Wars 2022 02/24 Monitoring Russian and Ukraine War.

[Saif]

Ukraine's future cannot be decided without Ukrainians, France's Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post on X that the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians. US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Trump said on Friday. The d

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Ukraine's future cannot be decided without Ukrainians, France's Macron says

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 09, 2025 22:14
Updated :
Aug 09, 2025 22:14

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands, as they meet on the sidelines of the two-day NATO's Heads of State and Government summit, in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. Photo : Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/Files

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post on X that the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians.

US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Trump said on Friday.

The deal is expected to involve land concessions, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected earlier Saturday.​

 

[Saif]

Trump says would meet Putin without Zelensky sit-down

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin for upcoming talks on the Ukraine war

en.prothomalo.com

Trump says would meet Putin without Zelensky sit-down
AFP Washington
Published: 08 Aug 2025, 20: 21

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump File Photo

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would meet with Vladimir Putin for upcoming talks on the Ukraine war even if the Russian leader had not sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The statement, which contradicted earlier reports that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was a prerequisite for the summit, came after Trump gave Moscow until Friday to reach a ceasefire or face fresh sanctions.

But asked by reporters in the Oval Office if that deadline still held, Trump did not answer clearly.

"It's going to be up to (Putin)," Trump said. "We're going to see what he has to say."

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has been pressuring Moscow to end Russia's military assault on Ukraine.

The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin was set to attend a summit with Trump in the "coming days," but the Russian leader essentially ruled out including Zelensky.

Zelensky meanwhile insisted that he had to be involved in any talks.

When Trump was asked if Putin was required to meet Zelensky before a summit, the US president said simply: "No, he doesn't."

Putin has named the United Arab Emirates as a potential location for the summit, but this was not confirmed by Washington.

Next week?

The summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.

Three rounds of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire. The two sides remain far apart on the conditions they have set to end the more than three-year-long conflict.

Trump and Putin last sat together in 2019 at a G20 summit meeting in Japan during Trump's first term. They have spoken by telephone several times since January.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that "next week has been set as a target date," adding that both sides have agreed the venue "in principle," without naming it.

However, Washington later denied that a venue or date had been set.

"No location has been determined," a White House official said, while agreeing that the meeting "could occur as early as next week."

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian bombardments have forced millions of people to flee their homes and have destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe and Kyiv for a ceasefire.

At talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators outlined hardline territorial demands for halting its advance -- calling for Kyiv to withdraw from some territory it still controls and to renounce Western military support.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged Trump to "finally get tough on the Kremlin" and use his leverage to end the war.

"Face-to-face dialogue is important, but Putin cannot be allowed yet another opportunity to delay or water down President Trump's promise of harsh sanctions taking effect tomorrow," she said in a statement late Thursday.

'Only fair' Ukraine involved

Reports of the possible summit came after US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.

Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, but Putin appeared to rule out direct talks with the Ukrainian leader.

"Certain conditions must be created for this," Putin told reporters. "Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions."

The former KGB agent, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, said in June that he was ready to meet Zelensky, but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the conflict.

In his regular evening address on Thursday, Zelensky said "it is only fair that Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations."

The Ukrainian leader spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as he called for the continent to be included in any potential peace talks.

"Ukraine is an integral part of Europe -- we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes," Zelensky said on social media.​

 

[Saif]

Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska next Friday

Thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions forced to flee their homes.

en.prothomalo.com

Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska next Friday
AFP Washington
Published: 09 Aug 2025, 08: 47

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in Helsinki on 16 July 2018. AFP

US President Donald Trump said Friday he would meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in one week in Alaska, and suggested that an eventual deal between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine could involve swapping territory.

The Kremlin later confirmed the summit, calling the location "quite logical."

"The presidents themselves will undoubtedly focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in a statement posted on Telegram.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions forced to flee their homes.

Putin held consultations Friday with the leaders of China and India ahead of the summit with Trump, who has spent his first months in office trying to broker peace in Ukraine without making a breakthrough.

"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska," Trump said on his Truth Social site.

He said earlier at the White House that "there'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" Ukraine and Russia, without providing further details.

Trump invited to Russia

Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have failed to bear fruit, and it remains unclear whether a summit would bring peace any closer.

Russian bombardments have forced millions of people to flee their homes and have destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe and Kyiv for a ceasefire.

He has also ruled out holding talks with Volodymyr Zelensky at this stage, a meeting the Ukrainian president says is necessary to make headway on a deal.

At talks in Istanbul last month, Russian negotiators outlined hardline territorial demands for halting its advance -- calling for Kyiv to withdraw from some territory it controls and to renounce Western military support.

The Alaska summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.

Trump and Putin last sat together in 2019 at a G20 summit meeting in Japan during Trump's first term. They have spoken by telephone several times since January.

The Kremlin's Ushakov said that Trump had been invited to visit Russia.

"Looking ahead, it is natural to hope that the next meeting between the presidents will be held on Russian territory. A corresponding invitation has already been sent to the US president," Ushakov said.

Witkoff visit

The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had updated Chinese President Xi Jinping on "the main results of his conversation" with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Moscow earlier this week.

Xi expressed support for a "long-term" solution to the conflict, the Kremlin said.

China's Xinhua state news agency quoted Xi as having told Putin: "China is glad to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis."

Moscow and Beijing have deepened political, economic and military ties since the start of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Putin also spoke by phone to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after both countries condemned new US tariffs over New Delhi's oil purchases from Russia.

Xi and Modi have both tried to tout their own peace initiatives for Ukraine, though they have gained little traction.

