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Sheikh Khaled meets with Vladimir Putin

Sheikh Khaled meets with Vladimir Putin

The National27-06-2025
The UAE is participating in the meeting as a guest of honour, at the invitation of the Belarusian President. Photo: @ADMediaOffice / X
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Putin's demand to Ukraine: Give up Donbas, no Nato and no Western troops: Sources
Putin's demand to Ukraine: Give up Donbas, no Nato and no Western troops: Sources

Khaleej Times

time18 minutes ago

  • Khaleej Times

Putin's demand to Ukraine: Give up Donbas, no Nato and no Western troops: Sources

Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join Nato, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters. The Russian president met Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday for the first Russia-U.S. summit in more than four years and spent almost all of their three-hour closed meeting discussing what a compromise on Ukraine might look like, according to the sources who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Speaking afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed. In the most detailed Russian-based reporting to date on Putin's offer at the summit, Reuters was able to outline the contours of what the Kremlin would like to see in a possible peace deal to end a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people. In essence, the Russian sources said, Putin has compromised on territorial demands he laid out in June 2024, which required Kyiv to cede the entirety of the four provinces Moscow claims as part of Russia: Dontesk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - which make up the Donbas - plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Kyiv rejected those terms as tantamount to surrender. In his new proposal, the Russian president has stuck to his demand that Ukraine completely withdraw from the parts of the Donbas it still controls, according to the three sources. In return, though, Moscow would halt the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, they added. Russia controls about 88% of the Donbas and 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data. Moscow is also willing to hand over the small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine it controls as part of a possible deal, the sources said. Putin is sticking, too, to his previous demands that Ukraine give up its NATO ambitions and for a legally binding pledge from the U.S.-led military alliance that it will not expand further eastwards, as well as for limits on the Ukrainian army and an agreement that no Western troops will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, the sources said. Yet the two sides remain far apart, more than three years after Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in a full-scale invasion that followed the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and prolonged fighting in the country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. Ukraine's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the proposals. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly dismissed the idea of withdrawing from internationally recognised Ukrainian land as part of a deal, and has said the industrial Donbas region serves as a fortress holding back Russian advances deeper into Ukraine. "If we're talking about simply withdrawing from the east, we cannot do that," he told reporters in comments released by Kyiv on Thursday. "It is a matter of our country's survival, involving the strongest defensive lines." Joining NATO, meanwhile, is a strategic objective enshrined in the country's constitution and one which Kyiv sees as its most reliable security guarantee. Zelenskiy said it was not up to Russia to decide on the alliance's membership. The White House and NATO didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the Russian proposals. Political scientist Samuel Charap, chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at RAND, a U.S.-based global policy think-tank, said any requirement for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas remained a non-starter for Kyiv, both politically and strategically. "Openness to 'peace' on terms categorically unacceptable to the other side could be more of a performance for Trump than a sign of a true willingness to compromise," he added. "The only way to test that proposition is to begin a serious process at the working level to hash out those details." TRUMP: PUTIN WANTS TO SEE IT ENDED Russian forces currently control a fifth of Ukraine, an area about the size of the American state of Ohio, according to U.S. estimates and open-source maps. The three sources close to the Kremlin said the summit in the Alaskan city of Anchorage had ushered in the best chance for peace since the war began because there had been specific discussions about Russia's terms and Putin had shown a willingness to give ground. "Putin is ready for peace - for compromise. That is the message that was conveyed to Trump," one of the people said. The sources cautioned that it was unclear to Moscow whether Ukraine would be prepared to cede the remains of the Donbas, and that if it did not then the war would continue. Also unclear was whether or not the United States would give any recognition to Russian-held Ukrainian territory, they added. A fourth source said that though economic issues were secondary for Putin, he understood the economic vulnerability of Russia and the scale of the effort needed to go far further into Ukraine. Trump has said he wants to end the "bloodbath" of the war and be remembered as a "peacemaker president". He said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the U.S. president. "I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended," Trump said beside Zelenskiy in the Oval office. "I feel confident we are going to get it solved." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Putin was prepared to meet Zelenskiy but that all issues had to be worked through first and there was a question about Zelenskiy's authority to sign a peace deal. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskiy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have said they are sceptical that Putin wants to end the war. SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was instrumental in paving the way for the summit, and the latest drive for peace, according to two of the Russian sources. Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. At the meeting, Putin conveyed clearly to Witkoff that he was ready to compromise and set out the contours of what he could accept for peace, according to two Russian sources. If Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement, then there are various options for a formal deal - including a possible three-way Russia-Ukraine-U.S. deal that is recognised by the U.N. Security Council, one of the sources said. Another option is to go back to the failed 2022 Istanbul agreements, where Russia and Ukraine discussed Ukraine's permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the sources added. "There are two choices: war or peace, and if there is no peace, then there is more war," one of the people said.

