Evening Brief: Trump, Putin Open High-Stakes Alaska Summit Without Ukraine at the Table; UN Reports 25% Surge in Sexual Violence in War Zones

· Guy D. McCardle

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the historic summit in Anchorage, Alaska. (White House)

Another Friday night, another set of global flashpoints. Trump and Putin open their Alaska summit without Ukraine at the table, D.C. sues to stop Trump’s police takeover, and the UN warns of soaring sexual violence in war zones. Abroad, Serbia erupts in protests, Israel’s Gaza pullout legacy resurfaces, the Taliban mark four years in power by barring women, and Australia teams with the Philippines for their biggest drills yet near the South China Sea.

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Trump, Putin Open High-Stakes Alaska Summit Without Ukraine at the Table

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened their Alaska summit on Friday with a cordial handshake before beginning talks that could shape the Ukraine war and the US-Russia relations.

The meeting, now expanded to include top diplomats and advisers, comes without Ukrainian or European leaders present, a move critics say risks sidelining Kyiv.

Trump said discussions will address Russian demands for Ukraine to cede territory, potential non-NATO security guarantees, and a comprehensive peace deal.

Putin seeks to cement battlefield gains and block Ukraine’s NATO bid, while Trump has promised “severe consequences” if no agreement is reached but suggested concessions may be necessary.

The high-stakes summit, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near the Russia-US border, carries global implications as both sides remain far apart on peace terms.

 

D.C. Sues to Stop Trump’s Federal Takeover of City Police

Washington, D.C., sued to block President Trump’s unprecedented takeover of its police department after his administration installed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Terry Cole as emergency chief.

The move, ordered by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, stripped local Police Chief Pamela Smith of authority, citing her “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

District officials argue the takeover exceeds the president’s legal powers under the Home Rule Act and would disrupt operations.

Federal forces, National Guard troops, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams have ramped up patrols and arrests across the city, intensifying tensions over immigration enforcement, local autonomy, and public safety.

 

Former Air Force Sergeant, DOJ Employee Charged for Throwing Sandwich at Federal Officer in D.C.

Sean Charles Dunn, 37, a former active-duty US Air Force staff sergeant and Department of Justice (DOJ) employee, was charged with a felony for allegedly assaulting a US Customs and Border Protection officer by throwing a sandwich and shouting insults during President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police department.

The incident, caught on video, occurred Sunday night amid heightened federal law enforcement presence in the city.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Dunn was fired from his DOJ job and vowed prosecution for assaults on officers.

Dunn, who served from 2006 to 2011 and earned multiple military honors, was released on his own recognizance after a court appearance.

 

UN Reports 25% Surge in Sexual Violence in War Zones, Warns Israel and Russia

The United Nations recently reported that conflict-related sexual violence rose 25 percent in 2024, with more than 4,600 survivors, mostly women and girls, in war zones including the Central African Republic, Congo, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan.

Armed groups carried out most of the crimes, though some were attributed to government forces.

The UN blacklisted 63 parties, including Hamas, and warned Israel’s military and Russian forces they could be added next year over allegations of sexual abuse in detention facilities.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said sexual violence is increasingly used as a weapon of war, torture and repression, with victims ranging in age from 1 to 75.

 

Russia Signals Foreign Firms Could Rejoin Sakhalin-1 as Putin Meets Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday that could let foreign investors, including ExxonMobil, reclaim shares in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project.

The move came as Putin met Trump in Alaska, where energy cooperation and sanctions relief are on the agenda alongside Ukraine peace talks.

Exxon, which once held a 30 percent stake, exited Russia in 2022 after the Ukraine invasion, taking a $4.6 billion loss.

The decree requires foreign shareholders seeking to return to support lifting Western sanctions, supply foreign-made equipment, and transfer funds to the project.

Exxon has not yet released any comment as of writing.

The project is currently run by a Rosneft subsidiary, with India’s ONGC and Japan’s SODECO retaining their shares.

 

Serbia Detains Hundreds After Violent Protests as Vucic Praises Police, Denies Brutality

Serbian police detained hundreds of demonstrators Friday after three days of violent anti-government protests that left dozens injured.

The unrest, which escalated months of largely peaceful student-led demonstrations, has rattled President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule.

Protesters accuse the government of corruption and negligence following a deadly infrastructure collapse last year.

Videos circulated on social media show riot police beating detainees, including women and youth, sparking criticism from opposition leaders and concern from the European Union.

Vucic praised the police, dismissed the protests as Western-backed, and pledged bonuses for officers, while Interior Minister Ivica Dacic denied excessive force despite growing outrage.

 

Two Decades After Gaza Pullout, War Revives Debate Over Israel’s Disengagement

Twenty years after Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, the anniversary comes amid an ongoing war with Hamas and signals Israel may maintain long-term military control over much of the territory.

The disengagement, led by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, dismantled 21 Gaza settlements and four in the West Bank in an effort to advance peace talks, but instead deepened divisions in Israeli society, boosted Hamas’ standing, and led to years of blockades and conflict.

Israelis on the right see the pullout as a mistake, while many Palestinians view it as incomplete, with Israel still controlling Gaza’s borders and now reoccupying large areas.

Analysts say the unilateral nature of the withdrawal and a failure to contain Hamas strategically set the stage for today’s crisis.

 

Taliban Bars Women from Anniversary Events as Protests Erupt at Home and Abroad

The Taliban barred women from attending events marking the fourth anniversary of their return to power on Friday, limiting celebrations in Kabul to some 10,000 men who watched helicopters scatter flowers.

Since seizing control on August 15, 2021, the Taliban have enforced strict interpretations of Islamic law, banning women from most public spaces, higher education, and many jobs.

Women’s rights groups staged protests in Afghanistan’s Takhar province and in Islamabad, calling the day a “dark” anniversary.

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada urged Afghans to show gratitude for Islamic rule or face divine punishment, while Cabinet officials touted achievements and religious governance.

This year’s observance was more subdued than past years, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and declining foreign aid.

 

Turkey Detains Opposition Istanbul Mayor, 40 Others in Widening Crackdown

Turkish authorities detained Inan Guney, mayor of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, along with about 40 officials on Friday in a corruption probe, according to state media.

Guney, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), is the latest target in a wave of arrests of opposition-led municipalities, following the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu in March.

Critics say the crackdown is politically driven to weaken the CHP, which controls Turkey’s largest cities and poses a challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the 2028 election.

The government insists the judiciary acts independently.

 

Australia, Philippines Launch Biggest War Drills Near South China Sea Amid China Tensions

Australia and the Philippines launched their largest joint military exercises Friday, involving 3,600 troops in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers, and a beach assault near the disputed South China Sea.

The two-week drills, dubbed Exercise Alon (Tagalog for ‘Wave’), feature Australian warships, fighter jets, transport aircraft, and advanced weapons, with US, Canadian, Japanese, South Korean, New Zealand, and Indonesian forces observing.

The exercises aim to strengthen regional security amid rising tensions with China, which has condemned such multinational drills as militarization.

The launch comes days after Chinese vessels clashed with the Philippine Coast Guard at Scarborough Shoal and as US warships staged a freedom of navigation operation nearby.

 

Sources: News Agencies