The Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Cricket Warrior]

Ukraine to receive US air defence systems, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he will send weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, to Ukraine via Nato.

Trump told NBC News that in a new deal, "we're going to be sending Patriots to Nato, and then Nato will distribute that", adding that Nato would pay for the weapons.

His announcement came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of having a "positive dialogue" with Trump about ensuring that arms arrived on time. He said he had asked for 10 Patriot systems after a surge in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in the past week.

Patriot batteries detect and intercept oncoming missiles and are regarded as one of the world's best air defence systems.

Ukraine to receive US Patriot air defence systems, says Trump

The US president says he will sell weapons to Nato, which would then give them to Ukraine.

www.bbc.com

 

[JaDed]

Lol , Trump is toeing the Establishment line now or what.

Global politics is a mess and a joke, I hoped this idiot atleast could had stopped this war.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

NATO needs more long-range missiles to deter Russia, US general says

NATO will need more long-range missiles in its arsenal to deter Russia from attacking Europe because Moscow is expected to increase production of long-range weapons, a U.S. Army general told Reuters.

Russia's effective use of long-range missiles in its war inUkraine has convinced Western military officials of their importance for destroying command posts, transportation hubs and missile launchers far behind enemy lines.

"The Russian army is bigger today than it was when they started the war in Ukraine," Major General John Rafferty said in an interview at a U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, Germany.

"And we know that they're going to continue to invest in long-range rockets and missiles and sophisticated air defences. So more alliance capability is really, really important."

The war in Ukraine has underscored Europe's heavy dependence on the United States to provide long-range missiles, with Kyiv seeking to strengthen its air defences.

Rafferty recently completed an assignment as commander of the U.S. Army's 56th Artillery Command in the German town of Mainz-Kastel, which is preparing for temporary deployments of long-range U.S. missiles on European soil from 2026.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/nato-needs-more-long-range-missiles-deter-russia-us-general-says-2025-07-11/

 

[oatmeal]

Lol , Trump is toeing the Establishment line now or what.

Global politics is a mess and a joke, I hoped this idiot atleast could had stopped this war.

The war can't be stopped because Russia is making irrational demands like getting land it doesn't control and neutering of the Ukrainian army and destroying weapons they already have it. No nation would accept such terms unless they were being absolutely pumelled on the battlefield. Ukraine is at a disadvantage but it's a war of attrition with slow progress.

My guess is that Putin will drag this out till October when the weather starts to get worse and then accept freezing of the conflict on current lines in exchange for dropping many US sanctions and US recognising Crimea.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine

For the first time since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has pledged to make new weapons available to Ukraine.

Under a new deal, the US will sell weapons to Nato members who will then supply them to Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.

The president didn't give too many specifics about what he said was "billions of dollars' worth of military equipment". But when asked if the deal included Patriot air defence batteries and interceptor missiles, he replied "it's everything".

One European country has 17 Patriot systems and "a big portion" would soon be on the way to Ukraine, Trump said.

For Ukraine, a huge country that currently operates handful of batteries - perhaps as few as eight - this is a major step forward, giving Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.

Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine

For the first time since returning to the White House, Trump pledges to make new weapons available to Ukraine.

www.bbc.com

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Lavrov says Russia wants to understand Trump’s motivation behind 50-day ultimatum​

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia would like more clarity on Trump’s threat to impose severe tariffs on Russia unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days.

“We, of course, want to understand what is behind this statement [by Trump] – 50 days. It used to be 24 hours, it used to be 100 days, we have been through all of this, and we really want to understand what motivates the president of the United States,” Lavrov told journalists following a Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers meeting in the Chinese city Tianjin.

Source: Al Jazeera

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Europe assumes financial burden of Ukraine war, angering Russia

Trump casts European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine as a victory as the UN warns civilians are being killed at a record rate.

The United States and Germany have struck a deal to provide Ukraine with weaponry to protect cities from nightly Russian attacks.

Germany was prepared to pay for the systems as part of a broader US deal to sell Europe arms destined for Ukraine.

Details began to emerge on July 10 when Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would buy US-made air defence systems.

“We are also prepared to purchase additional Patriot systems from the US to make them available to Ukraine,” Merz was quoted as saying on the sidelines of a Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump told NBC News that the US would sell NATO US-made weapons, including the Patriots, that NATO would give to Ukraine.

Adding to the crescendo, US Senator Lindsey Graham told CBS on Sunday: “In the coming days, you will see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves.”

Meanwhile, Russia continued to capture Ukrainian villages.

On Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed to have seized Zelyonaya Dolina in the eastern region of Donetsk and Sobolevka in Kharkiv in the northeast. Nikolayevka in Donetsk fell on Sunday, Malinovka in Zaporizhia on Monday and Novokhatskoye in Donetsk on Wednesday.

Yet even at this accelerated rate of 15sq km (6sq miles) a day, Russia would need 89 years to capture the rest of Ukraine, The Economist magazine estimated.

Russia continued to pound Ukraine’s cities with combinations of drones and missiles every night over the past week.

The biggest attack came early on Saturday. The Ukrainian air force said it downed or electronically suppressed 577 of 597 drones launched overnight and 25 of 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles.

June also saw the highest monthly civilian casualties in three years with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said.

Europe assumes financial burden of Ukraine war, angering Russia

Trump casts European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine as a victory as UN warns civilians being killed at record rate.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ukraine appoints new government in biggest wartime overhaul

Ukraine's parliament appointed the country's first new prime minister in five years on Thursday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace with Russia grow dim.
Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, has been tasked by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with boosting domestic weapons production and reviving Ukraine's loan-dependent economy.

