Morning Brief: Trump Shifts from Ceasefire to Full Peace Accord in Ukraine Talks, US-Europe Rift Emerges Over Future of UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon

· Guy D. McCardle

UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (@UNIFIL_/X)

Trump Shifts from Ceasefire to Full Peace Accord in Ukraine Talks

US President Donald Trump reversed his stance on Ukraine after his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying a full peace agreement, not a ceasefire, is the way forward.

Trump told European leaders that Putin continues to demand control of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas but appeared open to freezing the conflict along current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

European officials who were briefed on the exchanges said Trump’s remarks left unclear whether he would accept Russia’s claim to the Donbas.

The White House has not released an official summary, as of writing.

Trump later wrote that “all” sides agreed peace, not a ceasefire, is the next step, aligning his position more closely with Putin’s longstanding rejection of temporary truces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, excluded from the Alaska meeting, said he spoke with Trump and will meet him Monday at the White House.

Zelenskyy stressed the importance of European involvement and sought US support for security guarantees. European leaders echoed that Ukraine must have “ironclad” protections and said territorial decisions belong to Kyiv.

Putin described the summit as “very frank” and welcomed Trump’s focus on ending the war but made no commitments to halt fighting.

European and US officials noted Russia continued launching attacks during the talks. Critics said Trump gave Putin diplomatic space without pressing him on accountability, including ignoring the International Criminal Court warrant against the Russian leader.

As the conflict grinds on along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, Russia has recently made its largest gains since the war’s opening stages. Zelenskyy said he supports a potential trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine meeting, but Moscow has not confirmed any such plans.

Trump said a Putin meeting could follow if talks with Zelenskyy go well, raising new questions about Washington’s direction in the war.

 

Republican-Led States Send National Guard Troops to D.C. as Trump Expands Federal Control

Three Republican-led states, including West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio, are deploying a combined 650 to 750 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following President Donald Trump’s executive order to federalize local policing and intensify a crackdown on crime and homelessness.

The move significantly expands the federal presence in the capital, adding to the 800 District of Columbia National Guard members already activated.

The deployments follow requests from the Trump administration and the Pentagon.

West Virginia will send up to 400 troops, South Carolina 200, and Ohio 150. Guard personnel are assisting with crowd control, patrolling high-traffic areas, and supporting law enforcement. It remains unclear why the additional troops are needed, given D.C. officials note crime rates are lower than during Trump’s first term.

The show of force has sparked protests in the city. Demonstrators marched from Dupont Circle to the White House carrying banners opposing what they view as a military occupation of the capital. Many expressed concerns over federal overreach and the presence of unmarked officers detaining civilians.

Trump’s order declares a public emergency and cites D.C. officials’ alleged failure to maintain order. City leaders, legally obligated to comply under federal law, have resisted aspects of the intervention.

A federal court blocked the administration’s attempt to appoint the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief as emergency police commissioner, and legal challenges continue.

Local residents and civil rights advocates are alarmed by the move, while Republican governors supporting the deployment say they are standing with Trump to restore “order and pride” in the nation’s capital.

The intervention also aligns with Trump’s broader effort to reshape law enforcement policy and reduce reliance on local control in Democratic-led cities.

 

New Data Breach May Expose Thousands Linked to UK-Afghanistan Relocation Efforts

A data breach at The Jet Centre, a UK Ministry of Defence-linked aviation services provider, may have compromised the personal information of approximately 3,700 individuals, including Afghan nationals relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), British troops, civil servants, and journalists.

The company disclosed unauthorized access to a limited number of internal emails.

Among the potentially impacted are Afghans who worked alongside British forces and were resettled after the Taliban takeover, as well as UK personnel traveling for military exercises and official engagements.

This incident follows a major breach in 2022, when the personal details of over 18,000 Afghans were mistakenly released.

 

US-Europe Rift Emerges Over Future of UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon

The future of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has exposed a rift between the United States and its European allies, as the mission’s mandate nears expiration at the end of August.

The Trump administration seeks to end UNIFIL within six months, arguing it is ineffective and delays efforts to eliminate Hezbollah’s influence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved a drawdown plan last week.

France, Italy, and Britain oppose the rapid shutdown, warning it could create a security vacuum in southern Lebanon.

European officials pushed for a one-year extension followed by a gradual withdrawal, a compromise Israel has reluctantly accepted.

The final French draft resolution avoids setting a firm withdrawal date, a condition US officials say is necessary for support.

UNIFIL currently fields about 10,000 peacekeepers alongside 6,000 Lebanese soldiers. The mission has faced criticism from Hezbollah, which accuses it of colluding with Israel, and from Israel, which says it ignores Hezbollah’s activities.

