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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Trump get Putin to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire on Friday?
As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepare to meet in Alaska to discuss an end to the Ukraine war, experts have expressed doubts over long-lasting peace. Donald Trump is set to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday (15 August) to attempt to negotiate an end to the three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine. The White House has said it is "open" to a three-way meeting including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, but that - for now - a bilateral meeting would be held between the US and Russia. It will mark the first time a US president has met Putin since Joe Biden held talks with him at a summit in Geneva in 2021. Now, European ministers are preparing for their own discussions amid fears that Washington may dictate terms that are unfavourable to Ukraine, which has already said it won't cede territory to its neighbour. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said "any peace must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it", adding that Britain and other European leaders "will not reward aggression or compromise sovereignty". Meanwhile, experts have told Yahoo News that Putin will not give up his territorial ambitions in Ukraine easily and that he is willing to wage a "protracted war" to get what he wants. Here's what has been said so far about the upcoming talks and the likelihood of a ceasefire being reached. What has Russia said? Senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov has said Trump and the Russian president would be focusing on "discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis". "This will evidently be a challenging process, but we will engage in it actively and energetically," the Kremlin foreign policy adviser said. In a post on Telegram on Saturday, Russia's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev forewarned that other nations would attempt to use "provocations and disinformation" to undermine the talks. "Undoubtedly, a number of countries interested in continuing the conflict will make titanic efforts to disrupt the planned meeting between President Putin and President Trump," he said. What has Trump said? Asked if he thought these talks would be the final opportunity to achieve peace in Ukraine, Trump told journalists on Friday that he didn't like using the term "last chance". "I think my gut instinct really tells me that we have a shot at it," he said. "The European leaders want to see peace. President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace. And Zelenskyy wants to see peace." However, asked if this would mean Ukraine giving up territory lost to Russia following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the president suggested this would be a requirement. "We're looking at that but we're actually looking to get some back and some swapping. It's complicated," he said. "It's actually nothing easy, it's very complicated. But we're going to get some back, and we're going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both." What has Ukraine said? Zelensky has said that Ukraine is "ready" to work for "worthy" and "lasting" peace, and, crucially, a peace that "will not collapse because of Moscow's wishes". In a video address on Saturday (9 August), the president said "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier," adding that Ukraine's borders were fixed in the country's constitution. Zelensky has made a flurry of calls with Ukraine's allies since US special envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow on Wednesday (6 August), as European leaders push back against ceding too much to Putin. Despite these concerns, the Ukrainian leader said he has not heard any "doubts" from allies about "America's ability to ensure that the war ends". "The President of the United States has the levers and the determination," he wrote in an X post on Saturday. "What is needed now is not a pause in the killings, but a real, lasting peace. Not a ceasefire sometime in the future, in months, but immediately. President Trump told me so, and I fully support it." 'An inevitable fact': Putin likely to insist on seizing four regions Christina Harward, Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, has told Yahoo News that Putin is unlikely to budge over his key territorial demands. "In the past 12 plus months, Putin has stuck by his demand that Ukraine must cede all of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts before Russia could agree to a ceasefire," she said. "Putin is likely trying to present Russia's seizure of these four oblasts as an inevitable fact - which it is not given the many obstacles that stand in Russia's way before it could seize all of this territory." Kristin Bakke, professor of political science and international relations at University College London, adds that Russia may use the Alaska summit to "press for recognition of its control over occupied territories and a halt to Ukraine's NATO ambitions" – both "red lines for Kyiv". A potential surrender of Donetsk for with "no commitment to a final peace settlement" would "position Russian forces extremely well to renew their attacks on much more favourable terms, having avoided a long and bloody struggle for the ground," the Institute for the Study of War said on its website. It says this would mean Ukraine abandoning a key defensive line known as the "fortress belt" – a "major obstacle to the Kremlin's territorial ambitions in Ukraine over the last 11 years". 