In a speech to parliament, Zelenskiy said he expected his new government to increase the share of domestic weapons on Ukraine's battlefield to 50% from 40% within six months.

He also singled out deregulation and expanding economic co-operation with allies as other key aims of the biggest government reshuffle since Russia's February 2022 invasion.

Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who had served as first deputy prime minister since 2021, pledged to move "swiftly and decisively".

"War leaves no room for delay," she wrote on X.

"Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production, and boosting the technological strength of our defense forces."

Svyrydenko is also well known to the Trump administration, having negotiated a deal giving the U.S. preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth. It was considered crucial to bolstering relations between Kyiv and Washington.

https://www.reuters.com/en/ukraine-appoints-new-government-biggest-wartime-overhaul-2025-07-17/

 

[BouncerGuy]

Russia launches ‘hellish’ aerial attack on eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad

Russia launched its biggest ever attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad early on Saturday, as part of a large wave of strikes across the country involving hundreds of kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles.

The six-hour bombardment was the worst in the city’s history. The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Sergey Lysak, said a factory was damaged, a fire station destroyed and a five-storey residential building hit.

“A hellish night and morning for Pavlohrad. The most intense attack on the city. Explosion after explosion. Russian terrorists targeted it with missiles and drones,” Lysak said.

Drones could be heard flying over Pavlohrad in the early hours of Saturday. There were cacophonous booms and orange explosions lighting up the night sky. The streets echoed with machine-gun fire as anti-aircraft units tried to shoot them down.

In the morning, thick black smoke hung above the city. There were several fires. One exhausted resident, Oleh, said it was the worst night he had known. “Nobody slept. We were all in shelters. There was a thunderstorm as well. We had explosions and rain together,” he said.

The attack came soon after Gen Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, flew back to Washington after a six-day visit to Kyiv. This week the White House announced a large-scale arms package to Ukraine, including additional Patriot anti-aircraft systems, to be paid for by European allies.

The Kremlin refrained from carrying out a large-scale bombardment while Kellogg was in the country. Social media was awash with memes depicting Kellogg as a cat protecting the capital, since Keith sounds similar to “kit”, or cat in Ukrainian.

On Friday, Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev promised Moscow would escalate its aerial attacks in response to the EU’s latest sanctions package, which was agreed after the pro-Kremlin government in Slovakia dropped its objections.

The city of Pavlohrad is a strategic hub for the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. Russian troops are close to capturing territory in the region – which borders Donetsk province – for the first time since Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion. In recent days they have captured several neighbouring villages.

Early on Saturday, Russian forces also targeted the Black Sea port of Odesa, setting fire to a nine-storey apartment building, the city’s mayor said. Five people were rescued from the top floor, and one woman subsequently died.

Odesa’s mayor, Hennady Trukhanov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said at least 20 drones had converged on the city, a frequent target of Russian strikes. “Civilian structure has been damaged as a result of the attack,” Trukhanov wrote. “A high-rise apartment block is on fire. Rescuers are taking people out from the flames.”

Ukraine’s new prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, said Moscow had launched another “brutal attack” on Odesa and other Ukrainian cities. “One person killed, several more wounded, families destroyed. This is the cost of hesitation. Without bold response, the strikes will come again,” she said.

Russia launches ‘hellish’ aerial attack on eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad

Six-hour bombardment of the strategic hub in the Dnipropetrovsk region came at the same time as airstrikes killed one person in Odesa

www.theguardian.com

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Ukraine proposes new round of peace talks with Russia next week​

Kyiv has proposed to Moscow a new round of peace talks next week, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, after negotiations stalled in early June.

Two rounds of talks in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv failed to result in any progress towards a ceasefire, instead yielding large-scale prisoner exchanges and deals to return the bodies of killed soldiers.

“Security council secretary [Rustem] Umerov also reported that he had proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address to the country.

“The momentum of the negotiations must be stepped up,” he added.

Zelenskyy reiterated his readiness to have a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace – lasting peace,” he said.

Umerov, a former defence minister, was appointed last week as the head of the national security and defence council and tasked with adding more momentum to the negotiations.

Russia has been pressing a grinding offensive along the eastern front in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. It has repeatedly said it is ready for a new round of talks but has not backed down from its maximalist war aims.

At talks last month, Russia outlined a list of hardline demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede more territory and to reject all forms of western military support.

Kyiv dismissed them as unacceptable and at the time questioned the point of further negotiations if Moscow was not willing to make concessions.

The Kremlin said this month it was ready to continue talks with Ukraine after Donald Trump gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal or face sanctions.

The US president also pledged to supply Kyiv with new military aid, sponsored by Nato allies, as its cities suffer ever-increasing Russian aerial attacks.

Russian strikes on Ukraine claimed another three lives on Saturday.

Source: The Guardian

 

[BouncerGuy]

Ukraine and Russia set for fresh peace talks, Zelensky says

Russia and Ukraine will hold a new round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"Today, I discussed with [Ukrainian Security Council chief] Rustem Umerov the preparations for a prisoner exchange and another meeting in Turkey with the Russian side," Zelensky said in his daily address on Monday. "Umerov reported that the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday."

Zelensky proposed fresh talks at the weekend, days after US President Donald Trump threatened Russia with "severe" sanctions if there was no ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv within 50 days.

