Latest news with #Ukrainian
Yomiuri Shimbun
39 minutes ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Putin, Unfazed by Trump, Will Fight on and Could Take More of Ukraine
MOSCOW, July 15 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump's threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said. Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops, believes Russia's economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, the sources said. Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin's refusal to agree a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days. The three Russian sources, familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking, said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believes Russia – which has survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West- can endure further economic hardship, including threatened U.S. tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil. 'Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine – including the Americans – so he will continue until he gets what he wants,' one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. Despite several telephone calls between Trump and Putin, and visits to Russia by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian leader believes there have not been detailed discussions of the basis for a peace plan, the source said. 'Putin values the relationship with Trump and had good discussions with Witkoff, but the interests of Russia come above all else,' the person added. Asked for a comment on the Reuters reporting, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly blamed former President Joe Biden for allowing the war to erupt during his administration. 'Unlike Biden, President Trump is focused on stopping the killing, and Putin will be faced with biting sanctions and tariffs if he does not agree to a ceasefire,' she said. Putin's conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia's territorial gains, the sources said. He is also willing to discuss a security guarantee for Ukraine involving major powers, though it is far from clear how this would work, the sources said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine will never recognize Russia's sovereignty over its conquered regions and that Kyiv retains the sovereign right to decide whether it wants to join NATO. His office did not respond to a request for comment for this story. A second source familiar with Kremlin thinking said that Putin considered Moscow's goals far more important than any potential economic losses from Western pressure, and he was not concerned by U.S. threats to impose tariffs on China and India for buying Russian oil. Two of the sources said that Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield and its economy, geared towards war, is exceeding the production of the U.S.-led NATO alliance in key munitions, like artillery shells. Russia, which already controls nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, has advanced some 1,415 square km (546 square miles) in the past three months, according to data from the DeepStateMap, an open-source intelligence map of the conflict. 'Appetite comes with eating,' the first source said, meaning that Putin could seek more territory unless the war was stopped. The two other sources independently confirmed the same. Russia currently controls Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, plus all of the eastern region of Luhansk, more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Putin's public position is that those first five regions – Crimea and the four regions of eastern Ukraine – are now part of Russia and Kyiv must withdraw before there can be peace. Putin could fight on until Ukraine's defenses collapse and widen his territorial ambitions to include more of Ukraine, the sources said. 'Russia will act based on Ukraine's weakness,' the third source said, adding that Moscow might halt its offensive after conquering the four eastern regions of Ukraine if it encounters stiff resistance. 'But if it falls, there will be an even greater conquest of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Kharkiv.' Zelenskiy has said Russia's summer offensive is not going as successfully as Moscow had hoped. His top brass, who acknowledge that Russian forces outnumber Ukraine's, say Kyiv's troops are holding the line and forcing Russia to pay a heavy price for its gains. TRUMP AND PUTIN The United States says 1.2 million people have been injured or killed in the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Neither Russia nor Ukraine give full figures for their losses, and Moscow dismisses Western estimates as propaganda. Trump, since returning to the White House in January after promising a swift end to the war, has sought to repair ties with Russia, speaking at least six times by telephone with Putin. On Monday, he said the Russian leader was not 'an assassin, but he's a tough guy.' In an abrupt break from his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, Trump's administration has cast the war as a deadly proxy conflict between Russia and the United States, withdrawn support for Ukraine joining NATO and floated the idea of recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea. Putin portrays the war as a watershed moment in Moscow's relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence, including Ukraine and Georgia. Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities. However, Trump told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday that he was not done with Putin and that a Ukraine deal remained on the cards. The first source rejected Trump's assertion last week that Putin had thrown 'bullshit' around, saying there had been a failure to transform positive talks with Witkoff into a substantive discussion on the basis for peace. A White House official said on Monday Trump was considering 100% tariffs on Russian goods as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports as a means to drive Moscow to the negotiating table. China and India are the biggest buyers of crude. Despite existing sanctions and the cost of fighting Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two, Russia's $2 trillion economy has performed far better than many in Russia or the West expected. The economic ministry forecasts a slowdown to 2.5% annual growth in 2025 from 4.3% last year. The second person said that Trump had little leverage over Putin and suggested that even if Washington imposed tariffs on the purchasers of Russian crude then Moscow would still find a way to sell it to world markets. 'Putin understands that Trump is an unpredictable person who may do unpleasant things but he is maneuvering to avoid irritating him too much,' the source said. Looking ahead, one of the sources said there was likely to be an escalation of the crisis in coming months, and unscored the dangers of tensions between the world's two largest nuclear powers. And, he predicted, the war would continue.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal transfer news: Gunners handed Viktor Gyokeres blow as Mikel Arteta prepares for exits
Arsenal are hoping to wrap up deals for Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres in the coming days as Mikel Arteta aims to build a squad that can go toe-to-toe with Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race Arsenal 's transfer window has been a busy one - but not every fan is convinced so far as the club look to give a squad that can challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title. The Gunners have already wrapped up a £60m deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, while Christian Norgaard has joined from Brentford for around £12m and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has also bolstered their numbers. Noni Madueke is set to arrive imminently too after Arsenal agreed a £52m deal with Chelsea - and Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera is also on his way after agreeing personal terms. Still, there are plenty of outstanding issues to be resolved - including finally sealing the transfer of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres and offloading some of Mikel Arteta's deadwood. Mirror Football has taken a look through some of the biggest Arsenal transfer stories and rumours. Yet another Viktor Gyokeres blow Is there no end to Arsenal's Gyokeres woes? A transfer looked to be all but sealed for the Sporting Lisbon forward after Arsenal moved closer on securing a £63.5m deal for the Sweden star - with only a few issues to be ironed out. This is a major transfer saga that has dragged on for much of the summer, with Arsenal previously struggling to agree a fee with Sporting, who were playing hardball over the player. The two clubs were said to be £4m apart in their valuations after Arsenal initially submitted a package worth around £60m, before a breakthrough was struck. Sporting director Andrea Berta has been in Lisbon working hard on thrashing out a deal and looked to have got the job done. But a fresh report from Portuguese outlet Record claims that Arsenal and Sporting still can't agree over add-ons in the deal - with the latter wanting them to be "easily achieved", something Arsenal are resisting. Arteta ready for exits All these incomings at Arsenal naturally means that there will have to be some outgoings as Arsenal look to stay within PSR financial regulations. And according to the Evening Standard, Arteta is ready to sanction "several" exits this summer once he has wrapped up deals for Gyokeres, Madueke and Mosquera. The report states that Albert Sambi Lokonga is open to a new challenge and could be sold, as well as Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson, after trio were loaned out last season. Another player who could be on his way out of the club is left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the Ukrainian appearing to have lost his place in the team to youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly. Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard are two more players who have been linked with exits, but Arteta will be eager to ensure he keeps some players who are on the fringes of the team and retain a strong squad depth. Trossard agrees Gunners exit Speaking of Trossard, it's reported that the Belgian has agreed personal terms with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce over a move to the Turkish top flight. As claimed by the Times, Fenerbahce are looking to wrap up a £20m bid for the ex-Brighton man after Mourinho sold his vision to the player. It goes on to say that Bayern Munich are also interested in the player as manager Vincent Kompany seeks more attacking options. Bayern have already had a bid of £58.6m rejected by Liverpool for Luis Diaz and are now assessing some back-ups targets. Trossard managed to have a positive campaign for Arsenal as he scored ten goals and assisted a further ten from 56 appearances. He started 28 games in the Premier League but has been rotated with Gabriel Martinelli and will be eager for more starts.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US president Donald Trump says Zelenskiy should not target Moscow