'Putin is not scared of sanctions' Trump has warned of more secondary sanctions against countries doing business with Russia in a bid to pile pressure on the Kremlin, having already slapped an additional 25% tariff on India for this reason. However, warning that this might not be as effective as hoped, Harward said: "Putin is not scared of sanctions right now." "Russia's battlefield losses are a major driver of Russia's economic issues, so Western economic pressure must be coupled with military aid to Ukraine to enable Ukrainian troops to inflict even worse battlefield losses on Russia. "Only then can we make Putin rethink how he is approaching this war and bring him to the table to make compromises to end his war." Eugene Rumer, a former US intelligence analyst for Russia who directs the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Russia and Eurasia Program, said there is "close to zero chance" of Putin agreeing to a ceasefire due to tariffs and sanctions. "Theoretically if you cut off Indian and Chinese purchases of oil that would be a very heavy blow to the Russian economy and to the war effort. But that isn't going to happen," he said. Rumer added that China has already signalled that it will keep buying Russian oil. 'Frozen conflict' more likely than ceasefire A full ceasefire "appears unlikely at this time", said Harward, pointing to the Russia's stubbornness over its territorial aims in Ukraine. Far from stopping at Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, she says Putin wants "all of Ukraine" and is "ready for a protracted war" if it means achieving this goal. "He is even heavily preparing his society to swallow the pill of a long war. Putin thinks time is on his side and he just has to hold out longer than Ukraine and the West," Harward added. "A genuine, full ceasefire likely won't happen until the West can change Putin's calculus." Bakke added that meetings like Friday "rarely settle the hard stuff", although a framework for peace talks and what's up for discussion may emerge by the end of the week. She says that a "full, enforceable ceasefire" will be a "stretch" unless Russia's "cost-benefit calculation changes", adding that a "frozen conflict" is more likely in the short term. Read more Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace? (The Independent) EU leaders push to consult with Trump ahead of Putin meeting on Ukraine (The Guardian) Vance says US is 'done with funding Ukraine war' ahead of Trump-Putin talks (The Independent)
Free Malaysia Today
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Carney, Modi hold talks to reset India-Canada ties
Mark Carney warmly welcomed Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta today. (The Canadian Press/AP pic) KANANASKIS : The leaders of India and Canada held what they called a productive first bilateral meeting since then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi in 2023 of involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist. Relations have been poor for almost two years but there was no sign of tension when prime minister Mark Carney warmly welcomed Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven summit he is chairing in Alberta. Both men issued statements saying the talks had gone well. Carney's office said they agreed to appoint new envoys to replace the ones both nations had withdrawn as the crisis grew. India denied Canada's allegations of involvement in the murder, and both nations are looking to shore up global partnerships as trade tensions and wars are recasting long-standing alliances. Carney – who says he invited India, which is not a G7 member, due to its importance in global supply chains – told Modi it was 'my great honour to have you here'. The two men 'reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity', Carney's office said in a statement. Carney did not mention the furore sparked when Trudeau accused India's government of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Modi's government has denied involvement in the killing and accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. 'Had an excellent meeting … India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law,' Modi said on X during his first visit to Canada in a decade. India is Canada's top source of temporary foreign workers and international students, as well as an important market. Greg Cherewyk, president of the Pulse Canada industry group, said Canadian farmers hope to export more agricultural products to the world's most populous nation, including lentils. Canada's Sikh community, the largest outside the Indian state of Punjab, has voiced outrage over Modi's visit, saying Canada should have set conditions before inviting him. A few dozen Sikh protesters in downtown Calgary tore apart Indian flags in protest today. Last year, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, linking them to Nijjar's murder and alleging a broader government effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada. Four men have been charged with his murder.