On Tuesday, Moscow said it did not expect a "miraculous breakthrough" from the talks.

"We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in his daily press briefing.

He said he hoped the talks would be held this week, without giving a date.

Two previous rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul failed to make progress towards a ceasefire. Both nations remain far apart as to how it might be achieved.

Washington has pledged new weapons for the Ukrainian military, after Russia intensified attacks.

A child was killed overnight into Tuesday, when a Russian glide bomb hit an apartment block in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, local officials said. Six areas of the capital Kyiv had earlier come under a combined drone and missile attack.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces said they had pushed back more than 50 attacks in the Pokrovsk area of eastern Ukraine, where Russia has concentrated much of its firepower in recent months. Russian sabotage groups have already tried to enter the city, according to Ukraine's military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Russia's RIA news agency, quoting a source, said the latest round of talks would take place over two days, on Thursday and Friday.

A Turkish government spokesperson said Wednesday's talks would take place in the same venue where previous negotiations in May and June failed to work towards a ceasefire, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported.

This week's talks will be yet another attempt to bring an end to the war that has been going on for more than three years, and will come after Trump expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin. The US president told the BBC he was "disappointed" but "not done" with the Russian leader.

The Istanbul talks could focus on further prisoner exchanges and a possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.

Moscow, however, has downplayed the likelihood of reaching any concrete outcome anytime soon.

Commenting on the prospects for a breakthrough, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that the two sides were "diametrically opposed" and "a lot of diplomatic work lies ahead".

Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, causing record civilian casualties. It launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

BBC

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Protests in Ukraine as Zelenskyy signs bill curbing anticorruption agencies​

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a controversial bill that hands sweeping authority to Ukraine’s prosecutor general over the country’s independent anticorruption agencies.

This triggered the largest antigovernment protests on Tuesday since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. More protests are expected Wednesday.

The new legislation, now law, gives the prosecutor general power to control and reassign investigations led by the National Anticorruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

NABU and SAPO are two key institutions that have long symbolised Ukraine’s post-Euromaidan commitment to rooting out high-level corruption. Critics say the move strips these agencies of their independence and risks turning them into political tools.

Protests erupted in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa, with demonstrators holding signs reading “Veto the law” and “We chose Europe, not autocracy.”

Many saw the legislation as a betrayal of Ukraine’s decade-long push towards democratic governance, transparency, and European Union membership.

Just one day prior, Ukraine’s domestic security agency arrested two NABU officials on suspicion of Russian links and searched other employees.

Zelenskyy, in his Wednesday address, cited these incidents to justify the reform, arguing the agencies had been infiltrated and that cases involving billions of dollars had been stagnant.

“There is no rational explanation for why criminal proceedings worth billions have been hanging for years,” he said.

But watchdogs and international observers see a different danger.

Transparency International Ukraine warned that the law dismantles critical safeguards, while the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, called it “a serious step back”.

The EU, G7 ambassadors, and other Western backers emphasised that NABU and SAPO’s independence is a prerequisite for financial aid and EU accession.

Despite Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka’s assurances that “all core functions remain intact,” disillusionment is growing.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s former foreign minister, declared it “a bad day for Ukraine”, underscoring the stark choice Zelenskyy faces: Stand with the people – or risk losing their trust, along with Western support.

Source: Al Jazeera

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Putin must agree Ukraine ceasefire in 10 or 12 days, says Trump

Donald Trump has presented a new, shorter deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire over the war in Ukraine of "ten or 12 days" from Monday.

The US president said there was "no reason" in waiting any longer as no progress towards peace had been made.

Two weeks ago, Trump said President Vladimir Putin had 50 days to end the war or Russia would face severe tariffs.

Speaking at a news conference in Scotland, Trump said he would confirm the new deadline on Monday or Tuesday, but reiterated the threat to impose sanctions and secondary tariffs on Moscow.

Donald Trump: Vladimir Putin must agree Ukraine ceasefire in days

The US president says there is "no reason" for waiting amid little sign of progress towards peace.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Russia strikes prison in Ukraine, killing 16 and wounding dozens

A Russian airstrike on a prison in a frontline region in southeastern Ukraine has killed 16 people and wounded more than 30 others, according to Ukrainian officials.

The overnight attack in Zaporizhzhia also damaged surrounding homes, regional leader Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces launched eight strikes using high-explosive aerial glide bombs, he added.

The Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes as "another war crime" committed by Russia.

Zaporizhzhia is one of four eastern regions in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed since 2022, although the region is largely under Ukrainian control.

Ivan Fedorov said buildings at one of Zaporizhzhia's prisons were destroyed, without detailing where in the region they were.

Russian forces have frequently targeted Zaporizhzhia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine's human rights commissioner said attacking a prison was a gross violation of humanitarian law as people in detention did not lose their right to life and protection.

US President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Moscow Monday, warning that Russia had "about 10 or 12 days" to agree a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions. Speaking during a visit to Scotland, Trump told reporters he would "announce it probably tonight or tomorrow," adding, "there's no reason to wait, if you know what the answer is".

Earlier in July, Trump set a 50-day deadline for the Kremlin to reach a truce with Kyiv or risk economic penalties, but the warning has not halted Russia's barrage of strikes.

There were further casualties in a missile and drone attack late on Monday in the Dnipropetrovsk region of eastern Ukraine.

A strike on the industrial city of Kamyanske left two people dead and five injured, according to regional head Serhiy Lysak.

Another person was killed and several were wounded in the Synelnykivsky district, while a 75-year-old woman was killed and a 68-year-old man injured when their home was hit in a village late on Monday.

The wave of attacks came as Russia pushed deeper into Ukrainian territory in Dnipropetrovsk.

At the weekend, Moscow said its forces had captured the village of Maliyevka, weeks after capturing their first village in the region. Ukraine has rejected Russia's claims.

Meanwhile, in Russia, officials said Ukraine had launched dozens of drones overnight in the southern Rostov region, killing one person in their car in the town of Salsk and setting fire to a goods train.

Another person was reported killed in their car in the border region of Belgorod and his wife was wounded.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Russian strikes kill 25 in Ukraine, as Trump confirms deadline for talks

At least 25 people have been killed across Ukraine in overnight and early morning Russian air strikes that hit a prison and a hospital, local officials say.

They say the deadliest attack was on the Bilenke penitentiary in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where 16 inmates were killed and more than 50 injured.

A separate Russian strike on people queuing for humanitarian aid killed five in the north-eastern Kharkiv region. Three people were killed in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, including a pregnant woman. Another casualty was reported elsewhere in the region.

Later on Tuesday, Donald Trump confirmed a deadline of 8 August for Russia to agree a ceasefire, or else face sweeping sanctions.

Ukraine reports 25 killed as Russia hits prison and hospital

The deadly Russian air strikes come as US President Donald Trump toughens truce ultimatum to Russia.

www.bbc.com

 

[sweep_shot]

Putin must agree Ukraine ceasefire in 10 or 12 days, says Trump

Donald Trump has presented a new, shorter deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire over the war in Ukraine of "ten or 12 days" from Monday.

The US president said there was "no reason" in waiting any longer as no progress towards peace had been made.

Two weeks ago, Trump said President Vladimir Putin had 50 days to end the war or Russia would face severe tariffs.

Speaking at a news conference in Scotland, Trump said he would confirm the new deadline on Monday or Tuesday, but reiterated the threat to impose sanctions and secondary tariffs on Moscow.

Donald Trump: Vladimir Putin must agree Ukraine ceasefire in days

The US president says there is "no reason" for waiting amid little sign of progress towards peace.

www.bbc.com

Trump vs Putin. This should be interesting.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Russian missile hits Ukrainian training unit, killing and wounding servicemen​

Ukraine's armed forces have confirmed a Russian missile strike hit a military training unit, causing a number of casualties.

Ukrainian ground forces said late on Tuesday that three service personnel were known to have been killed and 18 had been wounded.

The military did not say where the training ground was located, although one Ukrainian war reporter, Andrei Taplienko, said it was in the Chernihiv region north of Kyiv which borders both Russia and Belarus.

Russia's ministry of defence released video of what it claimed was a strike by an Iskander ballistic missile in a wooded area that involved more than 20 cluster-type explosions.

The video could not be immediately verified but the Russian MOD claimed that the number of Ukrainian casualties was far higher than Ukraine's military had said. There has been no further word from the military since late on Tuesday.

"Despite the security measures taken, unfortunately it was not possible to completely avoid losses among the personnel," Ukraine's ground forces said in a statement on social media.

It is the third Russian attack on a Ukrainian training unit in little more than two months.

An Iskander missile attack on a camp in the norther border region of Sumy killed six servicemen in May and another strike killed 12 people and wounded another 60 last month.

Protecting Ukrainian troops on exercises is particularly sensitive for the military, which said it would investigate whether the "actions or inaction of officials" had led to deaths or injuries in Tuesday evening's missile strike.

The commander of ground forces Mykhailo Drapatyi resigned after last month's deadly attack, saying that the victims had been "young guys from a training battalion" and that most of them had been in shelters at the time.

In a separate development, Russian forces targeted the regional military administration building in Sumy on Wednesday, wounding a 75-year-old woman, officials said. The same building was hit last Saturday when a drone smashed into the large office block, although nobody was hurt.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said a sixth person died in hospital from wounds he suffered during a Russian missile strike on a humanitarian aid point in the Kharkiv region on Tuesday.

Ukrainian reports said that four men and two women were fatally wounded while queuing for water. Officials said the missile started a fire that engulfed a shop in the village of Novoplatonivka.

Source: BBC

 

[sweep_shot]

Ukraine is losing this war. They lost around 15% of their territories I believe.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Ukraine and Russia strikes hit homes and oil depot near Black Sea

A Russian missile strike has destroyed homes and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine's southern city of Mykolaiv, local officials say.

At least three civilians were reported injured in the city near the Black Sea, which has been repeatedly shelled by Russian forces. Ukraine's State Emergency Service posted photos of firefighters at the scene after the missile strike.

Early on Sunday a massive oil depot fire was raging near Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi - blamed by the Russian authorities on a Ukrainian drone attack. Sochi's airport in the same area - Adler district - suspended flights.

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram that drone debris had hit a fuel tank, and 127 firefighters were tackling the blaze.

The drone attack was one of several launched by Ukraine over the weekend, targeting installations in the southern Russian cities of Ryazan, Penza and Voronezh. The governor of Voronezh said four people were injured in one drone strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for stronger international sanctions on Russia this week after a deadly attack on Kyiv on Thursday killed at least 31 people.

