Axios PM

August 18, 2025
One day down. Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick, is 659 words, a 2.5-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
1 big thing: Trump offers Ukraine "protection"

President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Q&A session today had a friendlier tone than their disastrous blowup in February, but immediate peace with Russia remains unlikely, Axios' Dave Lawler reports.
- 😬 The vibe was tense ahead of the meeting, with Trump questioning Zelensky's willingness to make peace and Ukrainian officials worrying that Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated Trump during their recent Alaska summit.
- 🇺🇦 Yet Trump's endorsement of strong security guarantees for Ukraine under any peace deal with Russia was welcome news for Kyiv.
🪖 Asked if the U.S. was prepared to send troops to guarantee Ukraine's security after its war with Russia, Trump said that European countries would form the "first line of defense," but "we'll be involved."
- ☮️ Trump did not offer details beyond saying the U.S. will do its part to ensure any peace deal endures.
- 🇺🇸 "We will give them very good protection, very good security. That's part of it," Trump said.
3️⃣ Trump also reiterated his desire for a trilateral summit involving Putin and Zelensky.
- Putin has yet to endorse that idea, and Trump said it's unclear whether it will happen.
🇪🇺 Trump and Zelensky are now taking part in a larger summit with seven European leaders, all strong supporters of Ukraine.
- 🇷🇺 Putin's maximalist claims to Ukrainian territory dim the prospects of an immediate breakthrough.
- 🙅 Zelensky made clear ahead of the meeting that while he and the European leaders "all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably," he won't cede territory to Russia.
2. 🇵🇸 Hamas accepts Gaza deal

Hamas has accepted an updated proposal for a Gaza ceasefire presented by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, two sources with knowledge of the talks tell Axios' Barak Ravid.
- This is part of a last-ditch effort to reach a deal and avoid a major new Israeli offensive to occupy Gaza City.
🇺🇸 A diplomatic source said the deal Hamas accepted is "98% similar" to the last U.S.-backed proposal.
- 🇮🇱 Israel agreed to that proposal, but talks broke down when Hamas did not.
Israeli officials said they still haven't received Hamas' written response, and therefore cannot say whether they find it acceptable.
- ⏸️ The second source said the proposal involves a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 live and 18 dead Israeli hostages, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The news came just after President Trump urged Israel to expand its attacks on Hamas, saying Israeli hostages would not be freed until Hamas was "confronted and destroyed."
3. Catch me up

- 📺 MSNBC is rebranding as "MS NOW," part of a wider NBCU effort to distinguish between the cable networks it's spinning out. Go deeper.
- President Trump renewed his attacks on mail-in voting, vowing to sign an executive order "to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections." Go deeper.
- 🧑⚖️ Texas Democrats returned for a second special legislative session after breaking quorum to block a redistricting vote. Go deeper.
- 🏨 Soho House, a chain of elite private clubs, is going private in a $2.7 billion deal led by MCR Group, one of America's largest hotel operators. Go deeper.
4. 📖 "Skibidi" is in the dictionary now

Social media slang terms "skibidi," "delulu" and "tradwife" have gone from TikTok straight into the Cambridge Dictionary, Axios' Josephine Walker reports, reflecting digital culture's power to influence language.
- "Skibidi" is an all-purpose word from a viral video. "Delulu" is short for "delusional." And "tradwife" is a portmanteau of "traditional wife," tied to a controversial trend built around traditional gender roles.
"We only add words where we think they'll have staying power," Colin McIntosh, a Cambridge lexical program manager, said in a statement.
- 💻 "Internet culture is changing the English language, and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the Dictionary."
🚫 Yes, but: You still can't play "skibidi" in Scrabble.
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