&w=3840&q=100)
New round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks to happen in Turkey on Wednesday: Zelenskyy
Russia and Ukraine will hold a fresh round of peace talks in Turkey on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, in what would be the third such meeting following inconclusive sessions in Istanbul earlier this year.
Zelenskyy made the announcement during his daily address on Monday (July 21), stating that Ukrainian Security Council chief Rustem Umerov had briefed him on the upcoming talks and ongoing preparations. 'Umerov reported that the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,' he said, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday (July 22).
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The talks come as both sides continue to accuse each other of bad faith and with fighting still raging on multiple fronts. The previous rounds of discussions, held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, ended without substantive progress, despite strong pressure from US President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire.
So far, the only tangible outcome of negotiations has been limited prisoner exchanges. Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its aerial assaults and captured additional territory in eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin has reiterated its demands that Ukraine surrender four occupied regions, in addition to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. It also insists that Ukraine abandon its Nato aspirations– a red line Kyiv has refused to cross.
Ukrainian officials have expressed scepticism about Russia's intentions, even after the Kremlin said last week it was open to further talks following Trump's ultimatum. The US president warned that Moscow had 50 days to reach a ceasefire agreement or face sweeping new sanctions. He also promised renewed arms shipments to bolster Ukrainian defences, including Patriot missile systems.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that expectations for a breakthrough should remain tempered. 'A lot of diplomatic work lies ahead,' he told reporters, suggesting that fundamental differences between the two sides remain unresolved.
With inputs from AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Epstein's ex-girlfriend answers questions on '100 different people' tied to him
The Department of Justice has finished questioning Ghislaine Maxwell, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend. She was asked questions on "100 different people" linked to the late financier, her lawyer said on Saturday. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.(AFP) In the interrogation by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell was asked "every possible thing you could imagine", David Oscar Markus was quoted as saying by the New York Post. The attorney said Maxwell answered all questions "honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability", and never refused to respond to anything. Ghislaine Maxwell was British socialite and Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend. She is currently serving a 20-year-sentence at a prison in Tallahassee, Florida, after being convicted of lending support to her boyfriend in sexually abusing underage girls. She was interviewed over the course of two days at a courthouse in Tallahassee. Maxwell's questioning comes as focus returns to the Jeffrey Epstein case and a growing demand for a release of documents that could reveal more on the sex trafficking probe. When asked about Maxwell's questioning, US President Donald Trump said he doesn't "know anything about the conversation". He also said that while he had the ability to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, he hasn't thought about it. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about,' Trump said Friday at the White House before departing for a trip to Scotland. The US President also said it was "no time to be talking about pardons". Trump is also facing questions on his ties with Epstein. The two shared a friendship in the 1990s but had a falling out in 2004. While some reports have claimed that Trump is among those named in the Epstein Files, there is no evidence linking the President to the pedophile's crimes. A Wall Street Journal report recently claimed that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump about being mentioned in the file "multiple times", but the White House rejected the claims.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Zelenskiy Plans to Ask Europe to Help Pay Ukraine's Soldiers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to ask European allies to help finance improved salaries for troops resisting Russia's invasion, in a bid to ease growing shortages of recruits. 'Previously, Europeans refused to provide funding for the salaries of our military personnel, only for weapons,' Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday. 'Our service members themselves can be the weapon that protects everyone.' With a mobilization campaign in Ukraine increasingly unpopular among a population fatigued by the war that's in its fourth year, Zelenskiy's government wants to motivate more volunteers by offering substantial payments for those who sign military contracts. Russia has long offered large signing bonuses and high salaries to lure tens of thousands to its army each month, seeking to avoid any repeat of a spike in public anxiety when President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial draft a few months into the 2022 invasion. Increasing payments to soldiers would add to strains on Ukraine's state budget, which had a deficit exceeding 20% of gross domestic product last year amid massive military spending. The war-torn nation relies on tens of billions of dollars in aid from its foreign allies, who have so far rejected the idea of directly covering military expenses. While the International Monetary Fund, which is providing a loan program worth about $16 billion, is urging Kyiv to shrink the budget gap, the government has no plans to raise taxes, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko told Bloomberg News in an interview. Global donors have earmarked only half of the estimated $75 billion needed for the budget over the next two years, she said. Ukraine needs $25 billion annually to produce drones, jamming equipment and missiles to defend against Russia, which will bring the budget deficit to $65 billion next year, according to Zelenskiy. It has begun discussions on the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as US officials, he said. 'This is a very difficult topic,' Zelenskiy added. Ukrainian companies have started manufacturing interceptor drones, and about $6 billion is required urgently to ramp up production, the president said. 'A clear task has been set for the manufacturers: Ukraine must be capable of deploying at least 1,000 interceptors per day within a defined timeframe,' Zelenskiy said in a post on social media platform X on Friday after visiting a drone production facility. 'Government officials are ensuring contracting is in place, and we are also working constantly with our partners to prevent any funding shortages,' he said. While he told reporters the US has agreed to buy drones designed and produced in Ukraine, Zelenskiy said he's seeking a contract worth between $10 billion and $30 billion. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Presidential Adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin have been tasked with handling the negotiations, he said. The president said that Ukrainian forces had made 'solid progress' in stalling Russian advances on the battefield. The situation in the northeastern Sumy region was now significantly better for Kyiv, though Russia remains focused on gains in the area as well as toward Pokrovsk, while the Dnipropetrovsk region 'is very much desired by them,' he said. Zelenskiy said the third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Wednesday yielded some progress toward preparing a meeting with Putin. Russian officials have said there's little point to a summit before the sides have negotiated an agreement to end the war. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cambodia calls for ceasefire: Thailand border fighting to stop: UN envoy
Photos from the aftermath of fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border (AP photo) Cambodia has called for an immediate ceasefire amid fresh fighting with Thailand along their disputed border, its envoy told the United Nations, according to news agency AFP. Thailand, had warned that the situation 'could potentially develop into a war' if not brought under control. Clashes broke out near the centuries-old Preah Vihear and Prasat Ta Muen Thom temples, with both sides exchanging rockets and artillery fire for a second straight day. The ancient temples, linked to the Khmer empire, remain a sensitive point in a long-running territorial dispute between the two neighbours.
