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Al Jazeera
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Putin will fool Trump': Why Ukrainians are wary about Trump-Putin talks
Kyiv, Ukraine – Taras, a seasoned Ukrainian serviceman recovering from a contusion, expects 'no miracles' from United States President Donald Trump's August 15 summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. 'There's going to be no miracles, no peace deal in a week, and Putin will try to make Trump believe that it is Ukraine that doesn't want peace,' the fair-haired 32-year-old with a deep brown tan acquired in the trenches of eastern Ukraine, told Al Jazeera. Taras, who spent more than three years on the front line and said he had recently shot down an explosives-laden Russian drone barging at him in a field covered with explosion craters, withheld his last name in accordance with the wartime protocol. Putin wants to dupe Trump by pandering to the US president's self-image as a peacemaker to avoid further economic sanctions, while the Russian leader seeks a major military breakthrough in eastern Ukraine, Taras said. 'Putin really believes that until this winter, he will seize something sizeable, or that [his troops] will break through the front line and will dictate terms to Ukraine,' Taras said. As the Trump administration trumpets the upcoming Alaska summit as a major step towards securing a ceasefire, Ukrainians — civilians and military personnel — and experts are largely pessimistic about the outcomes of the meeting between the US and Russian presidents. This is partly because of the facts on the ground in eastern Ukraine. Earlier this month, Russia intensified its push to seize key locations in the southeastern Donetsk region, ordering thousands of servicemen to conduct nearly-suicidal missions to infiltrate Ukrainian positions, guarded 24/7 by buzzing drones with night and thermal vision. In the past three months, Russian forces have occupied some 1,500sq km (580 square miles), mostly in Donetsk, of which Russia controls about three-fourths, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates based on geolocated photos and videos. The pace is slightly faster than in the past three years. Within weeks after Moscow's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russia controlled some 27 percent of Ukrainian territory. But Kyiv's daring counteroffensive and Moscow's inability to hold onto areas around the capital and in Ukraine's north resulted in the loss of 9 percent of occupied lands by the fall of 2022. Russia has since re-occupied less than 1 percent of Ukrainian territory, despite losing hundreds of thousands of servicemen, while pummelling Ukrainian cities almost daily with swarms of drones and missiles. Russia's push to occupy a 'buffer zone' in Ukraine's northern Sumy region failed as Kyiv's forces regained most of the occupied ground. Ukraine also controls a tiny border area in Russia's western Kursk region, where it started a successful offensive in August 2024, but lost most of its gains earlier this year. The scepticism in Ukraine over the Alaska meeting is also driven by reports of what the US might offer Putin to try to convince him to stop fighting. Reports — not denied by Washington — suggest that Trump might offer Moscow full control of Donetsk and the smaller neighbouring Luhansk region. In exchange, Moscow could offer a ceasefire and the freezing of the front line in other Ukrainian regions, as well as the retreat from tiny toeholds in Sumy and the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the reports. But to give up Donetsk, Kyiv would have to vacate a 'fortress belt' that stretches some 50km (31 miles) along a strategic highway between the towns of Kostiantynivka and Sloviansk. Donetsk's surrender would 'position Russian forces extremely well to renew their attacks on much more favorable terms, having avoided a long and bloody struggle for the ground,' the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will not 'gift' its land, and that it needs firm security guarantees from the West. 'We don't need a pause in killings, but a real, long peace. Not a ceasefire some time in the future, in months, but now,' he said in a televised address on Saturday. Some civilian Ukrainians hold a gloomy view on the prospects of peace, believing that Kyiv's tilt towards democracy and presumed eventual membership in the European Union, and Moscow's 'imperialistic nature' set up an equation that prevents a sustainable diplomatic solution. 'The war will go on until [either] Ukraine or Russia exist,' Iryna Kvasnevska, a biology teacher in Kyiv whose first cousin was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2023, told Al Jazeera. But the lack of trust in the Alaska summit for many Ukrainians also stems from a deep lack of faith in Trump himself. Despite Trump's recent change in rhetoric and growing public dissatisfaction with Moscow's reluctance to end the hostilities, the US president has a history of blaming Ukraine – for the war and its demands of its allies – while some of his negotiators have repeated Moscow's talking points. It is also unclear whether Zelenskyy will be invited to a trilateral meet with Trump and Putin in Alaska, or whether the US will go ahead and seek to shape the future of Ukraine without Kyiv in the room. 