How Palestine Action prepares activists for protests against Gaza war
How Palestine Action prepares activists for protests against Gaza war

The National

time18 minutes ago

  • The National

How Palestine Action prepares activists for protests against Gaza war

It was only when they were gathered at a safe house that the two Palestine Action activists learnt for the first time what they had been asked to do the following morning. Mary Ensell, 45, and Harry Wade, 26, chained themselves to a van that had been crashed into the entrance of a Teledyne factory at 5am, in protest against the company supplying products being used in the war in Gaza. Details of their protest have been revealed in court documents, which show the planning that goes into Palestine Action's sabotage attacks and the extent to which "foot soldiers" are kept in the dark about what they are to do until the last minute. The evidence also shows how the group tried to intimidate Teledyne's lawyers. Ensell and Wade both contacted the group after becoming concerned about the devastation in Gaza. They volunteered to take part in direct action against companies in the UK that were supplying products for the Israeli military. Since their protest early this year, Palestine Action has been designated as a terrorist organisation after activists broke into a military base and damaged British aircraft they claimed were used to assist Israel's war effort. In response to continued protests by Palestine Action, Teledyne obtained a High Court injunction in January that forbids protesters from entering six of the company's sites in Britain. But Ensell and Wade took part in a demonstration at the Shipley site on January 28, four days after the injunction was granted. They have now admitted breaching the injunction, although a judge has spared them from a jail sentence for contempt of court. In her ruling, judge Mary Stacey outlined how the pair volunteered to become activists for the group after seeing news and social media reports about the Gaza war. After making contact with the group, they were given an 'onboarding session' and offered to take part in 'medium-level action' for which they would not be sent to prison. "A few months later and after several further conversations with representatives from Palestine Action, they were each told, separately, that they had been approved to be involved in a medium-level action, coming up shortly," the judge said. The pair "were not told any details or what or where it might be" and "they had not been involved in any of the planning and organisation", she added. The judge described the pair as 'foot soldiers' who met for the first time at a 'safe house' the night before the protest, to undergo a briefing at which they were told where the action would take place. They were both told to leave their mobile phones at home. 'The action had been planned, designed and organised by others beforehand and neither of them were privy to any information other than about the limited role each had agreed to perform the next day,' the judge said. On the day of their action, the pair travelled in a car behind the van driven by fellow activists. The van then drove at speed towards two bollards, causing about £3,500 ($4,710) of damage. Ensell and Wade then got out of the car and locked themselves to the van and sat in the rain in a bid to prevent workers from entering the site. A couple of hours later, a security guard emerged and told them about the injunction, which they ignored. About 40 police officers and ambulance staff arrived at the scene over the course of the day in an effort to cut them free from the van, but the vehicle had been reinforced with concrete from the inside, making such efforts impossible. The activists released themselves at 12.30pm. In a submission to the court, Teledyne said the offices of the law firm that worked on the injunction has been the target of supporters of Palestine Action. Four activists smashed a window at Keystone Law's office early on March 10 and sprayed red paint inside. The words "Drop Teledyne" were written on the pavement outside. Palestine Action posters bearing a picture of the lawyer handling the case were stuck to the wall of a coffee shop. The posters accused him of being complicit in war crimes and genocide. Justice Stacey said she believed Ensell and Ward were not aware of the existence of an injunction. But continuing their protest after being told of the order justified a jail term of 28 days, she added. The judge reduced this to 21 days and suspended the sentence for a year, meaning they will go to prison if they undertake any further protest action during that time. Teledyne said in the court submission that it makes products for a 'wide range of industrial markets, including defence and aerospace', some of which have 'military end-uses'. Of those, 'some products are exported under licence to Israel'. The company has been approached for comment. Supporters of Palestine Action recently staged a protest in central London to openly defy the law and run the risk of arrest. About half of the 522 detained were over the age of 60, police said. Palestine Action has been allowed to legally challenge the decision to designate it as a terrorist group and a decision on the issue is due in November.

