Zelensky-Trump meeting planned Wednesday: Ukraine presidency
"The teams are finalizing the details," the source told AFP, adding that the talks were scheduled for the "early afternoon" in the Netherlands and would focus on sanctions against Russia and arms procurement for Kyiv.
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Nahar Net
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- Nahar Net
NATO defense chiefs hold virtual meeting on security guarantees for Ukraine
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 August 2025, 15:04 NATO defense chiefs were due to hold a virtual meeting Wednesday, a senior alliance official said, as Western countries pushing for an end to Russia's war on Ukraine devise possible future security guarantees for Kyiv that could help forge a peace agreement. Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that 32 defense chiefs from across the alliance would hold a video conference as a U.S.-led diplomatic push seeks to end the fighting. U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, will take part in the talks, Dragone said on social platform X. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chided efforts to work on security arrangements in Ukraine without Moscow's involvement. "We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov said Wednesday, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Russia will "ensure (its) legitimate interests firmly and harshly," Lavrov added at a news conference in Moscow with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi. Defense chiefs work on details of a Ukraine security force U.S. President Donald Trump met last Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and on Monday hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and prominent European leaders at the White House. Neither meeting delivered concrete progress. Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy toward a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbor, but there are major obstacles. They include Ukraine's demands for Western-backed military assurances to ensure Russia won't mount another invasion in coming years. "We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly secure and lasting peace," Zelensky said in a Telegram post Wednesday after Russian missile and drone strikes hit six regions of Ukraine overnight. Kyiv's European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative. Military chiefs are figuring out how that security force might work. The role that the U.S. might play in is unclear. Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending U.S. troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia. Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine. Attacks on civilian areas in Sumy and Odesa overnight into Wednesday injured 15 people, including a family with three small children, Ukrainian authorities said. Russian strikes also targeted ports and fuel and energy infrastructure, officials said. Zelensky said the strikes "only confirm the need for pressure on Moscow, the need to introduce new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy works to its full potential." Switzerland could host a Putin-Zelensy summit Trump said Monday he has begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky, although the Kremlin hasn't publicly confirmed such a possibility and no venue was suggested. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the summit could happen in Europe and proposed the Swiss city of Geneva. Switzerland has expressed its willingness to act as host. Putin's ability to travel abroad is limited, however, because he is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on a warrant dating back to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. More than 100 countries are ICC signatories and have a legal obligation to arrest the Russian leader on their soil. Switzerland intends to ask the ICC to exempt it from sanctions in order to allow Putin in for a summit, according to a senior official in The Hague with direct knowledge of the request. The official was not authorized to speak about the proceedings and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Ukrainian startup develops long-range drones and missiles to take the battle to Russia
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 August 2025, 16:20 When a Ukrainian-made drone attacked an ammunition depot in Russia last September, it showcased Kyiv's determination to strike deep behind enemy lines and the prowess of its defense industry. The moment was especially gratifying for the woman in charge of manufacturing the drones that flew more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to carry out this mission. For months after, Russia no longer had the means to keep up devastating glide bomb attacks like the one that had just targeted her native city of Kharkiv. "Fighting in the air is our only real asymmetric advantage on the battlefield at the moment. We don't have as much manpower or money as they have," said Iryna Terekh, head of production at Fire Point. Terekh spoke as she surveyed dozens of "deep-strike drones" that had recently come off the assembly line and would soon be used by Ukrainian forces to attack arms depots, oil refineries and other targets vital to the Kremlin's war machine and economy. Spurred by its existential fight against Russia — and limited military assistance from Western allies — Ukraine has fast become a global center for defense innovation. The goal is to match, if not outmuscle, Russia's capabilities, which were on brutal display Thursday — and Fire Point is one of the companies leading the way. The Associated Press was granted an exclusive look inside one of Fire Point's dozens of covert factories. In a sprawling warehouse where rock music blared, executives showed off their signature FP-1 exploding drones that can travel up to 1,600 kilometers (994 miles). They also touted publicly for the first time a cruise missile they are developing that is capable of traveling 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), and