Trump Confirms Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's Russia Visit Ahead Of Sanctions Deadline
Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now "in the region."
Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.
The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.
The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit "I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump's efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.
When reporters asked what Witkoff's message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: "Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed."
Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.
Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia's onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor continues to unfold.
Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half year invasion were "unchanged."
"We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries," Putin told reporters.
But he added that "the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same."
Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.
Putin also seeks Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.
Ukraine issued on Sunday a drone attack which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.
Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine -- raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 -- would soon end.
In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow's unrelenting offensive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
13 minutes ago
- First Post
3 reasons behind Trump's continued rants against India
From India's refusal to bend on trade terms to its rejection of Trump's claims about brokering peace, the reasons behind his rants reveal a deeper clash of priorities between the two nations. read more US President Donald Trump's ongoing verbal attacks on India have raised eyebrows, with his criticisms rooted in a mix of trade frustrations, geopolitical posturing, and personal grievances. From India's refusal to bend on trade terms to its rejection of Trump's claims about brokering peace, the reasons behind his rants reveal a deeper clash of priorities between the two nations. India's firm stance on farm sector At the heart of Trump's ire is India's refusal to bow to US demands in trade negotiations. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over India's unwillingness to conclude a trade deal on his terms, particularly its protectionist stance on agriculture. India's agricultural sector is a cornerstone of its economy, contributing 18.4 per cent to the country's Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022–23. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For millions of Indian households, farming isn't just a job—it's a lifeline. With a majority of the workforce tied to agriculture, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, crop income serves as both a livelihood and a buffer against economic uncertainty. This makes the farm sector a politically sensitive issue, leaving little room for compromise. Indian negotiators have consistently stressed that protecting this sector is non-negotiable, a stance that has frustrated US efforts to open India's markets to American agricultural imports. The India-Pakistan narrative: A claim India rejects Another sore point for Trump is India's outright rejection of his repeated assertions that he played a key role in preventing a war between India and Pakistan. Since May 10, Trump and his team have claimed nearly 30 times that the United States brokered peace between the nuclear-armed neighbours. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly denied these claims. During a parliamentary debate on 'Operation Sindoor,' the military campaign launched against Pakistan in May, Modi stated, 'No world leader asked us to stop the operation.' While he avoided naming Trump directly, the message was clear: India denies any foreign mediation in the conflict. Pakistan, on the other hand, has acknowledged Washington's involvement, creating a stark contrast in narratives. Trump's insistence on taking credit for averting a full-scale war may stem from his need for a foreign policy win. Having failed to deliver on his promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war on 'Day One' of his presidency, Trump appears eager to claim a diplomatic victory in South Asia. India's refusal to validate his narrative has only fueled his frustration. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Nobel Peace Prize snub Adding insult to injury, India has distanced itself from the White House's suggestion that Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his supposed role in brokering peace globally, including between India and Pakistan. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt touted Trump's diplomatic achievements, but India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal brushed off the claim. 'As far as the statements of the White House are concerned, please take your question to them,' Jaiswal said, redirecting inquiries back to Washington. Trump's rants against India reflect a broader clash of national priorities. India's focus on protecting its agricultural sector and energy security runs counter to US demands for open markets and geopolitical alignment.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13 minutes ago
- Business Standard
ONGC, RIL, HPCL: Nifty Oil & Gas slips 1%; check reasons, recommendations
Oil & gas-related stocks were under pressure in trade on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the Nifty Oil & Gas index declined 1.3 per cent to day's low at 11,001.25. Last checked, 12 out of 15 stocks were trading with losses on Nifty Oil & Gas. Among others, Mahanagar Gas was down 2.9 per cent, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation 1.57 per cent, Petronet LNG 1.54 per cent, Reliance Industries (RIL) and Gail India were down 1 per cent. Why are oil & gas stocks falling? The sell-off in the stocks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday stepped up pressure on New Delhi, threatening to 'substantially' raise tariffs on inbound shipments from India over the purchase of a 'massive' amount of Russian crude oil. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the US,' he wrote on Truth Social. India imports a third of its total crude from Russia, making the country New Delhi's largest crude supplier. India is also the second-largest buyer of Russian crude, after China. India imported about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1 per cent from a year ago, according to news agency Reuters. Responding to Trump's statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the move 'unjustified and unreasonable.' The ministry stressed that India's energy ties with Russia are driven by national "necessity" and are far smaller in scale compared to trade between Russia and the West. How will India's stoppage of Russian crude imports hit Oil & Gas companies? JM Financial Institutional Securities believes that if India stops importing crude oil from Russia, it could hit Indian refiners' gross refinery margins (GRM) by $1-1.5 per barrel, as the Russian crude discount is $3-4 per barrel. Additionally, Russian crude constitutes 30-40 per cent of India's crude requirement. Every $1 per barrel will have a negative impact on FY26 Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of— 8-10 per cent for oil market companies (OMCs); 20-25 per cent for Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals/Chennai Petroleum Corporation; and 2 per cent on RIL's consolidated Ebitda. What to do with oil & gas stocks? JM Financial has maintained a 'Sell' rating on Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL). The brokerage has reiterated its 'Hold' call on Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL). JM sees the risk-reward not favourable for HPCL, BPCL and IOCL, given their aggressive capex plans, valuations being 10-30 per cent above the historical average (at 1.4x FY27 PB for HPCL/BPCL and 0.9x FY27 PB for IOCL) and risks to sustainability of current high marketing margin. On Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India, the brokerage has maintained 'Buy' as it believes they are key beneficiaries of high crude price, while their current marlet prices are discounting $60 per barrel crude realisation; every $1 per barrel higher oil price boosts their consolidated earnings per share (EPS) by 1.3-1.8 per cent.