'Trump has let us down several times, and the people who believe he won't do it again are very naive, if not stupid,' Leonid Cherkasin, a retired colonel from the Black Sea port of Odesa who fought pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk in 2014-2015 and suffered contusions, shrapnel and bullet wounds, told Al Jazeera. 'He did threaten Putin a lot in recent weeks, but his actions don't follow his words,' he said. He referred to Trump's pledges during his re-election campaign to 'end the war in 24 hours', and his ultimatums to impose crippling sanctions on Russia if Putin does not show progress in a peace settlement. Trump's ultimatum to Putin, initially 50 days long, was reduced to '10 to 12 days' and ended on Friday, one day after the Alaska summit was announced. Military analysts agree that Putin will not bow to Trump's and Zelenskyy's demands. Meanwhile, the very fact of a face-to-face with Trump heralds a diplomatic victory for Putin, who has become a political pariah in the West and faces child abduction charges that have led the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against him. Putin last visited the US for bilateral meetings in 2007, only coming for UN summits after that, but not visiting the country since the warrant was issued. 'What's paramount for Putin is the fact of his conversation with Trump as equals,' Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher with Germany's Bremen University, told Al Jazeera. 'I think the deal will be limited to an agreement on cessation of air strikes, and Putin will get three months to finalise the land operations – that is, to seize the [entire] Donetsk region.' An air ceasefire may benefit Russia, as it can amass thousands of drones and hundreds of missiles for future attacks. The ceasefire will also stop Ukraine's increasingly successful drone strikes on military sites, ammunition depots, airfields and oil refineries in Russia or occupied Ukrainian regions. 'Then [Putin] will, of course, fool Trump, and everything will resume,' Mitrokhin said.
Gulf Today
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Being a Maharashtrian, I've always been fascinated by folklore: Sharvari
As 'Munjya' completed a year since its release in Hindi cinema, actress Sharvari celebrated the moment and said that being a Maharashtrian, she has always been fascinated by mythology and folklore. She said: 'Being a Maharashtrian, I've always been fascinated by mythology and folklore. I had heard of Munjya growing up, but when this script came to me, the level of detail and imagination just blew my mind.' The actress said that she thoroughly enjoyed shooting for the film. Sharvari added: 'We all had a great rapport on set which made things easy. Munjya was India's first CGI actor... There was no character reference that we could see so we all had an imagination and we were acting/reacting on our own.' The idea of Marathi folklore becoming a big-scale Hindi film excited Sharvari instantly. She said: 'And with Aditya Sarpotdar sir directing it, I was thrilled. I've seen most of his films and they have been mind-blowing. We also shot in the Konkan belt, and he was so well-versed with everyone there — the language, the terrain, the food, the delicacies. We learnt a great deal from him.' Talking about the film, Sharvari said, 'I still can't believe it's already been a year since Munjya released. Playing Bela was such a creatively fulfilling experience, but what truly took me by surprise was the overwhelming love audiences showed for our dance track 'Taras.'' 'For someone just starting out, having a producer like Dinesh Vijan sir back me with such a big, high-energy number was surreal.' The actress said that she has only seen 'established actors or dancing idols getting big dance numbers because they have the pull and the popularity to hook people's interest.' 'It is a great pat on my shoulders that I can do it too and try to have a hit dance anthem to my credit!' Sharvari further shared, 'To see Munjya cross the ₹100-crore mark and still be so loved a year later feels surreal. And the fan celebration today made it all even more special. Walking into the dance workshop and seeing their faces light up genuinely moved me.' 'I got to thank them in person for carrying Bela and 'Taras' with them over the past year. One of them even asked me to do the hookstep — and of course, I had to join in! We danced together, shared laughs, and they even surprised me with a sweet birthday gift for the film's anniversary.' She said that it was one of those full-heart moments that reminded her exactly why she loves 'being part of cinema.' Munjya, a horror comedy also stars Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh. The titular character was entirely created using CGI. It is the third installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe and focuses on the legend of Munjya, inspired by Indian folklore and mythology. Indo-Asian News Service
NDTV
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
As Munjya Completes A Year, Sharvari Calls Her Song Taras 'Extremely Special'
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Sharvari marked one year since Munjya's release, recalling nervousness and excitement. Sharvari received praise for her role and her first solo song, Taras, from Munjya. The film Munjya is a horror comedy based on Indian folklore, produced by Maddock Films. Mumbai: One year ago today, Sharvari graced our screen as Bela in Aditya Sarpotdar's 2024 horror comedy, Munjya. Marking the 1-year milestone, Sharvani shared glimpses from before the film's release, she was both nervous and excited. Posting some behind-the-scene shots from the drama on social media, Sharvani penned a note on her official Instagram handle that read, "1 year ago, on this day our film # Munjya released. With hope, courage & love we introduced our bundle of happiness & hardwork to the world.. I remember leading upto the release my conversations with Dinoo sir, Aditya sir & Abhay were filled with nervousness and excitement but who knew 1 year later we would be here celebrating our superhit film .. aaaah!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sharvari 🐯 (@sharvari) Aside from receiving praise for her performance in the movie, the diva also garnered a lot of eyeballs for her song Taras. "# Taras will always be extremely special because it was my first solo song & to experience the love that I receive for it even today is unreal. Thank you to you all - the audiences who championed our film & gave us so much to look forward to in our careers ahead! This journey would be incomplete without y'all," Sharvari wrote. Showing her gratitude to the entire Munjya team, she shared, "Thank you to each & every one of you who made this possible #DineshVijan @aditya_a_sarpotdar @ @amarkaushik @pvijan @sharadakarki @shraddha_thorat_ @monajsingh @ayootaran @bhagyashreelimaye - @maddockfilms family & the whole cast & crew." Sharvari concluded the post on a sweet note saying, "Ps. Who knew this scary little creature #Munjya would bring so much love & happiness to my life!" The male lead, Abhay Verma too shared a BTS video on Instagram, to mark the anniversary. His caption read, "1 saal se ye realise ho raha hai aapke pyaar se badkar kuch nahi hai." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abhay Verma (@ Backed by Amar Kaushik and Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films, the drama talks about the legend of Munjya from Indian folklore. Along with Sharvari, Munjya also stars Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh in crucial roles.
Mint
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Sharvari celebrates one year of her film Munjya: Thank you to everyone who made it possible
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Bollywood actor Sharvari expressed gratitude to the makers of her film "Munjya", as it completed one year of its release on Saturday. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, the film also featured Abhay Verma and Mona Singh in the lead. It was released in theatres countrywide on June 7, 2024. The film went on to collect over ₹ 100 crore gross at the domestic box office and emerged as a hit. It followed the story of the eponymous mythical creature, which has its roots in Marathi folklore. The 27-year-old actor shared a post on her Instagram handle. "1 year ago, on this day our film #Munjya released. With hope, courage & love we introduced our bundle of happiness & hardwork to the world... Who knew 1 year later we would be here celebrating our superhit film," she wrote. Sharvari said her dance song "Taras" from the film will remain extremely special. #Taras will always be extremely special because it was my first solo song & to experience the love that I receive for it even today is unreal." "Thank you to you all - the audiences who championed our film & gave us so much to look forward to in our careers ahead! This journey would be incomplete without y'all Thank you to each & every one of you who made this possible." "Who knew this scary little creature #Munjya would bring so much love & happiness to my life," she quipped. Sharvari made her acting debut in Kabir Khan's war drama series "The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye" in 2020. She will next appear alongside Alia Bhatt in "Alpha". The film is slated to release on December 25 and is a part of Yash Raj Films' Spy Universe.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Right now all of us lose': Shakhtar claim Ukrainian Cup in glimpse of past life
Valeriy Bondar vaults a perfunctory metal fence, is handed a flare from somewhere in the melee and waves it around in the night sky. Shakhtar Donetsk have won the Ukrainian Cup, finally beating Dynamo Kyiv on penalties: light and smoke fill the air in Polissya Stadion's south-west corner but there is something else, too. A trickle of supporters have been allowed back into many of the country's arenas since February 2024 but more than 5,000 are packed in this time and the scenes are redolent of a different era. There has been no occasion quite like this on Ukraine's soil for well over three years. Fireworks have been a theme all day. Ninety minutes before kick-off in Zhytomyr several dozen Shakhtar ultras from different groups convene on a footbridge that dramatically spans the River Teteriv, towards the outskirts of this neat provincial city, and march towards the ground in a pyrotechnic haze. 