: NO DEAL SUMMIT: Why Trump Puting Meeting is Still Meaningful

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
1 hour
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 17.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 17.08.25
personnel – about / about 1069950 (+900) persons
tanks / tanks – 11116 (+4) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23143 (+8) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31589 (+49) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1468 (+1) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1208 (+1) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+0) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51528 (+186)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 58821 (+88)
special equipment – 3942 (+0)

Trump finally gets it. The summer of 2023 was Ukraine's only real hope of any kind of a victory.

After that failure Zelensky should have come to terms because they had lost the initiative, the sanctions had failed, and as everyone knew, Ukraine was always going to lose a continuing war of attrition against Russia.

But Biden and the EU/UK kept encouraging him to fight on and more importantly kept the money flowing.

And so now, with over a million more Ukrainians dead, Zelensky is going to be forced to take Russia's terms anyway.


After the Alaska meeting with Putin Trump made it clear to Zelensky and the Europeans that a ceasefire was not going to solve anything and what Ukraine needed for a real peace was to deal with the Russians, not the US or the Europeans.


Trump told Europeans that peace could come quickly if Zelensky hands over all of Donbass to Russia, including areas currently not controlled by the Russian Armed Forces, - NYT

In exchange, Putin offered a ceasefire along the current lines and a written promise not to attack Ukraine or Europe anymore.

Macron, together with Starmer and Merz, will hold another meeting of the "coalition of the willing" via video call on Sunday, — France Press. They will discuss the framework of the discussion on peace in Ukraine.

Trump seems to have made the decision that the only way to stop the conflict is to agree to Putin's basic demands and he's right.

Even if the US decided to send troops they would probably not win and just get caught up in a long running disaster far worse than Vietnam.

Zelensky will agree or lose US aid and Ukraine can't go it alone. And it doesn't matter what the Europeans think because they can't carry Ukraine on their own.

The European leadership are powerless, the European and US populations are not interested, and Ukraine itself is nearly out of manpower after years of forced mobilisation.


Next up Zelensky goes on a begging mission to Washington on Monday but, as with the tele-confrence previous when Zelensky needed to be sitting beside Merz, he now will be taking NATO leader Mark Rutte with him for support (or to stop him doing anything stupid like last time).

Trump is known for flip-flopping but I think this decision is too big and was made in committee with the top people in the Trump admin and I doubt it will be changed to any great degree.

As Blinken kept saying, the decision to keep fighting remains with Zelensky, it still does but for the first time it will be without US money and I suspect that will be the deciding factor as to when the inevitable actually happens and Zelensky calls a halt.

He might try to limp along for a while on the EU money alone but it just won't be the same (millions instead of billions).

Besides, those at the top syphoning off the cream will be packing their bags and the Ukrainian people themselves have obviously had enough (recent Gallop poll).

Monday will be the beginning of the end.


TRUMP: NO MORE CEASEFIRES, End This War /Lt Col Daniel Davis

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
44 min
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 18.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 18.08.25
personnel – about / about 1070890 (+940) persons
tanks / tanks – 11118 (+2) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23148 (+5) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31632 (+43) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1469 (+1) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1208 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+0) from
helicopters / helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51685 (+157)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 58937 (+116)
special equipment – 3942 (+0)

European leadership to descend en-mass on Washington in a desperate bid to push Trump into an about-turn and continue the support for Ukraine (until it's completely destroyed rather than just quartered as it is now).

So Starmer and Macron and Merz and Meloni and Ursula and Rutte and the Finnish PM Stubb will hold Zelensky's hand as he heads into the White House.

They're going to try to demand Trump doesn't walk away as well as repeat all the same old Ukrainian demands again.

I don't think they're going to change Trump's mind. I think Trump realises he has nothing left to try and he's had enough, he finally sees that Ukraine is going down if they continue to refuse terms and he'll let it all play out without US involvement from now on if needs be.

Trump actually has very few options, it's up to Zelensky to accept or reject the terms on offer, 'the terms' being basically Putin's. The bottom line now for Trump is that the US gets out.

Trump finally gets that it is impossible for Zelensky or the Europeans to force Russia to accept their terms, and the US is not able either. That's it. It doesn't matter if you don't like it, that's the reality.

