Russia-Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin ready for peace talks; sets big condition
Vladimir Putin
is ready for peace talks with Ukraine but Moscow remains committed to achieving its "main goal", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Reuters reported citing state media on Sunday.
'President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov said.
'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear,' he added.
Peskov noted that the world had grown used to US President
Donald Trump
's occasionally 'harsh' rhetoric, but emphasized that Trump had also made it clear he remained committed to pursuing a peace agreement with Russia.
This came after Kyiv proposed a new round of peace talks next week after negotiations got stalled in early June.
"Security Council Secretary Umerov also reported that he had proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week. The momentum of the negotiations must be stepped up." AFP quoted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as saying.
Trump, on Monday, unveiled new weapons support for Ukraine and warned that sanctions would target buyers of Russian exports unless Moscow agreed to a peace deal within 50 days.
Two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv failed to produce any breakthrough toward a ceasefire, resulting instead in agreements on large-scale prisoner swaps and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' bodies.
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First Post
13 minutes ago
- First Post
Can Ishiba hold on after election loss as Japan's political crisis deepens amid US tariff threats?
Japan is in political flux after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition lost its upper house majority for the first time in decades. With rising inflation, internal party unrest, and looming US tariffs, Ishiba vows to stay — but opposition parties are circling, and a far-right populist wave is gaining ground. Can his government survive? read more Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo on July 21, 2025, the day after the prime minister's coalition lost its upper house majority. File Image/Pool via Reuters Japan's political leadership is facing turmoil as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition suffered a defeat in the recent upper house elections. With mounting pressure from opposition, growing dissatisfaction within his own party, and a looming trade standoff with the United States, Ishiba is now contending with the most turbulent phase of his premiership since taking office last October. The results from Sunday's election dealt a substantial blow to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Together, the two parties secured only 47 seats in the 248-member upper house — falling short of the 50-seat threshold required to retain a majority. Half the seats were contested in this round. This outcome means the coalition now lacks a majority in both chambers of the Japanese Diet, having already lost control of the more influential lower house during the October elections last year. Shigeru Ishiba, Japanese Prime Minister and president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters, on the day of Upper House election, in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2025. File Image/Pool via Reuters The loss is historic. For the first time since the LDP's founding in 1955, a sitting prime minister from the party is governing without holding a majority in at least one chamber of parliament. This result comes on the heels of widespread voter frustration over rising consumer costs, stagnant wage growth, and the government's perceived failure to provide adequate relief. Despite the election loss, Ishiba has insisted on staying in office. Speaking to reporters, he said, 'I will stay in office and do everything in my power to chart a path toward resolving these challenges.' He also noted that he intends to engage directly with US President Donald Trump to secure a trade agreement before the impending August 1 deadline for additional tariffs. In a separate statement to NHK, Ishiba acknowledged the public sentiment behind the election outcome: 'That's right. It's a difficult situation, and we have to take it very humbly and seriously.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why Ishiba lost his majority Economic concerns were at the heart of voter discontent. Over the past year, households have been squeezed by rising prices across essential commodities, including Japan's staple grain — rice. Public frustration has only increased by declining real wages and the government's inability to implement effective policies to counter inflationary pressure. The prime minister expressed awareness of these concerns. 'While I painfully feel my serious responsibility over the election results, I believe I must also fulfill my responsibility I bear for the country and the people so as not to cause politics to stall or go adrift,' he said. Ishiba's administration has so far resisted calls to reduce the consumption tax, despite growing popular demand and opposition campaigning centered on such relief. 'Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes,' said David Boling of Eurasia Group. 'Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home.' In contrast, rival parties have pledged increased social welfare spending and tax cuts. This strategy helped them win votes, especially among economically strained demographics. Adding further strain to the economic outlook is the concern surrounding Japan's public debt, already the largest in the world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The LDP has been advocating fiscal restraint amid a jittery government bond market, where investor confidence has been slipping. Internal dissent within the LDP While Ishiba remains publicly committed to continuing as prime minister, dissatisfaction is growing within the ranks of his own party. Several senior figures have reportedly questioned his leadership following the election outcome. Among them is former Prime Minister Taro Aso, a prominent faction leader within the LDP, who was quoted by TV Asahi as saying he 'couldn't accept' Ishiba staying on as leader. Local media reports suggest that senior LDP members met on Sunday evening to discuss the possibility of Ishiba stepping down. According to the Sankei newspaper, the meeting reflected serious concerns about the future of the party's governance under his leadership. When asked about these internal calls for his resignation, Ishiba said: 'It is natural that there are various opinions within the party.' Although the LDP remains the largest party in parliament, its inability to pass legislation unilaterally will likely require negotiation with the fragmented opposition. Analysts believe Ishiba may now have to build support for individual policies through ad hoc alliances in order to keep the government functioning. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Opposition is reacting The electoral results provided a boost to opposition parties. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), led by Yoshihiko Noda, secured 22 seats in the upper house, bringing its total to 37. Following the vote, Noda announced that he was considering introducing a no-confidence motion against the Ishiba government, arguing that the election outcome demonstrated a lack of public trust in the current leadership. The centre-right Democratic Party for the People also increased its standing, finishing with 22 seats. However, despite the gains made by individual parties, the broader opposition remains fragmented across roughly a dozen parties, making it difficult to form a cohesive alternative to the ruling coalition. Any attempt to topple Ishiba's government through a no-confidence vote would need broad support from across these disparate groups, a scenario that currently appears unlikely. What about Sanseito While the traditional parties battled for control, the election also saw a dramatic rise in support for the far-right Sanseito party. Founded during the Covid-19 pandemic, the party grew its influence through online platforms like YouTube, often promoting conspiracy theories related to vaccines and elite global networks. Sanseito increased its representation from one seat to 15, becoming one of the most notable political stories of the election. Their 'Japanese First' slogan and strong anti-immigration rhetoric struck a chord with disillusioned voters who felt neglected by mainstream political discourse. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Party leader Sohei Kamiya, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, has previously cited European right-wing movements like Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and the UK's Reform Party as inspiration for Sanseito's political model. Supporters of Sanseito often express concerns about immigration and cultural erosion. One voter, 25-year-old graduate student Yu Nagai, told AFP: 'I am attending graduate school but there are no Japanese around me. All of them are foreigners. When I look at the way compensation and money are spent on foreigners, I think that Japanese people are a bit disrespected.' Although foreign-born residents make up only about 3 per cent of Japan's population, a record 3.8 million foreigners now live in the country. The influx — boosted by tourism and labour shortages — has sparked increased visibility and debate around immigration policy, especially in urban centres. How Trump's tariff threats play into this The most pressing foreign policy issue facing Ishiba's government is the ongoing trade standoff with the United States. With a 25 per cent tariff on Japanese automobiles set to come into effect on August 1, the urgency to strike a mutually beneficial deal with Washington has become paramount. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ishiba has stated that he hopes to meet with US President Donald Trump soon to resolve the matter. 'We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States … we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realising our national interests,' Ishiba told TV Tokyo. The economic implications of the proposed tariffs are significant. Japan's automobile sector, which comprises roughly 8 per cent of the national workforce, has already begun to feel the strain. Exports to the US have dropped sharply, fuelling concerns of an impending recession. Japan's chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa has made multiple trips to Washington in recent months. His latest visit, which began Monday morning, is his eighth in the past three months. The US administration has voiced its displeasure with Japan's trade practices, particularly over what it perceives as barriers to American goods such as rice and cars. Trump has also criticised the lack of meaningful progress in negotiations, despite Japan's ongoing grain shortages. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
New Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street logs a 3rd straight winning week
BANGKOK: Asian shares are mixed and US futures have edged higher after US stocks logged their third straight winning week. Markets were closed for a holiday in Japan, where the ruling Liberal Democrats have lost their coalition majorities in both houses of parliament for the first time since 1955 following Sunday's election and the loss of their lower house majority in October. A grim Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to stay on, but the outcome of the upper house election reflects voters' frustration with rising prices and political instability. Analysts said they expect his weakened government to crank up spending, adding to Japan's huge debt burden. Japan is also facing the imposition of 25% tariffs across the board on its exports to the US as talks with the Trump administration appear to have made little headway. "We expect short-term political instability to intensify due to the difficulties of forming a majority coalition, a likely change in leadership, and a potential deadlock in trade negotiations," Peter Hoflich of BMI, a part of the Fitch Group, said in a commentary. "Without a structural reset through snap elections, Japan is likely to face prolonged policy drift throughout 2026," he said. Chinese shares advanced after the central bank kept its key 1-year and 5-year loan prime interest rates unchanged. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3% to 24,895.20, while the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.4% to 3,549.89. Recent stronger economic data have eased pressure on the Chinese leadership to soften credit. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's administration has softened its criticism of Beijing, raising hopes that the two sides can work out a trade deal and avert the imposition of sharply higher tariffs on imports from China. South Korea's Kospi picked up 0.5% to 3,205.71 after the government reported a slight improvement in exports in June. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.1% to 8,659.50, while Taiwan's Taiex dropped 0.3%. In India, the Sensex rose 0.2%, while Bangkok's SET was down 0.5%. This week will bring updates on US home sales, jobless claims and manufacturing. Several Big Tech companies including Alphabet and Tesla are due to provide earnings reports. On Friday, the S&P 500 handed back less than 1 point after setting an all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1% to add its own record. Norfolk Southern chugged 2.5% higher after an AP source said it was discussing a merger with Union Pacific to create the largest railroad in North America, one that would connect the East and West coasts. Any such deal, though, would likely face tough scrutiny from U.S. regulators. Union Pacific's stock fell 1.2%. The heaviest weight on the market, meanwhile, was Netflix, which fell 5.1% despite reporting a stronger-than-expected profit. Exxon Mobil sank 3.5% and also tugged on the market. It had been challenging Chevron's $53 billion deal to buy Hess, but an arbitration ruling in Paris about Hess assets off Guyana's coast allowed the buyout to go through. Chevron fell 0.9% after losing an early gain. Treasury yields eased after a report suggested US consumers may be feeling less fearful about coming inflation. They're bracing for inflation of 4.4% in the year ahead, down from last month's projection of 5%, according to preliminary results from a University of Michigan survey. Prices may already be starting to feel the upward effects of President Donald Trump' s higher tariffs, according to data released last week. The Trump administration is preparing to impose steeper import duties on many countries as of Aug. 1, although some have worked out deals to mitigate some of the damage. In other trading early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 14 cents to $66.19 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 10 cents to $69.38 per barrel. The US dollar rose to 148.50 Japanese yen from 147.98 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1628 from $1.1629. (ELAINE KURTENBACH)
NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
Iran To Host Fresh Negotiations With European Powers Over Nuclear Programme
Iran confirmed fresh talks with European powers to be held on Friday in Istanbul, the country's state media reported, the first since the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago. Iranian diplomats will meet counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, after the trio warned that sanctions could be reimposed on Tehran if it does return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme. Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. "In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks," said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai, as quoted by state TV on Monday. The subject of the talks will be Iran's nuclear programme, it added. A German diplomatic source had told AFP on Sunday the E3 were in contact with Tehran and said "Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon". "That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme," the source said. Israel launched on June 13 a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities. The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Kremlin Meeting Iran and the United States had held several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran. However, US President Donald Trump's decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended the talks. The E3 countries last met with Iranian representatives in Geneva on June 21 -- just one day before the US strikes. Also Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader on nuclear issues. Larijani "conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear programme", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting. Putin had expressed Russia's "well-known positions on how to stabilise the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear programme", he added. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran's clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel's bombing campaign. Snapback Mechanism Iran and world powers struck a deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed significant restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018, during Trump's first presidency, when the United States walked away from it and reimposed sanctions on Iran. European countries have in recent days threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance by Iran. After a call with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Western allies had "absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds" for reactivating the snapback sanctions. He elaborated in a post to social media Sunday. "Through their actions and statements, including providing political and material support to the recent unprovoked and illegal military aggression of the Israeli regime and the US... the E3 have relinquished their role as 'Participants' in the JCPOA," said Araghchi. That made any attempt to reinstate the terminated UN Security Council resolutions "null and void", he added. "Iran has shown that it is capable of defeating any delusional 'dirty work' but has always been prepared to reciprocate meaningful diplomacy in good faith," Araghchi wrote. However, the German source said Sunday that "if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3". Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said last week there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities.