Ministry of Finance takes federal public-private partnership framework to next level to drive sustainable economic growth
Ministry of Finance takes federal public-private partnership framework to next level to drive sustainable economic growth

Zawya

time2 hours ago

  • Zawya

Ministry of Finance takes federal public-private partnership framework to next level to drive sustainable economic growth

Launching Manual on PPP projects, management and execution. Awareness and training workshops on partnership procedures, introducing the Manual's key pillars and implementation mechanisms. Younis Haji AlKhoori: Public-private partnerships are an effective mechanism for driving development and achieving the strategic objectives of the UAE. Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Finance is accelerating its efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships, turning them into a key driver for achieving sustainable development. Over the past two years, the Ministry has established a robust system for such partnerships and developed a legislative framework that enables their effective implementation. These initiaitives have contributed not only to driving economic growth but also to attracting investment, and enhancing service quality. Aligned with the UAE's comprehensive vision, these measures are set to balance economic and social development while fostering greater private sector engagement. Through this approach, the Ministry seeks to amplify the state's efforts in building a more sustainable and prosperous future. Integration of knowledge and expertise His Excellency Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, said, 'Developing a robust PPP framework is a top priority for the Ministry of Finance, recognising its role as an effective instrument for sustainable development and a significant player in feuling the UAE's economic and social advancement as well as in achieving the UAE's strategic goals. 'Through these partnerships, we strive to make the most of available resources, strengthen government performance, and facilitate the exchange of financial, administrative, and technological expertise with the private sector. We are committed to improving the community's quality of life, reinforcing the resilience and sustainability of the national economy, and advancing the objectives of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision and the UAE Centennial 2071,' AlKhoori said. Milestones In 2023, the UAE enacted Federal Law No. (12) regulating PPP projects at the federal level. The law aims to encourage private sector participation in strategic and developmental initiatives, increase investment in projects with significant economic, social, and service value, and enable the federal government to deliver strategic projects with greater efficiency. PPP Project Manual Meanwhile, in June 2024, the Ministry of Finance released the Manual on PPP projects, management and execution, in a significant step strengthening governance frameworks. The manual outlines detailed procedures and policies for federal entities and private sector partners to follow at every stage of a project, from planning and design to execution and operational management. Capacity-building programmes To support effective implementation, the Ministry has conducted a series of workshops to familiarise federal entities and private sector stakeholders with PPP procedures and the manual's key provisions. In May 2025, it introduced a specialised PPP training programme designed to enhance the capabilities of federal entities and refine partnership mechanisms with the private sector. Developed in collaboration with an APMG International-accredited training institute, the programme culminates in awarding the Certified PPP Professional (CP3P)–Foundation Level qualification, supported by leading international financial institutions. Building on the success of the first phase of the programme, the Ministry is now set to launch the second phase to further strengthen national expertise in PPPs and ensure the long-term sustainability of this model in line with international best practice.

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