&w=3840&q=100)
No Zelenskyy in Trump-Putin talks: Will Ukraine be allowed to choose its own destiny?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be attending Friday's Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, where discussions will be ironically centred around the Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy's absence at a meeting that seeks to end the long-drawn-out war in Ukraine is being perceived as a futile exercise by observers across the world, with many saying that negotiations for a ceasefire cannot happen without Kyiv's presence.
Ukraine's non-attendance at the summit has also sparked concerns among European leaders about the country's future role in potential negotiations.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Europe rallies for Ukrainian interests
Zelensky flew to Berlin on Wednesday and met Merz before they both joined other European leaders for talks with Trump ahead of his planned summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Other leaders on the call included French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the heads of the European Union and NATO.
Merz said a ceasefire 'must be the starting point' and that negotiations must include robust security guarantees for Kyiv and 'be part of a joint transatlantic strategy'.
He said 'Ukraine is ready to negotiate on territorial issues' but also that 'legal recognition of Russian occupations is not up for debate' and that 'the principle that borders may not be changed by force must continue to apply'.
'There is hope for movement, there is hope for peace in Ukraine,' he said.
A second call has been planned involving Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy to follow up on talks with European leaders.
Russia's demands and fears of painful concessions
Putin is expected to push for firm terms, including Russia retaining control of occupied Ukrainian regions, Ukraine dropping plans to join Nato, and new elections in affected Ukrainian areas.
Meanwhile, Trump has once again shifted his tone, warning Putin that Russia will face 'very severe consequences' if it does not agree to the Ukraine truce deals.
At the same time, the US president has himself indicated that his talks with Putin might not yield any real results and that it will be a 'feel-out' meeting to test Putin's terms to sign a temporary ceasefire.
Uncertain prospects for peace
While some hope Trump's efforts could hasten an end to the war, scepticism abounds. Many analysts see the summit as more symbolic and unlikely to produce lasting resolutions, especially without Ukraine at the negotiating table.
Also, the choice of Alaska, historically linked to both the US and Russia, adds symbolic heft to the meeting. For Putin, appearing alongside Trump on US soil signals a restoration of Russia's global standing.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With inputs from agencies
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Stop Trump takeover': Thousands rally in US against Trump-backed redistricting plans
Thousands gathered across the cities in the United States on Saturday to protest against President Donald Trump's plan of redistricting in order to keep control of the Congress after the 2026 mid term polls, by pushing the Republican-controlled states to redraw their congressional maps which favours the Republican Party. With a message of 'Stop the Trump Takeover,' the main rallies have been organised in Texas where a new congressional map, which has the backing of President Trump, could provide five additional seats to the Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. However, the Democratic lawmakers were able to delay the passage of the bill by being absent from the house and not let the quorum have sufficient numbers to vote. Americans everywhere are standing with Texans in their fight against Trump's blatant power grab. — Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 16, 2025 The organiser of the event, Texas for All Coalition, said 'Trump is terrified of the American people.' The group added 'He knows he can't win on his ideas, so he's trying to take Congress by hook or by crook and he's doing it by silencing the voices of communities of color. We're not going to let that happen,' CNN reported. The push by President Trump for a rare and aggressive partisan redistricting, while Texas being its epicenter, has garnered furious response from several Democratic leaders. California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday that he was moving ahead with the plan to redraw his state's lines and let the voters approve it in November. Over 200 protest events have been organised across 34 cities, as the official website of the event's. The website also details that it is receiving support from the Democratic National Committee for organising the events. 'From coast to coast, people will be showing up at their statehouses, city halls, and community spaces to make it clear, we see what Trump is doing, and we won't stand for it,' the Democratic National Committee said.
India Today
19 minutes ago
- India Today
Russia's Lavrov holds talks with Ankara, Budapest on outcomes of Alaska summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held separate phone calls on Saturday with his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts after a high-profile summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without an agreement on ending the war in summit, held on Friday, aimed to resolve the conflict that began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following the meeting, Trump said Kyiv should negotiate with Moscow, noting, "Russia is a very big power, and they're not."advertisementThe Russian foreign ministry confirmed that the call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took place at Turkey's initiative. "The foreign ministers exchanged views on the outcomes of the high-level Russia-US meeting held in Alaska on August 15," the ministry said in a statement posted on its PUSHES FOR DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE Turkey has consistently sought to maintain open diplomatic channels with both Russia and Ukraine during the war. As a NATO member and a partner to both sides, Ankara has positioned itself as a potential mediator, hosting and facilitating various dialogues aimed at easing tensions."The discussions focused on ways to preserve dialogue and continue communication channels between the sides," Turkish sources said as quoted by news agency MAINTAINS CLOSE TIES WITH MOSCOWLavrov also spoke with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, discussing "issues related to the Ukrainian crisis in the context of the outcomes of the Russia-US summit," the Russian foreign ministry has maintained relatively close ties with Moscow throughout the war, frequently opposing European Union sanctions and continuing energy Prime Minister Viktor Orban commented on Saturday following the Alaska meeting, saying, "The world is a safer place than it was yesterday."However, other European leaders issued a joint statement emphasising that "it will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory."The Alaska summit marked another high-stakes diplomatic attempt to address the war, yet no immediate breakthrough was reached.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersTune InMust Watch
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Celebrating Freedom with Reforms
