
Zelensky, Trump Discuss Ceasefire, Sanctions, and Major Drone Deal
A source in Washington said US envoy Steve Witkoff would be meeting the Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday.Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelensky said Trump "knows the situation along the front line," which extends for 1,000 km (620 miles) through eastern and southern Ukraine.Ukraine, he said, had long supported US proposals for an immediate ceasefire and had proposed a number of formats to implement a halt to the fighting."We have spoken with and proposed to Russia quiet in the skies, no missile and drone attacks and specifically no attacks on civilian infrastructure or on the energy sector," he said."All of this has been violated by the Russians and in a very cynical fashion."Trump has threatened to hit Russia with new sanctions and impose 100% tariffs on countries that buy its oil, although sources close to the Kremlin have told Reuters that Putin is unlikely to bow to the ultimatum.Zelensky said Ukraine was also ready to conclude a deal with the U.S. on the purchase of Ukrainian drones that would amount to "one of the strongest agreements". He had earlier said the deal was worth around $30 billion.Ukraine is increasingly seeking financing and investment from its foreign partners to bolster its burgeoning domestic arms industry.Zelensky said Kyiv's European partners had so far pledged to buy more than $1 billion in US weapons for Ukraine as part of a new scheme.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Agriculture a stumbling block in talks, but India-US trade in sector sees surge
Even as agriculture, along with purchase of Russian oil, has emerged as a key sticking point in the trade talks between India and the United States, here's an interesting fact: Trade in farm produce between the two countries is actually booming and poised to touch a new record this year. During January-June 2025, India's imports of agricultural products from the US were, at $1,693.2 million, a whopping 49.1% more than the $1,135.8 million for the same six months of the last calendar year. India's agricultural exports to the US, too, were up 24.1%, from $2,798.9 million in January-June 2024 to $3,472.7 million in January-June 2025 (see chart). With US President Donald Trump doubling the tariff on import of goods from India to 50 per cent on Wednesday, the impact remains to be seen, but the trends so far suggest two-way farm trade at least surpassing previous highs. If the current growth rates hold, India's agricultural exports to the US could top $7.7 billion, and that of the US to India could be over $3.5 billion in 2025. The US's exports to India have been led by tree nuts — mainly almonds and pistachios — which were valued at $1.1 billion-plus in 2024, and registering further 42.8% annual growth during the first six months of this year. The other three big-ticket items are ethanol, soyabean oil and cotton. Ethanol exports from the US to India, worth over $420 million last year, are basically for manufacturing alcohol-based chemicals, medicines and other industrial uses. The US wants India to open up imports of ethanol also for fuel use, i.e. blending with petrol and diesel. India has been resisting that, just as much as it is not allowing imports of genetically modified (GM) maize and soyabean. US farmers mostly grow only GM maize (corn) and soyabean. India currently permits imports of non-fuel ethanol and oil, produced from GM corn and soyabean respectively, but not the whole grain and oilseed as such. Although the trade negotiations between the two sides are stuck due to India not yielding on GM crops, US exports of both corn-derived ethanol and soyabean oil to India have posted strong growth. The huge jump in soyabean oil exports from the US this year is likely to be sustained by India's move, on May 31, to slash its import duty from 27.5% to 16.5%. Cotton exports from the US have also been growing on the back of India turning into a net importer of the natural fibre. India's agricultural exports to the US are somewhat more diversified. While seafood (primarily frozen shrimp) has been the top item, there are others as well — from spices and essential oils to basmati rice, processed fruits & vegetables and baked foods — that have been doing well, with annual shipment value exceeding $200 million each. It's not clear how much of all these exports would be affected, especially with the new Trump tariff. Take seafood, where India's exports of $2,483.8 million in 2024 was just behind Canada ($3,956.9 million) and Chile ($3,030.1 million), and ahead of Indonesia ($1,907.9 million), Vietnam ($1,790.4 million) and Ecuador ($1,616.4 million). As of now, the 50% tariff on India is above that of all these competitors: Chile (10%), Ecuador (15%), Indonesia (19%), Vietnam (20%) and Canada (35%). While seafood exports from India have remained buoyant, growing by 32.5% year-on-year in January-June, sustaining that may not be easy as the tariff differentials bite. But the fact that agriculture trade per se between India and the US is booming should be some consolation in the present situation where talks are at a standstill.


Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Good prospect': Trump on summit with Putin and Zelenskyy after US envoy Witkoff's Russia visit
US President Donald Trump has said that there is a 'good chance' he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following the talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin on Wednesday which the US president described as 'very good talks'. A White House official confirmed the development on Wednesday and said President Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, though the United States is adamant to impose secondary sanctions on Russia on Friday, in order to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. When asked at the White House if Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to such a summit, Trump said there was a 'very good prospect', but refrained from providing any further details. Such a face to face meeting between the US and Russian president would be first since June 2021 when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva, eight months prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to a New York Times report, Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday that he intends to meet Putin first and then hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and the Russian president. Putin and Zelenskyy have not met each other since December 2019. 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The Kremlin earlier issued a statement about the talks between Witkoff and Putin, as a foreign policy aide said the two sides exchanged 'signals' as part of 'constructive' talks in Moscow, BBC reported. The meeting came days before a US sponsored deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face secondary sanctions. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also said that he spoke to the US president about envoy Witkoff's Moscow visit, with European leaders also on the call.


Economic Times
8 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump and Putin meet in person soon? White House signals fresh push from US to end Russia-Ukraine conflict amid tariff threats
Donald Trump is trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war. He might meet Vladimir Putin next week. A White House official says the meeting's schedule and location are not yet fixed. Trump is also open to meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The US may impose sanctions against Russia. Marco Rubio says much needs to happen before a Trump-Putin meeting. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Threat of US sanctions Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rubio lowers expectations for a meeting Would work toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, says Trump As US President Donald Trump seeks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, he could meet in person with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as soon as next week, a White House official said Wednesday (August 6, 2025). The White House official, however, did not confirm the schedule of the meeting yet and cautioned that no location has been official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. The White House said Trump was also open to a meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If Trump meets Putin, it would be their first meeting since he returned to office in 2025 after winning the presidential polls in 2024. The meeting of two leaders would be a significant milestone in the 3-year-old war, though there's no promise that such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their who appeared before reporters later at the White House, didn't answer questions about a potential location for a meeting, but when asked about a summit with Putin and Zelenskyy, said, 'There's a very good prospect that they will' meet. The president declined to predict how close he was to reaching a deal to end the fighting, saying, 'I've been disappointed before with this one.'Earlier on Wednesday, the same White House official said the U.S. was still expected to impose secondary sanctions against Russia on Friday, after a 10-day deadline that Trump imposed was to expire. The White House has not yet released details about the has threatened 'severe tariffs' and other economic penalties if the killing doesn't stop. Trump has also threatened to slap tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, which could increase import taxes dramatically on China and India. He said Tuesday he hadn't publicly committed to any particular tariff rate and indicated that his decision could depend on an outcome of the meeting with has expressed increasing frustration with Putin over Russia's escalating strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine, intended to erode morale and public appetite for the war. The intensified attacks have occurred even as Trump has urged the Russian leader in recent months to to a query on a potential Trump-Putin meeting in an interview with Fox Business, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, 'A lot has to happen before that can occur.' Rubio said Washington would be having talks with its European allies and the Ukrainians over the next few days. He said a Trump meeting directly with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine would help close an agreement, but said, 'We've got to get close enough to that point so that a meeting like that will be productive and worth doing.' 'Today was a good day, but we've got a lot of work ahead," he said. "There are still many impediments to overcome.'News of a potential meeting with Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow. Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Putin in which 'great progress was made.'Trump said earlier Wednesday that he had updated America's allies in Europe and that they would work toward an end to the war 'in the days and weeks to come.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the 'Russians had expressed their desire' to meet with Trump. The Kremlin has not yet commented on any potential meetings with met with Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Putin and Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation" between the United States and Russia.