Russia warns of efforts to disrupt Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine
The warning came a day after Trump announced he would meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, 15 August, after Russia and Ukraine were reported to be on the verge of a ceasefire agreement that could end the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
The envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, accused unnamed countries of seeking to prolong the war. 'Undoubtedly, a number of countries wishing for the conflict to continue will make colossal efforts to disrupt the scheduled meeting between President Putin and President Trump,' he said, clarifying that he meant efforts involving 'provocations and disinformation'. He did not specify which countries he was referring to or the nature of the potential 'provocations'.
Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed the meeting's focus, saying the two leaders would 'discuss options for achieving a long-term peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis'.
'Certainly, this process will be difficult, but we will participate in it positively and enthusiastically,' Ushakov added.
A land-for-peace proposal
The proposed deal has not yet been revealed, but it could require Ukraine to cede vast swathes of its territory, a prospect opposed by a number of European countries.
The Wall Street Journal, citing European and Ukrainian officials, reported that the Russian president had presented the Trump administration with a proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine. The proposal includes significant territorial demands from Kyiv and a push for international recognition of Moscow's claims.
The offer, conveyed by Putin to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, has sparked widespread diplomatic debate. European officials have expressed serious reservations, stating that the proposal requires Ukraine to cede the eastern Donbas region without Moscow offering significant commitments beyond halting the fighting.
European and Ukrainian officials, who were briefed on the proposal, voiced concerns that the offer could be a Russian manoeuvre to avoid new U.S. sanctions and tariffs while continuing the war on the ground.
According to sources familiar with the diplomatic contact, Putin told the U.S. envoy he would agree to a comprehensive ceasefire if Ukrainian forces completely withdrew from the eastern Donetsk region. This would mean Russia would control Donetsk and Luhansk, in addition to the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
In a third call on Friday, Witkoff told European officials the Russian proposal consisted of two stages: Ukraine withdraws from Donetsk and the front lines are frozen, followed by a final peace agreement between Putin and Trump, to be negotiated later with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine rejects ceding territory
The proposal drew a sharp rebuke from Zelenskyy, who said on Saturday that Ukraine will not cede any of its territory to Russia and that any peace negotiations must include Kyiv.
'Of course, we will not give Russia a reward for what it has done. Ukrainians deserve peace,' Zelenskyy said in a post on the social media platform X. 'The answer to the question of Ukrainian territory is already in the Ukrainian constitution, and no one will deviate from this, and no one will be able to do it. Ukrainians do not give their land to the occupier.'
He added: 'Any decision against us, any decision without Ukraine, is a decision against peace.'
Commenting directly on the summit, Zelenskyy said it could not succeed without his country's participation.
'President Trump announced preparations for his meeting with Putin in Alaska, at a vast distance from this war that is raging on our land, against our people, and which can in no way be ended without us, without Ukraine,' he said. 'They will achieve nothing. These are stillborn decisions that cannot be worked on.'
