Ankara: The Kremlin on Monday confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the planned meeting during a press briefing, stating that discussions would occur in the afternoon. While it was indicated that footage of the meeting would be made public, Peskov did not confirm whether a statement would be issued following the negotiations. He also mentioned that Putin would conduct several non-public meetings on Monday in preparation for Tuesday's discussions, providing no additional details.
According to Anadolu Agency, the White House has confirmed a controversial second military strike on a drug boat in the Caribbean. However, it denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the killing of survivors. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized that President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have maintained that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in compliance with the laws of war. Leavitt noted that Hegseth authorized US Special Operations Command commander Adm. Frank Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes on September 2, with Bradley acting within his authority to eliminate the threat.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany announced on Monday that Germany and Poland have agreed to deepen their defense ties in response to growing threats to European security. Speaking at a joint news conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin, Merz revealed that the two governments have agreed on a joint declaration to enhance cooperation. The agreement aims to make security and defense collaboration more systematic, with Germany already deploying Eurofighter jets at a Polish airbase to bolster NATO air policing operations. Additionally, Germany and Poland plan to expand cooperation in drone detection and neutralization, increase joint exercises for land forces, and draft a new defense policy agreement to be concluded in 2026.