Putin says he hopes to meet Trump as White House presses for peace deal on Ukraine
The news came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine.
Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov had said earlier a summit could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided 'in principle.'
Ushakov brushed aside the possibility of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joining the summit, something the White House had said Trump was ready to consider. Putin has spurned Zelenskyy's previous offers of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough.
'We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,' Ushakov said, adding that US special envoy Steve Witkoff's suggestion of a meeting including Ukraine's leader 'was not specifically discussed.'
Putin made the announcement in the Kremlin after his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.
There was no immediate comment Thursday from the White House and it was unclear how the announcement of the meeting would affect Trump's Friday deadline for Russia to stop the killing or face heavy economic sanctions.
Asked who initiated the meeting, Putin said that didn't matter and 'both sides expressed an interest.'
Speaking of the possible involvement of Zelenskyy in future talks, Putin said he has mentioned several times that he wasn't against it, adding: 'It's a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created' for it to happen.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund who met with Witkoff on Wednesday, said a Trump-Putin meeting would allow Moscow to 'clearly convey its position,' and he hoped a summit would include discussions on mutually beneficial economic issues, including joint investments in areas such as rare earth elements.
The meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward Trump's effort to end the war, although there's no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.
Next week is the target date for a summit, Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise and no date is confirmed. The possible venue will be announced 'a little later,' he said.
Months of US-led efforts have yielded no progress on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbour. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides as well as more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.
Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling for time in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. Putin previously has offered no concessions and will only accept a settlement on his terms.
A meeting between Putin and Trump on the war would be a departure from the Biden administration's policy of 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine' — a key demand from Kyiv.
At the start of his second term, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he has long shown admiration, and even echoed some of his talking points on the war. But he recently has expressed increasing exasperation with Putin, criticising the Kremlin leader for his unyielding stance on US-led peace efforts, and has threatened Moscow with new sanctions.
Zelenskyy seeks European involvement
Zelenskyy said he planned calls with European leaders Thursday to discuss the latest developments amid a flurry of diplomatic activity.
European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent, he said on Telegram.
'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,' he added.
A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media.
Securing a truce, deciding a format for a summit and providing assurances for Ukraine's future protection from invasion — a consideration that must involve the US and Europe — are crucial aspects to address, Zelenskyy said.
He noted that Russian strikes on civilians haven't eased off despite Trump publicly urging Putin to relent.
A Russian attack Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and injured eight others, he said.
Poll shows support for continuing the fight waning in Ukraine
A new Gallup poll published Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a settlement that ends the fight against Russia's invasion.
The enthusiasm for a negotiated deal is a sharp reversal from 2022 — the year the war began — when Gallup found that about three-quarters of Ukrainians wanted to keep fighting until victory.
Now only about one-quarter hold that view, with support for continuing the war declining steadily across all regions and demographic groups.
The findings were based on samples of 1,000 or more respondents ages 15 and older living in Ukraine. Some territories under entrenched Russian control, representing about 10 per cent of the population, were excluded from surveys conducted after 2022 due to lack of access.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.
On the 1,000-kilometre front line snaking from northeast to southeast Ukraine, where tens of thousands of troops on both sides have died, Russia's bigger army is slowly capturing more land.
In the new Gallup survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians say their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible. Zelenskyy last month renewed his offer to meet with Putin, but his overture was rebuffed.
Most Ukrainians do not expect a lasting peace anytime soon, the poll found. Only about one-quarter say it's 'very' or 'somewhat' likely that active fighting will end within the next 12 months, while about seven in 10 think it's 'somewhat' or 'very' unlikely that active fighting will be over in the next year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
a minute ago
- Economic Times
India scours the globe for more oil ahead of Trump-Putin summit
India's refiners are diversifying crude oil sources amid potential US pressure to curb Russian imports, spurred by President Trump's demands and tariff hikes. State processors are actively purchasing non-Russian crude from various global markets for September-October delivery. While private refiners may continue Russian imports, concerns over secondary sanctions are pushing some to explore alternative payment methods and smaller banks. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Refiners in India, the world's top importer of seaborne Russian crude, are scouring the globe for alternative supplies, hedging their bets ahead of a summit between the US and Russian Donald Trump, eager to gain traction in talks with Vladimir Putin, has demanded that India stop purchases of cut-price crude that fuels the Kremlin's 'the war machine,' and last week doubled tariffs on the country's goods as punishment. The move left refiners in the world's third-largest oil consumer looking to switch up their procurement state processors have bought large volumes of non-Russian crude this week for prompt September-October delivery, extending a buying spree spurred by an early threat by Washington. Indian Oil Corp . and Bharat Petroleum Corp . have taken cargoes from all corners of the market including the US, but also Brazil and the Middle spot market purchases comes on top of supplies from long-term sellers like Saudi Arabia, which is set to send about 22.5 million barrels of crude to India for September loading, traders said. India's monthly imports from Saudi last exceeded that level in September 2024, according to data from analytics firm meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska on Friday will be closely watched by the industry, eager for clues as to whether the US will ease pressure on Russian sales — or crank it up. India