Putin, unfazed by Trump, will fight on and could take more of Ukraine: Reuters
President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump's threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said.
Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in the country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian soldiers, believes Russia's economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, the sources said.
Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin's refusal to agree on a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.
The three Russian sources, familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking, said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believes Russia - which has survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West- can endure further economic hardship, including threatened U.S. tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil.
"Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine - including the Americans - so he will continue until he gets what he wants," one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cedar News
8 hours ago
- Cedar News
U.S. Introduces New 'Visa Integrity Fee' for All Foreign Visitors Starting 2025
A new law passed under the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will require all foreign visitors to the United States who need nonimmigrant visas to pay a 'U.S. visa integrity fee' starting in fiscal year 2025. The new charge will be a minimum of $250 and cannot be waived, according to the legislation. The fee, which is in addition to existing visa costs, is aimed at promoting compliance with U.S. immigration rules. However, travelers may be eligible for reimbursement under certain conditions. Who Must Pay the U.S. Visa Integrity Fee? The fee applies to all nonimmigrant visa categories, including: Tourists (B-1/B-2) Business travelers International students (F-1, M-1, etc.) The visa integrity fee will be paid only if a visa is approved. If a visa application is denied, the fee will not be charged. Does the Fee Replace Other Visa Costs? No. The new fee is in addition to existing visa application fees, such as the $205 for an H-1B application. It also adds to the Form I-94 fee, which was recently raised from $6 to $24. Travelers should prepare to pay significantly more when applying for U.S. visas after the new rule takes effect. Is the Fee Refundable? Technically, yes — but only if visa holders comply with all conditions: Do not accept unauthorized employment Do not overstay the visa by more than 5 days Reimbursement will occur after the visa expires, but no system has been announced yet to manage this process. Legal experts are advising travelers to treat the fee as nonrefundable, given the uncertainty. When Will the Fee Be Implemented? No specific date has been set. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that inter-agency coordination is required before launching the new fee. It's unclear how or where the DHS will collect it, since the State Department handles the visa issuance process. Impact on International Travel Immigration experts warn that the U.S. visa integrity fee could deter tourists and students due to higher travel costs. It also comes as the U.S. prepares to host major events in 2026 — including its 250th independence anniversary and part of the FIFA World Cup. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the policy will generate $28.9 billion in revenue and help reduce visa overstays — a long-standing issue in U.S. immigration enforcement.
MTV Lebanon
10 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report, Seeks $10 Billion
U.S. President Donald Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and its owners including Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion on Friday, over the newspaper's report that his name was on a 2003 birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared. The lawsuit filed in Miami federal court names Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp (NWSA.O), opens new tab and its Chief Executive Robert Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters as defendants, saying they defamed Trump and caused him to suffer "overwhelming" financial and reputational harm. Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. His case has generated conspiracy theories that became popular among Trump's base of supporters who believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. Trump has said he parted ways with Epstein before the financier's legal troubles became public in 2006. The president has vehemently denied the Journal report, which Reuters has not verified, and had warned Murdoch that he planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp. "We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case," Trump added. A spokesperson for Dow Jones said in a statement: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit." The lawsuit called Trump's alleged birthday greeting "fake," and said the Journal published its article to harm Trump's reputation. 'Tellingly, the Article does not explain whether Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it, have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that would otherwise lend credibility to the Article,' the lawsuit said. To prevail on his defamation claims, Trump must show the defendants acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth. A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest defamation judgments and settlements in recent history. These include a $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Fox News' settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.
Ya Libnan
17 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
‘Epstein files' explained: Why Trump is under pressure
Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, died in 2019 before he faced trial for sex offenses. He is shown here in a file photo with Trump A perceived lack of transparency over the US investigations into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has carved a rare chasm between President Donald Trump and his typically loyal Republican base. As Trump struggles to quell his supporters' obsessions with the case — one long surrounded by conspiracy theories — AFP outlines its history and why it has caused so much outrage. Origins of the Epstein case Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was first charged with sex offenses in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home. He avoided federal charges — which could have seen him face life in prison — due to a controversial plea deal with prosecutors that saw him jailed for just under 13 months. In July 2019, he was arrested again in New York and charged with trafficking dozens of teenage girls and engaging in sex acts with them in exchange for money. Prosecutors said he worked with employees and associates to ensure a 'steady supply of minor victims to abuse.' Epstein pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. On August 10, 2019, while in custody awaiting trial, authorities said he was found dead in his prison cell after hanging himself. A separate case against Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for helping him abuse girls, detailed Epstein's connections with high-profile figures like Britain's Prince Andrew and former US president Bill Clinton. Both have denied any wrongdoing. Why are there conspiracy theories? Some people believe that authorities are concealing details about the Epstein case to protect rich and powerful elites who associated with him, including Trump. Those ideas have gripped Trump's 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement — but demands for more transparency have crossed the political aisle. One key theory centers on a rumored client list of individuals who committed sex offenses alongside Epstein. The Trump administration has insisted that no such list exists. Skeptics also allege suspicious circumstances in Epstein's death such as the security cameras around his cell apparently malfunctioning on the night he died, alongside other irregularities. Trump and the Epstein case Trump, who as a New York property magnate rubbed shoulders with Epstein, said when re-running for president that he would 'probably' release files related to the case. But since taking office, many of Trump's supporters have been disappointed by what they see as a failure to deliver. The 79-year-old himself was dragged into the conspiracy theories after his former advisor Elon Musk claimed in June — in a now-deleted X post — that Trump was 'in the Epstein files.' The Trump administration's efforts to appease demands for a full disclosure of the so-called Epstein files have largely fallen short. A bundle released in February that promised to shed light on the Epstein case contained little new information. Meanwhile, an almost 11-hour video published this month to dispel theories Epstein was murdered fell flat. The camera angle showed a section of the New York prison on the night Epstein died, but appeared to be missing a minute of footage, fueling more speculation online. And a memo from the Justice Department and FBI last week saying the Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation was met by calls for the heads of each agency to resign. What comes next? Trump has been towing a delicate line — saying he supports the release of any 'credible' files related to Epstein while dismissing the case as 'pretty boring stuff.' But even the normally authoritative president seems unable to arrest the disruption, as critics and even key allies call for more transparency. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, has not followed Trump's line on the issue and has instead urged the Justice Department to make public any documents linked to Epstein. Meanwhile, Democrats have seized on the rift between Trump and his party by demanding his administration publish the full evidence held by prosecutors in their case against Epstein AFP/ France24