'We are ready to work with President Trump, and with all our partners, for a genuine, and most importantly, lasting peace. A peace that will not collapse due to Moscow's desires,' he concluded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Moscow Stands Firm on Ukraine as Putin-Trump Summit Looms
Ahmed Emam Moscow remains adamant on its conditions regarding the Ukraine conflict and has no intention of making concessions, according to Russian officials. The Russian delegation accompanying President Vladimir Putin has already reached its destination, while Putin himself had not yet departed Russian territory at the time of reporting. The flight from Moscow to the U.S. state of Alaska takes about 10 hours — roughly nine hours in Russian airspace and one hour in American skies. Upon arrival in Alaska, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was bringing a 'clear position' to present to U.S. President Donald Trump during the much-anticipated summit. Lavrov described predicting the outcome as 'difficult,' but expressed hope the meeting could achieve shared objectives for both nations. He also hinted the summit's agenda could extend into the following day if progress is made. Russian official circles are reportedly optimistic about improving ties with Washington, with speculation about possible new economic and trade agreements. However, Russia remains unwavering in its stance on Ukraine, refusing to budge from conditions it set at the start of its military operation. This raises questions about what concessions Trump might offer during the talks, which are set to begin at 10:30 p.m. Moscow time. Some analysts suggest the two leaders could discuss a proposal to divide Ukraine into two spheres — eastern Ukraine under Russian control and western Ukraine either integrated into Poland or remaining under the current Ukrainian government, with possible U.S. security guarantees allowing Kyiv to join NATO. The Ukraine conflict is not the only topic on the table. Discussions are also expected to address nuclear arms control, the U.S. military presence in Europe, and international flashpoints including Syria, Iran, and the future of the Iranian nuclear deal. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
Egypt Independent
3 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
The US and Europe are still doing billions of dollars' worth of business with Russia despite years of war
US President Donald Trump is threatening an additional 25% tariff on India as well as higher tariffs on other countries that buy Russian oil, in an attempt to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. But the United States and Europe themselves are still doing billions of dollars in trade with Russia – although that's a fraction of the trade that took place before the war. India has argued that it's being unfairly targeted with the tariff increase, calling it 'unjustified' given that other nations also do business with Moscow. Trade between Russia and the US has fallen by about 90% since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but last year, the US still imported $3 billion worth of goods from Russia, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the European Union – which has been the Americans' partner in sanctions against Russia – imported $41.9 billion (36 billion euros) of goods from Russia in 2024, data from the bloc's statistics agency shows. 'It's significant, but I think the more significant thing is how quickly the EU adjusted to reduce their dependency on Russia,' said Kimberly Donovan, director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a DC-based think tank. 'They're making huge strides to further reduce how much they're getting from (Russia).' EU imports from Russia dropped by 86% between the first quarters of 2022 and 2025, according to Eurostat data. A view of a processing plant at the fertilizer company EuroChem VolgaKaliy, which is developing a potash deposit in Russia's Volgograd region, in September 2024. Kirill Braga/Reuters 'I do think that there is a lot of opportunity for the US and even the EU to increase our trade with countries like Canada and get the products that we need from them,' Donovan added. 'That's where the trade wars and the negotiations over tariffs are really throwing things for a loop and are reducing our ability to be strategic in how we're approaching the Russia problem.' As Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday, a top US official warned that India could see more tariffs coming their way if the talks don't go well. 'We've put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I can see if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,' US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg. These are the areas where economic ties with Russia remain the strongest, for the US and Europe respectively. US trade with Russia: • Fertilizer: The US imported $927 million worth of fertilizer in the first half of this year, US Census Bureau data shows. Last year, fertilizer imports from Russia totaled more than $1 billion. The US particularly relies on Russia for imports of three types of chemical fertilizers: urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and potassium chloride muriate of potash, also called potash. 'Unless the US sanctions Russian fertilizer imports, as it does with Belarusian potash, this (level of trade) is likely to continue,' said Allan Pickett, head of fertilizer analysis at S&P Global Commodity Insights. 'Russia remains one of the most important global fertilizer suppliers and the influence of it has not diminished since 2022.' 