More than 300 drones and eight cruise missiles were launched in the assault, Ukrainian officials said, making the attack one of the deadliest on the capital since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

BBC

 

[Ball Blazer]

Trump aide accuses India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine​

A top United States official has accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying oil from Moscow, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on New Delhi to cut off its energy imports from Russia.

“What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia,” Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump’s most influential aides, said in an interview with Fox News.

India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, after China, and more than 30 percent of its fuel is sourced from Moscow, providing revenue to the Kremlin amid Western sanctions. New Delhi imported just 1 percent of its oil from Russia before the Ukraine war started in 2022.

Miller’s criticism was among the strongest yet by the Trump administration – which came after the US slapped a 25 percent tariff on Indian products on Friday as a result of its purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. The Trump administration also threatened additional penalties if India continued its purchase of arms and oil from Russia.

“People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That’s an astonishing fact,” Miller also said on the show.

The US aide tempered his criticism by noting Trump’s relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he described as “tremendous”.

Last week, Trump also underscored the “friendship” with India on the day he announced the tariffs on Asia’s second-largest economy.

While India was “our friend”, it had always bought most of its military equipment from Russia and was “Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE – ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on July 30.

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Trump has threatened 100 percent tariffs on US imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. The US president has also criticised India for being a member of BRICS, of which Russia and China are founding members.

India’s imports of Russian oil ‘not acceptable’, says top Trump aide

White House deputy chief Stephen Miller says it was ‘not acceptable’ for India to continue to buy Russian oil.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

FO rejects ‘unfounded allegations’ of involvement of Pakistani nationals in Russia-Ukraine conflict

The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday rejected claims of Pakistani nationals being involved in the Ukraine conflict after a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky claimed on Monday that his troops in northeastern Ukraine were fighting foreign “mercenaries” from various countries, including China, Pakistan and parts of Africa.

A statement by the FO today said Pakistan “categorically rejects the baseless and unfounded allegations of the involvement of Pakistani nationals in the conflict in Ukraine”.

“To date, Pakistan has not been formally approached by the Ukrainian authorities, nor has any verifiable evidence been presented to substantiate such claims.”

The statement added that the government would take up this matter with the Ukrainian authorities, “and seek clarification in this regard”.

“Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the statement said.

In a post on X on Monday, Zelensky said: “We spoke with commanders about the frontline situation, the defence of Vovchansk, and the dynamics of the battles.

“Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war. We will respond.”

The Russia-Ukraine war began when President Vladimir Putin ordered the latter’s invasion on Feb 24, 2022.

The government has on separate occasions rebuffed allegations that the country was providing arms to Ukraine.

During a visit to Pakistan in July 2023, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had rejected similar reports, clarifying that the two nations had no deals for the supply of arms and ammunition.

Initially taking a neutral stance on the matter and maintaining that in its diplomatic moves till last year, Pakistan has called for de-escalation and ceasefire in recent months as the war crossed the three-year mark.

Pakistan has historically maintained good relations with Ukraine, having purchased weapons systems from it in the past, but has also been strengthening ties with Russia in recent years.

FO rejects ‘unfounded allegations’ of involvement of Pakistani nationals in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Says govt to seek clarification from Ukrainian authorities, who have not "formally approached" Pakistan on the matter.

www.dawn.com

 

[Bhaijaan]

Always ready to sell themselves to the highest bidder.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952367492388585542

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

Key word 'mercenaries'.

Pakistani mercenaries - "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like courage, leadership and even eye color. My jeans are brown."

 

[Bhaijaan]

Pakistan denies sending mercenaries to fight for Russia

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952590243229466712

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Zelenskiy says he had 'productive' call with Trump ahead of ceasefire deadline

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that he had had a "productive" conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on ending the war, sanctions on Russia and the finalisation of a U.S.-Ukraine drone deal.

"President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities," Zelenskiy wrote on X, referring to intensifying drone and missile attacks.

Trump, who has signalled frustration with Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, has given the Russian president until August 8 to make peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions.

A source in Washington said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff would be meeting the Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said Trump "knows the situation along the front line," which extends for 1,000 km (620 miles) through eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukraine, he said, had long supported U.S. proposals for an immediate ceasefire and had proposed a number of formats to implement a halt to the fighting.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-says-he-had-productive-call-with-trump-ahead-ceasefire-deadline-2025-08-05/

 

[BouncerGuy]

Despite Trump's peace calls, Russian attacks on Ukraine double since inauguration

Russia has more than doubled the number of drones and missiles fired towards Ukraine since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, a BBC Verify analysis has found, despite his calls for a ceasefire.

Attacks had already been rising under former President Joe Biden in 2024 but climbed sharply after Trump's election victory in November. Since he returned to office in January, recorded aerial attacks from Moscow have reached their highest levels of the war.

Throughout his campaign Trump vowed to bring an end to fighting in just one day if returned to office. He claimed during his 2024 campaign that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine could have been averted had a president who the Kremlin "respected" held office.

However, in his efforts to achieve a ceasefire he has been accused at times of favouring Russia by critics, and his administration has paused deliveries of air defence munitions and other military supplies to Ukraine on two separate occasions.

The pauses - announced in March and July and since reversed by the president - came as Russia steadily increased missile and drone production. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, ballistic missile construction in Russia grew by 66% over the past year.

The data reviewed by BBC Verify - based on daily incident reports issued by the Ukrainian Air Force - showed that Russia launched 27,158 munitions between 20 January - when Trump's presidency began - and 19 July, compared to 11,614 over the final six months of Biden's term.

