Aug 17, 2025

Less than 72 hours after President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to American soil, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will return to the United States for a one-on-one meeting with Trump at the White House where they meet earlier this year. Zelenskyy is expressing skepticism after neither Putin nor Trump committed to a ceasefire while in Alaska, saying "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strike, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades." NBC's Vaughn Hillyard reports for Sunday TODAY. In Kyiv, many Ukrainians are wondering why President Donald Trump gave such a warm reception to accused war criminal, Russia's Vladimir Putin, who continues daily attacks against Ukraine. At the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin gave no indication he plans to stop his attacks, saying the war can only end if "the root causes are addressed." NBC's Richard Engel reports for Sunday TODAY. Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins NBC's Joe Fryer on Sunday TODAY to discuss what it will take for a potential trilateral meeting between President Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hurricane Erin, the first named hurricane of the year, weakened from a Category 5 storm to a Category 3 on Saturday but it is expected to regain intensity, potentially affecting millions of Americans along the East Coast. NBC's Jesse Kirsch reports for Sunday TODAY. The Canadian government has stepped in to stop the strike by Air Canada flight attendants and force them into arbitration after they walked off the job over pay and scheduling disputes. Canada's government intervened hours after the strike, noting the airline's importance to the Canadian economy. Air Canada said flights would resume on Sunday. President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the D.C. police has led to more checkpoints, more arrests and more confrontations with protesters unhappy about the increased federal law enforcement and National Guard troops deployed around the nation's capital. Despite D.C. police statistics showing violent crime has fallen over the past 2 years and a January report from the U.S. attorney's office in D.C. finding that violent crime is at a 30-year low, the president says crime there is "totally out of control" and declared a public safety emergency. NBC's Julia Ainsley reports in this week's Sunday Focus.