'Urea and potash could be readily sourced from elsewhere, although with potash it would further increase US dependence on Canada, which currently has an interesting trade dynamic,' Pickett added. The Trump administration recently hiked tariffs on Canada to a minimum of 35% –unless goods are compliant with the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement – escalating ongoing trade tensions with its northern neighbor. • Palladium: Although palladium imports from Russia have reduced significantly since 2021, data shows that the US still imported $878 million worth of the metal in 2024 and $594 million worth in 2025, through June. The silvery metal is used in various electronic and industrial products and it's a key component in the catalytic converters of cars. • Uranium and plutonium: The US has imported $755 million worth of uranium and plutonium from Russia so far this year, according to Census data through June. It imported $624 million worth of those commodities from Russia in 2024. A ship carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) unloads gas in the port of Bilbao, Spain, on March 10, 2022. Vincent West/Reuters European trade with Russia: • Oil: Russia was the largest supplier of petroleum to the European Union prior to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU has since imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports, as well as refined oil products, like diesel. As a result, oil imports to Europe fell to $1.72 billion (1.48 billion euros) for the first quarter of 2025, down from $16.4 billion (14.06 billion euros) in the same quarter of 2021, according to the most recent data from Eurostat. The top European importers of Russian fossil fuels in July 2025 were Hungary, France, Slovakia, Belgium and Spain, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, an international research organization. Hungary and Slovakia accounted for the vast majority of crude oil imports, according to the analysis, while the others import mostly liquefied natural gas. • Natural gas: The value of natural gas imports from Russia actually increased in the last four years as a result of price increases, growing to $5.23 billion (4.49 billion euros) in the first quarter of 2025, Eurostat data shows. However, the EU has slightly reduced Russia's market share of liquefied natural gas imports since 2021 – from 22% down to 19% in 2025 – while also greatly increasing the US market share. • Iron and steel: Russia's share of iron and steel imports in the EU has dropped sharply. Iron and steel imports amounted to $850 million (730 million euros) in the first quarter of 2025 – about half of what they were in the same quarter in 2021, according to Eurostat. • Fertilizer: Sanctions and import duties have not hit the fertilizer industry, and as a result, European imports of Russian fertilizer have changed very little since 2021. In the first quarter of 2025, EU countries imported $640 million (550 million euros) of Russian fertilizer, data shows. • Nickel: The EU has diversified imports to rely more on nickel from the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada. Still, the bloc imported $300 million (260 million euros) worth of nickel from Russia in the first quarter of 2025. Nickel is primarily used to make stainless steel and other alloy steels, as well as batteries. A view inside a plant at Russia's Nornickel company, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, is seen in August 2021 in the Arctic city of Norilsk. Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters Hundreds of Western firms still in Russia Beyond imports and exports of commodities, many Western companies remain entrenched in Russia. Some notable American-based holdouts continue to operate in Russia, including top 100 companies, according to lists compiled by the Yale School of Management and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. Dozens of European businesses, including consumer-facing brands, retailers and software companies, have also remained in Russia. The amount of tax revenue that Western companies generate for the Kremlin is relatively small, but analysts say the companies that remain have allowed aspects of normal life to continue for the Russian population. Corporate exits serve to bring the war closer to the Russian people and confront their 'complacency,' as well as make it more difficult for Putin to paint a picture of a well-functioning economy, said Yale School of Management's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, whose large team of researchers keeps track of which companies have left. 'It's an imploding market – it was never an economic superpower to start with – which is just a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of bravado on the part of Putin to try to create an aura of something bigger,' Sonnenfeld told CNN. India's and China's energy imports In contrast to the reduction in trade with Moscow seen in the United States and EU, India imported $67 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2024, according to data aggregated by the United Nations. Roughly $53 billion worth of that was petroleum oils and crude oil. Before the full-scale war, in 2021, India imported $8.7 billion worth of goods from Russia. India's imports of Russian oil and gas have skyrocketed since before the war began. Russian oil now makes up 36% of the Indian market, according to Vortexa, an energy data firm, meaning it imports more crude oil from Russia than from anywhere else. China has also ramped up purchases of Russian crude oil following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Its price fell after Western countries sharply scaled back their imports of Russian fuel. Russia now accounts for 13.5% of China's crude imports, according to Vortexa. China imported roughly $130 billion in Russian goods in 2024, including $62.6 billion of petroleum oils and crude, the UN-aggregated data shows.
See - Sada Elbalad
4 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Trump Deploys 800 National Guard Troops to Washington DC
Israa Farhan The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that all 800 National Guard personnel ordered by US President Donald Trump have been deployed to Washington DC to support law enforcement operations. The move is part of what Trump describes as a crime-fighting initiative in the capital, despite official data showing a decline in violent crime in the city. This deployment mirrors a previous operation in Los Angeles in June, when protests erupted. Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson stated that all Army and Air National Guard members assigned to the Joint Task Force DC are now active in the nation's capital. They will work alongside the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners to secure landmarks, conduct patrols, protect federal facilities, and ensure community safety. Wilson emphasized that the troops will remain in place until law and order is restored, as determined by the President. Trump announced the deployment earlier in the week, asserting federal control over the city's police administration and pledging to restore stability to the capital. Republican politicians have argued that Washington DC, governed locally by Democrats, has faced rising crime, homelessness, and financial mismanagement. However, police statistics show a marked drop in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, in contrast to the post-pandemic surge in previous years. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