He must by now realise he should have got out at the start of his presidency instead of being swayed by Kellogg and the neocons to keep doing the same thing over and over again.

In a latest Trump social post he says “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”

Trump has already set the stage for a US walk out saying that the Europeans are more than welcome to take over the role of major financial contributor.

If they weren't all bullshitters they would have just said 'fine, whatever'. But they know they can't carry the financial load or give Ukraine any 'security guarantees'. Christ, they need the US to give them security guarantees too.

Zelensky and the Europeans are demanding more sanctions, the only thing left for the US to sanction is to stop themselves buying Russian uranium.

Secondary sanctions on China and India will destroy all current trade deals and destroy any relationship left with the US. It will also adversely affect world trade and hurt the US even more.

It would be a repeat of the stupidity and self harm the Europeans did when they cut off their supply of Russian oil, only to then be forced to buy it from China and India instead.

Americans are starting to ask now about secondary sanctions on the EU for buying Russian oil from China and India since they're so keen on imposing sanctions on everyone else.


Ukraine military mapping say Ukraine has dissected the breakout north of Pokrovsk but is unable to provide any video proof, other mappers show the breakout is actually widening.

The Ukraine military said elements of some 13 brigades were rushed to the region to stop the Russians, these were all taken from other parts of the frontline except the 1 Asov brigade taken from Kiev.

The Ukrainian frontline is becoming ever increasingly porous.

Important summary of the current situation;

John Mearsheimer BREAKS DOWN Trump Putin Summit

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
1 hour
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 19.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 19.08.25
personnel – about / about 1071780 (+890) persons
tanks / tanks – 11118 (+0) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23148 (+0) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31698 (+66) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1470 (+1) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1208 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+0) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51894 (+209)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 59060 (+123)
special equipment – 3943 (+1)

Talk of progress at yesterday's meeting but no details yet until Trump talks to Putin.

But clearly not really any progress at all. The shit show rolls on, Zelensky and the Europeans continue to ignore reality and Trump is allowing the fakery to continue.

Zelensky may have agreed to giving up some land and Zelensky and the Europeans are ecstatic there will be security guarantees, but it's doubtful they will get what they wished for.

After their meeting and in front of the world's press the Europeans thanked Trump for all the pink ponies and ceasefires and article 5 NATO security guarantees, and NATO troops, and military supplies and the even all the lost children too, … clearly implying all this had been agreed in the meeting.

Trump just said, “err well, we'll see”. Just as clearly he had agreed to nothing of the sort.

Only Meloni had the grace enough at least to look embarrassed at the constant stream of bullshit coming from Starmer, Rutte, Ursula and Merz.

Trump really has to stand up to the BS, just as he did after the Europeans encouraged Zelensky to try it on at his last White House meeting.

Trump knows Russia will not agree to any of this (and so do the Europeans) so why did he just sit there looking like an emperor with a puffed up ego but no actual clothes?


The Europeans are really just setting the stage for the whole thing to fail and will of course blame Putin and Trump when it does, and so the new cold war can rumble on and most importantly, the US will be forced to stay in Europe.

“What!!! Putin won't agree to an unconditional ceasefire and NATO peacekeeping troops and missiles being stationed in Ukraine, WE ARE SHOCKED!!!!!!!! Clearly Putin does not want any kind of a peace at all.” (sarcasm)

Zelensky wants the US to turn Ukraine back into a military fortress, like the neocons did between 2014 and 2022, so he can start all over again. Apparently drones and robots will be the next wonder weapons to win the war for Ukraine (for real this time).


Reminder Putin has routinely talked of security guarantees, for Russia and for Ukraine, the latest was in Alaska. And that there were security guarantees in the original Istanbul peace deal Feb 2022.

Something along the lines of getting an agreement from a large multitude of countries including China and India, European countries, and the US and more to put trade and financial pressure on Ukraine or Russia if they did not adhere to the peace agreement.

After all what else really is there? Unless you intend to go straight into a war at the drop of a hat?

Not even being in NATO with it's Article 5 forces allies to do that for you.