Putin, a former KGB agent who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, said in June that he was ready to meet Zelensky, but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the conflict.

In his regular evening address on Thursday, Zelensky said "it is only fair that Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations."

Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin said Friday that families with children would be evacuated from 19 more villages in the region's east, where Russian forces have been advancing.

The villages, home to hundreds of people, are all within about 20 miles (30 kilometers) of the front line.​

 

[Saif]

Vance says Ukraine peace deal unlikely to satisfy either side

US Vice President JD Vance said a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to satisfy either side, and any peace deal will likely leave both Moscow and Kyiv "unhappy." He said the US is aiming for a settlement both countries can accept. "It's not going to make anybody super ha

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Vance says Ukraine peace deal unlikely to satisfy either side

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 10, 2025 23:09
Updated :
Aug 10, 2025 23:09

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent, Britain Aug 8, 2025. Photo : Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS

US Vice President JD Vance said a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to satisfy either side, and any peace deal will likely leave both Moscow and Kyiv "unhappy."

He said the US is aiming for a settlement both countries can accept.

"It's not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it," he said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

Trump said Russia and Ukraine were close to a ceasefire deal that could end the three-and-a-half-year conflict, possibly requiring Ukraine to surrender significant territory.

Zelensky, however, said Saturday that Ukraine cannot violate its constitution on territorial issues, adding, "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers."

In the Fox News interview recorded on Friday, Vance said the United States was working to schedule talks between Putin, Zelensky, and Trump, but he did not think it would be productive for Putin to meet with Zelensky before speaking with Trump.

"We're at a point now where we're trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that, around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict," he said.​

 

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https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/world/europe/kallas-says-any-deal-between-us-and-russia-must-include-ukraine-and-eu

Kallas says any deal between US and Russia must include Ukraine and EU

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 10, 2025 19:17
Updated :
Aug 10, 2025 19:17

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European Commission Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas appear at a joint meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 1, 2024. Photo : Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that any deal between Washington and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine must include Ukraine and the EU, adding that she will convene a meeting of European foreign ministers on Monday to discuss next steps.

“The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security,” Kallas said in emailed comments.

US President Donald Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

Kallas said that “as we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine”.

“A deal must not provide a springboard for further Russian aggression against Ukraine, the transatlantic alliance and Europe,” she added.

Kallas also said that ministers will discuss the situation in Gaza.​

 

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https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/world/europe/ukraine-says-it-struck-oil-refinery-in-russias-saratov-region

Ukraine says it struck oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 10, 2025 18:46
Updated :
Aug 10, 2025 18:46

Smoke and fire rise from an industrial facility, which, according to the governor of the southern Russian region, was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack, in Saratov, Russia, in this sreengrab obtained from social media video released on August 10, 2025. Social Media via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. VERIFICATION - Reuters was able to independently verify the location with the buildings, road layout, streetlights, and towers seen in the video that matched the file and satellite imagery of the area. - Reuters was not able to independently verify the date when the video was filmed. However, Governor of Saratov Region Roman Busargin confirmed the attack on region in a Telegram post. A large heat signature was also registered by NASA FIRMS (Fire Information Resource Managment system) today (August 10) in the area.

Ukraine's military said on Sunday that it had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in an overnight drone attack.

In a statement, the General Staff said the strike on the Saratov oil refinery had caused explosions and a fire.​

 

[Saif]

Says Zelensky; Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile component plant

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday warned against capitulating to the demands of Vladimir Putin ahead of talks this week between the Russian leader and US President Donald Trump.

www.thedailystar.net

‘Concessions’ won’t make Russia end war
Says Zelensky; Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile component plant

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday warned against capitulating to the demands of Vladimir Putin ahead of talks this week between the Russian leader and US President Donald Trump.

"Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position -- it is a rational one. Concessions do not persuade a killer," he said in a statement published on social media.

Meanwhile, Ukraine struck a Russian plant producing missile components in Nizhny Novgorod region in a drone attack overnight, an official in Ukraine's domestic security service said yesterday.

At least four drones hit the Arzamas manufacturing plant, the official told Reuters. The plant, it added, is producing control systems and other components for Russian X-32 and X-101 missiles.

EU foreign ministers were due to hold emergency talks yesterday to discuss their next steps before talks between presidents Putin and Trump, as Europe fears any deal made without Ukraine could force unacceptable compromises.

The two leaders will meet in the US state of Alaska on Friday to try to resolve the three-year war but the European Union has insisted that Kyiv and European powers should be part of any deal to end the conflict.

The idea of a US-Russia meeting without Zelensky has raised concerns that a deal would require Kyiv to cede swathes of territory, which the EU has rejected.

The US is working to "schedule" a meeting between Trump and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vice President JD Vance said Sunday. "We're at a point now where we're trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict," Vance said.​

 

[Saif]

UK PM Starmer says coalition of the willing ready to implement Ukraine plans if ceasefire reached

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that the "coalition of the willing" group of countries was ready to implement the military plans it has been working on to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in its war with Russia. In a call with the coalition, Ukrainian President Vol

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

UK PM Starmer says coalition of the willing ready to implement Ukraine plans if ceasefire reached

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 13, 2025 23:37
Updated :
Aug 14, 2025 00:35

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that the "coalition of the willing" group of countries was ready to implement the military plans it has been working on to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in its war with Russia.

In a call with the coalition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and US Vice President JD Vance, Starmer said that the military plans "are now ready, in a form that can be used if we get to that ceasefire," ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Starmer said that, in an earlier call with Trump, they had made "real progress" on security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure any peace would be lasting.​