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy should not target Moscow and that Russian President Vladimir Putin should agree to a ceasefire deal by a 50-day deadline or sanctions will kick in. His comments came after The Financial Times, citing people briefed on discussions, reported on Tuesday that Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to step up deep strikes on Russia. The newspaper said that Trump asked Zelenskiy whether he could strike Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons. "No, he shouldn't target Moscow," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if Zelenskiy should attack the Russian capital. Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia for its three-year-old war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine. He gave Moscow 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The announcement set off a scramble among European officials to figure out how to make Trump's plan work and ensure Ukraine gets the weapons it needs. Later on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that some of the Patriot missiles are already on their way to Ukraine. "They're coming in from Germany," he said. Live Events Trump said he had not yet spoken to Putin in the wake of his announcement, but said it might not take 50 days to make a deal. Asked earlier if he was now on the side of Ukraine, Trump said, "I am on nobody's side," and then declared he was on "humanity's side" because "I want to stop the killing." Trump defended the deadline he set for Russia to agree to a deal and head off tariffs and sanctions on countries that buy oil from Russia. He did not say whether any talks were planned to try to work out a deal with Russia. "At the end of the 50 days if we don't have a deal, it's going to be too bad," he said.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Chinese university expels student for ‘harming nation's dignity' after one-night stand with gamer
BEIJING - A Chinese university said that it would expel a student because she had had 'improper contact with a foreigner' and 'damaged national dignity', after videos circulated online that suggested she had been intimate with a Ukrainian video gamer. The announcement set off heated debate in China. Some commentators applauded the decision and said that Chinese people – particularly women – were too enamoured of foreigners. But others said the expulsion smacked of sexism and paternalism, and compared it to examples of people accused of rape or sexual harassment on campus who had been punished more lightly. Many also criticised the university, Dalian Polytechnic University, in northeastern China, for publicly shaming the student by posting its expulsion notice on its website last week and identifying the student by her full name. 'If there is anyone who truly undermined national dignity in this case, it was not the woman whose privacy rights were violated,' Dr Zhao Hong, a professor of law at Peking University in Beijing, wrote in an opinion column, 'but the online spectators who frantically humiliated an ordinary woman under the banner of so-called justice, and the educational institution that used stale moral commandments.' The university said the student's conduct, in an incident it said took place on Dec 16, had 'caused a negative impact'. It gave no details, but said the student was being punished in accordance with a university regulation about 'civic morality'. That regulation reads: 'Those who have improper contact with foreigners and damage the national dignity and the reputation of the school shall be given a demerit or above, depending on the circumstances.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Chinese social media users quickly linked the announcement to videos shared on that date by a Ukrainian professional video gamer Danylo Teslenko, who goes by the nickname Zeus. Mr Teslenko, who had been visiting Shanghai for an esports tournament, had posted videos of himself with a Chinese woman to his Telegram channel, where he currently has about 43,000 subscribers. He has since deleted the videos. Screenshots and recordings still circulating online show the two apparently in a hotel room, with the woman seemingly aware she is being filmed, but do not show any sexually explicit behaviour. In an emailed response to questions, Mr Teslenko said that he deleted the videos when he realized they were spreading on Chinese social media. 'I understood that these clips, although not intimate in nature, were too personal and inappropriate for public sharing,' he wrote. 'That was my mistake, and I sincerely apologise for it.' Mr Teslenko also addressed the outcry in two posts on the social platform X on July 13, after news of the expulsion spread. He wrote that he had believed he was sharing 'just a normal moment from life', not anything 'disrespectful'. But on Chinese social media, there was general agreement among commenters that there had been disrespect. The only question was by whom. Users who cheered the university's decision said that the woman had shamed China by making it seem as if Chinese women were promiscuous, especially with white men. A tech blogger with 14 million followers wrote on the platform Weibo that 'fawning over foreigners' would never bring respect, and that 'some mistakes are unforgivable'. Some state media outlets also shared the woman's full name. But others asked why the vitriol seemed to be directed primarily at the woman, rather than at Mr Teslenko, for sharing the videos. Mr Teslenko frequently makes crude jokes, including about women, online; in posts to his subscribers on Telegram accompanying the Shanghai videos he had indicated that he would show photos of her if his posts drew enough likes. Other users criticised the university for trying to enforce outdated moral standards. According to the university regulations, other behaviour that could lead to censure included listening to music too loudly and any premarital sexual activity. The woman could not be reached for comment. The university did not return requests for comment. Some people also pointed out that Chinese men who post on social media seeking or showing off Caucasian wives are often hailed as national heroes and paragons of masculinity. Others highlighted the case of a male student who was found guilty of rape and put on probation by his university, or that of a male professor who was allowed to keep teaching after sexually harassing students. Some prominent legal scholars encouraged the female student to sue the university for infringing on her rights to privacy and an education. 