Russia says it must be part of any talks on Ukraine security guarantees
NATO military chiefs meanwhile held a virtual summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, the latest in a flurry of global diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the nearly three-and-a-half year conflict.
"On #Ukraine, we confirmed our support. Priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace," the chair of the alliance's military committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, wrote on X after the meeting.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier warned that "seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere".
Moscow signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which was aimed at ensuring security for Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan in exchange for them giving up numerous nuclear weapons left from the Soviet era.
But Russia violated that first by taking Crimea in 2014, and then by starting a full-scale offensive in 2022, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.
On Tuesday, top US officer Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the "best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal", a US defence official told AFP.
In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks.
Diplomatic flurry
US President Donald Trump brought Zelensky and European leaders to the White House on Monday, three days after his landmark encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Russia's long-serving foreign minister downplayed the meeting in Washington, describing it as a "clumsy" attempt to change the US president's position on Ukraine.
Trump, long a fierce critic of the billions of dollars in US support to Ukraine, earlier said European nations were "willing to put people on the ground" to secure any settlement.
He ruled out sending US troops but suggested the country might provide air support.
Russia has long said it will never tolerate the presence of any Western troops in Ukraine.
While Trump said Putin had agreed to meet Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, Russia has not confirmed this.
Lavrov also cast doubt on an imminent meeting between the sworn enemies, saying that any summit between Putin and Zelensky "must be prepared in the most meticulous way" so it does not lead to a "deterioration" of the situation surrounding the conflict.
Fresh Russian strikes
Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram Wednesday that its troops had captured the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka in the embattled Donetsk region.
They are near a section of the front where the Russian army broke through Ukrainian defences last week, between the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka.
"Our units are engaged in heavy defensive battles against superior Russian forces," said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Six civilians were killed by Russian attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine Wednesday, local authorities said.
One person died in Russia's western Bryansk region as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor said.
Russia's aerial attacks on the northeastern town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region wounded at least 14 people, including three children, according to regional governor Oleg Grygorov.
Zelensky said these latest strikes showed "the need to put pressure on Moscow", including through sanctions.
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NDTV
10 minutes ago
- NDTV
Putin Demands Donbas Surrender, No NATO, No Western Troops In Ukraine: Report
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters. The Russian president met Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday for the first Russia-U.S. summit in more than four years and spent almost all of their three-hour closed meeting discussing what a compromise on Ukraine might look like, according to the sources who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Speaking afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed. In the most detailed Russian-based reporting to date on Putin's offer at the summit, Reuters was able to outline the contours of what the Kremlin would like to see in a possible peace deal to end a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people. In essence, the Russian sources said, Putin has compromised on territorial demands he laid out in June 2024, which required Kyiv to cede the entirety of the four provinces Moscow claims as part of Russia: Dontesk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - which make up the Donbas - plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Kyiv rejected those terms as tantamount to surrender. In his new proposal, the Russian president has stuck to his demand that Ukraine completely withdraw from the parts of the Donbas it still controls, according to the three sources. In return, though, Moscow would halt the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, they added. Russia controls about 88% of the Donbas and 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data. Moscow is also willing to hand over the small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine it controls as part of a possible deal, the sources said. Putin is sticking, too, to his previous demands that Ukraine give up its NATO ambitions and for a legally binding pledge from the U.S.-led military alliance that it will not expand further eastwards, as well as for limits on the Ukrainian army and an agreement that no Western troops will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, the sources said. Yet the two sides remain far apart, more than three years after Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in a full-scale invasion that followed the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and prolonged fighting in the country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. Ukraine's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the proposals. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly dismissed the idea of withdrawing from internationally recognised Ukrainian land as part of a deal, and has said the industrial Donbas region serves as a fortress holding back Russian advances deeper into Ukraine. "If we're talking about simply withdrawing from the east, we cannot do that," he told reporters in comments released by Kyiv on Thursday. "It is a matter of our country's survival, involving the strongest defensive lines." Joining NATO, meanwhile, is a strategic objective enshrined in the country's constitution and one which Kyiv sees as its most reliable security guarantee. Zelenskiy said it was not up to Russia to decide on the alliance's membership. The White House and NATO didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the Russian proposals. Political scientist Samuel Charap, chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at RAND, a U.S.