which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes will be mass-produced by the end of the year. Even as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for an end to the 3 1/2-year war — and dangles the prospect of U.S. support for NATO-like security guarantees — Ukrainian defense officials say their country is determined to become more self-sufficient in deterring Russia. "We believe our best guarantee is not relying on somebody's will to protect us, but rather our ability to protect ourselves," said Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the country's arms procurement agency. Ukraine's government is now purchasing about $10 billion of weapons annually from domestic manufacturers. The industry has the capacity to sell triple that amount, officials say, and they believe sales to European allies could help it reach such potential in a matter of years. Drone innovation grew out of necessity Like most defense companies in Ukraine, Fire Point grew out of necessity after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Despite pleas from Ukrainian military officials, Western countries were unwilling to allow Kyiv to use their allies' longer-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. That's when a group of close friends, experts from various fields, set out to mass-produce inexpensive drones that could match the potency of Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia was firing into Ukraine with devastating consequences. The company's founders spoke with AP on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their safety and the security of their factories. By pooling together knowledge from construction, game design and architecture, the company's founders — who had no background in defense — came up with novel designs for drones that could fly further and strike with greater precision than most products already on the market. Their long-range drones had another benefit: they did not need to take off from an air field. When Terekh — an architect — was hired in the summer of 2023, she was given a goal of producing 30 drones per month. Now the company makes roughly 100 per day, at a cost of $55,000 apiece. The FP-1 looks more like a hastily made science project than something that would roll off the production lines of the world's biggest defense contractors. "We removed unneeded, flashy glittery stuff," she said. But the FP-1 has been extremely effective on the battlefield. With a payload of explosives weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), it is responsible for 60% of strikes deep inside Russian territory, including hits on oil refineries and weapons depots, according to Terekh. These strikes have helped to slow Russia's advance along the 1,000 kilometer-long (620 mile-long) front line in eastern Ukraine, where army units have reported a sharp decline in artillery fire. "I think the best drones, or among the best, are Ukrainian drones," said Claude Chenuil, a former French military official who now works for a trade group that focuses on defense. "When the war in Ukraine ends, they will flood the market." Ukraine is becoming the 'Silicon Valley' of defense Fire Point's story is not entirely unique. Soon after Russia's 2022 invasion, hundreds of defense companies sprouted almost overnight. The Ukrainian government incentivized innovation by relaxing regulations and making it easier for startups to work directly with military brigades. Patriotic entrepreneurs in metallurgy, construction and information technology built facilities for researching and making weapons and munitions, with an emphasis on drones. The ongoing war allowed them to test out ideas almost immediately on the battlefield, and to quickly adapt to Russia's changing tactics. "Ukraine is in this very unique moment now where it is becoming, de facto, the Silicon Valley of defense," said Ukrainian defense entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk. "The biggest strategic asset that we have is that we have been at war with Russia for 11 years." A case in point: Fire Point had initially sourced navigational equipment for its drones from a major Western firm, but before long Russia was able to disrupt their effectiveness using electronic warfare; so Fire Point developed its own software to outwit the enemy. Because defense companies are high-value targets for Russia, many operate underground or hidden within civilian centers to evade detection. Although they are guarded by air defenses, the strategy has the disadvantage of putting civilians at risk. Many Ukrainians have died in imprecise Russian attacks that were likely targeting weapons facilities. Entrepreneurs said the alternative is to operate openly and face attacks that would set back the war effort. Supplies of drones don't last long On the day AP reporters visited the Fire Point factory, there were dozens of drones awaiting delivery. They would all be gone within 72 hours, shipped to the battlefield in inconspicuous cargo trucks. The Fire Point team receives regular feedback from army units, and the company has reinvested most profits toward innovating quickly to keep pace with other drone makers. Increasingly, those profits are being directed to develop a new, more potent weapon. The company completed testing this year for its first cruise missile, the FP-5. Capable of traveling 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) and landing within 14 meters (45 feet) of its target, the FP-5 is one of the largest such missile in the world, delivering a payload of 1,150 kilograms (2,535 pounds), independent experts said. Because initial versions of the missile came out pink after a factory error, they called it the Flamingo — and the name has stuck. Fire Point is producing roughly one Flamingo per day, and by October they hope to build capacity to make seven per day, Terekh said. Even as Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials pursue ways to end the war, Terekh said she is skeptical that Russia will accept terms for a real peace. "We are preparing for a bigger, much scarier war."