'As an adult woman, whether she has a sexual relationship with others is entirely within her right to sexual autonomy,' Dr Zhao wrote. Some official media outlets also offered measured defences of the woman. The Global Times, a tabloid controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, wrote a commentary that said 'problem students' should be 'guided to recognise their mistakes', but in private. Others noted that the expulsion was not final – the notice said the student had 60 days to appeal – but that the revelation of her identity was irreversible. NYTIMES
New York Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Russia launches fresh volley of deadly drone attacks on Ukraine in open defiance of Trump threat
Russia assaulted Ukraine with a fresh wave of deadly drone and missile strikes Wednesday in another audacious rebellion of President Trump's 50-day peace ultimatum to Vladimir Putin. Northeastern city Kharkiv was rocked by 17 strikes in just 20 minutes after midnight, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Ukrainian government officials. The intense barrage was focused on the city's Kyivskyi district, where at least two people were killed and several more injured, Reuters reported. Advertisement 3 A building in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city, is ablaze following airstrikes carried out by Russian drones and jets overnight. There were also strikes reported to the east of Kharkiv in the town of Kupiansk and in the city of Kryvi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, according to the Kyiv Independent. Power and water supplies were knocked out of service at several of the bombed areas, the outlet reported, citing a local military official, and explosions were also heard in Izmail, a city in Odesa Oblast in southern Ukraine. Advertisement 3 First responders on Tuesday attempt to put out fires following the bombings carried out by Russia following President Trump's ultimatum. AP The deadly strikes mark the second day in a row that the Russian military violently rebelled against Trump's 50-day peace ultimatum he issued to Putin on Monday. Early Tuesday morning, Russia killed five and injured 43 others, including two teens and four children, in bombing strikes targeting Sumy, with Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblast also under assault, the Kyiv Independent reported. Russia claimed to only target military-industrial facilities, but local reports stated several residential buildings, a university and medical sites were also hit by drones, according to EuroNews. Advertisement 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin was issued an ultimatum by US President Donald Trump on Monday, but has continued his deadly air campaign against Ukraine for two nights. AP The 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons being sent over to Ukraine via NATO allies will include 'everything,' Trump vowed Monday during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rutte later warned Moscow's allies to 'call Vladimir' and tell him 'to get serious' about the commander in chief's potential 'secondary tariffs' threat on Moscow's allies within those 50 days if no peace deal is reached. While the Kremlin called Trump's warning 'quite serious' Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov insisted that 'any attempts to make demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable to us,' according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency. 'Fear is a present all the time' Advertisement A Ukrainian mother who was wounded with her 14-year-old daughter in Monday's brutal strike in Sumy is pleading with Trump to bring peace to their war-torn homeland. 'Fear is a present all the time, but we do not have a choice,' Nataliia Makhno exclusively told The Post after she and her daughter, Anastasiia, narrowly escaped death while walking home from a grocery store as the assault began. The teen's body was riddled with shrapnel wounds, and she and her mother both suffered severe blast trauma. The youngster — an award-winning modern dancer — is receiving inpatient care, putting her passion on hold until she recovers, said a devastated Nataliia, who also has an inner ear injury from the deafening boom. 'Living here is scary, but sadly, we have become used to it,' she said, adding that the family moved to Sumy, where her serviceman husband is stationed, from Myrophilla in 2022 because they thought it would be safer. The shattered mother is now begging Trump to act quickly to help end the nightmare they've endured throughout the 40-month-long war. 'I would like to ask very much that he help us so that peace comes to our Ukraine and that we can live as before when we were not afraid and our children lived under a peaceful sky,' Nataliia said. 'He can help us to cope with such a terrible misfortune that has come to us so that we can be here, live, rejoice, marry, have children and wait for grandchildren,' she added. 'Our children should be able to live calmly, grow, live quietly, work and be happy.'
