Zelenskiy says Russia appears more open to ceasefire, but warns against deception
His remarks followed a meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which US President Donald Trump described as having delivered 'great progress' – though he offered no specifics.
CALL FOR LASTING PEACE
"Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started," Zelenskiy said in a post on X following a phone call with Trump that included European allies.
Trump, who has shown increasing frustration with Putin in recent weeks, has given the Russian president until Friday to advance toward peace or face tougher sanctions. A White House official confirmed that the secondary sanctions Trump had previously warned of – targeting countries that continue doing business with Russia – were still scheduled to take effect on Friday.
TARIFFS ON INDIA ADD TO PRESSURE
Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday (August 6) imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over its purchases of Russian oil. The move is widely seen as part of a broader strategy to pressure Moscow by targeting its trade partners.
'The pressure on (Russia) works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the US,' Zelenskiy said.
While Ukraine has consistently called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, Russia, which controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, has rejected the proposal and continues to push forward on the eastern front.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
29 minutes ago
- Business Times
US: Wall Street opens higher as Fed shake-up stokes dovish bets
WALL Street's main indexes opened higher on Friday (Aug 8) as US President Donald Trump's temporary pick for a Federal Reserve governor post fuelled expectations of a more dovish central bank board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 76.3 points, or 0.17 per cent, at the open to 44044.95. The S&P 500 rose 15.2 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 6355.22, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 73.7 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 21316.366. REUTERS
CNA
29 minutes ago
- CNA
Pinterest slumps after flagging soft ad spend in major market U.S
Pinterest shares plunged about 15 per cent on Friday after the image-sharing platform warned of weaker ad spending in the U.S., its biggest market, due to the removal of the "de minimis" trade loophole. Tariffs-driven uncertainty and a suspension of the exemption that allowed packages valued at or under $800 to be shipped to the U.S. without facing import duties have forced some Asian e-commerce companies to scale back their U.S. marketing budgets. Those companies are now focusing on Europe and their home markets, where advertising rates are typically lower than those in North America, impacting ad revenues at Pinterest. The company, known for curating links to lifestyle products such as home decor, fashion accessories and beauty items, saw a 25 per cent decline in advertising prices in the second quarter. With U.S. tariffs in place, the trend is expected to continue. "Management's comments on tariff concerns extending into the third quarter likely spooked the Street," Roth Capital Partners analysts said. A user growth slowdown, especially in North America, also added to investor worries. The company added 8 million users in the quarter to 578 million, lower than the 17 million in the first. It is much smaller than rivals such as Meta-owned Instagram. The stalled user growth is a "significant" concern, AJ Bell head of financial analysis Danni Hewson said. "As followers of the fortunes of MySpace, Bebo and Vine could tell you, it can be hard to regain relevance in the social media world once you have lost it." To boost engagement and attract more ad dollars, Pinterest has been doubling down on investments in shopping tools and personalization. But that is pushing up costs just as revenue growth is under pressure, hitting profits. The company's quarterly adjusted profit per share of 33 cents fell short of expectations of 35 cents on Thursday as total costs and expenses jumped 15 per cent.
CNA
29 minutes ago
- CNA
Trump's deadline for Russia to end its war in Ukraine expires
A US deadline for Russia to end its war in Ukraine or face economic punishment expires today. There has been no clarity on whether the US will deliver on its threat, given plans by both countries to hold a presidential summit. The Kremlin said talks are due soon with finer details having been settled, but Washington said nothing has been finalised on its end. US President Donald Trump said he is ready to speak to Vladimir Putin, even if the Russian leader does not sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This contradicts earlier reports that it was a prerequisite for the summit. Dasha Chernyshova reports from Moscow and Jagruti Dave reports from Washington DC.
