After war with Israel, Iran seeks to strengthen ties with China and Russia
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L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Zelensky says negotiators have 'begun to discuss' possible Putin meeting
Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv discussed the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during talks in Istanbul this week, Volodymyr Zelensky said in comments released Friday. Zelensky has been pushing for a meeting with Putin and has urged Donald Trump, who has been pushing for the warring parties to strike a deal, to also attend. Putin has said he is willing to meet Zelensky but only during a "final phase" of negotiations to end the more than three-year war. "We need an end to the war, which probably begins with a meeting of leaders," Zelensky told reporters, including AFP. "In talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress toward some kind of meeting format," he added. At a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Kyiv proposed holding the talks by the end of August. The timing would roughly align with a deadline set by Trump, who earlier this month gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or face sweeping sanctions. The Kremlin on Thursday downplayed the likelihood of any imminent meeting. "A high-level meeting can and must put a definitive end to the settlement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP. "Is it possible to go through such a complex process in 30 days? Well, that is obviously unlikely," he added. Talks on ending the conflict have yielded few results. The sides have radically different positions and Ukraine has accused Russia of sending low-level officials with no real decision-making power. Russia has called on Ukraine to effectively cede four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable. Ukraine says it will never recognise Russia's claims over occupied territory — including Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. Zelensky said Russia was still attempting to advance on several parts of the front, without any major breakthroughs, but acknowledged that Russian sabotage groups had entered the embattled logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Ukraine has been pleading with its Western backers to send weapons for its troops and to withstand daily Russian attacks. As part of a deal that allows European states to buy U.S. weaponry and give it to Kyiv, Zelensky said his country was working to secure funding for 10 Patriot air defense systems. "The President of the United States will be transferring, selling these systems to us. Our task is to find funding for all 10 systems," Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine had already secured funds for three systems — two from Germany and one from Norway. Zelensky also said that Washington and Kyiv had agreed on a deal worth between $10-30 billion dollars for Ukraine to provide drones to the United States. This would represent a departure from Ukraine's unofficial stance against weapons exports. "With America and President Trump, we agreed that they will purchase drones from us. This agreement is in place," Zelensky said. 'Listened' to protesters Zelensky said he was "focused on the issue of the war because right now, the number one issue in Ukraine is the war." But he has been facing protests, spurred by the adoption of a law revoking the independence of two anti-corruption agencies. The adoption of the law triggered the biggest public protests in Ukraine since Russia's invasion and drew criticism from Kyiv's European allies. "It is absolutely normal to react when people don't want something or when they dislike something," Zelensky said. "For me, it was very important that we listened and responded adequately," Zelensky added. The government has since submitted a bill aimed at restoring the independence of the anti-graft bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). It remains to be seen whether parliament — mostly loyal to Zelensky — will approve the draft law. The controversial law drew criticism from Kyiv's European allies, who worry the move could undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. "We want to be part of Europe. No one is willing to take any risks," Zelensky said.
Nahar Net
5 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Zelensky says defenses holding firm against Russia's summer push
by Naharnet Newsdesk 25 July 2025, 15:47 Ukrainian forces are holding back Russia's concerted summer push to break through defenses along parts of the front line, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says. "They are not advancing. It's very tough for our guys out there. And it's tough everywhere," Zelensky told reporters on Thursday, in comments embargoed till Friday. "It's also very hard for the Russians — and that's good for us." With the war now in its fourth year after Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor, the effort is draining resources on both sides, although Russia has more resources and people to sustain its fight. Ukraine is seeking further support from Western partners. Russia has claimed the capture of some villages and hamlets in recent weeks, but no defensively stronger urban areas have fallen to its troops. Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have repeatedly attempted to stage minor incursions near Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region to film symbolic footage, such as raising a Russian flag, but Ukrainian forces have repelled those efforts, Zelensky said. "It happened five to seven times recently, sometimes with only two or six people. Once they tried to hold a position with 12 people — and all of them were eliminated by our defenders," Zelensky said. Zelensky described the situation in the northeastern Sumy border region as "much better" than in recent months, noting progress by Ukrainian forces over the past six weeks. Ukraine wants 10 Patriot missile systems Russia has also intensified its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, with the second-largest city Kharkiv struck with a powerful glide bomb for a second straight day Friday. Seven people were injured, officials said. On Thursday, 42 were injured. Zelensky said Ukraine is working with international partners to secure 10 U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which can shoot down missiles, with three already confirmed from Germany and Norway. The Trump administration will sell the systems, he said, but Ukraine's task is to find funding for all 10. Each system costs more than $1 billion. Ukraine is also seeking to obtain a license to manufacture the Patriot systems itself. Kremlin says no summit meeting in sight The Ukrainian leader expressed little hope for progress in direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, though he said the Kremlin envoys have begun discussing the possibility of a leaders' summit with Ukraine. "We need an end to the war, which probably begins with a meeting of leaders. It won't work any other way with (the Russians)," Zelensky said. The Kremlin, however, remained set against top-level talks before a potential comprehensive peace agreement is fleshed out. "A high-level meeting can and must put a final point in the settlement and seal the modalities and agreements that are yet to be worked out by experts," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "It's impossible to act otherwise." Zelensky says anti-graft street protests were 'legitimate' In domestic politics, Zelensky said public protests against changes earlier this week to Ukraine's anti-corruption law were "legitimate." The changes threatened the independence of anti-graft watchdogs and also drew rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups, prompting Zelensky to propose new legislation to restore the independence of the anti-graft agencies. "It's very important that society speaks. I respect the opinion of society," Zelensky said. "People asked for changes. We responded." Demonstrators gathered for the third day on Thursday evening, but drew a smaller crowd. He said those agencies must be "truly independent," adding that "the most important thing in this war is the unity of our state. It is critical not to lose unity." However, the risk now remains that the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will fail to approve the new bill, which could bring even larger crowds to the streets. Zelensky expressed confidence that it would pass in a vote scheduled for July 31. "The most important thing right now is that the bill exists. It has been registered. I believe it will receive enough votes. I want that to happen," he said.
LBCI
5 hours ago
- LBCI
UN nuclear watchdog chief says Iran ready to restart technical conversations
Iran has indicated that it will be ready to restart conversations at a technical level regarding its nuclear program, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Friday. Iran needs to be transparent about its facilities and activities, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in Singapore. Earlier in July, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country plans to cooperate with the nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, while stressing that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. Araghchi at that time reiterated that Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium. Reuters
