
Ukrainian civilians held captive in Russia since 2014 released in huge exchange
Moving footage shared by the Ukrainian president showed people draped with Ukrainian flags around them, reuniting with their loved ones.
The swap on Thursday (14 August) included 33 soldiers and 51 civilians, according to the Ukrainian state committee in charge of prisoners of war.
One of the prisoners had spent more than 4,000 days in captivity, whilst another was a primary school teacher captured by Russian-backed separatists in 2019.
Mr Zelensky added that almost all of the newly released prisoners require medical care and rehabilitation.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump rows back threat of ‘secondary tariffs' against India and China after Putin summit
US president Donald Trump has played down the prospect of imposing so-called 'secondary tariffs' on buyers of Russian oil after his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump had proposed the levies as a new way of pressuring Russia's war-time economy if it failed to stop its invasion of Ukraine, and they were largely due to impact China and India, by far the two biggest buyers of Russian crude. Mr Trump earlier this month doubled duties on Indian products to 50 per cent after imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff for buying Russian oil, kicking off from 27 August. New Delhi was facing the risk of even higher tariffs if Mr Trump's summit in Alaska failed to end Russia's war in Ukraine after the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that 'secondary tariffs could go up' if things don't go well at the meeting. In recent days, Mr Trump has expressed his anger with India for its refusal to stop buying oil from Russia. He has accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing discounted crude from Moscow. China remains the largest market for Russian oil exports. However, raising tariffs on Beijing threatens to break a delicate truce deal between China and the US after it was extended for another 90 days. The truce saw both countries lowering tariffs on each other's goods after the trade war between the two biggest economies threatened to upend global markets. On board Air Force One on his way to meet Mr Putin in Alaska, Mr Trump still appeared undecided on whether he would impose secondary tariffs or not, saying they would be 'very devastating' for China in particular and suggesting Russia had already 'lost an oil client' in India. ''If I have to do it, I'll do it. Maybe I won't have to do it,' he said. After the nearly three-hour-long meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Trump hailed the Alaska summit as a 'great and very successful day' although 'we didn't get there' on agreeing an immediate ceasefire. He instead endorsed Russia's longstanding position – that Kyiv and Moscow would need to agree a full peace deal while fighting continued in the background. And in a post-summit interview with Hannity, Mr Trump said he would hold off on imposing secondary tariffs on China for buying Russian oil after making progress with Mr Putin. He did not mention India directly. "Because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that now," Mr Trump said of the tariffs. "I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now." India has previously said that it needs Russian oil to meet the energy needs of its fast-growing economy. The country has been sourcing nearly a third of its oil from Russia since the Ukraine war began in early 2022 and Moscow started offering it at a discounted rate. New Delhi has decried the double standards of the US sanctioning its oil purchases while continuing to buy Russian uranium hexafluoride, palladium and fertiliser. Narendra Modi's government called the US tariffs "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" and vowed to "take all actions necessary to protect its national interests'.


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Trump-Putin latest: Vlad breaks silence after ‘useful' summit as Don summons Zelensky to White House to discuss deal
Scroll down to read our live coverage on the fallout from the crunch meeting VLAD'S DEMANDS Trump-Putin latest: Vlad breaks silence after 'useful' summit as Don summons Zelensky to White House to discuss deal Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin has broken his silence after crunch talks with Donald Trump in Alaska. The Kremlin tyrant hailed Friday's summit as 'timely and useful' while pushing for a 'fair' deal to end the Ukraine war. 6 Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses senior officials following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Kremlin on Saturday Credit: Reuters 6 Putin hailed his Alaska summit with Donald Trump as 'timely and useful' Credit: Reuters 6 Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands after holding a peace summit in Alaska Credit: Reuters Vlad also told top officials in Moscow that the pair's meeting was 'very frank and substantive' and covered 'almost all areas' of US-Russia relations, with the Ukraine crisis at the core. He added that both sides agreed hostilities must stop 'as soon as possible' and insisted only by addressing the 'root causes' of the war could peace be achieved. It comes as Trump has summoned Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House on Monday – setting the stage for a tense showdown over the future of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader says he is preparing for crunch White House talks with Trump, calling the meeting 'important' to decide the next steps in the war. In a post on X, he wrote: 'We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation… But together we are working for peace and security.' He added he was 'grateful for the invitation' to Washington and stressed the need for leaders to 'clarify