The Independent
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Starmer reveals why he rushed to picked up Trump's trade deal papers at the G7
Keir Starmer has revealed why he rushed to pick up Donald Trump's papers during one of the most talked about moments of the G7 summit in Canada. The prime minister and US president were announcing the implementation of their US-UK trade deal after holding a bilat at the summit in Alberta when the wind caught the papers, sending them to the floor. It prompted a swift response from Sir Keir, who stooped down and collected the bundle, before handing them back to Trump. Speaking to UK journalists after Trump had left the summit, the prime minister was asked whether the incident – along with the US president confusing Britain and the EU and a recent trip while getting on Airforce 1 – should prompt concerns about the 79-year-old's health. But the prime minister replied: 'No.' Talking about the incident, Sir Keir pointed out that he was the only one who could have picked them up for fear of security reacting to anyone else being near the president. He said: 'I mean, look, there weren't many choices with the documents and picking it up because, as you probably know, there were quite strict rules about who can get close to the President. 'I mean, seriously, I think if any of you had stepped forward other than me.. I was just deeply conscious that in a situation like it would not have been good for anybody else to have stepped forwards– not that any of you rushed to! 'There's a very tightly guarded security zone around the president, as you would expect.' He added: '[The president] was in good form yesterday. 'And I'm just really pleased that we signed the executive order.' Asked why Trump, who praised Starmer's statesmanship after their meeting, seems to like him so much, the PM said: 'Well, I mean, that's really for him to answer me, but I think it's we do have a good relationship. I think that is in the national interest. 'I'm very pleased that I've got a good relationship with him, notwithstanding, as both he and I acknowledge, that our political backgrounds are different. But it just goes to prove that, you know, it is possible to work in a constructive way if you keep your focus on the national interest.' He also expressed optimism about completing the final part of the trade deal in getting steel tariffs down to zero per cent. Sir Keir said: 'There's further work to do in relation to steel, but we're getting on and doing that work, and that doesn't require us to change the ownership of British Steel. But as we were with cars and with aerospace, we're in the implementation stage now, and it's included in the executive order, which is so the executive order mirrors what I agree with the President when I was over in Washington. 'So that's the significance. But now it's in the executive order form, which obviously moves along on the implementation stage.' He also revealed he spoke to the boss of Jaguar Land Rover after finally implementing the deal and was told that 44,000 employees were 'highly relieved'.
The Independent
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Starmer in desperate bid to finalise trade deal with Trump as steel tariff deadline looms
Keir Starmer has admitted that the clock is ticking on getting his much-vaunted trade deal with Donald Trump in place before the steel industry is hit by crippling 50 per cent tariffs. The two men unveiled their trade deal last month to great fanfare as the first of a number that the US President hopes to get across the line following his decision to impose worldwide tariffs. The issue is one of a number Sir Keir will hope can be dealt with at a crucial G7 summit in Canada. However, a deadline of Wednesday looms large, leaving Sir Keir just days to get his deal implemented before subsequent tariffs announced by Trump of 50 per cent on steel imports also apply to the UK. The 50 per cent rate already applies to the rest of the world, but the UK government managed to get a grace period because of its earlier deal to keep them at 25 per cent. Speaking to journalists on the plane to the G7 in Alberta, Sir Keir suggested he was confident about getting the job done but could not guarantee he would hit the deadline. He is due to meet the US president at his first G7 summit in a bilateral meeting on the fringes of the gathering of world leaders, as well as at social events. He said: 'We've shaken on the deal and we're at the implementing stage now, which doesn't actually require another shake of the hand, although I am sure there will be many shakes of the hand. I mean, we have reached the agreement and are now implementing it and that is going on. Asked if it was 'job done', he added: 'Well, we are at the final stages. We had to do various things, they had to do various things, but I am very confident we're implementing it.' The issue is of added importance for Sir Keir because the US deal is one of his major successes in a premiership of less than a year, fraught with rows and controversy. Labour also effectively nationalised British Steel as an emergency measure, which leaves the British taxpayer on the hook if markets in America are lost. The issue is not the only headache for the prime minister, who now also has to ensure President Trump does not abandon the UK, US and Australia submarine pact Aukus, having put it under review. Sir Keir said: 'Aukus is really important. We're fully committed to it. It's not unusual for an incoming government to do a review of a project like that. We, of course, looked into the issue when we came into government, we got Steven to look at it, and they're doing their own review. But I'm 100 per cent committed to it. I'm really clear about that.' Asked if he was confident President Trump would continue with the deal, he said: 'I think so. It's a really important project. So I don't have any doubt that this will progress.'
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
E.U. and Britain announce trade, defense deals after Brexit rupture
LONDON — The leaders of Britain and the European Union announced deals Monday on defense, security and food exports at a landmark summit intended to usher in the most significant resetting of relations between the two sides since Brexit. The summit, held in London, is the culmination of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's push to rebuild ties with the E.U. — by far Britain's biggest trading partner — and is the first major bilateral meeting between the two sides to be held on British soil since the 2016 referendum that led to Brexit, Britain's exit from the 27-member bloc.