Recent discoveries of unauthorized weapons have raised further concerns.

The Lebanese government and UN officials argue the peacekeepers are vital to maintaining regional stability, especially given the Lebanese army’s limited capacity. The Trump administration’s push to cut international funding and scale back global commitments adds urgency to the debate, with final decisions resting on the UN Security Council vote later this month.

 

RSF Shells Famine-Stricken Displacement Camp in Darfur, Killing 31 Civilians

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled the Abu Shouk displacement camp near El-Fasher, North Darfur on Saturday, killing at least 31 civilians, including seven children and a pregnant woman, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

Thirteen others were wounded in the second attack on the camp in a week.

The RSF launched an hours-long artillery bombardment early in the morning, causing widespread destruction to homes and camp infrastructure. The paramilitary has made repeated attempts to seize El-Fasher, the military’s final stronghold in Darfur. Last week, RSF attacks on Abu Shouk killed over 40 people.

Abu Shouk and nearby Zamzam camp have suffered repeated RSF and Janjaweed assaults, with famine gripping both sites.

A major offensive in April killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced 14 million people. Darfur has seen some of the worst atrocities, including mass killings and rape.

 

Suspected ADF Militants Kill Over 30 Civilians in Congo’s North Kivu Province

Suspected members of the Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed at least 30 civilians in a series of attacks between August 13-15 in Bapere village, located in Congo’s North Kivu province.

Colonel Alain Kiwawa, the military administrator of Lubero territory, confirmed Saturday the death toll and said over 100 people remain hostage.

According to local civil society leader Samuel Kaheni, most victims were killed with knives, and several homes were burned during the assault.

The attacks follow last month’s massacre of nearly 40 worshippers at a Catholic church in Ituri, also attributed to the ADF.

The ADF, originally from Uganda, continues to launch brutal assaults across the Uganda-Congo border region, despite joint military operations by both countries. Their growing activity adds to the escalating security crisis in eastern Congo, where the government is also battling the M23 rebel group, which controls several strategic cities including Goma.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant as the security situation deteriorates. The conflict continues to displace thousands and destabilize the broader region.

 

Nigeria Captures Leaders of Ansaru and Mahmuda Militant Groups in Major Counterterrorism Operation

Nigerian authorities have arrested two of the country’s most wanted militant leaders in a coordinated, multi-agency operation conducted between May and July, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu announced Saturday.

The arrests mark a major blow to jihadist networks in West Africa.

The detainees, Mahmud Muhammad Usman of al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru and Mahmud al-Nigeri of the emergent Mahmuda group, were responsible for high-profile attacks including the 2022 Kuje prison break and a 2013 assault on a Niger uranium site.

Officials recovered digital evidence during the operation, which is undergoing forensic analysis and may lead to additional arrests.

Ribadu described the arrests as a “decisive blow” that dismantled Ansaru’s leadership and potentially paves the way for the group’s elimination. Both men are also wanted internationally and maintain active ties with terrorist networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

The announcement follows renewed violence from Boko Haram and other groups, part of Nigeria’s broader struggle against a range of jihadist and criminal networks.

The US recently approved a $346 million arms deal to support Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts.

Security analysts say the arrests may temporarily disrupt the groups, but their long-term impact depends on how Nigerian forces exploit the intelligence obtained.

 

Myanmar Airstrike Kills Civilians in Gem-Mining Town

Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on the ruby-mining town of Mogok late Thursday, killing at least 21 civilians, including a pregnant woman, according to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), local residents, and independent media.

Saturday reports indicate the death toll may be closer to 30, as one bombed house was hosting visitors. The strike also damaged homes and a Buddhist monastery.

The TNLA, part of a coalition of ethnic militias fighting the junta, seized Mogok in July 2024.

The group said 16 women were among the dead and accused the military of targeting a monastery. Images released by Myanmar Now and Democratic Voice of Burma showed extensive destruction in the aftermath.

The attack is the latest in a wave of intensified airstrikes as the junta attempts to reclaim territory ahead of elections planned for later this year. Opposition forces say the vote will not be legitimate, citing the lack of free media and widespread arrests of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party members.

In recent weeks, airstrikes have killed dozens more civilians, including 17 people earlier in August and 16 truck drivers in Sagaing.

Analysts estimate the military now controls less than half the country but maintains a stronghold over the capital and central Myanmar.

Resistance groups remain vulnerable to aerial bombardment, with no effective defenses against air power.

The military has not commented on the Mogok strike, as of writing, but has previously claimed its operations only target “terrorist” forces.

 

Sources: News Agencies