Trump's deadline for the Kremlin looms but Putin shows no sign of making concessions
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow midweek, just before Trump's Friday deadline for the Kremlin to stop the killing or face potentially severe economic penalties from Washington.
So far Trump's promises, threats and cajoling have failed to shift the Kremlin's position, and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate remains in place. Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing more territory on the front line, although there is no sign of a looming collapse of its defenses.
Witkoff is expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza.
'They would like to see (Witkoff),' Trump said Sunday of the Russians. 'They've asked that he meet so we'll see what happens.' Trump, exasperated that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't heeded his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, a week ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, including China and India.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that officials are happy to meet with Trump's envoy. 'We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow,' he said. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful.' Trump said Sunday that Russia has proven to be 'pretty good at avoiding sanctions.' 'They're wily characters,' he said of the Russians.
The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact.
Ukraine insists the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged the US, Europe and other nations to impose stronger secondary sanctions on Moscow's energy, trade and banking sectors.
Trump's comments appeared to signal he doesn't have much hope that sanctions will force Putin's hand.
The secondary sanctions also complicate Washington's relations with China and India, who stand accused of helping finance Russia's war effort by buying its oil.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has found that stopping the war is harder than he perhaps imagined.
Senior American officials have warned that the US could walk away from the conflict if peace efforts make no progress.
The diplomatic atmosphere has become more heated as Trump's deadline approaches.
Putin announced last Friday that Russia's new hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, has entered service.
The Russian leader has hailed its capabilities, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds of up to Mach 10 cannot be intercepted. He claimed that they are so powerful that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
Separately, one of Putin's top lieutenants warned that the Ukraine war could nudge Russia and the US into armed conflict.
Trump responded to what he called the 'highly provocative statements' by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev by ordering the repositioning of two US nuclear submarines.
Putin has repeated the same message throughout the war: He will only accept a settlement on his terms and will keep fighting until they're met.
Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UN. It has pushed on with that tactic despite Trump's public calls for it to stop over the past three months.
On the 1,000-kilometer front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow and costly progress. It is carrying out a sustained operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub whose fall could open the way for a deeper drive into Ukraine.
Ukraine has developed technology that has allowed it to launch long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia. In its latest strike it hit an oil depot near Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, starting a major fire. (AP)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korea, US strike last-minute tariff deal, but tough talks lie ahead
Seoul warns 'devil in the details,' as specifics on $350b investment, digital trade barriers remain unresolved A very last-minute tariff deal between South Korea and the US brought some relief to Asia's fourth-largest economy last week, lowering threatened import duties on Korean products from 25 percent to 15 percent just before the Aug. 1 deadline. However, the deal is widely regarded as a framework, with many specifics yet to be ironed out. There also remain discrepancies between the two sides, particularly in nontariff barriers in the digital and agricultural sectors. These details will need to be resolved through follow-up negotiations. Under the agreement reached in Washington on July 30, Korea was able to avert the initial 25 percent levy in exchange for Seoul's commitment to $350 billion in investments in the US and a $100 billion purchase of American liquefied natural gas and other energy products. Tariffs for Korean cars and auto parts were also dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent. Seoul also received most-favored nation treatment for key sectors like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, which had been at risk of future tariff hikes. There is no written agreement yet, according to Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, who was part of the negotiating team, noting that Seoul cannot be fully relieved as either tariff or nontariff pressures could arise at any time. Koo Yun-cheol, deputy prime minister and finance minister, said the real challenges lie ahead: 'As people say, the devil is in the details.' 