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US Envoy Witkoff To Visit Moscow On Wednesday

US Envoy Witkoff To Visit Moscow On Wednesday

US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet on Wednesday with Russian leadership in Moscow, an American source confirmed, as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine looms.
The source did not specify if the meetings will include Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Witkoff has met with several times previously.
Trump has given Russia until Friday to halt its offensive in Ukraine or face new penalties.
The White House has not outlined specific actions it plans to take on Friday, but Trump has previously threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, such as China and India.
The move would aim to stifle Russian exports, but would risk significant international disruption.
Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor.
Three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire, with the two sides appearing as far apart as ever.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.
Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for "regime change" in Moscow.
In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow's unrelenting offensive.
When reporters asked Trump on Monday 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."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be "important, substantial and helpful" and valued US efforts to end the conflict.
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 offensive were unchanged.
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 wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.
The visit comes after Trump 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.
Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged "caution" Monday.
"Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric," the Kremlin's Peskov said.
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Ukraine updates: Trump to open to meet Putin, Zelenskyy – DW – 08/06/2025
Ukraine updates: Trump to open to meet Putin, Zelenskyy – DW – 08/06/2025

DW

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  • DW

Ukraine updates: Trump to open to meet Putin, Zelenskyy – DW – 08/06/2025

Donald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as early as next week. The announcement follows his envoy's talks in Russia that the US president called "highly productive." DW has more. A potential summit of leaders from the United States, Russia and Ukraine could happen as early as next week, according to media reports citing anonymous White House sources. "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "President Trump wants this brutal war to end." The reports follow talks between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian leader that Trump described as "highly productive."US President Donald Trump could meet in person with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as early as next week, according to media reports citing anonymous White House sources. The reports follow talks between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian leader that Trump described as "highly productive." CNN, AP and Reuters news agencies were among those reporting on Wednesday evening that Trump told European leaders he plans to meet soon with Putin, potentially as early as next week. Trump would hold a meeting with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the initial meeting with the Russian leader, they said, citing people familiar with the plan. "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "President Trump wants this brutal war to end." She didn't specify a date or location for a possible meeting. Last week, Trump set a deadline of "10 or 12 days" for Russia to stop the war in Ukraine or face US sanctions. 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The White House said on Wednesday that US is still set to impose "secondary sanctions" on Russia's trading partners, despite the "great progress" touted by President Donald Trump after US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Trump had set a Friday deadline for the Kremlin to agree on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Although few details have been released about specifics, the sanctions are widely expected to target Russia's remaining trade partners to further impair Moscow's access to financing. This could include Russia's oil-buying partners like China and India. In June, Trump had threatened 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. The newspaper reported US measures could also target Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers used to circumvent western sanctions on Russian oil, by using often dilapidated tankers with murky ownership. The measures would be the first punitive action towards Moscow from Washington over the war in Ukraine since Trump took office in January. However, Trump has previously set deadlines for Moscow, only to walk them back. Moscow, so far, has shown no sign of backing down. On Tuesday, the Kremlin slammed "threats" to hike tariffs on Russia's trading partners as "illegitimate." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US President Donald Trump said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff made "great progress" after his meeting with RussianPresident Vladimir Putinin Moscow on Wednesday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting was "highly productive," without providing details of what was discussed. Trump added that he had updated some of the US' European allies after the meeting. According to Trump "everyone agrees" that the war between Ukraine and Russia must end, and that the US will "work towards that" in the coming weeks. Trump had promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. However, attempts at negotiating a ceasefire, or even a drawing down of hostilities, have come to nothing. Since Trump took office, Russia has been increasing the frequency of attacks on Ukraine, with near daily bombardments of cities and infrastructure. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Gas reserves in Ukraine are at their lowest in 12 years, analysis firm ExPro said on Wednesday. Storage facilities are currently less than a third full and the revelation comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Wednesday accused Moscow of deliberately undermining its preparations for winter by striking a gas facility in the Odesa region. It is not yet clear how Wednesday's attack on the the southern region's gas interconnector, which is used to supply US and Azeri gas through Bulgaria and Romania, will affect future gas collection. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff lasted around three hours. "A quite useful and constructive conversation took place," Ushakov told journalists. Putin and Witkoff discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the potential for improving US-Russia ties, Ushakov said. He added that Moscow had received certain "signals" from US President Donald Trump and had sent messages in return, without elaborating on details. The meeting comes just days ahead of a deadline set by Trump for Russia agree to a Ukraine peace deal. German politicians are debating whether to slash financial assistance for Ukrainian refugees. 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"Grateful to the US for approving over $200M in Foreign Military Sales for Ukraine," Denys Shmyhal posted on X. "The first package includes equipment, repairs, and technical support for M777 howitzers, valued at $104 million. The second package, worth $99.5 million, covers transportation and cargo consolidation and other logistical services." Entirely funded by partner countries, these packages are a boost to Ukraine's defense and regional security," he added. Patience is required over Russian-US relations, the Kremlin said Wednesday. In remarks carried by the Russian TASS state news agency, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There is, of course, inertia in this process," referring to the prolonged absence of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. "It takes time for efforts to bring bilateral relations back onto a normal track."To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian officials , with President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine just days away. It is unclear whether Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has given the Kremlin until Friday to halt its offensive in Ukraine or face further sanctions. The White House has not been specific regarding potential penalties, but Trump has previously threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" targeting Moscow's remaining trade partners, including China and India. Trump said Tuesday that he would await the outcome of Witkoff's visit before moving forward. "We're going to see what happens," he told reporters. "We'll make that determination at that time." After arriving in the Russian capital, Witkoff was met by presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, Russian state news agency TASS said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had had a "productive" conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president said "the key focus" of their conversation centered around "ending the war." "Many months could have already passed without war, had Russia not been prolonging it," he continued. "Today, we coordinated our positions, Ukraine and the United States. We exchanged assessments of the situation: The Russians have intensified the brutality of their attacks. President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities." Zelenskyy said the pair also spoke about sanctions on Russia with Trump's August 8 deadline for Putin to end the war looming large. "Their economy continues to decline, and that's exactly why Moscow is so sensitive to this prospect and President Trump's resolve," Zelenskyy said. Today's spotlight is firmly on Moscow, where US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Russian officials, just days ahead of a deadline set by his boss. President Donald Trump has warned that if Russia fails to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by Friday, it will face new sanctions. However, the lack of urgency in Moscow over the past few days suggests Witkoff may leave empty handed. In fact, sources close to the Kremlin say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is gaining ground in Ukraine, and that takes precedence over improving relations with the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used this moment to press his case for tougher sanctions on Moscow in a call with Trump ahead of Witkoff's visit. We'll be covering all these topics in this blog, with a focus on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Grok, Is That Gaza? AI Image Checks Mislocate News Photographs
Grok, Is That Gaza? AI Image Checks Mislocate News Photographs

