Residents in Russian-controlled Melitopol - a municipality in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southeastern Ukraine - expressed mixed hopes ahead of Putin-Trump talks in Alaska on Friday, where the leaders will discuss U.S.-Russia relations and prospects for ending the conflict in Ukraine.
The Alaska summit will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in six years. It comes as the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, continues with no comprehensive ceasefire in place. Russian forces hold large swathes of territory in the east and south, including Melitopol, while Ukrainian troops press counteroffensives in multiple regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is not attending the Alaska talks, has warned that agreements made without Ukraine’s participation would be meaningless.
Alexander, a Melitopol resident, is among those hoping for a breakthrough.
“Well, I would like for some stability to appear in our life, so that there would not be these senseless human losses. So I hope that they will come to some positive decision,” he said. He added that life under Russian control had brought him “stability, positive moments and confidence in the future” he had not experienced before, citing “the size of my salary” as an example.
Sharing that sense of optimism, Anna, a Kherson native now living in Melitopol, described the meeting as “a very fateful event.” She said: “I just hope that everything will be resolved... we will forget about this whole conflict."
Roman, however, doubted the talks would succeed.
“Well, of course, they will try to reach an agreement, but the interests of Russia and America are completely diametrically different. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any effect from this."
Asked if Putin and Trump will be able to reach some kind of agreement, he responded "No, I don't think so."
SOCAR has completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italiana Petroli (IP) from API Holding after receiving all r...
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, day...
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing w...
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A rep...
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanit...
SOCAR has completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italiana Petroli (IP) from API Holding after receiving all required regulatory approvals.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment