Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s.
Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation.
In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.'
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories.
A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan.
Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region.
Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own.
A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation.
Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders.
Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Everything you need to know about a Trump, Putin, Zelensky showdown summit – and who has the upper hand
A HISTORIC meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and maybe Volodymyr Zelensky could finally decide the fate of the war in Ukraine. With battlefields burning and sanctions ready to bite, this diplomatic showdown could be the start of peace - or another powder keg. 8 8 This isn't just another summit – it's a historic high-stakes gamble. Trump is betting big that Putin wants peace, that Zelensky can stomach compromise, and that America's economic firepower can bring the war to an end. Here is everything you need to know about the major meeting and the men comprising the most explosive political triangle in years. When and where could the summit take place? Trump could sit down with Mad Vlad Putin as early as next week, according to the White House. A trilateral meeting including Zelensky is also on the table - a diplomatic first if it happens. A top aide to Putin, Yuri Ushakov, announced that 'an agreement was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days,' following a suggestion from the American side. All parties are now working on the details, and while the venue has been agreed, it will be revealed later. The possibility of a trilateral meeting with Zelensky was also raised by US special envoy Steve Witkoff during his talks with Putin yesterday — though Ushakov says Moscow has, for now, left that idea 'without comment.' Don and Vlad last met in person at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019, during Trump's first term as America's leader. And if Zelensky joins the upcoming meeting, it would mark the first time all three leaders sit at the same table since war erupted in 2022. What will be discussed? One issue dominates: peace in Ukraine. Trump's administration says it is pushing hard for a deal. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, just wrapped up a three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow this week, which Trump called "highly productive". But there's a clock ticking. The Republican strongman slashed his original 50-day deadline for a Ukraine peace deal to just 10 days - and that deadline expires Friday. If Putin doesn't budge, Trump is poised to hammer Moscow - and its enablers - with crippling secondary sanctions. India has already been hit with 50 per cent tariffs over its Russian oil purchases - and China could be next. Trump warned: "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China." The White House says Trump has made it clear there will be "biting sanctions" if Russia doesn't agree to a ceasefire. Who has the upper hand? Right now, everything hangs in the balance - and the power dynamic could shift in a heartbeat. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former British Army officer and military analyst, said the fact the summit is even happening is a win in itself. But as for who's calling the shots? That's where things get complicated. Noting the Russian leader still believes he's making ground in Ukraine, the expert told The Sun: 'Until fairly recently, it's been pretty clear that President Putin has absolutely no desire for peace. 'His aim at the beginning of his special military operation over three and a half years ago was to subjugate the whole of Ukraine.' According to de Bretton-Gordon, Trump has only recently woken up to the fact that he's being played. 8 8 8 'It would appear that Trump has had a bit of an epiphany, a bit of a change of mind, and has now realised that Putin has been playing him.' And now, Don is bringing the businessman in him and threatening to hit Russia where it hurts most: the wallet. 'If Trump follows through with his sanctions and tariffs… then this is the reason I think that Putin has come to the table,' de Bretton-Gordon explained. 'Economic and financial analysts who really know about these things believe that the Russian economy would peter out pretty quickly without the massive amounts of money and resources it gets from oil.' In other words, Trump holds the economic sledgehammer — if he's willing to swing it. But Putin isn't out of the game. His forces are still advancing, still hammering Ukrainian cities, and still killing civilians. 'Russia seems to be moving forward slowly,' de Bretton-Gordon warned. 'Attacking civilian targets in Ukraine at an unbelievable scale.' Zelensky, meanwhile, remains the wild card. 'The people who are most important here are the Ukrainians,' he said. 'A bad deal for Ukraine is worse than no deal at all.' And that's the real risk. Trump might be chasing headlines, not justice. 'I think Trump probably just wants to get a deal of some description,' the former army officer said. 