
Zelensky says he had good first call with Polish President-elect Nawrocki
'We trust that Poland will continue to be our reliable partner and ally,' Zelensky wrote on Telegram, emphasising the importance of continued military, political and humanitarian support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
Zelensky added that the two men had agreed to conduct official visits to each other's countries. Although Nawrocki supports Ukraine's fight against Russia, he has said he opposes Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU. He has also raised issues regarding the remembrance of past historical issues between Poland and Ukraine.
'Karol Nawrocki stressed that he is the voice of a nation that demands a change in Ukraine's approach to important and so far unresolved historical issues. This should change,' wrote Rafal Leskiewicz, a spokesperson for Nawrocki.
He said this would be the 'subject of further discussions' between the leaders.

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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Putin explains Trump's frustrations away by saying disappointments in peace talks come from ‘excessive expectations'
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favor, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington. US President Donald Trump has said he will impose new sanctions on Moscow and countries that buy its energy exports — of which the biggest are China and India — unless Russia moves by August 8 to end the 3-1/2 year war. He has expressed mounting frustration with Putin, accusing him of 'bullshit' and describing Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as 'disgusting.' Putin, without referring to the Trump deadline, said three sessions of peace talks with Ukraine had yielded some positive results, and Russia was expecting negotiations to continue. 'As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule,' he said. 'But in order to approach the issue peacefully, it is necessary to conduct detailed conversations. And not in public, but this must be done calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process.' He said Russian troops were attacking Ukraine along the entire front line and that the momentum was in their favor, citing the announcement by his Defense Ministry on Thursday that Moscow's forces had captured the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar after a 16-month battle. Ukraine denied that Chasiv Yar is under full Russian control. Ukraine for months has been urging an immediate ceasefire but Russia says it wants a final and durable settlement, not a pause. Since the peace talks began in Istanbul in May, it has conducted some of its heaviest air strikes of the war, especially on the capital Kyiv. The Ukrainian government has said the Russian negotiators do not have the mandate to take significant decisions and President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Putin to meet him for talks. 'We understand who makes the decisions in Russia and who must end this war. The whole world understands this too,' Zelensky said on Friday on X, reiterating his call for direct talks between him and Putin. 'The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia's readiness.' Russia says a leaders' meeting could only take place to set the seal on agreements reached by negotiators. Ukraine and its European allies have frequently said they do not believe Putin is really interested in peace and have accused him of stalling, which the Kremlin denies. 'I will repeat once again, we need a long and lasting peace on good foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and ensure the security of both countries,' Putin said, adding that this was also a question of European security. Putin was speaking alongside his ally Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, at talks on an island in Lake Ladoga that is the site of a famous Russian monastery. Russian TV earlier showed the two men greeting monks at the Valaam Monastery, where they have met several times before, and holding candles during the chanting of prayers.

Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump deploys nuclear submarines in row with Russia
US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines Friday in an extraordinary escalation of what had been an online war of words with a Russian official over Ukraine and tariffs. Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, have been sparring on social media for days. Trump's post on his Truth Social platform abruptly took that spat into the very real — and rarely publicized — sphere of nuclear forces. 'Based on the highly provocative statements,' Trump said he had 'ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances,' the 79-year-old Republican posted. Trump did not say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the deployment locations, which are typically kept secret by the US military. But in an interview with Newsmax that aired Friday night, Trump said the submarines were 'closer to Russia.' 'We always want to be ready. And so I have sent to the region two nuclear submarines,' he said. 'I just want to make sure that his words are only words and nothing more than that.' Trump's remarks came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had started mass-producing its hypersonic nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile and could deploy them to Belarus — a close Russian ally neighboring Ukraine — by year-end. The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump for the end of next week for Russia to take steps toward ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions. Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia's onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor continues. An AFP analysis Friday showed that Russian forces had launched a record number of drones at Ukraine in July. Russian attacks have killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians since June. A combined missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Thursday killed 31 people, rescuers said. Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were 'unchanged.' Those demands include that Ukraine abandon territory and end its ambitions to join NATO. Putin, speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said Belarusian and Russian specialists 'have chosen a place for future positions' of the Oreshnik missiles. 'Work is now underway to prepare these positions. So, most likely, we will close this issue by the end of the year,' he added. Insults, nuclear rhetoric The United States and Russia control the vast majority of the world's nuclear weaponry, and Washington keeps nuclear-armed submarines on permanent patrol as part of its so-called nuclear triad of land, sea and air-launched weapons. Trump told Newsmax that Medvedev's 'nuclear' reference prompted him to reposition US nuclear submarines. 'When you mention the word 'nuclear'... my eyes light up. And I say, we better be careful, because it's the ultimate threat,' Trump said in the interview. Medvedev had criticized Trump on his Telegram account Thursday and alluded to the 'fabled 'Dead Hand'' — a reference to a highly secret automated system put in place during the Cold War to control Russia's nuclear arsenal. This came after Trump lashed out at what he called the 'dead economies' of Russia and India. Medvedev also harshly criticized Trump's threat of new sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Accusing Trump of 'playing the ultimatum game,' he posted Monday on X that Trump 'should remember' that Russia is a formidable force. Trump responded by calling Medvedev 'the failed former president of Russia, who thinks he's still president.' Medvedev should 'watch his words,' Trump posted at midnight in Washington on Wednesday. 'He's entering very dangerous territory!' Medvedev is a vocal proponent of Russia's war — and generally antagonistic to relations with the West. He served as president between 2008 and 2012, effectively acting as a placeholder for Putin, who was able to circumvent constitutional term limits and remain in de facto power. The one-time reformer has rebranded over the years as an avid online troll, touting often extreme versions of official Kremlin nationalist messaging. But his influence within the Russian political system remains limited. In Kyiv on Friday, residents held a day of mourning for the 31 people — including five children — killed the day before, most of whom were in a nine-story apartment block torn open by a missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said only Putin could end the war and renewed his call for a meeting between the two leaders. 'The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia's readiness,' he wrote on X.


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Trump says he has heard India will stop buying Russian oil
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. (Developing story)