“Russian forces are striving to shape the battlefield to their advantage before a high-stakes summit between President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin, making a swift advance in eastern Ukraine after months of grinding battle,” the New York Times reports.

“In recent days, Russia’s troops broke through a segment of Ukraine’s defensive line near the city of Pokrovsk, a longtime stronghold. They have advanced several miles into Ukrainian-held territory, threatening to outflank Ukraine’s positions.”

“White House officials are tempering expectations ahead of Friday’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, casting it as a step toward a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war and avoiding promises of a ceasefire or any other type of grand bargain,” Politico reports.

“The goal, a White House official said, is for Trump to simply take the measure of Putin, find out if the Russian leader is serious and work toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.”

CNBC: Sidelined from Trump-Putin talks, Ukraine warns the world not to trust Russia.

“Expectations in Russia are running high ahead of Friday’s planned summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Moscow sees an opening to reset relations with Washington, with Kremlin officials hinting at the potential for deals with the U.S. on infrastructure and energy in the Arctic and beyond, as Russia’s state media plays up what it bills as a looming entente between two equal great powers.”

Bloomberg: “It’s a worrying trend for those who serve him, especially since the reasons for an investigation are rarely published. There’s been no official explanation for the surprise ouster of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in 2023.”

“Such disappearances are more than just domestic political drama. They have important consequences for how China communicates with the world, and vice versa.”