Monday briefing: What’s at stake for Ukrainians as Trump and Putin talk of ceding land in return for peace

<p>In today’s newsletter: While global leaders debate maps and borders, Ukrainians endure nightly drone strikes, mass displacement and the slow destruction of their communities</p><p>Good morning. On Friday, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska to discuss the future of Ukraine, but there was no deal reached and no big questions answered. Trump appeared deferential to the Russian leader and now backs plans to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/ukraine-russia-peace-deal-donbas-region">hand over Ukrainian territory</a> as part of a peace deal. Today he will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/trump-ukraine-crimea-nato-zelesnkyy-washington-meeting">meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a> and European leaders.</p><p>In discussions about what a peace settlement would look like, “land swaps” were represented as simple transactions. The fate of people appeared to be a casual afterthought. Trump and Putin are eager to embrace the idea that territory can be bought and sold like real estate, but Guardian reporting exposes the devastating part of this war: human loss.</p><p><em><strong>Gaza </strong></em>| Palestinians were gripped by fear and anxiety on Sunday after the Israeli military said it was preparing for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/17/israeli-plan-to-displace-1m-palestinians-spreads-fear-in-gaza">forcible displacement</a> of a million people from Gaza City. Meanwhile <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/17/tens-of-thousands-of-protesters-gather-in-tel-aviv-to-demand-end-to-gaza-war">tens of thousands</a> of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza.</p><p><em><strong>Scotland</strong></em> | The UK’s first transgender judge has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/aug/18/transgender-judge-supreme-court-case-biological-sex">launched a case against the UK</a> in the European court of human rights challenging the process that led to the supreme court’s ruling on biological sex.</p><p><em><strong>Business </strong></em>| The bosses of Britain’s largest listed companies took home record high pay packets for the third successive year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/17/record-salaries-for-uk-chief-executives-as-pay-rises-for-third-year-in-a-row">according to a report</a>. Analysis found that the record set in the last financial year means the average FTSE 100 chief executive is now paid 122 times the salary of the average full-time UK worker.</p><p><em><strong>US news</strong></em> | Three people were killed and eight others wounded when <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/17/brooklyn-lounge-shooting">multiple gunmen opened fire</a> inside a crowded Brooklyn hookah lounge and restaurant early on Sunday morning, according to authorities.</p><p><em><strong>Weather </strong></em>| Hurricane Erin was downgraded to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/17/hurricane-erin-category-3">category 3</a> early on Sunday as its outer bands continued to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and tropical storm force winds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/monday-briefing-whats-at-stake-for-ukrainians-as-trump-and-putin-talk-of-ceding-land-in-return-for-peace">Continue reading...</a>