Int'l Business Times

time2 hours ago

  • Int'l Business Times

Grok, Is That Gaza? AI Image Checks Mislocate News Photographs

This image by AFP photojournalist Omar al-Qattaa shows a skeletal, underfed girl in Gaza, where Israel's blockade has fuelled fears of mass famine in the Palestinian territory. But when social media users asked Grok where it came from, X boss Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot was certain that the photograph was taken in Yemen nearly seven years ago. The AI bot's untrue response was widely shared online and a left-wing pro-Palestinian French lawmaker, Aymeric Caron, was accused of peddling disinformation on the Israel-Hamas war for posting the photo. At a time when internet users are turning to AI to verify images more and more, the furore shows the risks of trusting tools like Grok, when the technology is far from error-free. Grok said the photo showed Amal Hussain, a seven-year-old Yemeni child, in October 2018. In fact the photo shows nine-year-old Mariam Dawwas in the arms of her mother Modallala in Gaza City on August 2, 2025. Before the war, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Mariam weighed 25 kilograms, her mother told AFP. Challenged on its incorrect response, Grok said: "I do not spread fake news; I base my answers on verified sources." The chatbot eventually issued a response that recognised the error -- but in reply to further queries the next day, Grok repeated its claim that the photo was from Yemen. The chatbot has previously issued content that praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and that suggested people with Jewish surnames were more likely to spread online hate. Grok's mistakes illustrate the limits of AI tools, whose functions are as impenetrable as "black boxes", said Louis de Diesbach, a researcher in technological ethics. "We don't know exactly why they give this or that reply, nor how they prioritise their sources," said Diesbach, author of a book on AI tools, "Hello ChatGPT". Each AI has biases linked to the information it was trained on and the instructions of its creators, he said. In the researcher's view Grok, made by Musk's xAI start-up, shows "highly pronounced biases which are highly aligned with the ideology" of the South African billionaire, a former confidante of US President Donald Trump and a standard-bearer for the radical right. Asking a chatbot to pinpoint a photo's origin takes it out of its proper role, said Diesbach. "Typically, when you look for the origin of an image, it might say: 'This photo could have been taken in Yemen, could have been taken in Gaza, could have been taken in pretty much any country where there is famine'." AI does not necessarily seek accuracy -- "that's not the goal," the expert said. Another AFP photograph of a starving Gazan child by al-Qattaa, taken in July 2025, had already been wrongly located and dated by Grok to Yemen, 2016. That error led to internet users accusing the French newspaper Liberation, which had published the photo, of manipulation. An AI's bias is linked to the data it is fed and what happens during fine-tuning -- the so-called alignment phase -- which then determines what the model would rate as a good or bad answer. "Just because you explain to it that the answer's wrong doesn't mean it will then give a different one," Diesbach said. "Its training data has not changed and neither has its alignment." Grok is not alone in wrongly identifying images. When AFP asked Mistral AI's Le Chat -- which is in part trained on AFP's articles under an agreement between the French start-up and the news agency -- the bot also misidentified the photo of Mariam Dawwas as being from Yemen. For Diesbach, chatbots must never be used as tools to verify facts. "They are not made to tell the truth," but to "generate content, whether true or false", he said. "You have to look at it like a friendly pathological liar -- it may not always lie, but it always could."

Moldova: Pro-Russian politician sentenced to jail – DW – 08/06/2025
Moldova: Pro-Russian politician sentenced to jail – DW – 08/06/2025

DW

time4 hours ago

  • DW

Moldova: Pro-Russian politician sentenced to jail – DW – 08/06/2025

Evghenia Gutul was found guilty of illegal party financing, with Russia denouncing the verdict as politically motivated. Moldova will head to the polls in the end of September. A court in Moldovasentenced a regional politician known for her pro-Russian views to seven years in jail on charges related to channeling money in order to finance a party authorities say is a facade for Russian election meddling. Evghenia Gutul, the governor of the autonomous region of Gagazuia, was found guilty of illegal party financing for the "Shor" party, named after exiled pro-Moscow oligarch Ilan Shor, who was previously found guilty of fraud in Moldova. Moldova, which borders Ukraine, regularly warns of Russian interference with its domestic politics. The ruling against 38-year-old Gutul comes ahead of parliamentary elections set to be held on September 28. The Kremlin labeled the verdict as politically motivated, while also accusing Moldova's pro-European government of trying to stir up views against pro-Russian views. "We see how the opposition is being clamped down in every possible way," a Kremlin spokesperson said. Gutul was last received in Russia by President Vladimir Putin in 2024. In a post on Telegram, Gutul denounced the verdict as "political reprisal" and "an attempt to intimidate the residents of Gagauzia who have the courage to vote against the ruling party's wishes." Moldova has been torn between moving closer to the West or leaning towards Russia, with the pro-EU side currently being in power. Gutul is also known as a critic of Moldova's pro-EU government. Her supporters shouted "shame" and "down with (Moldovan President) Maia Sandu" when Gutul was taken into a police view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

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