"This brutal war was brought on by Joe Biden's incompetence, and it has gone on for far too long," White House deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to BBC Verify.

"President Trump wants to stop the killing, which is why he is selling American-made weapons to NATO members and threatening Putin with biting tariffs and sanctions if he does not agree to a ceasefire."

In the opening weeks of the new administration, the White House issued a series of warm statements seemingly intended to entice President Vladimir Putin towards a settlement. During this period, Russian attacks on Ukraine briefly fell when compared to the final weeks of the Biden administration.

But by February, when US diplomats led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's delegation for a summit in Riyadh, attacks had started to climb again.

The talks, which Rubio said were a starting point to bring an end to the war, have been followed by mediated discussions between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Turkey.

Attacks peaked early last month, when Moscow launched 748 drones and missiles towards Ukraine on 9 July, according to the Ukrainian Air Force data. More than a dozen people were reportedly injured by the barrage and two were killed.

While Trump has expressed anger at the escalating Russian attacks on several occasions, his mounting frustration does not appear to have had an impact on Moscow's strategy.

On 25 May, Russia launched its then-largest recorded barrage, prompting Trump to angrily ask: "What the hell happened to him [Putin]?"

Since then, Russia has exceeded that number of reported launches on 14 occasions. Trump has responded by demanding that the Kremlin reach a peace deal with Ukraine by 8 August.

The number of Russian munitions penetrating Ukrainian air defences appears to be increasing, with explosions around the capital Kyiv becoming a daily part of life for residents of the city.

"Every time you go to sleep, you don't know if you're going to wake up the next morning, and that's just not a normal way to live," Dasha Volk, a journalist living in the city, told the BBC's Ukrainecast programme in June.

"Every time you hear an explosion or a missile flying over your head, lots of thoughts are going through my mind - I'm going to die now, things like that."

Ukraine 'vulnerable' to aerial attacks

Senator Chris Coons, a senior Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told BBC Verify that Trump's decision to suspend weapons supplies on two occasions and his broader approach to Russian relations may have convinced the Kremlin that it had the freedom to increase attacks.

"It's clear Putin feels emboldened by Trump's weakness and has increased his vicious assault on the Ukrainian people, repeatedly attacking hospitals and maternity wards, the Ukrainian power grid, and other civilian sites," he said.

The growing attacks have renewed calls for the US to send fresh supplies of Patriot anti-air batteries to Ukraine. The Patriots are the most capable and expensive air defence systems that Ukraine has. Each Patriot battery costs around $1bn (£800m), and each missile costs nearly $4m.

Trump has overturned the previous supply pauses and agreed to sell weapons to Nato members, who will in turn supply them to Kyiv. Trump appeared to imply that the deal would include fresh supplies of Patriot batteries.

Justin Bronk, an analyst focussing on the Russian military at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said restrictions on the supply of military equipment imposed by the White House had made Ukraine "vulnerable" to missile and drone attacks.

But he also noted that Russia has ramped up the production of missiles and so-called 'kamikaze' drones such as the Geran-2 - a domestically produced version of the Iranian Shahed drone. Mr Bronk said that Russia's increased stockpiles, coupled with "significant reductions" in supply of US interceptor missiles had encouraged Moscow to escalate its air campaign.

Ukraine's Military Intelligence agency (HUR) recently told domestic media that Russia was now producing up to 85 ballistic missiles per month, up from 44 in April 2024.

Russia is reportedly producing 170 Geran drones per day, having established a massive manufacturing facility at Alabuga in the south of the country.

In a recent interview with Russian military TV, the facility's director Timur Shagivaleyev boasted that Alabuga had become "the largest combat drone production plant in the world", adding that his workers were producing nine times more units than initially expected.

Satellite images show the facility has expanded significantly since mid-2024, with a number of new warehouses built on the site.

Other structures, including what appear to be expansions to worker dormitories, remain under construction.

Senator Coons warned that the increase in production meant that Washington must make clear that it is not preparing to walk away from the conflict as some administration officials have threatened he could do, emphasising that peace can only be achieved through "surging security assistance".

He added that President Trump must make it clear to Russia that it "cannot simply try to outlast the West".

"In order to do that, he needs to maintain a consistent and sustained position on the war."

Meanwhile, Ms Volk said that every day the Russian campaign drags on and Ukrainian interceptions fall public morale is hammered.

"People are getting tired because of these attacks, they really affect our lives," she said.

"We know what we are fighting for, but it becomes more difficult every year because everyone is getting exhausted. That's the reality."

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Trump's envoy Witkoff meets Putin as ceasefire deadline looms

A meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia's Vladimir Putin is under way at the Kremlin, Russian media has said.

Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday as Donald Trump's deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine looms.

The US president has said Russia could face hefty sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it if it doesn't take steps to end the "horrible war" with Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has warned that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money. He welcomed the threat of tougher US sanctions and tariffs on nations buying Russian oil.

Expectations are muted for a settlement by Friday, and Russia has continued its large-scale air attacks on Ukraine despite Trump's threats of sanctions.

Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to and end, three and a half years after Moscow launched its full-invasion.

Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and to its Western partners. The Kremlin has also repeatedly turned down Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

Meanwhile, the US administration approved $200m of additional military sales to Ukraine on Tuesday following a phone call between Zelensky and Trump, in which the two leaders also discussed defence cooperation and drone production.

Ukraine has been using drones to hit Russia's refineries and energy facilities, while Moscow has focused its air attacks on Ukraine's cities.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said the toll of an attack on the city last week rose to 32 after a man died of his injuries. The strike was the deadliest on Kyiv since the start of the invasion.

