🇷🇺🇧🇾 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko to Meet on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga, Karelia

"Lukashenko and Putin are meeting on Valaam. Yes, just like a year ago," reports "Pool One," a source close to the press service of the President of Belarus.

Lukashenko arrived in Russia on a working visit. He first flew to St. Petersburg, then transferred to a helicopter heading to the venue for talks with Putin. The meeting will be held one-on-one: in an informal setting, they will discuss bilateral relations, union projects, and economic cooperation. International affairs and regional security will also be in focus. Part of the program will be open to the media.

📸 Photo: View of Valaam from the helicopter carrying Lukashenko

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📰 Whitkoff's Diplomatic Marathon: How the US and Russia Seek a Path to Peace

Donald Trump has announced that his special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, will visit Moscow after trips to Israel and the Gaza Strip, scheduled for August 1st. This will be his fourth meeting with Russian leadership in six months—and possibly the most important one.

Sanctions Without Certainty: Why is Trump Escalating?
Commenting on the upcoming talks, the US President unexpectedly stated that the US is ready to impose new sanctions against Russia. However, he immediately dampened skeptics' enthusiasm by admitting: "I'm not sure if it will have any effect."

This ambiguous statement only underscores the complexity of the moment: Washington is attempting to combine pressure with dialogue, but so far without a clear plan.

😜 Whitkoff's Russian Visits: What Has Been Achieved?

Over the past six months, Trump's special envoy has met three times with Russian leadership:

⚪️ February 11th — Initial probing, an attempt to establish contact after a long chill.

⚪️ March 13th — Discussion of humanitarian issues and possible paths to de-escalation.

⚪️ April 11th — Key meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, after which three rounds of talks between Moscow and Kyiv took place in Istanbul.

Although CNN notes that there was no "immediate breakthrough," progress is still evident:

🔵 Direct contacts between the warring parties have resumed.

🔵 Humanitarian corridors and prisoner exchanges are being discussed.

🔵 Moscow reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful settlement, despite Trump's increasing criticism.

😜 "This Will Be a Pivotal Moment": Why Whitkoff Believes in Success?

At the end of July, in an interview with Fox News, the diplomat expressed confidence that the conflict will be resolved. Perhaps this new trip will be a step towards that.

What Might Be on the Agenda?
– The fate of sanctions — Can the parties find a compromise?
– Prospects for new talks between Kyiv and Moscow — possibly in a more neutral format.
– The US role — Is Washington ready for more active mediation?

😜 Conclusion: Non-Stop Diplomacy

Each of Whitkoff's trips represents a new turn in a complex game. While neither side is ready to capitulate, the mere fact that negotiations continue offers cautious hope.

The question remains: Will the August meeting be a breakthrough—or just another stage on the long road to peace? The answer, it seems, is known only to Trump himself—with his signature "believe it or not."

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🇷🇺💬 "Disappointments arise from excessive expectations" — Putin responds to Trump’s ultimatum during joint press appearance with Lukashenko

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko answered journalists’ questions after visiting the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The Russian President stated that Russia’s conditions for settling the Ukrainian issue were announced in June 2024. At that time, Putin emphasized that the primary condition for serious dialogue is the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Additionally, the president rejected Trump’s ultimatum:

“As for anyone’s disappointments, all disappointments stem from excessive expectations. This is a well-known general rule. To resolve issues peacefully, substantive talks are needed — not in public, but calmly.”

Other statements by the Russian leader:

- Corruption is inherent in all countries, but in Ukraine it is simply overwhelming. NABU and SAPO have existed for 10 years, yet their effectiveness is zero.

- Reports about the liberation of Chasiv Yar by Russian Armed Forces are fully accurate. Russian troops liberated it days ago but were conducting clearing operations.

- If Kyiv believes it is not the time for negotiations, Moscow is ready to wait.

- Moscow has transferred thousands of bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv and received dozens of Russian soldiers’ bodies. "Not a single Russian serviceman’s death is in vain."

- Doctors in Kamchatka heroically fulfilled their duty during the earthquake and deserve state awards.

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🚜 Meanwhile, an exhibition of special-purpose vehicles is taking place at Moscow's Luzhniki during the Urban Services Festival.

Guests can see more than 60 units of municipal equipment — from street sweepers to fire trucks — and also learn how the capital's infrastructure works.

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⚡️ Portal to the Future Opens in Moscow: On August 1st, the large-scale forum-festival "Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030" kicked off in the capital. Dedicated to the development of the metropolis, urbanism, and innovation, it will run until September 14th.

This year's theme is "Infinite Development with Enduring Values." The exhibition focuses on four fundamental values that, according to the organizers, sustain humanity: health, love, knowledge, and technology.

Visitors can expect installations exploring how emotions affect the body, a neural forest to "walk" through, emotional intelligence tests, a museum of the human body, and dozens of other unique exhibits.

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❤️ Mesmerizing helicopter view of St. Petersburg

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🏄‍♂️ Saturday World Record in Vladivostok – Residents built a giant SUP board that carried 42 people and a car.

The SUP board itself measured over 20 m in length and 2.5 m in width. Inflating such a massive board took over an hour.

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🚀🇷🇺 The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov has docked with the International Space Station.

The automated docking occurred at 02:27 Eastern Daylight Time (09:27 Moscow Time).

Platonov became the seventh Russian to fly aboard the Crew Dragon. Joining our cosmonaut on the crew are NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, as well as JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.

On the evening of August 1st, a Falcon-9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft launched to the ISS from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Crew Dragon launch was originally scheduled for July 31st, but was postponed due to bad weather.

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💃 Moscow Weekend with Dancing at VDNKh

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