Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has proposed that Russia and the United States construct a “Putin–Trump” rail tunnel beneath the Bering Strait to connect the two nations, facilitate joint resource exploration, and “serve as a symbol of unity,” according to Reuters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that he spoke today with U.S. President Donald J. Trump, confirming that preparations are underway for a future summit in Budapest between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reporter: Did Putin try to dissuade you from selling Tomahawk missiles? President Trump: Of course. What did you expect him to say — “Please sell Tomahawks”? Would he say, “Please sell those Tomahawks, I really appreciate it”? I even joked, “Would you mind if I gave a couple thousand Tomahawks to your opposition?” — I said it exactly like that. Reporter: And how did he respond? President Trump: He didn’t like the idea. He really didn’t. I was being a bit lighthearted, but no — he doesn’t want Tomahawks. The Tomahawk is a brutal weapon: offensive, incredibly destructive. Nobody wants Tomahawks fired at them.

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on eight counts of “transmission of national defense information” and ten counts of “retention of national defense information,” according to CNN. Prosecutors allege that Bolton shared “over a thousand pages of information detailing his daily activities” with two unauthorized individuals — his wife and daughter — through a series of emails formatted as “diary entries” sent via AOL. Bolton is reportedly preparing to surrender to federal authorities in Greenbelt, Maryland, as early as Friday. His case has been assigned to Judge Theodore D. Chuang, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014. Bolton becomes the third political opponent of President Trump to face indictment in the past two months, following former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that fighter jets conducted a series of precision strikes tonight against Hezbollah “terrorist infrastructure” in southern Lebanon. Targets included a cement quarry reportedly used by Hezbollah to rebuild facilities destroyed during Operation Northern Arrows. Additionally, infrastructure associated with the Lebanese environmental group “Green Without Borders,” which operates as a civilian front for Hezbollah activity in southern Lebanon, was also struck by the Israeli Air Force.

The phone call between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded, with Trump describing the conversation as “very productive.” The two leaders discussed the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, the war in Ukraine, and future U.S.–Russia trade relations. Trump said Putin agreed to a high-level meeting of advisors next week, to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by an in-person summit between the two presidents in Budapest. Trump concluded his post on Truth Social by saying, “I believe great progress was made with today’s call.”

After saying yesterday he would “research” reports of extrajudicial killings and mass executions by Hamas—while suggesting those killed were mainly “gang members”—President Donald J. Trump posted on Truth Social: “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”

The location of the meeting between Trump and Putin — Hungary — is not a neutral one. Prime Minister Orbán is a staunch admirer of Putin and an outspoken adversary of Ukraine. It also raises significant logistical questions, the main one being: how will Putin get there? As we can see, Hungary sits in the heart of the European Union, through which Russian aircraft are not permitted to fly. This means Putin will have to take a long detour, entering through Serbia via the Balkans. The choice of venue is being seen as a slap in the face to Europe, which for months has been financing Ukraine’s defense through the purchase of U.S.-made weapons — and now, European leaders will have to watch Putin being warmly welcomed in the center of Europe, at the insistence of the President of the United States.

Sir Ken McCallum, Director General of the Security Service (MI5), expressed frustration today over prosecutors’ failure last month to bring several British citizens accused of spying for China to trial, vowing that he would “never back off” from confronting threats from Beijing — which he described as posing a national security danger to the United Kingdom “every day.” McCallum revealed that MI5 had disrupted a Chinese intelligence operation just last week, though it is understood that the plot did not involve Parliament. He also noted that the number of individuals under investigation for state-linked threats has risen by 35% in 2025.

According to sources involved in discussions regarding the possible transfer of BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAMs) to Ukraine who spoke with the Financial Times, U.S. President Donald J. Trump is expected to discuss the details directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting at the White House on Friday. Initial estimates suggest the first shipment will include between 20 and 50 TLAMs, with hundreds more to be supplied later through both European allies and direct U.S. deliveries. Officials say the missiles could be delivered relatively quickly, though questions remain about how they will be launched using Ukraine’s current or future ground-based systems. Discussions have also included the possible deployment of American contractors to assist with operation, maintenance, and targeting — a move that would allow the U.S. to retain some control over strikes inside Russia and reduce the need for extensive training of Ukrainian forces in the early stages.

President Trump said last week that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he was considering giving Vladimir Putin an ultimatum — either Russia agrees to serious peace talks, or Ukraine receives Tomahawk missiles. View quoted note →

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen announced this morning the death of its Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, in an earlier Israeli airstrike. He is believed to have been killed during “Operation Lucky Drop,” a series of targeted Israeli strikes on Houthi government and military sites in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, on August 28, 2025.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to speak by phone today with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Axios — just one day before his meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders are expected to discuss the transfer of additional air defense systems and long-range offensive weapons to Ukraine, including BGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.

Secretary Hegseth to Putin: "If there is no path to peace in the short term...the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do."

Trump on Argentinian Milei: "I sent him some hats for the early part of his campaign. And then he called me, he wanted a lot more. I said, 'when does it stop? When will it stop?'"

Trump to Argentina President Milei: I'm going to endorse you today, fully endorse you on that. People in Argentina like me. A lot of people like me. I’m even surprised.

Sky News reports that Israel will close the Rafah Crossing after Hamas violated the ceasefire agreement, returning only four of the 28 hostages’ bodies. According to the Associated Press, Israel also intends to cut humanitarian aid to Gaza by half, accusing Hamas of breaching the deal by delaying the return of the remaining bodies. There has been no official confirmation from Israel so far.

Treasury Secretary Bessent on Gaza agreement: “Yesterday, I believe, was the greatest day thus far this century,” said Bessent, praising Trump’s efforts. “But there were people out there with that venom and vile behavior... It’s almost like we’re in a contest for America, and Charlie Kirk was determined that good was gonna win.”

President Trump announced that the United States carried out a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel involved in narcotics trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, killing six male narco-terrorists.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR), said that Kaliningrad and Sevastopol would be destroyed “within the first hours” of a full-scale war between NATO/the United States and Russia. Speaking on a Polish television network, he argued, “If Russia attacked Poland in 2025 the way it attacked Ukraine, it would simply be destroyed by NATO's air and ground forces. Kaliningrad would be eliminated in the very first hours. In the very first hours — Kaliningrad would cease to exist. All Russian facilities would be destroyed. Any Russian military facility in Sevastopol — likewise. Therefore, direct comparisons in this case are inappropriate.”