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 'Diwali gift' for the people two months ahead of the festival, declaring that the next set of goods and services tax (GST) reforms will be in place by October, besides underscoring a renewed reforms push, emphasising Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat as the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built by 2047, and unveiling a ₹1-lakh crore jobs programme, among other initiatives. Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency In his 12th Independence Day speech that lasted 103 minutes, the Prime Minister also assured the nation he will soon declare from the Red Fort that India has become the third-largest economy in the world. Countering the Opposition's charge of high unemployment, Modi also said the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana being launched on Independence Day will facilitate the creation of 35 million jobs. On Friday, he said, 'This Diwali, you are going to get a big gift. We are coming with the next generation of GST reforms.' The announcement comes close on the heels of parliamentary approval for two key items of legislation — the Income Tax (No 2) Bill and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill — earlier this week. A total of 280 sections have been abolished in the Income Tax Act. The Prime Minister said the government has decided to constitute a task force to look into the prospects of next-generation economic reforms within a set time frame. 'Current rules, laws, policies, and procedures must be redrafted to suit the 21st century, to fit the global environment and to align with the vision of making Bharat a developed nation by 2047,' he said. The PM said the policy changes will reduce compliance costs, besides boosting startups and small and cottage industries. Other benefits will include a smoother export process, improved logistics and systems, and the abolition of archaic laws that led to imprisonment for minor matters. Modi urged all sections, including political parties, his rivals and fellow leaders, to take part in the efforts to build a bright future. 'I wish to tell my countrymen, everything I am doing, I am doing for the country, not for myself, not to harm anyone,' he said. 'Whether it is structural reforms, regulatory, policy or process reforms, or the need for constitutional reforms, we have made every kind of reform our mission today.' Atmanirbhar Bharat is the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built, he said. The Prime Minister asserted that Operation Sindoor, the Gaganyaan mission and the manufacture of indigenous semiconductors has proved the power of self-reliance. 'The greater a nation's reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question,' he said. 'Misfortune arises when dependency becomes a habit, when we do not even realise it, when we abandon self-reliance and become dependent on others. This habit is fraught with danger and hence, one must remain vigilant every moment to be self-reliant.' Made in India weapons and defence systems helped India during Operation Sindoor, he asserted. 'The enemy had no inkling of what weapons and capabilities we possessed, what power was destroying them in the blink of an eye,' he said. 'Imagine if we were not self-reliant, could we have executed Operation Sindoor with such swiftness? We would have been plagued by worries over who might supply us, whether we would get the required equipment, and so on.' Modi also announced the Sudarshan Chakra Mission for creating a complete security cover for all civilian installations in the near future. Since the 21st century is a 'technology-driven century,' it is imperative that India does not lag behind, the PM said, adding that every nation that mastered technology scaled the heights of development and attained new dimensions of economic power. He lamented that although India began the process of building infrastructure for semiconductor manufacturing six decades ago, the plan was stalled, delayed and shelved, while other countries mastered the technology and strengthened their position. 'Today, we have freed ourselves from that burden and advanced the work on semiconductors in mission mode,' Modi said. 'Six different semiconductor units are taking shape on the ground, and we have already given the green signal to four new units.' India is becoming self-reliant in space technology as well, he stated. 'We are also preparing for Atmanirbhar Bharat Gaganyaan on our own in space,' the Prime Minister said. 'We are working towards building our own space station. And I am very proud of the reforms done in space recently. More than 300 startups in my country are now working only in the space sector and thousands of youth are working with full potential in those 300 startups.' He also expressed satisfaction at the pace with which the National Manufacturing Mission was progressing and reiterated the importance of the 'vocal for local,' 'zero defect, zero effect' and 'lower price, higher value' themes. Underlining the need for promoting indigenous products, Modi urged all traders and shopkeepers to put up boards, saying 'Swadeshi goods sold here.' 'Today, on August 15th, we are launching and implementing a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of my country,' he said. 'The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is being implemented today… Under this scheme, the government will give Rs 15,000 to the youth, to every son or daughter who gets a job in the private sector.' The new jobs programme is expected to create new employment opportunities for approximately 35 million youth. Companies that generate more jobs will also be given incentives under the scheme. The Weight of Eight On the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned the Red Fort into a launchpad for the next chapter of India's rise. His bold announcements signal a nation ready to leap, not just step, into the future. From making India's first chip to building jet engines, his message was unambiguous: Bharat will set its own terms and aim to become a developed nation by 2047. Eight key announcements include… SEMICON: FROM LOST DECADES TO MISSION MODE Recalling how attempts to set up semiconductor factories 50–60 years ago were 'killed at birth,' the PM said India is now in mission mode. The first Made in India chip will roll out by year-end 10x Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2047 Work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors as part of India's mission to increase nuclear power generation capacity by over ten times in the next two decades GST Reforms – A Diwali Gift Next-generation GST reforms will be unveiled on Diwali, reducing taxes on essential goods and providing relief to MSMEs, local vendors and consumers Bharat@$10 Trillion The PM said a dedicated Reform Task Force will be set up to drive nextgeneration reforms. Its mandate is to accelerate economic growth, cut red tape, modernise governance, and prepare the country for the demands of a $10-trillion economy by 2047 PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana A major employment scheme worth Rs 1 lakh cr was launched, under which newly employed youth will receive Rs 15,000. It aims to benefit 3 crore young Indians, making stronger the bridge between Swatantra Bharat and Samriddha Bharat Energy Independence – Samudra Manthan A large share of India's budget still goes toward importing fuel. A National Deepwater Exploration Mission was announced to tap ocean resources, alongside major expansions in solar, hydrogen, hydro and nuclear power High-Powered Demography Mission Highlighting dangers of infiltration and illegal migration, the PM launched a High-Powered Demography Mission to address this national security challenge Made in India Jet Engines – A National Challenge Modi made a dramatic announcement — for India to build its own jet plane engines, just like vaccines and UPI. He asked scientists & youth to take it up as a direct challenge