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday reported that a Russian attack on a holiday camp in the central region of Zaporizhzhia left two dead and 12 wounded.

"There's no military sense in this attack. It's just cruelty to scare people," Zelensky said.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Kremlin says US-Russia talks were 'constructive' as ceasefire deadline looms

The Kremlin has issued a vague statement following talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia's Vladimir Putin, days before Donald Trump's deadline to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" as part of "constructive" talks in Moscow.

He also said Russia and the US had discussed the possibility of strategic cooperation - but refused to share more until Witkoff had briefed the US president.

The US envoy boarded a flight to the US on Wednesday afternoon, according to Russian media.

Kremlin says US-Russia talks were 'constructive' as ceasefire deadline looms

Despite President Trump's threat of sweeping sanctions, expectations for a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv are muted.

www.bbc.com

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Russia eyes Ukraine’s ‘fortress belt’ after fall of Chasiv Yar​

During a difficult week in Ukraine’s ground war, Russian troops completed their conquest of Chasiv Yar, a high ground in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, and claimed to have breached the outskirts of Kupiansk, a city with a pre-war population of more than 26,000, in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region.

Both conquests are the result of months-long efforts and have cost the Russians dearly in blood and weapons.

At the same time, Russian forces pushed into Dnipropetrovsk, a Ukrainian region whose borders they first breached over the weekend of June 7-8, capturing the village of Sichneve, which Russians call Yanvarskoye. It was the third claimed conquest in Dnipropetrovsk. Earlier, Russia captured Dachnoye and Malynivka.

Ukraine responded with deep strikes on Russian transport networks and energy hubs.

Chasiv Yar and the ‘fortress belt’​

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its paratroopers overran Chasiv Yar on July 31.

Moscow’s forces began to besiege the city in March 2024, about a month after the fall of Avdiivka, 30km (20 miles) to the south freed up offensive troops.

Russia prioritised this line of attack after conquering the city of Bakhmut in May 2023, following months of battles led by Wagner Group mercenaries.

Source: Al Jazeera

 

[BouncerGuy]

'Good prospect' of summit with Putin and Zelensky, Trump says

Donald Trump has said there is a "good chance" he could meet the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, following what he described as "very good talks" between his envoy and Vladimir Putin earlier in the day.

Asked at the White House whether the two leaders had agreed to such a summit, the US president said there was a "very good prospect", but did not give further details.

The Kremlin earlier issued a vague statement about the talks between Putin and Steve Witkoff, with a foreign policy aide saying the two sides had exchanged "signals" as part of "constructive" talks in Moscow.

The meeting came days before Trump's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, or face new sanctions.

Trump's comments in the Oval Office on Wednesday come after he posted on his Truth Social platform that he had briefed some of America's European allies following the talks.

"Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come," Trump said.

The White House also told the BBC that Russia had expressed a desire to meet the US president and that he was "open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile said he had spoken to Trump about Witkoff's visit, with European leaders also on the call.

Zelensky has been warning that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money.

Trump has said Russia could face hefty sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it if it doesn't take steps to end the war.

Wednesday's discussions between Putin and Witkoff appeared cordial despite Trump's mounting irritation with the lack of progress in negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Shortly after Witkoff's departure from Moscow, the White House said Trump had signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil. The tariff would come into force on 27 August.

The US president has accused India of not caring "how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine".

Expectations are muted for a settlement by Friday, and Russia has continued its large-scale air attacks on Ukraine despite Trump's threats of sanctions.

Before taking office in January, Trump said he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a day. The conflict has raged on, and his rhetoric towards Moscow has since hardened.

"We thought we had [the war] settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever," he said last month.

Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to an end, three-and-a-half years after Moscow launched its full-invasion.

Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and to its Western partners. The Kremlin has also repeatedly turned down Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

Meanwhile, the US administration approved $200m (£150m) of additional military sales to Ukraine on Tuesday following a phone call between Zelensky and Trump, in which the two leaders also discussed defence co-operation and drone production.

Ukraine has been using drones to hit Russia's refineries and energy facilities, while Moscow has focused its air attacks on Ukraine's cities.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said the toll of an attack on the city last week rose to 32 after a man died of his injuries. The strike was one of the deadliest on Kyiv since the start of the invasion.

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday reported that a Russian attack on a holiday camp in the central region of Zaporizhzhia left two dead and 12 wounded.

"There's no military sense in this attack. It's just cruelty to scare people," Zelensky said.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Trump and Putin to meet in Alaska for Ukraine talks next week

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska next Friday to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.

Trump announced the 15 August meeting on social media and it was later confirmed by a Kremlin spokesperson, who said the location was "quite logical" given Alaska's relative proximity to Russia.

The spokesperson added that Trump had been invited to Russia for a potential second summit.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine.

The announcement of the meeting came just hours after Trump had signalled that Ukraine might have to cede territory in order to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

"You're looking at territory that's been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died," Trump said at the White House on Friday.

"It's very complicated. We're going to get some back, we're going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both."

The US president did not provide further details of what that proposal would look like.

However, the BBC's US partner CBS News, citing sources familiar with the discussions, reports that the White House is trying to sway European leaders to accept an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.

It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.

Earlier on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Putin had proposed a similar arrangement to Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff during a recent meeting in Moscow.

