Evening Brief: Zelensky Says Trump-Putin Summit Will Achieve Nothing, Teen Shoots Three in Times Square

· Guy D. McCardle

New York City police officers protect evidence at the scene of the shooting. Image Credit: Kyle Mazza / NurPhoto

Volodymyr Zelensky slammed the idea of a Trump‑Putin summit in Alaska as a dangerous charade. He insisted that any peace agreement struck without Ukraine—especially one contemplating the cession of Ukrainian land—“will achieve nothing.” Invoking the Ukrainian constitution, he reiterated: “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” and dismissed such back‑channel initiatives as “dead solutions.” In Zelensky’s reckoning, they are by definition bound to fail—not least because they exclude the very nation under siege.

When reports surfaced of Trump proposing territory swaps—possibly trading occupied Ukrainian regions for parts of Russia, like Kursk—Zelensky rejected them outright. He made clear that rewarding aggression with concessions is utterly unacceptable. In a forceful post on X, he added that decisions like that, made in Alaska without Ukraine, “are decisions against peace”.

Behind the scenes, Zelensky mobilized European solidarity. He reached out to leaders like Pedro Sánchez, Keir Starmer, and Emmanuel Macron, pressing for a united European front demanding Ukraine’s seat at the negotiating table. Parallel to this, at the London Summit in March, European states—including the UK under Starmer—pledged to bolster security for Ukraine and prepare for real, lasting peace. 

 

Times Square Gunfire Leaves Three Wounded, Teen Suspect in Custody

Early on Saturday, August 9, 2025—at around 1:20 a.m.—gunshots rang out near 44th Street and 7th Avenue in Times Square. A verbal argument escalated, and three people were wounded: an 18-year-old woman grazed in the neck, a 19-year‑old man shot in the foot, and a 65‑year‑old man struck in the leg. All were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and remain in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Videos capturing the aftermath show tourists scattering in panic outside the Hard Rock Café, with emergency responders assisting victims on the pavement and police surrounding a nearby vehicle punctured by bullets. A 17‑year‑old male was taken into custody at the scene; authorities have recovered a firearm, but no formal charges have been filed yet.

City officials note that this shooting comes amid a broader downward trend in gun violence—shooting incidents are down 23% compared to last year, making 2025 the lowest for such cases on record. 

 

Nagasaki Marks 80 Years Since Atomic Bombing with Call to End Nuclear Weapons

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the city’s leader warned that the world stands on the edge of a nuclear disaster. Speaking at a memorial in Nagasaki Peace Park, he said global conflicts are pushing humanity closer to nuclear war and that “procrastination can no longer be tolerated.” He urged world leaders to bring concrete disarmament plans to the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and called for immediate ceasefires in wars raging today.

At 11:02 a.m.—the exact moment the bomb detonated over Nagasaki in 1945—attendees from more than 90 countries bowed their heads in silence. The ceremony honored the victims and reinforced a pledge that Nagasaki will remain the last city to ever endure such destruction. The message was clear: the lessons of the past demand action now, to ensure nuclear weapons are abolished and lasting peace becomes reality.

 

Germany Limits Arms Exports to Israel Over Gaza Offensive

Germany has announced a partial arms embargo on Israel, stopping all approvals for weapons and military equipment that could be used in Gaza. Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the move on August 8, 2025, after Israel’s security cabinet greenlit a tougher operation aimed at seizing control of Gaza City. Berlin says it still supports Israel’s right to defend itself but can’t justify sending arms that might be used in the intensifying Gaza campaign.

The embargo doesn’t cut off all military exports—items like air defense systems, which can’t be turned on Gaza, are still allowed. Even so, it marks a sharp change in Germany’s long-standing, close military relationship with Israel. The decision is driven by growing concern over the humanitarian toll in Gaza, but it’s stirred political blowback at home, including from Merz’s own party, where critics warn it could harm vital cooperation on air defense and intelligence.

 

Hundreds Arrested in London Protest Backing Banned Pro-Palestinian Group

UK police arrested at least 365 people on August 9, 2025, during a major protest in London in support of Palestine Action, a group recently banned under anti-terror laws. The arrests took place at Parliament Square, where demonstrators openly displayed placards backing the proscribed group, defying a government order that makes public support for it a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The ban came after Palestine Action activists vandalized a Royal Air Force base in protest against UK military assistance to Israel. Saturday’s protest, organized by the group Defend Our Juries, called for civil disobedience against the ban, with crowds chanting and holding signs like, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Police moved in quickly, enforcing the ban and carrying out what is now one of the largest mass arrests in London in recent protest history.

Supporters condemned the arrests as an attack on free speech, while the Metropolitan Police stressed their duty to act under counterterrorism legislation. The protest was part of a broader weekend of demonstrations across the city, requiring a large police presence.