'It's the first time in years that we've all been together in numbers like this,' says one of them, Taras, whose organisation sends equipment to soldiers at the front. About 70% of those present on the bridge are in active service, he estimates. Most of the military personnel have been given dispensation to take a few days off and travel for the match. One, who does not give his name, says he has come straight from the trenches. Another is Kirill, a softly spoken 23-year-old who is attending his first football match since 2021. He remembers it well: a game in Mariupol between the home team, who are now on an extended pause after Russia's occupation and devastation of the city, and Oleksandriya. Kirill was wounded last year and has since been deployed in the direction of Toretsk, a city in Donbas where some of the fiercest fighting is taking place, to help with soldiers' rehabilitation. Some of them have told him how Russian glider bombs flattened the stadium there while leaving their trail of destruction. He is wearing full combat uniform, the badge of the famous Azov Brigade stitched on to his left sleeve. Closer to the stadium, four Dynamo fans wait next to a refreshment stand with a Shakhtar-supporting friend. They have arrived by minibus from a military base near Vovchan'sk, a nine-hour drive away. For all five, it is the first live football match since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. 'It feels really unusual, I used to go all the time,' says one, holding his Dynamo scarf. Does the bitter rivalry between these two local superpowers still hold true in wartime? 'Aggression must stay in the war zone,' he says. 'Here, there is none.' It already has the feel of a return to normality beyond the necessarily cautious, sterilised form domestic football has taken. The stadium, usually home to the top-flight side Polissya Zhytomyr, has been cleared to host this final because there is sufficient air raid shelter capacity in proximity. Dynamo's home, the famous Lobanovskiy Stadion, can house only about 1,800 on those terms. Nobody can tell when a game may be interrupted by sirens; it can happen for hours at a time. The end of a purported three-day Russian ceasefire and prospect of imminent peace talks in Istanbul add to an already deeply uncertain climate. In the main stand, through a tented fanzone and around a running track, sit Roman and his family. Roman was a director of FK Sumy, an amateur league club, before the war; he joined the army when it started and now works as a sapper clearing landmines in the Kherson region. Roman, a Dynamo fan, has built a mini-vacation around the final with his wife and children, the hours of travel all worth it simply to be here. 'Football is my love, my life,' he says. On the pitch, it is Shakhtar who feel the pressure. By their standards the season has been disastrous: tiny Oleksandriya sit above them in second place and, with two games left, Dynamo are all but assured of the title. 'We have the individuals, they have the team,' bemoans Yehor, packed into the Shakhtar ultras' section. The manager, Marino Pusic, once the assistant to Arne Slot at Feyenoord, is the subject of grumbles during breaks between patriotic songs and bare-chested bouncing. The first half is niggly and tense. There is, after all, an undercurrent of enmity. Tackles thud in, some of them ugly; the Shakhtar right-back Vinicius Tobias shoves Vladyslav Dubinchak and the thought occurs that the presence of a large crowd, quite aside from the stakes, has given this 'clasico' its edge back. But it needs some quality too and shortly before half-time Andriy Yarmolenko, now 35 and still marauding for Dynamo, clips a smart left-footed finish past Dmytro Riznyk. At the interval the 15-year-old Sviatoslav Vakhovnan, who is sitting near halfway, holds up his poster of Marlon Gomes and hopes for inspiration from Shakhtar's Brazilian midfielder. Here, football will always be a story within the story. Sviatoslav has travelled with Children of Heroes, a charity supporting youngsters who have lost parents as a result of Russia's aggression. Nowadays he plays for the SK Kyiv academy. His father was killed while delivering hot meals and humanitarian aid to Bucha. 'Ukrainian football symbolises our confidence that we're a whole family who can achieve victory together,' he says. Gomes and Shakhtar perk up, perhaps sparked by a brawl that erupts early in the second half. Kaua Elias, another in their continuing line of imports from Brazil, equalises. A few monkey chants are audible from Dynamo's ultras; showing that uniting behind a just cause in wartime does not always equate to a consistent moral compass. Under the gathering dusk, two Shakhtar supporters climb high above their peers and set fire to a Russian flag. It is at once a violent and poignant spectacle. The only meaningful victory here can be Ukraine's ultimate triumph. 'But right now, all of us lose,' Yehor says, motioning to the hundreds in orange and black attire. 'These people are my friends and so many fight for us. But we keep losing our friends, and all of them have wives, mothers and children.' The stadium is packed now, its energy thrumming, its colour a throwback. Extra time is played out and then, before thoughts can turn to dashing away in time for the midnight curfew, Riznyk saves from Oleksandr Karavayev in the shootout. Bondar joins in with the firework display; Pusic, whose exit this summer still seems inevitable, is given the bumps by his players. The ultras sing songs of home and hope. For a few hours this game has, as much as can ever be possible, offered up its own world. Taras feels the moment's significance amid the happiness and exhaustion. 'Like a piece of a past life,' he says. The constant strain of the present is unlikely to abate quickly but everyone here has, at least, been granted a new footballing memory to cherish.