The Print
13 minutes ago
- The Print
US-Pakistan romance is not new. Why does India feel betrayed?
In 1971, the US openly backed Pakistan despite a global outcry over the Pakistan Army's genocide in what would become Bangladesh. At one stage, President Richard Nixon moved the Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal to intimidate India. The bias originated from Pakistan's role in facilitating a deal between the US and China, and partly from Nixon's dislike for Indians or Indira Gandhi, whom he privately abused. Even when it mattered, the US did not take India's side. In 1965, Pakistan used American tanks (remember Patton tanks?) and aircraft (the mighty Sabre jet) against us in a multi-sector invasion, while the White House beamed. In the middle of all of Donald Trump's rhetoric about India, here is something worth remembering: he is not the first US president to seem to favour Pakistan over India. We forget now that because Pakistan openly allied itself with America during the Cold War years, US foreign policy was often seen by New Delhi as pro-Pakistan and anti-India. Much later, during Bill Clinton's first term, Pakistan was preferred to India because Robin Raphel, the Assistant Secretary of State in charge of South Asia, was blatantly pro-Pakistan. In fact, after she stepped down, the Americans themselves launched an investigation to see if she was a Pakistani asset. So while Trump may be more outspoken than his predecessors, and he may make foreign policy pronouncements on Truth Social and not through diplomatic channels, we have been here before. Yes, he has decided that he loves Pakistan, home to vast and mostly imaginary oil reserves, while India apparently runs a dead economy. But if you listen to the White House tapes of recorded conversations between Nixon and Henry Kissinger, you will realise that not only did India not fit into the US foreign policy objectives in 1971, Nixon actually hated India and Indians. For all of Trump's invective, nothing he has said has plumbed those depths of hatred. So why is India in a state of shock over Trump's attitude? Why are we so surprised? Surely, we have coped with an Islamabad-Washington romance before and can do it again for three more years, while Trump remains in office? Trump's hurt fanboys There is only one reason why we are so upset: there is bitter disappointment, so strong that it borders on a sense of betrayal, on the part of India's current rulers and their supporters. And why should we have expected more from Trump? Well, because the Sangh and its supporters clasped him to their bosom and acted as though Trump was one of them. They threw absentee birthday parties for him, gave him a rapturous response when he visited India, and prayed for him to be re-elected. The love for Trump was based on a single factor. When he was campaigning to be president the first time around, Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the US. For the Sangh Parivar and its supporters, this was wonderful news: at last, America had a top politician who spoke in a language they loved. If he's so anti-Muslim, then he must be a good guy, right? From this one statement flowed a river of love from India to America. The world needed Trump, the Sangh supporters believed, because he knew what Muslims were really like and had acted against them. During his first campaign, Trump said on video, 'I love the Hindus.' This took the place of a wedding ring, sealing the marriage between India's Right and Trump. Except that Trump has never been the most faithful of lovers. After taking office, he rediscovered the Muslim world and went off to Saudi Arabia to do the sword dance with its leaders. The anti-Muslim rhetoric faded. Still, the Sangh faithful waited like loyal brides for his return to power. They were clearly not bright enough to see that Trump was never a one-issue president. Anti-Muslim rhetoric had its place a decade ago. Now, it was less relevant, as new targets emerged. In truth, Trump and his Indian fan club had nothing in common. Unfortunately, his Indian Right-wing fans never realised this. Instead, they constructed in their imagination an alternative model of American politics where Hindus would run the show and India would benefit. Also read: India's export basket has no irreplaceables. It's a vulnerability in Trump's power politics Lesson for India's Right Vivek Ramaswamy was a great Hindu hope. When Trump did not give him any major responsibilities, his Indian fans shifted focus to JD Vance, on the grounds that his wife is a Hindu. FBI Director Kash Patel is a Gujarati, so that was another source of hope. So was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who is not Indian but has Hindu beliefs. All of these people are Americans and owe their current prominence directly to Trump. Obviously, they will act in what they see as America's interests (not India's) and will proudly back Trump. But the Hindu nationalist fantasy had imagined them as pillars of Hinduism in key positions who would act to create a mental 'Akhand Bharat' in Washington, DC. It is this constituency of Sangh Parivar supporters who now sound the most betrayed by Trump. They post angry messages on X and call him names. They cannot believe that none of the influential American Hindus they venerated have spoken up for India. Worse still, there is an even greater sense of betrayal over the inability of the Narendra Modi-Donald Trump relationship to help India. For years now, the BJP-supporting television media have been declaring that Modi and Trump are the two greatest leaders in the world, a Superman-Batman combination that will defeat India's enemies. Clearly, that hasn't worked out, so the same anchors are calling Trump names and attacking the US. I don't believe that the US-India relationship has deteriorated beyond repair. The two countries agree on much more than they disagree on. There are ways of handling Trump, who is notoriously fickle, even if our foreign ministry has been outplayed by the Pakistanis this year. There are still many ways out of this impasse, and I imagine we will find them. But the lesson for Trump's Right-wing Indian fans remains. Never find common cause with a foreign leader just because you imagine he shares your bigoted hatreds. Do not expect Hindus abroad to put your version of Hindu interests first. They will always put their own country first. (As they should.) And finally, stop acting like fanboys for foreign leaders. Not only is it embarrassing, but you are also setting yourself up for disappointment. Vir Sanghvi is a print and television journalist, and talk show host. He tweets @virsanghvi. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
