Zelensky delivers warning ahead of Trump and Putin meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed a planned summit between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv would lead to "dead solutions."
Zelensky asserted that Ukraine's territorial integrity is non-negotiable and that lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's voice is included at the negotiating table.
The meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Friday in Alaska, with the aim of discussing an end to the war in Ukraine.
Concerns have been raised that the summit could sideline Ukraine and European interests, particularly as Trump intends to meet Putin before any discussions involving Zelensky.
The conflict continues with ongoing attacks and advances by Russia, while both Moscow and Kyiv remain significantly apart on their conditions for peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Gold slips as investors focus on US-Russia talks on Ukraine
Aug 11 (Reuters) - Gold prices slipped on Monday as market participants focussed on U.S.-Russia talks on the war in Ukraine, and July inflation data that could offer more insight into the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook. Spot gold was down 0.6% at $3,378.49 per ounce, as of 0521 GMT, after hitting its highest since July 23 on Friday. U.S. gold futures for December delivery dropped 1.4% to $3,441.20. "Cooling geopolitical tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine saw gold fall further, following Friday's announcement that President Donald Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin on the U.S. soil," City Index senior analyst Matt Simpson said. Trump said on Friday he will meet Russian President Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Focus is also on U.S. consumer price data due on Tuesday, with analysts expecting the impact of tariffs to help nudge the core up 0.3% to an annual pace of 3.0% and away from the Fed's target of 2%. "A hot print could further strengthen the dollar and cap gains in gold, though I suspect support will remain in place overall as investors seek to scoop up discounts," Simpson said. Recent softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report boosted bets for a Fed rate cut in September. Markets imply around a 90% probability of a September easing, and at least one more cut by this year-end. Non-yielding gold thrives in a low-interest-rate environment. Also on the radar are Sino-U.S. trade discussions as Trump's August 12 deadline for a deal between Washington and Beijing loomed. Meanwhile, COMEX gold speculators increased net long position by 18,965 contracts to 161,811 in the week to August 5. Elsewhere, spot silver fell 0.5% to $38.13 per ounce, platinum slipped 1.1% to $1,317.90 and palladium gained 0.1% to $1,127.37.
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump hopes China will quickly quadruple its US soybean orders
Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hoped China would quadruple its soybean orders from the U.S, adding that it was also "a way of substantially reducing" Beijing's trade deficit with Washington. "China is worried about its shortage of soybeans. Our great farmers produce the most robust soybeans. I hope China will quickly quadruple its soybean orders. This is also a way of substantially reducing China's Trade Deficit with the USA. Rapid service will be provided. Thank you President XI," Trump said on Truth Social. A tariff truce between Beijing and Washington is set to expire on August 12, but the Trump administration has hinted that the deadline may be extended. China, which takes more than 60% of soybeans shipped worldwide, buys the oilseed mainly from Brazil and the United States. The most active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was up 2.13% at $10.08 a bushel at 0446 GMT, having been little changed before Trump's post. China imported roughly 105 million metric tons of soybeans last year, just under a quarter coming from the U.S. and the remainder from Brazil. Quadrupling shipments would require China to import the bulk of its soybeans from the U.S. "It's highly unlikely that China would ever buy four times its usual volume of soybeans from the U.S.," Johnny Xiang, founder of Beijing-based AgRadar Consulting, said. It is unclear if securing China's agreement to buy more U.S. soybeans is a condition for extending the trade truce. China's Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The country has steadily reduced its reliance on U.S. soybeans in recent years, shifting more purchases to South America. Under the Phase One trade deal signed during Trump's first term, China agreed to boost purchases of U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans. However, Beijing ultimately fell far short of meeting those targets. This year, amid Washington–Beijing trade tensions, it has yet to buy any fourth quarter U.S. beans, fuelling concerns as the U.S. harvest export season approaches. "On Beijing's side, there have been quite a few signals that China is prepared to forego U.S. soybeans altogether this year, including booking those test cargoes of soymeal from Argentina," said Even Rogers Pay, an agricultural analyst at Trivium China. Reuters previously reported that Chinese feedmakers have purchased three Argentine soymeal cargoes as they aim to secure cheaper South American supplies amid concerns about a possible soybean supply disruption in the fourth quarter. U.S. soybean industry has been seeking alternative buyers, but no other country matches China's scale. Last year, China imported 22.13 million tons of soybeans from the U.S., and 74.65 million tons from Brazil.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Ukrainians hit by sanctions intended for Russia
Ukrainians have been hit by Western sanctions intended to block Russians from accessing key services. British companies are among a host of firms that have imposed blanket shutdowns across the Ukrainian regions Vladimir Putin claims to have annexed but has not yet conquered. Revolut and Wise, which provide essential online banking services, have been accused of carrying out the Kremlin's bidding by going dark across the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. But Nikolay Kucheruk, whose company provides internet services to residents of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, says the companies have no reason to block his customers. The war-ravaged Donbas town may be only 20 miles from the frontline but is not under Russian control. Putin claimed the surrounding oblasts after sham referenda in 2022 – but three years on, fighting remains fierce and swathes of the regions remain resolutely Ukrainian, despite a renewed Russian offensive in the east with Moscow's forces looking to fully capture the land Putin already claims as Russia's. Revolut and Wise, two of the most prominent UK-based fintechs, offer their products in Ukraine, with services available throughout the majority of the country. But residents in the east face payment rejections and near total shutdowns, while their compatriots can fully access the services. Similar policies have been imposed by other global platforms, including Airbnb, Spotify, Duolingo, TikTok, eBay and Facebook Ads. Ukrainians say these companies are effectively redrawing the map by legitimising Putin's annexation and recognising the territories as Russian. Contacted by The Telegraph, they acknowledged the problem but attributed their decision to Western sanctions against Russia. To access anything online, every user needs an internet protocol (IP) address, assigned by their internet provider which allows online platforms to deliver their services. In eastern Ukraine, these companies are refusing to do so. 'From a technical point of view, it should be simple,' said Mr Kucheruk, the founder and chief executive of Elite Line, Kramatorsk's leading internet provider. 'You just compare a user's address with the ranges assigned to Ukrainian providers. That usually gives you a pretty clear idea if the connection is coming from inside the country'. The companies pointed to economic sanctions for shutting down in the east – but Western sanctions have never targeted Ukraine. 'Revolut must comply with the sanctions laws and regulations of the UN, EU, UK and the US,' the company said in a statement. Pushed on why it does not differentiate between Ukrainian-controlled and Russian-occupied areas within Ukraine, Revolut said: 'Revolut has a legal and regulatory responsibility to comply with all applicable sanctions regimes from the UN, EU, UK, US, and all other jurisdictions in which Revolut operates. 'Revolut supports transfers and card payments for Ukrainian residents, except for sanctioned areas. Revolut does not operate in Russia.' Wise declined to offer a comment on record. With more than 60 million users worldwide, the two British neo-banks are a financial lifeline. They help people send and receive money from abroad, protect their savings, and store funds in stronger currencies like the pound, euro, or dollar. Restrictions deal a double blow to a country of refugees, where the hryvna [Ukraine's currency] has lost 32 per cent of its value in just three years. Ironically, Revolut, which boasts over 700,000 Ukrainian clients across the UK and EU, previously released a paid promotional debit card in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, calling on users to 'show solidarity.' Not all companies have applied sanctions intended for Russians in Ukrainian held regions. Supermarkets, cafes and businesses near the front still process payments daily through Visa and Mastercard. Both companies stopped issuing new cards in Russia after 2022. When asked whether the firms could target specifically Russian-controlled territory in the broader regions, Mr Kucheruk said: 'That wouldn't be a problem. They could create a whitelist with ISPs' directions. 'If a place gets destroyed or is occupied, we can report it and have it moved to a blacklist. But these companies don't even want to try.' Born in Kramatorsk, Mr Kucheruk founded Elite Line two decades ago, and today, with Moscow's troops slowly advancing towards the city, still provides services to 15,000 homes and businesses. His team of 30 people repairs the fibre-optic cables every time Russia shells the city, keeping locals, soldiers, volunteers, and businesses online even during attacks or blackouts. 'Big ISPs – like Vodafone or Kyivstar – can take weeks to react,' he explained. 'We're a small market for them. But we are local people, we live here. We have a responsibility to our customers.' During the 10-year Donbas war, Volodymyr, a fellow Kramatorsk resident, used to host dozens of travellers, families, NGO workers and foreign journalists. But since the Russian invasion, he has been banned by Airbnb. In March 2022, the housing platform told him they were no longer operating in the Donetsk administrative capital, still 30 miles inside Ukrainian-held territory. Airbnb could have played a crucial role in the logistics and military hub, helping meet urgent housing needs while allowing locals to earn a vital income during the war. 'They're stubborn. They don't understand anything,' Volodymyr, now safe in western Ukraine after fleeing the city, said. Airbnb justified the restrictions by claiming it takes 'obligations seriously' to 'ensure compliance with US, EU, and other applicable government sanctions.' 'A lot of enterprises and institutions say they want to help, but in three years, they've done nothing,' said Mr Kucheruk. 'It's not that they can't. It's that they don't want to.' Google has been the only tech giant to reverse course when they blocked access to basic tools like Gmail in March 2022. 'We contacted Google Ukraine, and they quickly understood it was a mistake. Which proves one thing: unlocking the situation isn't difficult,' said Mr Kucheruk.
