American Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the upcoming Friday meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will largely be a fact‑finding session, with the U.S. president independently assessing Russia’s position. He also disclosed the number of Russian troops killed in July, a figure approximately 60,000.
Rubio on Putin‑Trump meeting: Quickly find out the chances of success
In an interview with radio 77 WABC’s “Sida Rosenberg,” Marco Rubio was asked about the Friday meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska. “Honestly, I think this will be an exploratory meeting. I would describe it as the president talking to Putin over the phone multiple times without achieving what we wanted.” He added that Trump must look him in the eye, meet face‑to‑face, listen directly, and assess the situation on his own. “We’ll learn very quickly whether there’s a chance for success or not,” Rubio said, emphasizing that Trump is a “great negotiator” and that it won’t be easy.
Massive toll among Russian soldiers
“This war has huge significance for Putin. Just in July, Russians lost – and I’m not talking about missing soldiers, but killed ones – about 60,000 people,” the head of U.S. diplomacy declared. “It shows how much these people are willing to sacrifice, because this war is so important to them. And of course, the war is also hugely important to Ukraine, which is fighting for its country and future; it does not want to be part of Russia.” An independent Russian portal, Mediazona, working with the BBC Russian desk, confirmed the number of 121,507 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, to July 31, 2025, with 2,353 confirmed deaths since the start of July.
Putin’s army breaches front line
Meanwhile in Ukraine, Russian forces penetrated beyond the frontline near Donbas, according to the UNIAN agency. Moscow deployed over 100,000 soldiers into the area. Earlier the Ukrainian General Staff reported that extra units were sent to Pokrovsk and Donetsk to eliminate sabotage‑attack groups. UNIAN noted that the Russians advance because Putin, before discussions with Trump, seeks a significant advantage on the battlefield. The summit on a ceasefire in Ukraine is scheduled for Friday, August 15, in Alaska. Strengthening in the Pokrovsk and Donetsk regions will serve as a bargaining point for territory negotiations. Analysts estimate that Russia has moved front‑line positions by several kilometers in recent days. Kyiv also warned that it will not compromise on territorial withdrawals during the ceasefire negotiations.
