New York Times: “Despite previous refusals by Russian officials to negotiate over territory in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian leader, during a meeting at the Kremlin last week, left Mr. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, with the impression that Russia was now willing to engage in some deal-making on the question of land.”

Said Trump: “We’re going to get some back, and we’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”

“By speaking a language Mr. Trump understands — the language of real estate — Mr. Putin secured something he had been seeking ever since January: a one-on-one meeting with the U.S. leader, without Mr. Zelensky present, to make his case and cut a deal.”

CNN: Trump-Putin summit in Alaska resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine.

Bloomberg: Zelensky rejects ceding land as Europe backs Ukraine.

“Russian officials and commentators crowed about landing a summit between President Putin and President Trump on Friday in Alaska, the first time the Russian leader has been invited to the United States outside the United Nations since 2007 — and apparently without the Kremlin having made any clear concessions over its war in Ukraine,” the Washington Post reports.

“Outwardly, China’s military has never been stronger. Its naval ships venture farther across the oceans. Its nuclear force grows by about 100 warheads every year. Its military flights around Taiwan are increasingly frequent and intimidating. Every few months, China unveils new weapons, like a prototype stealth fighter or newfangled landing barges,” the New York Times reports.

“Internally, though, China’s military is experiencing its most serious leadership disarray in years. Three of the seven seats on the Central Military Commission — the Communist Party council that controls the armed forces — appear to be vacant after members were arrested or simply disappeared.”

“That internal turbulence is testing the effort by President Xi Jinping, going back more than a decade, to build a military that is loyal, modern, combat-ready and fully under his control. Mr. Xi has set a 2027 target for modernizing the People’s Liberation Army, or P.L.A., and also — according to some U.S. officials — for gaining the ability to invade Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.”

“European powers and Ukraine responded to Vladimir Putin’s cease-fire plan with a counterproposal that they say must serve as a framework so that coming talks between President Trump and the Russian leader can gain traction,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The European plan rejected a Russian proposal to trade Ukrainian-held parts of the Donetsk region for a cease-fire. It was put forward in a meeting with top U.S. officials in England on Saturday.”

CNN: Trump-Putin summit in Alaska resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine.

“Worried about being sidelined at an upcoming summit meeting between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, European and Ukrainian leaders gathered on Saturday outside London with top American officials both to understand Mr. Putin’s position and to ensure that Mr. Trump understands what is at stake,” the New York Times reports.

“At the meeting, the Europeans showed their solidarity with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and tried to make clear their view that Mr. Trump should take their joint perspectives into account.”

The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, NBC News reports.

Axios: Vance’s U.K. talks yield “significant progress” ahead of Trump-Putin summit.