'One just hopes that Trump doesn't try and do some sort of backhand deal with Putin, just so that he can claim that there is now peace in Ukraine, because the short-term peace is no good to anybody.' So who has the upper hand? Right now, it's still up for grabs. But if Trump sticks to his economic guns, and if Putin starts to feel the heat on the home front, the balance might just tip. Will Trump be able to make a deal? That's the trillion-dollar question. Trump insists he's serious. He's been increasingly frustrated with Putin, telling reporters: "Can't answer the question yet. I'll tell you in a matter of weeks, maybe less. But we made a lot of progress." Zelensky says the pressure is working. "It seems that Russia is now more inclined to a ceasefire," he said, but warned, "The main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the US." Putin, for his part, has not ruled out a meeting with Zelensky – a U-turn after rejecting talks for nearly five years. But the Kremlin remains cagey. Aides say they're open to a summit "after preparatory work is done at the expert level." Still, Russia continues to play the long game. Putin's demands for peace remain unchanged, and behind the scenes, Moscow is preparing for no limits on nuclear deployments – a chilling echo of Cold War escalation. If talks fail, Trump's next move could ignite a global trade war. A 100 per cent tariff on all Russian goods and those of its allies is on the table. His message to Moscow? Deal or suffer. 8 8 What is the situation on the frontline? While diplomats talk, Putin bombs. Russia has escalated its attacks in Ukraine in recent days - in what some see as a final show of force ahead of the talks. Kyiv, Kherson, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk - all hit. One missile slammed into a residential tower, killing 31 people, including five children. In Nikopol, a 23-year-old first responder was among the dead. Putin's war machine has launched hundreds of drones and missiles overnight in a relentless blitz. Even as Moscow talks ceasefire, its rockets keep flying. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have not backed down - striking deep into Russian territory with precision attacks on refineries, rail hubs, air defences and even military units inside Russia. The Afipsky Refinery in southern Russia went up in flames after a massive Ukrainian strike – a clear message that Kyiv can hit back hard. Just days ago, Russia declared there are now no limits on its deployment of nuclear missiles in a chilling warning to the West. Throwing off its gloves and restraints, Moscow vowed to match US and Nato moves with force, reigniting fears of a Cold War-style arms race. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused America and its allies of creating a "direct threat to the security of our country" by preparing to deploy intermediate-range weapons in Europe. Saying Moscow now has a free hand to respond, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Russia no longer considers itself to be constrained by anything. "Therefore Russia believes it has the right to take respective steps if necessary." The trigger, according to Russia, is the planned US deployment of Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Germany starting next year. The Kremlin said the move shattered what remained of strategic stability, accusing Donald Trump's USA of risking "a dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers." It was the clearest warning yet that Vladimir Putin is prepared to redraw the red lines of nuclear deterrence — and challenge the West head-on. Will there be peace in Ukraine? THE prospect of peace in Ukraine remains uncertain as the Russia-Ukraine war continues into its fourth year. While Trump's diplomatic efforts and the planned meeting signal continued U.S. engagement, the gap between Russia's demands and Ukraine's conditions remains wide. Putin's history of stalling and Zelensky's insistence on a full ceasefire and security guarantees suggest that a lasting peace agreement is unlikely in the immediate term without significant concessions from either side. Next week's meeting may produce a framework or memorandum for future talks, as Putin has indicated, but a concrete peace deal appears distant based on current dynamics. Recent US-brokered talks, including direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, 2025, have yielded no breakthroughs, though agreements on prisoner exchanges signal some dialogue. US President Donald Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, shortening a 50-day deadline for Russia to negotiate or face sanctions, but tensions persist with Russian advances in eastern Ukraine and intensified drone and missile strikes on cities like Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested territorial swaps, while Russia shows little willingness to compromise. With ongoing military escalation and divergent American and European approaches, a lasting peace deal appears distant.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Is a ceasefire in Ukraine finally on the table? Here's what we know - as fighting grinds on
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is "more inclined" towards a ceasefire but details of any potential deal remain scarce - including any concessions Kyiv or Moscow might be asked to make. President Donald Trump said the meeting between his envoy Steve Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday delivered "great progress" but gave no specifics. An agreement has been reached for a meeting between the US and Russian leaders in the coming days, according to Russia. It's not the first time that negotiations over a possible pause to the fighting have ramped up, but none have ever yielded a cessation of hostilities on the battlefield in the years since the 2022 full-scale invasion. President Trump famously vowed to end the war in 24 hours after returning to the White House, a promise he did not fulfil. 2:06 Discussion of a possible ceasefire - or negotiations towards one - has increased this week as we approach Mr Trump's deadline of August 8 for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face severe economic penalties. The penalties may also target third countries that buy Russian oil in a bid to weaken Moscow's economy. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Russian forces have likely advanced to the outskirts of Kupyansk in north-eastern Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War thinktank. The city was captured in the first wave of Russian advances in February 2022 but was liberated by Ukrainian forces in Kyiv's stunning counterattack later that year. Kremlin forces have continued to make slow battlefield gains along the frontline at the cost of heavy losses. Last week, President Putin said his troops had captured the town of Chasiv Yar after more than a year of fierce combat. The claimed capture, which would be Russia's most significant seizure in many months, was denied by Ukraine. What has Ukraine said about negotiations? After the Witkoff-Putin meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a call with Mr Trump, joined by European allies. Speaking on social media on Thursday, Mr Zelenskyy said he hoped for "real progress on the path to peace and guaranteeing Ukraine's independence under any circumstances". "The priorities are absolutely clear," he said. "The first is to stop the killings, and it is Russia that must agree to a ceasefire. "The second is a format for leaders so that the meeting can work for a truly lasting peace. We in Ukraine have said more than once that the search for real solutions can become truly effective precisely at the level of leaders. We need to decide on the time for such a format, with a range of issues. "The third is the long-term nature of security. This is possible together with the United States and Europe." Putin 'playing a long game' It remains to be seen if Mr Putin is serious about negotiations or is simply playing along to placate President Trump. Former UK ambassador to Ukraine, Simon Smith, told Sky News that he has been "playing a long game". "I think he's pretty certain in his own mind that time is on his side, that all he needs to do is to keep grinding on and wait for Ukraine, and the support for Ukraine, to buckle and to go away, and then he wins." " So [any agreement] may be something like a short-term ceasefire or an agreement to stop particular kinds of military action or so on." 1:39 What has previously been discussed? When a pause in the fighting seemed like a prospect earlier this year, the US said both sides should agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire, which could then be mutually extended. Mr Zelenskyy said back then that he was ready to agree to a ceasefire, following a meeting between his officials and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian president added that the ceasefire proposal on the table back then was "not only concerning rockets, drones, and bombs, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line". There was no mention of territory, which may be the biggest obstacle to a lasting peace agreement. Russia claims a number of regions of Ukraine, including swathes of territory that its forces do not occupy, and has demanded these be handed over. Ukraine has vowed to recapture all its territory, including Crimea. There is also the matter of how any ceasefire or peace deal would be enforced, with Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron's 'coalition of the willing' peacekeeping force idea likely to be discussed once again.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Cambodia and Thailand agree to ASEAN observers to ensure ceasefire holds
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Cambodia and Thailand's top defence officials agreed on Thursday to allow observers from the ASEAN regional bloc to inspect disputed border areas and help ensure hostilities do not resume following a violent five-day conflict that ended in a ceasefire late in July. The Southeast Asian neighbours saw the in over a decade last month, including exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter bombing runs that claimed at least 43 lives and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border. Fighting continued despite diplomatic interventions from China and Malaysia, chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, both calling for restraint. The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand only came to the negotiating table when U.S. President Donald Trump told them that tariff negotiations would not continue unless there was peace, Reuters exclusively reported. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's acting defence minister Nattaphon Narkphanit met at Malaysia's Armed Forces headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday to thrash out the terms of a permanent cessation of hostilities. "There will be an observation team of ASEAN military attaches based in Thailand and Cambodia, led by Malaysia," Nattaphon told reporters at a press conference after the meeting, adding that foreign inspectors based in either country would not cross the border. "Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours with a shared border that can move away from each other ... a resolution will allow our people to return to peaceful lives," he said. Thailand and Cambodia said in a joint statement that they would hold more talks in two weeks and then again in a month. The peace conditions were formulated during three days of talks between senior officials in Kuala Lumpur and were finalised on the fourth day in the presence of observers from China and the United States. "Both sides agreed on the terms of implementation of the ceasefire and improving communication between the two armies," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on social media. Thailand and Cambodia have quarrelled for decades over undemarcated parts of their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when the latter was its colony.