'We plan to establish a concrete strategy based on the framework established in this agreement and respond proactively in the upcoming detailed negotiation with the US,' Koo said. What's in $350 billion investment One of the major flash points includes specifics of the ambitious investment pledge. Under the agreement, Seoul committed to establishing a $350 billion investment fund, with $150 billion earmarked for the US shipbuilding sector, under a proposal dubbed 'Make America Shipbuilding Great Again.' The remaining $200 billion fund will go toward strategic sectors such as chips, batteries, biotechnology and nuclear energy. But the structure and operation of the investment fund remain unclear, with both countries appearing to have diverging interpretations, raising the potential for disagreements down the road. When revealing the deal in a social media post, Trump said the $350 billion investment from South Korea would be 'owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President.' Adding to this, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said 90 percent of the profits from the $350 billion investment would be 'going to the American people.' In contrast, Seoul said the fund would primarily consist of loans and loan guarantees, with only a small portion allocated for direct investment. The plan also includes protective measures like purchase guarantees to mitigate risks. In a press briefing on Thursday, Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, acknowledged that with the fund's structure unspecified ― particularly regarding who will invest, how much and where ― it is difficult to infer the US' exact position. Regarding Lutnick's "90 percent profit" comment, Kim said Seoul interpreted it to mean the profits from the fund would be 'reinvested' in the US, instead of immediately being taken out as dividends, and would remain circulating in the American economy. He added that the idea of the US keeping 90 percent of the profits when the money came from Korea is 'hard to understand in a civilized society.' This 'uncertain' nature of the fund was also a major concern among experts. Yoo Myung-hee, a former trade minister who led free trade agreement renegotiations with the US during Trump's first term, described the fund as unprecedented. 'The investment fund is a path we haven't taken before. There is still uncertainty about how this fund, which hasn't been done in FTAs, trade or bilateral agreements, will operate going forward,' Yoo said at a forum hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries on Tuesday. 'The remaining important task is to carefully flesh out the details in a way that truly benefits both countries.' Lee Jae-min, a professor of law at Seoul National University, echoed that view, saying that "there are many ambiguous parts" to the deal. 'I don't think we've ever seen a trade agreement like this. There are just so many items left for future discussion,' said Lee, noting it was understandable due to the time crunch. 'But what concerns more isn't just the ambiguity, but the fact that the two sides are saying different things.' Lee stressed that follow-up talks need to specify the 'overly broad' concept of investment to determine what qualifies as an investment, and to what extent. The latest agreement sidestepped some of the more contentious topics, including Korea's proposed legislation to regulate online platform companies ― an issue that had been a major point of concern for the US during technical talks ― as well as restrictions on Google's access to high-precision Korean mapping data. But Seoul officials acknowledge that these nontariff barriers could resurface, possibly at the upcoming Korea-US summit expected later this month. The Online Platform Law spearheaded by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea would classify large online platforms as market-dominant operators, empower the Fair Trade Commission to regulate their operations. This would also mean that American tech giants Google and Apple would be subject to stricter regulations in Korea. US companies and lawmakers have been voicing strong opposition to the proposal. Major tech firms have reportedly ramped up lobbying efforts with US legislators and officials, urging them to pressure Korea to shelve the legislation. They argue that the law unfairly targets American firms and constitute a nontariff barrier. The bill is a flagship policy of President Lee Jae Myung's administration and is likely to be enacted given the ruling party's majority in the National Assembly. However, mindful of US sensitivities, the Democratic Party on Monday said it would wait until after the Korea-US summit to decide whether to proceed with the legislation. 'The nontariff barrier issues, including the Online Platform Law, haven't been highlighted much this time, but they will continue to be raised again in the future,' said professor Lee. 'They are long-standing issues that have come up repeatedly during Korea-US talks. Many of these nontariff barriers can be resolved if we proactively explain our position and clear up misunderstandings.' Another contentious issue of Google's push to export Korea's high-precision mapping data was also excluded from the deal, but likely will return in future talks. Washington has been pressuring Seoul to allow Google's access to the data, but Seoul has resisted due to national security concerns. The Korean government was expected to reach a decision on Google's application for the map transfer by Aug. 11, but this deadline will likely be postponed until after the Korea-US summit. Another sensitive topic was whether Korea would further open its market to US agricultural goods, particularly rice and beef. In announcing the deal, Trump said on Truth Social that Korea would be completely 'open to trade' with the US, and accept American products, including agricultural goods. But Korean officials repeatedly ruled out further opening of the rice and beef markets. 'We will not open rice and beef (markets) any further. That is definitive,' presidential chief of staff for policy Kim said during a KBS news program on Sunday. However, he acknowledged that technical discussions might occur, such as talks aimed at simplifying quarantine procedures. Despite the government's efforts to quell concerns, observers say additional US demands cannot be entirely ruled out, considering Washington's strong pressure on Korea to reduce nontariff barriers on agricultural and livestock product.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
US to require up to $15,000 bonds for some tourists
