Would Ukraine give up the Donbas?
It is not clear where the recent efforts to end the war in Ukraine will lead. But the Donbas, a mineral-rich territory that consists of two regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, will be at the center of any negotiations.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has demanded that Ukraine give up all of the Donbas, including the territory Kyiv controls. More than 200,000 Ukrainians live in that area, which includes cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. But ceding territory to Russia could politically torpedo Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as polls show that most Ukrainians oppose such a move.
Relinquishing the Donbas would mean surrendering “Ukraine’s first line of defense,” my colleague Michael Schwirtz explains in the video above. Michael, a global intelligence correspondent, and Anatoly Kurmanaev, a foreign correspondent covering Russia, break down why the Donbas is important.
“When I visited, there were lines and lines of trenches, unforgiving topography,” Michael says. “There’s highlands, lowlands. If you basically gave this region over to Russia, they would get all the advantages that Ukraine is now getting from this region and be able to turn that against Ukraine. That is what Ukrainians are most fearful of.”
Analysts and former officials said the only way Zelensky could make giving up the land palatable to the Ukrainian public would be to deliver an American-backed security guarantee. But that has eluded Ukraine since President Trump ruled out NATO membership.
More Ukraine news:
| Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said yesterday that there was no meeting planned between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.Since 2022, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on 6,000 individuals and companies linked to Russia’s campaign in Ukraine. So why hasn’t the war stopped?A Ukrainian soldier said he had endured torture, beatings and starvation as a prisoner of war. Here’s his story. |
South Korea’s president will meet Trump
When Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s president, sits down with Trump for the first time today at the White House, he will probably find some common ground. Both men survived assassination attempts, and both hope to meet with North Korea’s leader.
But they may run into some friction over one key point: dealing with China.
The Trump administration wants Seoul to take greater responsibility for its own defense as Washington expands the role of the tens of thousands of U.S. troops based in South Korea to contain China. Officials in Seoul are concerned that if China invaded Taiwan and the U.S. used its forces in South Korea to defend Taiwan, China and North Korea could open another military conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Trade: The U.S. and South Korea have yet to hash out the details of the deal they reached last month; Trump agreed to lower tariffs on South Korean goods to 15 percent in return for a $350 billion investment package in the U.S. Trump has also said that South Korea should increase its annual contribution for the upkeep of U.S. troops on its soil to $10 billion, more than nine times the current level.
| A protest by ultra-Orthodox Israelis in Kfar Yona, Israel, last week. John Wessels/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
A war in Israel over serving in war
For the first time in Israel’s history, ultra-Orthodox Israelis are being drafted for military service — and many of them are refusing. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox have protested the draft in the streets.
Military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis, but the ultra-Orthodox were exempt until an Israeli Supreme Court ruling last year. The exemption has long been resented by the rest of the Jewish population. But the nearly two-year war in Gaza has turned an irritant into a political crisis that is deepening divisions in Israeli society and imperiling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
| U.S.: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador, returned home on Friday. But now the government is threatening to deport him to Uganda. Space: Starship, a rocket built by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, prepared for a 10th test flight after several disappointing failures. China: Officials evacuated more than 20,000 people from Hainan Island as Typhoon Kajiki neared. Track it here. Gaza: After a report by food security experts found famine in parts of the enclave, the U.S. was mostly silent. Netanyahu called it “an outright lie. ”Iran: Two months after Israel attacked a notorious prison, the authorities have returned about 600 inmates to the compound. Pakistan: Hundreds of people have been jailed for blaspheming Islam online. Rights groups say they were entrapped. Croatia: Marko Perkovic, a singer known as Thompson who uses a fascist-era salute at concerts, is attracting the largest crowds of his career. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Soccer: Sure, the major global leagues are back, but the real question is: Which team has the greatest football kit? Golf: Scottie Scheffler’s uncharacteristically uneven round at the PGA Tour Championship has set up a thrilling finale on the last day of the season.And for our U.S. Open coverage, keep scrolling. |
| MORNING READ |
This summer, the cost of an umbrella and two lounge chairs at beaches in Italy is taking some of the fun out of the seaside getaways enjoyed by many Italians.
The Italian coastline is owned by the state, but the state leases portions of it to beachfront clubs, which charge for use of their facilities. Fees can reach as high as 100 euros a day per person. Such costs have outraged consumers, but club owners say that the real problem is Italy’s stagnant wages. Read more.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
| Sand and magic: Tourists come to Siquijor Island in the Philippines not just for the beach. It’s a place of healers and witches, elixirs and potions. The Who’s future: As the band begins a farewell tour, Pete Townshend, 80, and Roger Daltrey, 81, discuss their health. First-class trip: A travel adviser for the rich handles extreme requests, like overnighting an Hermes bag to Capri. Flying teddy bears: Spectral bats have large wingspans and sharp teeth. They also like to hug. |
| TENNIS |
The U.S. Open is underway
The 2025 U.S. Open promises to be a cracker. Novak Djokovic beat Learner Tien to join Aryna Sabalenka, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz in claiming a straight sets first-round win today.
At the time this briefing was sent, Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi were locked in a tense match that descended into chaos after a cameraman wandered onto the court. Follow our live coverage and here’s what to watch for.
Maria Sharapova: Five years after she left the game, Sharapova returns to center court today to receive an official U.S. Open ring. Our chief fashion critic caught up with her.
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Bake: This peach ricotta cake really emphasizes the peach part.