Reminder too that the best security guarantee is a fair and equitable peace agreement in the first place (that's 'fair' as in realistic not a Zelensky pink ponies for Christmas 'fair').

At the White House the European leaders were falling over each other to bow to Trump and agreeing how wonderful he was to finally bring Putin to the negotiating table.

They were forgetting that Putin was always ready for talks and said so a hundred times but it was them who refused any contact apart from 1 phone call from Macron and 1 from Schultz over the 3 and a half years, and they were just a quick call to ask if Putin was ready to surrender yet.

So it still looks most likely this farce will be settled on the battlefield because that's what Zelensky and the European leadership really want, and the longer it can be drawn out the better.

Russia must know they cannot stop now, to do so will just be Minsk 1 and 2 all over again.


Video below was made before the meeting but explains 3 possible outcomes, one of which was correct (Trump fudged the whole thing again).

Zelensky UK/EU Face Off With Trump; Graham Wants Russia Declared Terror State; Syrsky Admits Crisis

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
1 hour
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 20.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 20.08.25
personnel – about / about 1072700 (+920) persons
tanks / tanks – 11119 (+1) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23152 (+4) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31748 (+50) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1470 (+0) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1208 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+0) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 52154 (+260)
cruise missiles – 3565 (+7)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 59202 (+142)
special equipment – 3943 (+0)

Update on the general situation.

Trump has said the US will no longer fund Ukraine and it was now up to the Europeans.

Meanwhile the US neocons are trying to put together a $56 billion aid package for Ukraine to present before congress.

Zelensky is walking around with a urgent $100 billion weapons shopping list, he tried to give it to Trump, who pointed to Ursula, who doesn't actually have any money but maybe the individual EU states might be able to contribute something?

#1 on Zelensky's list is 10 patriot air defence systems the manufacturer of which say there's already now a 7 year waiting list.

At the meeting at the White House Trump played a fabulous joke telling Zelensky and the Europeans the US would provide security guarantees and peacekeeper troops for Ukraine.

Then, once they all went home, Trump posted on social media that the US was really just going to 'coordinate' the European guarantees and weren't going to provide any troops at all, ha ha.

Oh how they must have laughed when they found out.

The Euro leaders are actually becoming increasingly unhinged as they're slowly forced to recognise their own total impotence. They're so desperate for the war to continue no matter what;

Macron; 'Russia is a predator, like a cannibal at our gates, it needs to eat'
Starmer; 'We need to destroy the Russian shadow fleet' (a blatant act of war).
Merz; 'We must force Putin to a ceasefire'.
Ursula and Meloni; 'Ukraine must have something like article 5 guarantees'.


Buzzwords that are out; 'ceasefires', 'secondary sanctions', 'deadlines'.

Buzzwords that are in; 'security guarantees' 'peace deals'.

Trump has appointed Rubio to 'coordinate' the European guarantees whatever they might be. Zelensky and the Europeans think security guarantees mean NATO troops and missiles into Ukraine and the Russians definitely don't.

Trump thinks the US might provide 'air cover', the Russians definitely don't.

Russia will not agree to any western military in Ukraine, NATO expansion was the main reason for the conflict. It's why the fighting started and any continuing threat of such will be why the fighting won't stop.

Security guarantees such as exist for Austria and Switzerland as neutral states are what Russia is meaning for Ukraine, Zelensky and the Europeans definitely don't.

Zelensky and the Europeans are the ones who could have their arm twisted, the Russians are not. So that pretty much settles that issue.


Current Cards:

The Europeans are powerless vassals and have no cards at all (never did).

Zelensky is a proxy and could have his legs taken out from under him in a split second.

The US knows now they cannot defeat Russia financially or militarily, their only threat left is nuclear war and they know that bluff will be called.

Putin is winning and only needs to continue to secure victory but would be willing to make some concessions in exchange for a lasting peace agreement with the US, and even one with west Ukraine.



‘A Deal is NOT Possible’ Russia Knows NATO Not Serious About Ending War –Patrick Henningsen




Martin Armstrong: The War Cycle Is Peaking — What Comes Next Will Shock the West

Hackers breech Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff database;

1.7 million Ukraine military dead.