Israel-Iran conflict: Iranian foreign minister in Moscow for talks with key ally Vladimir Putin
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CNA
36 minutes ago
- CNA
Trump says no ground troops, but maybe air support, to back Ukraine peace deal
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Aug 19) he ruled out putting US troops on the ground in Ukraine but said the United States might provide air support as part of a deal to end Russia's war in the country. A day after Trump pledged security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary White House summit, the path to peace remained uncertain as the US and allies prepared to work out what military support for Ukraine might include. "When it comes to security, (Europeans) are willing to put people on the ground. We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, ... by air," Trump said in an interview with the Fox News "Fox & Friends" program. He did not elaborate. Following Monday's meeting, Russia launched its biggest air assault in more than a month on Ukraine, and Trump conceded that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to make a deal after all. "We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks," he said. The nature of US military aid for Ukraine under a peace deal was unclear. Air support could take many forms such as missile defense systems or fighter jets enforcing a no-fly zone. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed US air support was "an option and a possibility," but, like Trump, did not provide any details. "The President has definitively stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies," she said at a news briefing. Analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or wounded in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. TRILATERAL MEETING Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the White House talks as a "major step forward" toward ending Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years and setting up a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump. Zelenskyy's warm rapport with Trump contrasted sharply with their disastrous Oval Office meeting in February. Trump discussed Budapest as a venue for a summit involving Zelenskyy and Putin with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, a White House official said. Istanbul, where delegations for the two countries have met previously, has also been mentioned, a senior administration official said. Hungary is one of few European places that Putin could visit without fear of arrest on International Criminal Court charges since Orban maintains close ties with the Russian leader. It was unclear whether Ukraine would accept Hungary as a venue. Neutral Switzerland also said it would be ready to host Putin for any peace talks. Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles in an overnight attack on Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said. The energy ministry said the strikes caused big fires at energy facilities in the central Poltava region, home to Ukraine's only oil refinery. However, Russia also returned the bodies of 1,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow received 19 bodies of its own soldiers in return, according to the state-run TASS news agency. Ukraine's allies held talks in the so-called Coalition of the Willing format on Tuesday, discussing additional sanctions to crank up the pressure on Russia. The grouping has also agreed that planning teams will meet US counterparts in the coming days to develop security guarantees for Ukraine. NATO military leaders were expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine, with US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expected to attend virtually, officials told Reuters. Zelenskyy was joined at the summit by the leaders of Germany, France and Britain. His warm rapport with Trump contrasted sharply with their disastrous Oval Office meeting in February. But the path to peace remains uncertain and Zelenskyy may be forced to make painful compromises. Analysts say more than a million people have been killed or wounded since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. "TIPTOEING AROUND TRUMP" Although Trump said on Monday that Putin asked for a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, the Kremlin has made no explicit commitment. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow did not reject any format for Ukraine peace talks but any leaders' meeting "must be prepared with utmost thoroughness". Putin has said Russia will not tolerate troops from the NATO alliance in Ukraine. He has also shown no sign of backing down from demands for territory, including land not under Russia's military control, following his summit with Trump on Friday in Alaska. Neil Melvin, a director at the International Security at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank, said Russia could drag out the war while trying to deflect US pressure with a protracted peace negotiation. Melvin said both Ukraine and its European allies on one side and Russia on another were striving "not to present themselves to Trump as the obstacle to his peace process", Melvin said.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Ukrainian attack cuts power in Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A Ukrainian drone attack late on Tuesday knocked out power to areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, the Moscow-installed governor said. Russian forces hold well over half of Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine's southeast. But Kyiv maintains control of the region's main administrative centre and its attacks have periodically knocked out electricity in Russian-held areas. Russia in 2022 annexed the Zaporizhzhia region, along with neighbouring Kherson as well as Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's east, about seven months after invading its smaller neighbour. "The reason for the power cuts in Zaporizhzhia region is yet another enemy terrorist drone attack on high-voltage equipment," Moscow-appointed Governor Yevgeny Balitsky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Balitsky said repair crews were restoring power and switching affected areas to reserve lines. He said the work was made more difficult "by the danger of repeat strikes and by darkness". Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks knocked out power in June for more than 24 hours to at least 700,000 residents across the area. That attack appeared to be the largest of its kind on Russian-held territory since the war began. The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest with six reactors, was operating as normal, unaffected by the power cuts, the plant's director of communications, Yevgenia Yashina, told Russia's RIA news agency. The plant produces no electricity but needs power for cooling and monitoring systems to maintain safety. Ukraine and Russia regularly accuse each other of staging attacks on the plant, seized by Russian forces in the first weeks of the February 2022 invasion. In the part of Kherson region under Ukrainian control, Governor Vyacheslav Prokudin said in a Telegram post that Russian shelling killed a resident of a small town north of the regional capital. And the governor of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, to the north, Serhiy Lysak, also said on Telegram that Russian shelling killed a resident of Nikopol, a frequent target of Moscow's attacks on the north bank of the Dnipro River. REUTERS
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release
JERUSALEM: Israel is considering Hamas' response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, officials said on Tuesday (Aug 19). The offer, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, would see Hamas exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners. But an Israeli political source insisted all captives must be freed for the war to end. Talks to pause the conflict gained traction last week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, the enclave's shattered urban centre. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL A Hamas official said the deal envisaged the release of 200 Palestinian convicts, along with women and minors held in Israeli jails. In return, Hamas would hand over 10 living hostages and 18 bodies. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, adding Hamas also sought the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees. Israel says 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 alive. 'Israel's policy is consistent and has not changed. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages … we are in the final decisive stage of Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind,' the political source said. NETANYAHU WEIGHS RESPONSE Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions on the offer, with a decision likely within two days, officials said. Qatar's foreign ministry said the deal would include 'a pathway to a comprehensive agreement to end the war,' alongside partial Israeli withdrawals and expanded humanitarian aid. Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff previously advanced the plan, but talks broke down in July over details. ISRAELI COMMANDERS PLAN PUSH INTO GAZA CITY Even as politicians deliberated, Defence Minister Israel Katz met commanders to review battle plans, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported. The plans included four phases: building humanitarian infrastructure in southern Gaza, evacuation of Gaza City, its encirclement, and a final ground push into the city. Thousands of civilians have fled Gaza City in recent days, fearing an imminent offensive. On Tuesday, Israeli strikes and shelling killed at least 20 Palestinians, Gaza health officials said. MIXED REACTIONS At shelters in Khan Younis, displaced families voiced both scepticism and hope. 'I expect the occupation to reject the proposal, as always,' said Abdallah Al-Khawaja. But Awad Labde, also displaced, said: 'I expect a positive response from Israel this time.' DOMESTIC PRESSURE ON NETANYAHU The prospect of an offensive has triggered some of the largest protests in Israel since the war began, with tens of thousands urging a deal to free the captives. Netanyahu faces competing pressures: far-right allies such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir oppose a truce, while hostage families demand immediate action. Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said the truce was an interim accord leading to wider talks. A Palestinian source added Hamas accepted the offer without new conditions, unlike past rounds. But wide gaps remain. Israel wants Hamas to disarm and its leaders to leave Gaza — demands the group has so far rejected. The war erupted when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced most of the enclave's 2.2 million residents.
