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Los Angeles Times
11 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Stakes rise in the Russia-Ukraine war as Trump's deadline for the Kremlin approaches
The coming week could bring an important moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as President Trump's deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal approaches — or it could simply melt away. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow in the middle of this week, just before Trump's Friday deadline for the Kremlin to stop the killing or face potentially severe economic penalties from Washington. Previous Trump promises, threats and cajoling have failed to yield results., and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate will be hard to clear away. Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing more territory on the front line, although there is no sign of a looming collapse of its defenses. Witkoff was expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza. 'They would like to see (Witkoff),' Trump said Sunday of the Russians. 'They've asked that he meet so we'll see what happens.' Trump, exasperated that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't heeded his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, a week ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, including China and India. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that officials are happy to meet with Trump's envoy. 'We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow,' he said. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful.' Trump said Sunday that Russia has proved to be 'pretty good at avoiding sanctions.' 'They're wily characters,' he said of the Russians. The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact. Ukraine insists the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged the United States, Europe and other nations to impose stronger secondary sanctions on Moscow's energy, trade and banking sectors. Trump's comments appeared to signal he doesn't have much hope that sanctions will force Putin's hand. The secondary sanctions also complicate Washington's relations with China and India, who stand accused of helping finance Russia's war effort by buying its oil. Since taking office in January, Trump has found that stopping the war is harder than he perhaps imagined. Senior American officials have warned that the U.S. could walk away from the conflict if peace efforts make no progress. The diplomatic atmosphere has become more heated as Trump's deadline approaches. Putin announced last Friday that Russia's new hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, has entered service. The Russian leader has hailed its capabilities, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds of up to Mach 10 cannot be intercepted. They are so powerful, he said, that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack. Also, one of Putin's top lieutenants warned that the Ukraine war could nudge Russia and the U.S. into armed conflict. Trump responded to what he called the 'highly provocative statements' by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev by ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines. Putin has repeated the same message throughout the war: He will only accept a settlement on his terms and will keep fighting until they're met. Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. It has pushed on with that tactic despite Trump's public calls for it to stop over the past three months. On the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow and costly progress. It is carrying out a sustained operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub whose fall could open the way for a deeper drive into Ukraine. Ukraine has developed technology that has allowed it to launch long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia. In its latest strike it hit an oil depot near Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, starting a major fire.
American Military News
41 minutes ago
- American Military News
Trump Says Envoy Witkoff May Travel To Russia In Coming Week
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. US President Donald Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia on August 6 or 7 — the last days before his new deadline for Russia to take steps to end the war or face sanctions targeting oil exports. Trump had said earlier he would send Witkoff to Moscow following his current trip to Israel but did not provide a specific itinerary. Speaking to reporters on August 3, Trump again warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine by August 8. 'There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,' Trump said. 'They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens.' The secondary tariffs would likely target China and India, the two largest buyers of Russian oil. Kyiv and Moscow have been trading strikes ahead of the deadline set by Trump. In the most recent attack, three people were killed in Ukraine's southeastern region of Zaporizhzhya, Governor Ivan Fedorov said late on August 3. Stepnohirsk, a town only a few kilometers from the front line, was attacked, Fedorov wrote on Telegram, adding that two men, ages 40 and 50, and a woman, 58, were killed. Private homes were also destroyed, he said. Russian authorities in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi said Ukrainian drones set a regional oil depot on fire early on August 3. It took more than 120 firefighters to extinguish the flames. Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin said there were no injuries. In the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, a Russian missile strike destroyed homes and civilian infrastructure, the regional governor said on August 3. At least seven civilians were reported injured in the attack. Trump has been pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a cease-fire and an end to the war, now in its fourth year. Trump announced on July 14 that Putin had 50 days to end the war or Russia would face severe tariffs targeting its oil and other exports, but he later moved the deadline up to August 8. This corresponded with a deadly week for civilians in Ukraine, including a July 31 attack on Kyiv involving more than 300 drones that killed at least 31 people. Ukrainian forces also increased strikes on Russian infrastructure. Russian authorities said the drone attack on the Sochi oil refinery was one of several launched by Ukraine over the weekend targeting energy and military installations in the southern Russian cities of Ryazan, Penza, and Voronezh. The escalating attacks and the approaching deadline for a deal come as Trump said on August 1 that he had deployed nuclear-capable submarines to the 'appropriate regions.' Trump said he had decided to reposition the nuclear submarines 'closer to Russia' because of 'highly provocative statements' by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The US president did not specify whether these were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. Asked later by reporters why he ordered the submarine movement, Trump said that 'a threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we're going to protect our people.' Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, accused Washington of playing a 'game of ultimatums' in response to Trump's announcement that he shortened the deadline for the Kremlin to accept a cease-fire, writing that 'each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war.' Putin has not publicly responded to Trump's latest deadline. He has periodically claimed to be interested in peace but only on terms wholly unacceptable to Kyiv. Trump has recently voiced frustration with Putin after initially appearing more conciliatory toward striking a deal with Moscow following his return to office in January. The US president has since said that he believes Putin is not negotiating in good faith and last week described Russia's continued attacks on civilian areas as 'disgusting.'