It remains unclear whether Ukraine and European allies would agree to such a deal, given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin remain far apart on the conditions for peace.

Zelensky has roundly rejected any preconditions for territorial concessions.

One senior White House official told CBS that the planning for next Friday's meeting was fluid, and it was still possible that Zelensky would be involved in some capacity.

Moscow has failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough in its full-scale invasion, but occupies around 20% of Ukraine's territory. Ukrainian offensives, meanwhile, have not pushed the Russian forces back.

Three rounds of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to an end, and Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace are seen by Kyiv and its allies as the de facto capitulation of Ukraine.

Russian demands include Ukraine becoming a neutral state, dramatically reducing its military and abandoning its Nato aspirations, as well as the lifting of Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

Moscow also wants Kyiv to withdraw its military from the four regions which Russia partially occupies in south-east Ukraine, and to demobilise its soldiers.

Trump, however, insisted on Friday that the US had "a shot at" a trilateral peace agreement between the countries.

"European leaders want to see peace, President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelensky wants to see peace," he told reporters.

"President Zelensky has to get all of his, everything he needs, because he's going to have to get ready to sign something and I think he's working hard to get that done," Trump said.

Last month, Trump admitted to the BBC that he had thought a deal to end the war in Ukraine was on the cards with Russia four different times: "I'm disappointed in him [Putin], but I'm not done with him."

He has hardened his stance against the Kremlin in recent weeks, imposing a deadline of Friday 8 August for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face more sweeping sanctions.

But as the deadline approached the economic threat was quickly overshadowed by plans for Trump and Putin to meet in person to discuss a potential peace deal.

There was no announcement of further sanctions on Russia from the White House on Friday.

Trump and Putin spoke by phone in February in the first direct exchange between the leaders since Russia's full-scale invasion.

The last time a US president met Putin was in 2021, when Joe Biden met him at a summit in Geneva, Switzerland.

BBC

 

[Ball Blazer]

Ukraine must be part of peace solution, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has underlined he will make no territorial concessions to Russia ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on the future of the war in Ukraine next week.

Trump earlier signalled Ukraine may have to cede territory to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Saturday that "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier", and reiterated that Ukraine must be involved in any solution for peace.

His comments came ahead of a meeting of National Security Advisors from Europe, Ukraine and the US, hosted by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance.

The meeting is understood to be taking place at Chevening, Lammy's official country residence in Kent, where Mr Vance and his family are currently staying, and to have been called at the request of the US.

Earlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a call with Zelensky in which he said they agreed the meeting would be a "vital forum to discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace".

Trump and Putin are set to meet in Alaska on 15 August to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.

Speaking on a potential deal to end the war, Trump said on Friday that there "will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both".

"You're looking at territory that's been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died," the US president said.

Sacrificing land for peace has been the Trump position all along. Zelensky has always made clear that is unacceptable under Ukraine's constitution and would only reward Russia for starting the war.

While Ukraine's president has been careful not to criticise Trump, his post on social media makes clear that he will not accept it.

Zelensky on Saturday said that Ukraine is ready for "real solutions that can bring peace" but underlined that Ukraine needed to be involved.

"Any solutions that are against us, any solutions that are without Ukraine, are simultaneously solutions against peace," he said.

"We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace - a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow's wishes."

This is what Ukraine, and many European allies, were always worried about - Trump and Putin trying to do a deal without Ukraine present.

Trump's words on Russia may have hardened in recent months, but for Ukraine they have yet to be followed by tangible actions.

The US president's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face more sanctions has passed without any apparent consequences.

The BBC's US partner CBS News, citing a senior White House official, reported that it remains possible Zelensky, could end up being involved in the meeting between Putin and Trump some way, as planning for the Friday meeting is still fluid.

On the ground there is a resignation that any initial peace talks may not include Ukraine.

Among soldiers and civilians the BBC spoke to there is a strong desire for peace. There is exhaustion from the constant fighting and Russian drone and missile attacks.

But there is little evidence that Ukraine is willing to accept a peace at any price - much less one that will be forced on it without its voice being heard

Ukraine must be part of peace solution, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

Zelensky also said Ukraine will not give up land to Russia, as European security advisors meet in the UK.

www.bbc.com

 

[Bhaijaan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1953924962601120153

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Before Trump-Putin talks, Ukraine rules out ‘gifting land to occupier’​

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding land to Russia and demanded his country take part in negotiations aimed at ending the war between the neighbours, just days before planned talks between the leaders of Russia and the United States.

In a video shared on social media on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for “real decisions” that could bring a “dignified peace” but stressed there could be no violation of the constitution on territorial issues.

“Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” he said, warning that “decisions without Ukraine” would not bring peace.

“They will not achieve anything. These are stillborn decisions. They are unworkable decisions. And we all need real and genuine peace. Peace that people will respect,” added Zelenskyy, whose country has been fighting off a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.

His comments came hours after US President Donald Trump said a peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories” as he announced a meeting on Friday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the US state of Alaska to discuss the war.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, which also forced millions of people to flee their homes.

Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine this year have failed to bear fruit, and it remains unclear whether a summit would bring peace any closer.

On Thursday, Putin said he considers a meeting with Zelenskyy possible but the conditions for such negotiations must be right. The prerequisites for such talks are still far from being met, the Russian president added, without outlining what his conditions would be.

Previously, the Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine give up the territories Russia occupies, and that Western nations stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and exclude the country from membership in the NATO military alliance.

Source: Al Jazeera