Russia open to peace with Ukriane but insists on achieving its goals, says Kremlin spokesman
Peskov and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its Western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate.
'President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin.
'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear,' he added.
The Kremlin has insisted that any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured. It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces, demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected.
President Donald Trump threatened Russia on July 14 with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration following unsuccessful negotiations aimed at ending the war. The direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul resulted in several rounds of prisoner exchanges, but little else.
Trump said he would implement 'severe tariffs' unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but suggested they would target Russia's trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy.
In addition, Trump said European allies would buy 'billions and billions' of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country's supplies of weapons. Included in the plan are Patriot air defense systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles.
Doubts were recently raised about Trump's commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that US stockpiles were running low.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
15 minutes ago
- India Today
Stop fuelling Russia's aggression: US warns China at UN over Ukraine war
Tensions flared between the United States and China at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, as Washington accused Beijing of aiding Russia's war in Ukraine through the export of dual-use goods, while China refuted the claims and warned against US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, urged countries, specifically naming China, to halt exports that contribute to Russia's military capabilities, including components found in drones and missiles used against claim to have implemented strong export controls on dual-use goods falls apart in the face of daily recovery of Chinese-produced components in the drones, weapons, and vehicles that Russia uses against Ukraine,' Shea told the 15-member Security Council. She emphasised that the continued flow of such goods to Russia helps its missile and drone attacks, and undermines global efforts to curb the conflict. 'If China is sincere in calling for peace, it should stop fuelling Russia's aggression,' Shea in turn, pushed back strongly against the accusations. China's deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang defended Beijing's stance, asserting that China has maintained strict controls and has not contributed weapons to the conflict.'China did not start the war in Ukraine, is not a party to the conflict, has never provided lethal weapons, and has always 'strictly controlled dual-use materials, including the export of drones,'' Geng also criticised the US for deflecting responsibility, saying, 'We urge the US to stop shifting blame on the Ukraine issue or creating confrontation and instead play a more constructive role in promoting ceasefire and peace talks.'Earlier, an investigation by news agency Reuters revealed that Chinese-made engines have been secretly routed to a Russian state-owned drone manufacturer under the guise of "industrial refrigeration units" in an attempt to bypass Western sanctions.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersMust Watch
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
US yields reverse course to trade lower ahead of Fed, trade talks
Investors brace for Fed meeting, tariff deadline Labor market update, GDP data on deck next week Treasury refunding announcement could move bond market (Adds context, graphic, analyst comments; updates yields) NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices rose on Friday in a subdued trading session, as investors prepared for a data-heavy week, updates on U.S. trade talks and a Federal Reserve policy meeting. The U.S. central bank is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its rate-setting meeting next week, but all eyes will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks, as investors look for clues on whether rate cuts are on the horizon this year. A U.S. trade deal with Japan this week and expectations of a similar agreement with the European Union have eased market concerns ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline, as the prospect of lower-than-feared import duties is largely seen as softening their economic impact. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet Trump on Sunday in Scotland, after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. Treasury yields, which move inversely to prices, were drifting higher earlier on Friday but changed direction over the course of the trading session, with no clear driver. "This week is one of those sleepy summer weeks that has very little to move Treasuries one way or the other and I think that's why you're seeing this slow move lower in yields," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth. On the U.S. economic front, the only data release on Friday was the preliminary June reading of Durable Goods Orders, which came in better than forecast, even though new orders for key U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. With fresh catalysts in short supply, the market earlier on Friday took its lead from Thursday's European Central Bank meeting, where policymakers kept interest rates steady and delivered a cautiously optimistic outlook on the economy, dimming hopes for further easing this year. "The ECB was nowhere as dovish as people expected and macro data hasn't been bad to say the least," said Slawomir Soroczynski, head of fixed income at Crown Agents Investment Management in London. Market risk appetite has remained intact despite Tesla's disappointing financial results earlier this week, added Soroczynski. U.S. stocks rose on Friday following record closes for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq on Thursday. Trump clashed with Powell during a rare presidential visit to the U.S. central bank on Thursday, but said he did not intend to fire him, as he has frequently suggested he would. On Friday, he said he got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields declined by two basis points to 4.388%. Two-year yields, which more closely reflect expectations on monetary policy, were only marginally lower at 3.917%. Bond investors will get an update next week from the Treasury Department on its quarterly issuance plans. Analysts expect no changes to the auction sizes of notes and bonds at the July 30 refunding announcement, with the Treasury relying more heavily on Treasury bills to fund government budget deficits. However, the Treasury could expand the scope of its buyback program, which could be supportive for the long end of the Treasury yield curve. "If (Treasury Secretary Scott) Bessent doesn't meet the market's expectations for growing buybacks, a sharp selloff in Treasuries could ensue," said Ian Lyngen, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, in a note. On deck next week, in addition to the Fed's meeting, there will also be second-quarter gross domestic product data and July Non-Farm Payrolls. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman)
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
Brazil Producers Look to Halt Pig Iron Output as US Tariff Threat Crimps Demand
Some of Brazil's pig iron producers are looking at halting operations as tariff tensions shrink demand from customers in the US, the top buyers of cargoes from the South American nation. Modulax will shut down operations next week, with plans for doing maintenance work that was originally scheduled for later in the year, according to the Chief Executive Officer Geraldo Basques. 'We have no date to resume production,' he said in an interview, citing the trade concerns. Rival producer Css Siderurgica Setelagoana said in an emailed statement that it's operating with raw-material inventories while awaiting more clarity on the tariff situation, but also warned that it could be forced to shutter operations once the stockpiles are depleted. The moves come as US President Donald Trump threatened a 50% levy on the Latin American country starting Aug. 1. US importers are taking a wait-and-see stance before accepting possible higher prices for the material — a critical component needed to make steel in the US. Brazilian producers are considering granting paid leave to workers along with layoffs as some buyers have already suspended contracts, said Fausto Varela, head of industry union Sindifer. The union has been in talks with Brazilian lawmakers as trade negotiations between the nation and the US haven't progressed as expected. 'It is almost impossible to redirect these sales to other markets in the short term,' said Varela. 'If there is no market, there is no way around it: we'll stop.' Brazil is the US's largest supplier of the material. And the trade is crticial for the South American economy. Roughly a third of Brazil's pig iron exports in the first half this year went the US, according to government data. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