has long had close ties to Russia and Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be traveling to Moscow next week with a delegation that's likely to include Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain, the most senior bureaucrat in the oil will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Aug. 21, according to a post on X by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on India has not been a significant importer of Russian crude, depending more heavily on the Middle East. All that changed in 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine and a $60-per-barrel price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations that aimed to limit the Kremlin's oil revenues while keeping supplies flowing imports amounted to about 1.7 million barrels a day, or nearly 37% of the nation's overseas purchases, in mid-2025. They were mostly of Urals crude, a medium-density grade that can be interchanged with barrels from across the Middle East. While the total volume that India would need to find as replacement is significant, the task has been made less challenging in a market awash with oil after the return of OPEC+ barrels and softer demand from major economies such as now, Indian private refiners such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and Nayara Energy are still expected to continue buying Russian crude, some of which is procured via term contracts, even as state refiners hold back on spot purchases for loading in producers have already started to tout Urals more aggressively to Chinese buyers in response to the potential shift. Prices have been cut for offers of Urals for delivery in September to October, suggesting some of the oil was diverted from Indian importers who still want to take Russian crude are being met with hesitation from banking and logistics partners worried about the prospect of Trump's threat of so-called secondary sanctions on those supporting the trade. In light of such reservations, traders said some private players may increasingly look at buying more Russian crude using smaller banks, Chinese yuan and dark-fleet has warned he would impose 'very severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to a deal later this week, a threat that the oil market will struggle to fully quantify and prepare for. Oil-market observers have said that the Chinese may be wary of piling in on Russian crude — taking supplies that it doesn't desperately need due to ample flows from Iran — to avoid Washington's wrath.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 minutes ago
- First Post
Op Sindoor effect: Pakistan to create Army Rocket Force to watch missiles months after Indian assault
The move is reportedly aimed at matching India's defence system. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force at an event held to commemorate its worst conflict with India in a decade in May Months after being thwarted by India as a result of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has decided to establish a new force in military force for supervising its missile combat capabilities in the event of conventional combat. The move is reportedly aimed at matching India's defence system. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force at an event held to commemorate its worst conflict with India in a decade in May. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It will be equipped with modern technology,' Sharif said in a statement from his office, adding that the force will prove to be a milestone in strengthening the combat capability of Pakistan's army. A senior security official told Reuters that the force will have its own command in the military, which will be dedicated to handling and deployment of missiles during conventional wars. 'It is obvious that it is meant for India,' he said. India-US joint military exercise Meanwhile, India and the US will undertake a joint military exercise next month, according to a report by The Print. The annual exercise, known as 'Yudh Abhyas', will take place from 1 to 16 September in Alaska, US, and will feature an all-arms contingent from the Indian Army, led by the Madras Regiment. A source told the publication, 'The upcoming edition will see participation from both sides in high-altitude conditions in Alaska, a factor that adds operational complexity to the drills. Such settings will also allow troops to train in environments that mirror potential conflict zones.' Launched in 2004 under the Indo-US Defence Cooperation Agreement, 'Yudh Abhyas' is held annually, alternating between locations in India and the United States. The previous edition took place in Rajasthan in 2024. The exercise typically involves tactical field training between the Indian Army and the US Army, focusing on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, and peacekeeping operations. It also includes command post drills centred on mission planning, joint operations, and coordination under United Nations mandates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India among fastest growing economies: JSW chairman Sajjan Jindal
JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal on Thursday countered US President Donald Trump's recent remarks on India, saying India is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. Speaking at the listing ceremony of JSW Cement at the NSE here, Jindal said India is the fastest growing large economy and has a great future ahead, days after US President Donald Trump's remark of India being a dead economy. "We are going to see a great future for India, because India is growing, it's one of the largest, fastest growing large economies in the world. Whatever Trump may say, that doesn't matter. We are the fastest growing large economy in the world," Jindal said. Amid the trade policy negotiations, Trump had called India as a "dead economy" while expressing disappointment with New Delhi's posturing to continue buying cheap oil from Russia. "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together," Trump had reportedly said. Stating that JSW Cement will grow fast as accelerated growth is in the DNA of the Group, he said, "we can't be conservative, we have to be aggressive and that's what India requires. India needs aggressive companies, India needs growth." Meanwhile, shares of JSW Cement Ltd listed with a premium of over 4 per cent against the issue price of Rs 147 on Thursday. The company's stock opened at Rs 153, up 4 per cent from the issue price on the BSE. Later, it jumped 5.23 per cent to Rs 154.70. At the NSE, it listed at Rs 153.50, a premium of 4.42 per cent. The company's market valuation stood at Rs 20,914.02 crore. The capital markets are not just about raising funds, it's about winning the trust of the investors, Jindal said and added that "in the long run, you don't need to take a big jump, but small steps and the investors are always with you." JSW Cement Managing Director Parth Jindal said that he was aiming to take the company to the top two in the industry. "... I have to dream to be in the top two and we all will dream to be in the top two and to build this company," he said. "We have just begun and I hope that we can create value for all our minority shareholders and take this company to its rightful place and be a big part of the future growth story of the JSW group," he said. He said that at present a lot of JSW group companies have the vision to go public, adding that," Now, I'm fully trained, fully ready and geared up to take all of you public as well.