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
China and Russia Make Military Maneuvers After Trump's Nuclear Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Joint drills are taking place in the Sea of Japan by Russia and China following President Donald Trump's announcement that he had deployed U.S. nuclear submarines in response to threats from Vladimir Putin's ally. The Maritime Interaction 2025 exercises with Beijing had been planned before Trump denounced as "foolish and inflammatory" nuclear threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. But the drills are the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between the countries as Trump's announcement adds to growing tensions between Moscow and Washington. Retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett told Newsweek that Trump's announcement about submarines could reflect a minor shift in the overall posture of U.S. nuclear forces. Fighter jets on China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill at sea on April 24, 2018. Fighter jets on China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill at sea on April 24, 2018. Getty Images Why It Matters Before Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia and China signed a "no limits" strategic partnership, and since then, their military and economic ties have increased, although Beijing has claimed neutrality in the war. China and Russia have carried out annual drills for years, but the latest ones come at a sensitive time in which Trump has expressed his growing anger with Putin and responded to Medvedev's nuclear saber rattling. What To Know The navies of Russia and China are conducting joint artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan, near the Russian port of Vladivostok, as part of the "Maritime Interaction-2025" exercise, Russian officials said on Sunday. Russian and Chinese media said the drills involved the joint detachment of Russian and Chinese warships, including a large Russian anti-submarine vessel and two Chinese destroyers. Also taking part were diesel-electric submarines from both countries and a Chinese submarine rescue ship. Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, were taking part, according to China's Defense Ministry. The drills, which are scheduled to end on Tuesday, include artillery fire exercises, anti-submarine warfare training, air defense operations, and joint search and rescue missions. They follow Trump's comments on Friday that he had ordered the deployment of U.S. nuclear submarines in response to "highly provocative" statements from Medvedev about the possibility of war between the countries. Medvedev, who was Russian president between 2008 and 2012 and is now deputy chairman of the Federation Council, issued a veiled nuclear threat against the U.S. as referred to the "Dead Hand" system of retaliatory nuclear strikes created during the Soviet era. Trump called the comments "foolish and inflammatory" but did not specify whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines, nor did he reveal the locations, which would be kept secret by the U.S. military. Murrett, the deputy director of the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law, told Newsweek that what may have happened in response to the untoward remarks by Medvedev pales in comparison to some of the nuclear posturing that took place between the U.S. and Russia throughout the Cold War. "Having said that, any shift in nuclear posture should be carefully calibrated, and act as a deterrent and not a prelude to unchecked increased tensions," Murrett added. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump said of Dmitry Medvedev's post: "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences." Russia's Pacific Fleet, in a statement: "Ships and vessels of the Russian Navy and the Naval Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China entered the Sea of Japan from Vladivostok to conduct the practical part of the joint Russian-Chinese exercise "Maritime Interaction —2025." Retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett told Newsweek: "The possible repositioning of USN submarines could reflect a minor shift in the overall posture of U.S. nuclear forces which are constantly assessed." Pavel Podvig, head of the Strategic Nuclear Weapons of Russia project, told Russian outlet RBC: "There is no qualitatively new and more serious threat to Russia here, rather the statement is more of symbolism." What Happens Next Although the drills end on Tuesday, Japan's Ministry of Defense warned that China's military cooperation with Russia poses serious security concerns. Meanwhile, Medvedev has not posted on social media since July 31, and Russian media outlets have largely not reacted to his spat with Trump, which could suggest a truce in the online war of words.
