Zelenskyy returning to Ukraine from G7 summit: Reports
G7 has failed to adopt a joint "strong" statement on Ukraine during the summit in Canada over US reluctance, Reuters reported earlier.
Hromadske reported late on Tuesday night that Zelenskyy was cutting his scheduled G7 program short and was returning to Ukraine from Canada. The exact reason behind the decision remains unknown.
The UK government said in a statement on Tuesday that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Zelenskyy met at the G7 summit and agreed to "drive forward the next stage of military support" and to convene the next "coalition of the willing" meeting in the coming weeks.
Zelenskyy said in an address at the G7 summit, as broadcast on his Telegram channel, that Ukraine needed $40 billion annually in support from Western countries, something that should be agreed by G7 leaders, including the US.
US President Donald Trump said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on Monday that there would not have been a conflict in Ukraine if Russia had not been expelled from the group.
French President Emmanuel Macron said after hosting a summit of the "coalition of the willing" in Paris on March 27 that a number of countries wanted to send troops to Ukraine as "deterrent forces."
He said that the UK-French initiative would be neither a replacement for Ukrainian troops nor a peacekeeping force.
UNI SPUTNIK ARN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
Putin's Ukraine ceasefire demands: Control over Donbas, no NATO and western troops
Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Russian president met Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday for the first Russia-US summit in more than four years and spent almost all of their three-hour closed meeting discussing what a compromise on Ukraine might look like, according to the sources who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed. In the most detailed Russian-based reporting to date on Putin's offer at the summit, Reuters was able to outline the contours of what the Kremlin would like to see in a possible peace deal to end a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of essence, the Russian sources said, Putin has compromised on territorial demands he laid out in June 2024, which required Kyiv to cede the entirety of the four provinces Moscow claims as part of Russia: Dontesk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - which make up the Donbas - plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the rejected those terms as tantamount to his new proposal, the Russian president has stuck to his demand that Ukraine completely withdraw from the parts of the Donbas it still controls, according to the three sources. In return, though, Moscow would halt the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, they controls about 88% of the Donbas and 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to US estimates and open-source is also willing to hand over the small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine it controls as part of a possible deal, the sources is sticking, too, to his previous demands that Ukraine give up its NATO ambitions and for a legally binding pledge from the U.S.-led military alliance that it will not expand further eastwards, as well as for limits on the Ukrainian army and an agreement that no Western troops will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, the sources the two sides remain far apart, more than three years after Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in a full-scale invasion that followed the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and prolonged fighting in the country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly dismissed the idea of withdrawing from internationally recognised Ukrainian land as part of a deal, and has said the industrial Donbas region serves as a fortress holding back Russian advances deeper into Ukraine."If we're talking about simply withdrawing from the east, we cannot do that," he told reporters in comments released by Kyiv on Thursday. "It is a matter of our country's survival, involving the strongest defensive lines."Joining NATO, meanwhile, is a strategic objective enshrined in the country's constitution and one which Kyiv sees as its most reliable security guarantee. Zelenskiy said it was not up to Russia to decide on the alliance's White House and NATO didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the Russian scientist Samuel Charap, chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at RAND, a U.S.-based global policy think-tank, said any requirement for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas remained a non-starter for Kyiv, both politically and strategically."Openness to 'peace' on terms categorically unacceptable to the other side could be more of a performance for Trump than a sign of a true willingness to compromise," he added. "The only way to test that proposition is to begin a serious process at the working level to hash out those details."advertisementTRUMP: PUTIN WANTS TO SEE IT ENDEDRussian forces currently control a fifth of Ukraine, an area about the size of the American state of Ohio, according to U.S. estimates and open-source three sources close to the Kremlin said the summit in the Alaskan city of Anchorage had ushered in the best chance for peace since the war began because there had been specific discussions about Russia's terms and Putin had shown a willingness to give ground."Putin is ready for peace - for compromise. That is the message that was conveyed to Trump," one of the people sources cautioned that it was unclear to Moscow whether Ukraine would be prepared to cede the remains of the Donbas, and that if it did not then the war would continue. Also unclear was whether or not the United States would give any recognition to Russian-held Ukrainian territory, they added.A fourth source said that though economic issues were secondary for Putin, he understood the economic vulnerability of Russia and the scale of the effort needed to go far further into has said he wants to end the "bloodbath" of the war and be remembered as a "peacemaker president". He said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the U.S. president."I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended," Trump said beside Zelenskiy in the Oval office. "I feel confident we are going to get it solved."Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Putin was prepared to meet Zelenskiy but that all issues had to be worked through first and there was a question about Zelenskiy's authority to sign a peace has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskiy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskiy remains the legitimate leaders of Britain, France and Germany have said they are sceptical that Putin wants to end the GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINETrump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was instrumental in paving the way for the summit, and the latest drive for peace, according to two of the Russian met Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. At the meeting, Putin conveyed clearly to Witkoff that he was ready to compromise and set out the contours of what he could accept for peace, according to two Russian Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement, then there are various options for a formal deal - including a possible three-way Russia-Ukraine-U.S. deal that is recognised by the U.N. Security Council, one of the sources option is to go back to the failed 2022 Istanbul agreements, where Russia and Ukraine discussed Ukraine's permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the sources added."There are two choices: war or peace, and if there is no peace, then there is more war," one of the people said.- EndsTune InMust Watch
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
30 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump, Putin can make a deal but they can't sell it to Ukrainians and Europeans: Mearsheimer
Political scientist John Mearsheimer asserts the Russia-Ukraine war will be settled on the battlefield, not by Trump's diplomacy as Moscow and Kyiv remain deeply divided over security guarantees. This handout photograph taken by the Ukrainian Emergency Service and released on August 21, 2025, shows a Ukrainian emergency workers using water hoses on a fire following a Russian air attack, in Lviv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Image- AFP Prominent American political scientist John Mearsheimer, known for his stark forecasts on the Russia-Ukraine war said that despite high-level diplomatic manoeuvring, the conflict will ultimately be decided on the battlefield rather than at the negotiating table. Mearsheimer argued that US President Donald Trump who has opened channels with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will find himself unable to bridge the gulf between Moscow and Kyiv. 'The two countries are poles apart and no compromise acceptable to both sides is in sight,' he said, stressing that Trump's personal diplomacy cannot substitute for hard military realities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His remarks follow fresh attempts by Trump to position Washington as a guarantor of Ukraine's security. Recently, Trump's public commitment at a White House summit to some form of security guarantee for Ukraine was welcomed by European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte even hailed it as a 'breakthrough,' though officials acknowledged that the details of such guarantees remain . Russia says Ukraine 'not interested' in long-term peace Russia, meanwhile, dismissed Ukraine's pursuit of security guarantees as proof it was not interested in a long-term settlement. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Kyiv's demands were 'absolutely unacceptable' and warned that any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be treated as direct foreign intervention. 'The Ukrainian regime and its representatives comment on the current situation in a very specific way, directly showing that they are not interested in a sustainable, fair, long-term settlement,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference. Lavrov also said any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be 'absolutely unacceptable', as Kyiv's allies worked on security guarantees for the country. 'This would be absolutely unacceptable for the Russian Federation,' Lavrov said in response to a journalist's question about security guarantees for Ukraine, calling them 'foreign intervention in some part of Ukrainian territory." Ukrainian President Zelensky countered by accusing Moscow of dodging serious negotiations. In his nightly address, he said Russia was 'trying to avoid the necessity to meet' and did not want to bring the war to an end. Mearsheimer's analysis cuts through these competing narratives. Even if Trump and Putin could arrive at a deal, he argued, such an agreement would face insurmountable resistance among Ukrainians unwilling to cede sovereignty and among Europeans deeply wary of rewarding Russian aggression. 'Any deal struck over their heads would be politically impossible to sell,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Zelenskyy says Russia trying to avoid leaders meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday accused Russia of avoiding the 'necessity' of holding a meeting between the two countries' leaders despite US-led efforts to arrange such summit to try to end the war. 'Current signals from Russia are, to be honest, indecent. They're trying to avoid the necessity to meet. They don't want to end this war,' Zelensky said in his evening address published on social media. With both sides entrenched and outside powers divided over how far to go in underwriting Kyiv's security, the war appears set to grind on. For Mearsheimer, the trajectory is clear: the final settlement will be determined not by summits or security pledges but by the balance of forces on the battlefield. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Is the Caspian Sea shrinking? Azerbaijan raises alarm as major part of its economy could face the brunt
The Caspian Sea , which is the biggest body of water in the world that is not connected to the ocean, is shrinking very quickly. Azerbaijan is sounding the alarm as falling sea levels start to cause problems at ports, threaten oil shipments, and put unique wildlife at risk. Officials say that if the decline isn't stopped, it could have serious effects on the economy and the environment. How serious is the decline in sea levels? According to Azerbaijani officials, the Caspian Sea's level is dropping quickly, which is having an impact on ports and oil shipments and could cause catastrophic harm to sturgeon and seal populations, as per a report by Reuters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Owe the IRS? New Tax Bill Could Make Things Worse - See If You Qualify for Tax Relief Forbes Learn More Undo Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan are the five nations that border the Caspian, the largest salt lake in the world, which contains substantial offshore oil reserves. ALSO READ: Who was faith leader James Dobson — the man who shaped American evangelicals, dies at 89 Live Events Rauf Hajiyev, the deputy minister of ecology for Azerbaijan, told Reuters that although the sea had been becoming shallower for decades, statistics indicated that the trend was quickening, as per a report by Reuters. In an interview, he estimated that the current rate of decline is 20-30 cm per year, noting that its level has dropped by 0.93 meters (3 feet) in the last five years, 1.5 meters in the last ten, and 2.5 meters in the last thirty. As the representative of Azerbaijan in a joint working group with Russia that convened for the first time in April to discuss the issue, Hajiyev stated, "The retreat of the coastline changes natural conditions, disrupts economic activity and creates new challenges for sustainable development," as per a report by Reuters. Notwithstanding the deteriorating ties between the two nations, the working group intends to approve a joint online program for monitoring and responding to the issue in September in accordance with the protocol that was signed between them. Russia primarily attributes the issue to climate change, but Azerbaijan also points the finger at Russia for building dams on the Volga River, which supplies 80% of the water that enters the Caspian. According to Hajiyev, the lives of people living along the coast and the operations of ports are already being impacted by the declining water level. There are roughly 15 million people living in the Caspian region overall, and 4 million on the Azerbaijani coast, as per a report by Reuters. According to him, ships are having more trouble maneuvering and entering the port of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. He added that this is increasing logistics costs and decreasing cargo capacity. What is the impact on ports and oil shipments? According to Baku International Sea Port director Eldar Salakhov, the amount of oil and oil product transported through the Dubendi oil terminal, the biggest in Azerbaijani waters of the Caspian Sea, decreased from 880,000 tons in the first half of 2025 to 810,000 tons in the same period last year. He attributed the decrease to the dropping water level, which he claimed was necessitating significant dredging in order to maintain steady and continuous port operations. To guarantee that the biggest tankers could enter the Dubendi oil terminal without any problems, more than 250,000 cubic meters of dredging were done there in 2024, he told Reuters. The Engineer Soltan Kazimov, a new dredging vessel that will soon go into service, was completed in April at the Baku Shipyard. In order to help preserve the port's capacity, Salakhov stated that it would be able to deepen the bottom to 18 meters. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 is coming—here are 5 fresh features that could make you upgrade fast Which wildlife species are most at risk? The deputy minister, Hajiyev, claimed that the retreat of the waters was endangering the survival of certain marine species and destroying reed beds, lagoons, and wetlands. The greatest setback is to sturgeon, which are already in danger of going extinct and are valued for their caviar. In addition to being isolated from their customary spawning grounds in rivers, they are losing up to 45% of their summer and fall habitats, as per a report by Reuters. He also noted that the declining sea area and the loss of seasonal ice fields in the north, where caspian seals breed, pose a threat to the species. FAQs How quickly is the Caspian Sea getting smaller? In the last five years, the sea level has dropped by 0.93 meters, or 20 to 30 centimeters each year. How does this affect Azerbaijan? Baku and other ports have higher shipping costs, oil shipments are going down, and marine animals like seals and sturgeon are in danger.
