On Ukraine's front lines the kill zone is getting deeper
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Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Vladimir Putin's blunt eight-word retort when grilled about Donald Trump meeting
Vladimir Putin was asked who initiated the likely meeting between him and Donald Trump as hope emerges again of a potential ceasefire in Ukraine Donald Trump is to hold face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin on brokering a ceasefire in Ukraine, handing the Russian tyrant a diplomatic coup as he puts his ego before peace. Putin has been largely isolated by Western powers since the 2022 invasion. But Trump rekindled communications with the Kremlin after returning to office in January and their calls have continued. Yesterday, many Ukrainians remained sceptical of the US President's ability or willingness to end the conflict on terms acceptable to Kyiv. Preparations for the talks are under way, and although it was 'difficult to say' how long they will take, the United Arab Emirates has been touted as a possible venue. It comes after Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu "completely lost it" with an angry response to Keir Starmer. Yuri Ushakov, the Russian leader's foreign policy adviser, said: 'The American side has suggested, and we have agreed in principle, to hold a high-level bilateral meeting, that is, a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.' While declining to name the venue, Ushakov said both sides had agreed on the location, but would 'not be disclosing it at this time'. A date has not yet been confirmed but the talks could be held next week. 'It is hard to say how much time the preparations for such an important meeting would take,' Ushakov added. The announcement came after Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, held talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday. It followed a US ultimatum demanding Russia either agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face a fresh round of sanctions due to come into force today. One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was still poised to announce additional sanctions against Russia if no tangible steps were taken by Moscow toward ending the war. Ushakov played down reports of a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite Trump's stated ambition to hold such a summit. 'We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,' Ushakov said. He described the idea of including Zelensky as 'not specifically discussed.' Speaking at the Kremlin following talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday, Putin said he expected to meet with Trump 'possibly next week'. Asked who initiated the meeting, the Russian leader said: 'That doesn't matter. Both sides expressed an interest.' As for Zelensky, Putin added, 'It's a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created' before any meeting between the two could take place. The Russian president has repeatedly rejected Zelensky's previous offers to hold direct talks. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and another who attended Wednesday's Kremlin discussions with Witkoff, suggested that a Trump-Putin summit would allow Russia to 'clearly convey its position'. On social media platform Telegram, President Zelensky called for an end to the conflict, adding he was holding calls with European leaders to discuss recent developments. Yesterday he said: 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war.' Zelensky emphasised that any talks must include long-term security guarantees, and that a solution must involve not only the US, but also Europe. 'A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia,' he said, noting that Russia's missile strikes had continued unabated despite Trump's public urging for de-escalation. Should the summit materialise, it would mark the first in-person meeting between an American and Russian president since 2021, when Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva, Switzerland. Trump and Putin previously met at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019. Trump had a phone call with Zelensky on Wednesday before a Gallup poll yesterday revealed growing public support in Ukraine for ending the war through negotiations. In a marked shift from 2022, only about one in four Ukrainians now support continuing the fight until total victory, down from three-quarters when Russia's full-scale invasion began. Around seven in 10 respondents backed immediate negotiations. The survey, held early last month, excluded occupied territories, which comprise roughly 10% of the population. More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war, with tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides killed. Despite heavy losses, Russian forces continue their slow advance along the 600-mile front line.
Powys County Times
6 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Trump says he would meet Putin even if Russian leader won't meet Zelensky
Donald Trump has said he would meet Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader will not meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if the Russian leader would need to meet Mr Zelensky to secure a meeting with the US, and replied: 'No, he doesn't. No.' His comments followed Mr Putin's remarks earlier on Thursday that he hoped to meet the US president next week, possibly in the United Arab Emirates, but the White House was still working through the details of any potential meetings, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Mr Putin's announcement came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions. Asked on Thursday if his deadline for Friday would hold, Mr Trump said of Mr Putin: 'It's going to be up to him. We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed.' He also touched on killings that have continued on both sides and added, 'I don't like long waits. I think it's a shame.' A White House official told the Associated Press on Thursday morning that a US-Russian summit would not happen if Mr Putin did not agree to meet Mr Zelensky, but the official later said it only made it less likely. Speaking of possible direct talks with Mr Zelensky, the Russian president said he has mentioned several times that he was not against it, adding: 'It's a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created.' The Kremlin has previously said Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close. Ukraine fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow, and Mr Zelensky said he had phone conversations with several European leaders on Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. European countries have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia's invasion. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier brushed aside the possibility of Mr Zelensky joining the summit, something the White House said Mr Trump was ready to consider. Mr Putin has spurned Mr Zelensky's previous offers of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough. Asked who initiated the possible talks with the US president, Mr Putin said that did not matter and 'both sides expressed an interest'. A meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when Joe Biden met Mr Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone towards Mr Trump's effort to end the war, although there is no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace. Months of US-led efforts have yielded no progress on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbour. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Western officials have repeatedly accused Mr Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. He has previously offered no concessions and said he will accept a settlement only on his terms. Mr Zelensky said European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent. 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,' he added. A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media. He noted that Russian strikes on civilians have not eased despite Mr Trump publicly urging Mr Putin to relent. A Russian attack on Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, he said. A new Gallup poll published on Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a peace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.
Leader Live
7 hours ago
- Leader Live
Trump says he would meet Putin even if Russian leader won't meet Zelensky
Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if the Russian leader would need to meet Mr Zelensky to secure a meeting with the US, and replied: 'No, he doesn't. No.' His comments followed Mr Putin's remarks earlier on Thursday that he hoped to meet the US president next week, possibly in the United Arab Emirates, but the White House was still working through the details of any potential meetings, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Mr Putin's announcement came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions. Asked on Thursday if his deadline for Friday would hold, Mr Trump said of Mr Putin: 'It's going to be up to him. We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed.' He also touched on killings that have continued on both sides and added, 'I don't like long waits. I think it's a shame.' A White House official told the Associated Press on Thursday morning that a US-Russian summit would not happen if Mr Putin did not agree to meet Mr Zelensky, but the official later said it only made it less likely. Speaking of possible direct talks with Mr Zelensky, the Russian president said he has mentioned several times that he was not against it, adding: 'It's a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created.' The Kremlin has previously said Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close. Ukraine fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow, and Mr Zelensky said he had phone conversations with several European leaders on Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. European countries have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia's invasion. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier brushed aside the possibility of Mr Zelensky joining the summit, something the White House said Mr Trump was ready to consider. Mr Putin has spurned Mr Zelensky's previous offers of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough. Asked who initiated the possible talks with the US president, Mr Putin said that did not matter and 'both sides expressed an interest'. A meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when Joe Biden met Mr Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone towards Mr Trump's effort to end the war, although there is no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace. Months of US-led efforts have yielded no progress on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbour. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Western officials have repeatedly accused Mr Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. He has previously offered no concessions and said he will accept a settlement only on his terms. Mr Zelensky said European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent. 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,' he added. A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media. He noted that Russian strikes on civilians have not eased despite Mr Trump publicly urging Mr Putin to relent. A Russian attack on Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, he said. A new Gallup poll published on Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a peace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.