-based global policy think-tank, said any requirement for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas remained a non-starter for Kyiv, both politically and strategically. "Openness to 'peace' on terms categorically unacceptable to the other side could be more of a performance for Trump than a sign of a true willingness to compromise," he added. "The only way to test that proposition is to begin a serious process at the working level to hash out those details." Trump: Putin Wants To See It Ended Russian forces currently control a fifth of Ukraine, an area about the size of the American state of Ohio, according to U.S. estimates and open-source maps. The three sources close to the Kremlin said the summit in the Alaskan city of Anchorage had ushered in the best chance for peace since the war began because there had been specific discussions about Russia's terms and Putin had shown a willingness to give ground. "Putin is ready for peace - for compromise. That is the message that was conveyed to Trump," one of the people said. The sources cautioned that it was unclear to Moscow whether Ukraine would be prepared to cede the remains of the Donbas, and that if it did not then the war would continue. Also unclear was whether or not the United States would give any recognition to Russian-held Ukrainian territory, they added. A fourth source said that though economic issues were secondary for Putin, he understood the economic vulnerability of Russia and the scale of the effort needed to go far further into Ukraine. Trump has said he wants to end the "bloodbath" of the war and be remembered as a "peacemaker president". He said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the U.S. president. "I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended," Trump said beside Zelenskiy in the Oval office. "I feel confident we are going to get it solved." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Putin was prepared to meet Zelenskiy but that all issues had to be worked through first and there was a question about Zelenskiy's authority to sign a peace deal. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskiy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have said they are sceptical that Putin wants to end the war. Security Guarantees For Ukraine Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was instrumental in paving the way for the summit, and the latest drive for peace, according to two of the Russian sources. Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. At the meeting, Putin conveyed clearly to Witkoff that he was ready to compromise and set out the contours of what he could accept for peace, according to two Russian sources. If Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement, then there are various options for a formal deal - including a possible three-way Russia-Ukraine-U.S. deal that is recognised by the U.N. Security Council, one of the sources said. Another option is to go back to the failed 2022 Istanbul agreements, where Russia and Ukraine discussed Ukraine's permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the sources added. "There are two choices: war or peace, and if there is no peace, then there is more war," one of the people said.
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Business Standard
10 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Putin prepared to meet Zelenskyy but legitimacy an issue, says Lavrov
Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but all issues must be worked through first and there's a question about Zelenskyy's authority to sign a peace deal, Putin's foreign minister said on Thursday. Putin and US President Donald Trump met on Friday in Alaska for the first Russia-US summit in more than four years and the two leaders discussed how to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. After his summit talks in Alaska, Trump said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the US president. Asked by reporters if Putin was willing to meet Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Zelenskyy". Lavrov, though, added a caveat: "With the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, and experts and ministers will prepare appropriate recommendations. "And, of course, with the understanding that when and if - hopefully, when - it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved," Lavrov said. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskyy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskyy remains the legitimate president. Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelenskyy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskyy's term had technically expired. Zelenskyy said this week Kyiv would like a "strong reaction" from Washington if Putin were not willing to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him. WAR OR PEACE? European leaders say they are sceptical that Putin is really interested in peace, but are searching for a credible way to ensure Ukraine's security as part of a potential peace deal with minimal US involvement. Lavrov said it was clear that neither Ukraine nor European leaders wanted peace. He accused the so-called "coalition of the willing" - which includes major European powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy - of trying to undermine the progress made in Alaska. "They are not interested in a sustainable, fair, long-term settlement," Lavrov said of Ukraine. He said the Europeans were interested in achieving the strategic defeat of Russia. "European countries followed Zelenskyy to Washington and tried to advance their agenda there, which aims to ensure that security guarantees are based on the logic of isolating Russia," Lavrov said, referring to Monday's gathering of Trump, Zelenskyy and the leaders of major European powers at the White House. Lavrov said the best option for a security guarantee for Ukraine would be based on discussions that took place between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul in 2022. Under a draft of that document which Reuters has seen, Ukraine was asked to agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Any attempts to depart from the failed Istanbul discussions would be hopeless, Lavrov said. At the time, Kyiv rejected that proposal on the grounds that Moscow would have held effective veto power over any military response to come to its aid.
The Hindu
10 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Silence will only embolden the bully: Chinese Ambassador on U.S. tariffs
China will 'firmly stand' with India to uphold World Trade Organisation principles, said Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, taking direct aim at the U.S. for imposing 50% tariffs on Indian goods. In a speech about the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of Central Asia, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus will be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ambassador Xu was particularly sharp on the 'trade and tariff wars' that he said had disrupted the multilateral trading system, and referred to the U.S. as a 'bully'. The comments by a diplomat in India about a third country were unusual, possibly indicating that the SCO Summit in Tianjin on September 1 will be critical of the U.S.'s actions. Also Read | 'Important opportunity' faces India, China, says Foreign Minister Wang Yi 'The United States has long benefited greatly from free trade, but now it is using tariffs as a bargaining chip to demand exorbitant prices from various countries,' Mr. Xu said at an event, organised by two Delhi-based think-tanks Chintan Research Foundation and the Centre for Global India Insights, entitled 'SCO Summit & Resetting India-China relations'. Referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of 50% tariffs on Indian goods, which include 25% penalty tariffs for the import of Russian oil, due to go into place next week, Mr. Xu said that China 'firmly opposes' the move. While the Chinese Foreign Ministry has opposed the U.S.'s reciprocal tariffs and China imposed counter-tariffs on the U.S., this is the first such unequivocal support from China over the tariffs imposed on India. Also Read | No change in Taiwan policy, say government sources after Beijing's claim 'In the face of such acts, silence or compromise only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core,' Mr. Xu continued. Making a pitch for better India-China ties after the four-year military standoff at the Line of Actual Control, the Chinese Ambassador pointed to the improvement in ties over the past 10 months since the Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan in October 2024, pointing to many more visas and high-level engagements as well as the re-opening of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. He also said that bilateral trade in 2025 had already crossed $75 billion, indicating a 10% rise from the previous year. To a question about India's concerns over cross-border terrorism and China's support to Pakistan, Mr. Xu said that 'not only China and India, Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism, so what we should do is to make joint efforts to fight against terrorism,' in comments that would not be viewed as positively by New Delhi. Also Read | De-escalation process at LAC must move forward: Jaishankar tells Wang Mr. Xu's speech was followed by comments from India's former Ambassador to Russia Venkatesh Verma who said the SCO summit hosted by China was important for India to strengthen multipolarity in the region and to discuss counterterrorism, and would include India-China bilateral talks as well. Former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane pointed to boundary resolution talks between Special Representatives NSA Ajit Doval and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Delhi earlier this week that agreed to build on the 2005 agreement for the boundary as a positive move so the 'irritant in the relationship can be set aside'. He said that he hoped once the task of delimitation of the boundary was completed, delineation and demarcation of the border would be completed quickly as well. General Naravane, who was Army Chief when the Galwan clashes occurred in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed by PLA soldiers in 2020, said that while India-China ties had been tense over the past 60-70 years, the period marked only a 'blip' in the longer timeline of more peaceful India-China civilisational ties. Also Read | Russia welcomes Wang Yi's visit and the positive turn in India-China ties Speaking to journalists after the event, Mr. Xu said the 10-point consensus reached by Mr. Doval and Mr. Wang was important, adding that experts would now work on an 'early harvest agreement for the proper management of border areas.'
