Welcome to the News Hour. It was a day of expectation setting across several nations as President Trump prepares to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska tomorrow.

Both struck optimistic notes, but their first encounter of Mr. Trump's second term unfolds against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine now in its fourth year.

For his part, Ukrainian President Zelensky continued a tour of European capitals, drumming

up support today in London.

His fraught relationship with President Trump is no secret, but the two spoke yesterday alongside

many European leaders in preparation for tomorrow's summit.

As Nick Schiffren reports, the stakes are high

and the odds of success may be long. Today in the eastern Ukrainian city of Prokrofsk, a Russian tank

obliterated what was already ruins. Rubble pounded further into dust. Making Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's meeting today with British Prime Minister

Kirstarmer more urgent.

To discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and more than a billion dollars worth of European

weapons.

The Europeans have rallied this week to press President Trump.

That any deal made with Putin start with a ceasefire, and only Zelensky will decide whether

to swap land with Russia.

I think it's going to be very interesting.

We're going to find out where everybody stands.

Today President Trump admitted there's a 25 percent chance the summit could fail, but

predicted the meeting would be a pivot point in history. And if it's a 25 percent chance the summit could fail, but predicted

the meeting would be a pivot point in history.

And if it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly.

And if it's a good meeting, we'll end up getting peace in the pretty near future.

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