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Russia launches major drone and missile attack on Ukraine as peace efforts drag on
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 August 2025, 11:17 Russia launched 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, in one of its biggest aerial attacks on Ukraine of the year, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday, while a recent diplomatic push to stop the three-year war is trying to gain momentum. The attack mostly targeted western regions of the country, the air force said, where much of the military aid provided by Ukraine's Western allies is believed to be delivered and stored. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15 others, according to officials. It was Russia's third-largest aerial attack this year in terms of the number of drones fired and the eighth-largest in terms of missiles, according to official Ukrainian figures. Most such Russian attacks have hit civilian areas. The strikes occurred during a renewed U.S.-led effort to reach a peace settlement following Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor. U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, and at the start of this week hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. Russia has fired nearly 1,000 long-range drones and missiles at Ukraine since the White House talks. Zelenskyy condemned the overnight attack, saying it was carried out "as if nothing were changing at all." Rubio to host Ukraine security talks with Europe U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a conference call Thursday with the national security advisers of European countries expected to play a role in future security guarantees for Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said. One of Kyiv's conditions for signing any peace deal is getting Western-backed military assurances to deter Russia from mounting another invasion in the coming years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that making security arrangements for Ukraine without Moscow's involvement was pointless. It was not immediately clear which countries would be represented on the call with Rubio. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to outline a discussion that had not been publicly announced. Zelensky calls for more pressure on Moscow Ukraine and European leaders have accused Putin of stalling in ongoing peace efforts, including Ukraine's proposal of a ceasefire and Zelensky's offer to sit down with the Russian leader. The Kremlin has reacted coolly to those possibilities. Lavrov, Moscow's top diplomat, on Thursday repeated Russia's policy that Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky — but only after key issues have previously been worked out by senior officials in what could be a long negotiating process. Russia's Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted "enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex." It claimed the attack hit drone factories, storage depots and missile launch sites, as well as areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian areas of Ukraine. Moscow has shown no signs of pursuing meaningful negotiations to end the war, Zelenskyy said. He urged the international community to respond with stronger pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and tariffs. Ukraine, meanwhile, has kept up its attacks with domestically produced long-range drones on infrastructure inside Russia that supports Moscow's war effort. Among other targets, it has hit oil refineries, and Russian wholesale gasoline prices have reached record highs in recent days. Strike on U.S. electronics plant Almost all the overnight missiles were fired from inside Russia. They reached deep into western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary. Western parts of Ukraine are far from the battlefield's front line in the east and south of the country, where a grinding war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides. In the western city of Lviv, one person was killed and three were injured as the attack damaged 26 residential buildings, a kindergarten and administrative buildings, regional head Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram. The Regional Prosecutor's Office said three Russian cruise missiles with cluster munitions struck the city. A U.S. electronics plant near the Hungarian border was also struck, according to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine. The Flex factory is one of the biggest American investments in Ukraine, Hunder told The Associated Press by phone. At the moment of impact, 600 nightshift workers were on the premises, and six of them were injured, Hunder said. Russian attacks on Ukraine since it launched its invasion have damaged property belonging to more than half of the chamber's approximately 600 members, he added "The message is clear: Russia is not looking for peace. Russia is attacking American business in Ukraine, humiliating American business," Hunder said. Ukraine awaits detail of security guarantees In comments Wednesday that were embargoed until Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine will hold intensive meetings to understand what kind of security guarantees its allies are willing to provide. The details are being hammered out by national security advisers and military officials. The plans will become clearer by the end of next week, Zelensky said. He then expects to be ready to hold direct talks with Putin for the first time since the full-scale invasion. The talks could also be conducted in a trilateral format alongside Trump, Zelensky said. A venue for the meeting is being discussed, and Switzerland, Austria and Turkey are possibilities, Zelensky added.