all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work.' Monday's Oval Office meeting will be his first return to the White House since his heated showdown with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February. It's also been revealed that Putin told Don he wants the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of their peace deal. In exchange for the Donetsk region, the Russian leader said he would halt further military advances in southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Mad Vlad also vowed to halt any new attacks if he is handed Donetsk. Moscow currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested region - but capturing it entirely could allow Putin's forces to cause major disruption to supply lines on the eastern front. Sources close to Volodymyr Zelensky suggest the Ukrainian leader would not agree to the demands but that he would be open to negotiating land with Trump in his upcoming visit to Washington on Monday. The US President has previously said Russia and Ukraine both believe a full peace deal is "the best way" to end the war - rather than a short term ceasefire. Diplomatic sources have since revealed some of the initial details of the potential agreement, according to news agency AFP. The US has reportedly proposed an agreement that would see Ukraine not join Nato - but instead be offered Nato-esque protections similar to Article 5. Trump reportedly floated the plan with Zelensky and European leaders during a call after his meeting with Putin. The source said: "As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with Putin." Another insider with knowledge of the matter confirmed the NATO-like guarantees had been discussed. It is unclear what Ukraine would have to give up to secure such a deal. Kyiv has long aspired to join Nato - something fiercely opposed by Russia and cited by one of the reasons for their invasion in 2022. 6 Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Trump in Washington on Monday Credit: Telegram 6 Trump waves after stepping off Air Force One following phone calls with Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato leaders Credit: AFP 6 Ukrainian territorial defence soldiers fire an artillery gun Credit: Getty But Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining the Western military alliance. Don hailed his talks with Putin as "great and very successful" as he detailed the next steps in securing peace in Ukraine. The US delegation left Alaska in Air Force One after a busy day and landed back in Washington shortly after 7am local time. Trump held a lengthy phone call with Zelensky during the flight and invited the Ukrainian President to Washington in just 48 hours time. Nato leaders were also updated on the summit in a separate call with Trump. The US President revealed on Truth Social that he informed the European side and Zelensky of Putin's main wish for a complete end to the war instead of a ceasefire. Read our live blog for the latest on the Trump and Putin peace talks...


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Serbia ruling party offices set on fire in fifth night of protests
Fresh clashes erupted between anti-government protesters and riot police across Serbia in the fifth night of unrest in a row, after offices of the the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were set on in Valjevo reportedly used stun grenades and tear gas on protesters after a small group of masked people attacked the empty facilities of the SNS, setting them on were widespread allegations of violence and police brutality in the capital, Belgrade, and Novi Sad. Serbia's interior ministry has denied these comes as Russia pledged to shore up the beleaguered pro-Moscow President Aleksandar Vučić, who leads the SNS, saying it would not "remain unresponsive". The protests were initially triggered by a railway station collapse in Novi Sad in November last year, with Serbians demanding an early election and the end to President Aleksander Vučić's 12-year anti-corruption demonstrations have drawn in hundreds of thousands of protestors, they had been largely peaceful until Wednesday's clash, when pro-government loyalists staged Saturday night, riot police were again deployed in a number of cities including Belgrade as people took part in demonstrations to demand early elections. Offices and flags representing Vučić's SNS party had been a focus of the protesters' anger. Protesters also smashed the windows of the headquarters of the Serbian Radical Party, a coalition partner of the ruling the past week, injuries have been reported at protests across the country and unverified video has circulated on social media of police beating a man in O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, raised concern on Friday over the "police's disproportionate force" in Serbia, urging authorities to "end arbitrary arrests and de-escalate the situation". Vučić responded to Saturday's developments on Instagram, writing that "violence is an expression of total weakness" and promising to "punish the bullies." He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and denounced the demonstrations as part of a foreign plot to overthrow Foreign Ministry has offered their support to the pro-Moscow right-wing a statement the ministry said that "we cannot remain unresponsive to what is happening in brotherly Serbia." The statement said that police were "using lawful methods and means to contain the violent mobs" and that "public order, security, and human lives" were at daily protests have gripped Serbia since November, after the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station roof that killed 16 tragedy became a symbol of entrenched corruption in the Balkan country, with initial calls for transparent probes growing into demands for early their peak, the protests drew hundreds of thousands on to the streets.