U.S. President Donald Trump started the week declaring a diplomatic breakthrough in his bid to prod Moscow and Kyiv closer to peace, announcing he had begun arranging for direct talks between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The denial of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting comes days after Donald Trump said he had begun arrangements for them to sit down together.

A July 20 memo ordered U.S. intelligence agencies not to share information about Russia-Ukraine talks with Five Eyes partners U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Russia’s foreign minister has cast fresh doubt on peace talks, questioning “the legitimacy” of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to sign any future agreements after targetting a US factory in a large bombardment on Ukraine.

The White House laid out the next steps for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Pete Hegseth’s personal security requirements are straining an Army protective unit. Jeanine Pirro, D.C.’s top prosecutor, confirmed a major change to gun policy.

Poland's defense minister said that a flying object that crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland early Wednesday was identified as a Russian drone, calling it a provocation by Russia. At a news conference in Warsaw,

Other lower level meetings planned for this week underscore the massive task ahead for European allies as they weigh plans for sending a peacekeeping force to Ukraine.

Britain's main indexes climbed on Tuesday with broad-based gains, as investors grew optimistic about a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal following talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders.