Trump says Peace Agreement and not ceasefire is best way to end 'horrific' Russia-Ukraine war
Donald Trump, after discussions with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and a subsequent call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, advocated for a comprehensive peace agreement to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, rather than a temporary ceasefire. Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Trump in Washington to further discuss strategies for ending the war, with a potential meeting with Putin to follow.
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Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, Germany's Merz says
The United States is prepared to take part in security guarantees for Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday, according to Reuters. Speaking to German broadcaster ZDF, Merz said he and other European leaders had been briefed by US President Donald Trump following his meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'The good news is that America is ready to participate in such security guarantees and is not leaving it to the Europeans alone,' Merz said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Trump in Washington on Monday. Merz told ZDF that a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy should follow soon with the aim of agreeing to a peace deal. 'If that works out, it's worth more than a ceasefire,' he said. Merz added that Trump suggested Russia might be willing to negotiate on the basis of current front lines rather than the wider regional borders Moscow claims. 'This is a huge difference because Russia is claiming territories that it hasn't occupied yet,' he told ZDF. In a separate interview with broadcaster n-tv, Merz said he did not expect Zelenskyy's talks with Trump to be as difficult as those in February, when the two leaders clashed publicly. He said European leaders would speak with Zelenskyy on Sunday to help him prepare. 'We'll give a few good pieces of advice,' Merz said. Merz also stressed that while European unity was important, the US would remain central to the conflict. 'The American president has the power both militarily and via appropriate sanctions and tariffs to ensure that Russia moves more than it currently does,' he told Reuters.
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
In first remarks after meeting Trump, Putin calls Alaska summit ‘timely and extremely useful'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska had been 'timely and extremely useful,' adding that Moscow respected Washington's position on the Ukraine conflict and continued to seek a peaceful resolution. Putin gave the remarks in a televised meeting of senior officials in the Kremlin, Reuters reported. Trump, who entered the high-stakes summit warning he 'won't be happy' without a ceasefire and threatening 'severe consequences' if Moscow refused to cooperate, also shelved his threats and instead called the talks 'extremely productive,' after the three-hour meeting with the Russian side that yielded no tangible results. On Saturday, Trump dropped plans for an immediate ceasefire, writing on Truth Social that 'the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often do not hold up.'
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
India's ‘Next Gen GST' may pave way for single tax slab System: Report
Senior government officials have described the proposed GST tax reforms as 'Next Gen GST', a significant overhaul that could eventually pave the way for a single sales/services tax rate by 2047. The proposal, if approved by the GST council, aims to replace the current four-slab structure in the goods and services tax (GST) regime with a two-slab regime, featuring rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, while also retaining a 40 per cent tax on 'sin goods.' This new system would eliminate the 12 per cent and 28 per cent tax brackets, PTI reported. The primary goal of this reform is to boost the economy and also serve to mitigate tariff threats. Calling it the "next Gen GST', one government official said "it is a game changer reform. In the pantheon of economic reforms seen in India, it's right up there." said officials who spoke to PTI. They also said the new structure would mean that almost all of the common use items will move to the lower tax bracket, leading to price cuts, which in turn would boost consumption. The changes are a result of nearly six months of extensive deliberations and meetings, with an aim of creating a stable tax environment and preventing the accumulation of input tax credit (ITC). The new structure is designed to cater to the needs of the middle class, poor, farmers, and MSMEs in mind. Daily use items, such as packaged food, beverages and apparel would be moved to the lower 5 per cent from 12 per cent bracket to boost consumption of these products. "Once the system is put in place and India becomes a developed nation, we can think about a single rate GST," said the official, adding that a single rate structure is suitable for developed countries where income and spending capacities are uniform. "We have looked at every item, item by item and in some cases we have gone back and forth 3-4 times. Whether it is pesticide for use by farmers or pencils for students or some raw material or intermediaries for MSMEs, every item has been discussed threadbare and categorized in the merit or standard slab,' the official said. According to the proposal, a significant number of items would be re-categorized: 12 to 5 per cent: As many as 99 per cent of the items in the 12 per cent category such as butter, fruit juices and dry fruits would move to 5 per cent tax rate. 28 to 18 per cent: About 90 per cent of the items currently taxed at 28 per cent, including electronic items like ACs, TVs, fridges, and washing machines as well as other goods like cement will be moved to the 18 per cent slab. The Council is expected to meet next month to deliberate on the tax reform proposal. The move comes after US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on all goods India exports to the US, bringing the total to 50 per cent from August 27 to punish New Delhi for its crude oil purchases from Russia. The tariffs are likely to impact $40-billion of non-exempt Indian exports such as that of gems and jewelry, textiles and footwear. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address to the nation on Friday emphasized that India should become self-reliant and consume what is made in India, PTI reported.