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The US could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks, a government notice said on Monday, an effort that aims to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas. The program gives US consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice. Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the US illegally. He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the US on national security grounds. Trump's immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the US fell by 20 percent year-over-year. Effective Aug. 20, the new visa program will last for approximately a year, the government notice said. Consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said. The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, the notice said. A similar pilot program was launched in November 2020 during the last months of Trump's first term in office, but it was not fully implemented due to the drop in global travel associated with the pandemic, the notice said. A State Department spokesperson listed the criteria that will be used to identify the countries that will be affected, adding that the country list may be updated. "Countries will be identified based on high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations," the spokesperson said. The State Department was unable to estimate the number of visa applicants who could be affected by the change. Many of the countries targeted by Trump's travel ban also have high rates of visa overstays, including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen. US Travel Association, which represents major tourism-related companies, estimated the "scope of the visa bond pilot program appears to be limited, with an estimated 2,000 applicants affected, most likely from only a few countries with relatively low travel volume to the United States." Numerous countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo also had high overstay rates, according to US Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023. A provision in a sweeping spending package passed in the Republican-controlled US Congress in July also created a $250 "visa integrity fee" for anyone approved for a non-immigrant visa that could potentially be reimbursable for those who comply with visa rules. The $250 fee goes into effect on Oct. 1. US Travel said that fee could hinder travel and said "if implemented, the US will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world." "They are both causing disease, death and disability today in tens of thousands of people, and these harms will become more severe in the years ahead as the planet continues to warm and plastic production continues to increase," he said. The report also announced a new effort to track the impact plastic pollution has on health, the latest in a series called The Lancet Countdown.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trump's deadline for the Kremlin looms but Putin shows no sign of making concessions
The coming week could mark a pivotal moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump's deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal approaches — or it could quietly pass without consequence. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow midweek, just before Trump's Friday deadline for the Kremlin to stop the killing or face potentially severe economic penalties from Washington. So far Trump's promises, threats and cajoling have failed to shift the Kremlin's position, and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate remains in place. Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing more territory on the front line, although there is no sign of a looming collapse of its defenses. Witkoff is expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza. 'They would like to see (Witkoff),' Trump said Sunday of the Russians. 'They've asked that he meet so we'll see what happens.' Trump, exasperated that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't heeded his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, a week ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, including China and India. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that officials are happy to meet with Trump's envoy. 'We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow,' he said. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful.' Trump said Sunday that Russia has proven to be 'pretty good at avoiding sanctions.' 'They're wily characters,' he said of the Russians. The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact. Ukraine insists the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged the US, Europe and other nations to impose stronger secondary sanctions on Moscow's energy, trade and banking sectors. Trump's comments appeared to signal he doesn't have much hope that sanctions will force Putin's hand. The secondary sanctions also complicate Washington's relations with China and India, who stand accused of helping finance Russia's war effort by buying its oil. Since returning to office in January, Trump has found that stopping the war is harder than he perhaps imagined. Senior American officials have warned that the US could walk away from the conflict if peace efforts make no progress. The diplomatic atmosphere has become more heated as Trump's deadline approaches. Putin announced last Friday that Russia's new hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, has entered service. The Russian leader has hailed its capabilities, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds of up to Mach 10 cannot be intercepted. He claimed that they are so powerful that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack. Separately, one of Putin's top lieutenants warned that the Ukraine war could nudge Russia and the US into armed conflict. Trump responded to what he called the 'highly provocative statements' by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev by ordering the repositioning of two US nuclear submarines. Putin has repeated the same message throughout the war: He will only accept a settlement on his terms and will keep fighting until they're met. Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UN. It has pushed on with that tactic despite Trump's public calls for it to stop over the past three months. On the 1,000-kilometer front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow and costly progress. It is carrying out a sustained operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub whose fall could open the way for a deeper drive into Ukraine. Ukraine has developed technology that has allowed it to launch long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia. In its latest strike it hit an oil depot near Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, starting a major fire. (AP)
