Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Putin sees Trump as ‘weak’ report claims after Zelensky rebukes Kremlin ‘manipulation’
Moscow sees Donald Trumpas weak and easy to manipulate, a bombshell report has claimed, with Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin set to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire over the phone.
Russian officials in the Kremlin believe the US president lacks a core set of principles, a European intelligence official told the Washington Post citing recent intelligence.
It comes after the Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Putin and Mr Trump would directly discuss proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine – after the Russian president held talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff late on Thursday.
Putin expressed “solidarity” with the White House’s position on a ceasefire to Mr Witkoff – but believes there is “still a lot to be done” before a truce can become reality.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has rebuked Putin’s remarks as “Russian manipulation”, saying he is deliberately delaying the possibility of a ceasefire without explicitly rejecting it because he wants to “kill more Ukrainians”.
In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said: “Putin often does this – he does not say ‘no’ directly, but he does it in such a way that practically everything only delays and makes normal decisions impossible.”
Mr Trump said on Thursday night he will now see “whether or not Russia is there, and if they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world”.
Anti-Russian activist shot dead by unknown gunman in Odesa
An anti-Russian activist was shot dead by an unknown gunman in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, authorities have said.
While Ukrainian police did not name the 31-year-old victim, he was named in media reports as Demian Hanul.
Mr Hanul took part in the 2014 Maidan revolution against Ukraine’s former pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, He was also once a member of the radical far-right Right Sector Group.
“The incident is qualified as a premeditated murder committed by order,” national police said on Telegram.
Ukraine’s interior minister has received “specific clues” to help track down the suspect, he said, adding that the head of the national police was heading to Odesa to lead the investigation.
In April 2024, Mr Hanul was charged in absentia by a Moscow court with several crimes, including damaging Soviet-era monuments, for which he would have faced up to 20 years in prison.
ICYMI: Putin says he supports Ukraine ceasefire but has ‘issues he needs to discuss’
G7 calls for ‘security arrangements’ against ‘renewed aggression’ by Russia
G7 nations called for robust “security arrangements” to help Ukraine defend against “renewed acts of aggression” by Russia.
Comprising of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, the group called on Russia to accept the 30-day ceasefire proposal agreed by Washington and Kyiv.
In a draft statement approved by senior diplomats following two days of talks in Canada, the G7 threatened Russia with added sanctions if it failed to agree to the ceasefire.
It emphasised that “any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression”.
For the US to sign off on a statement calling for defence against “renewed aggression” by Russia appears significant – after Donald Trump’s previous suggestion that Ukraine was to blame for the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
G7 diplomats reach agreement on statement showing unity
Following two days of meetings in the remote Canadian hills, G7 diplomats have reached a deal on a joint statement aiming to show a united front after weeks of a turbulent relationship between the Trump administration and its Western allies.
The statement will be an all-encompassing document covering geopolitical issues around the world – but still needs to get the green light from foreign ministers before talks can be wrapped up on Friday morning.
Ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the EU convened in a remote town in the Quebec hills on Thursday and Friday.
Meetings have been in the past consensual, but Donald Trump’s recently upending of US foreign policy provided a very different backdrop for this summit.
Russian forces recaptured 28 villages in Kursk in past week, Moscow says
After a rapid advance in its western Kursk region, the Russia says it has recaptured 28 settlements in the past week.
They have also invaded Ukraine’s territory, taking control of the Ukrainian village of Novenke in Ukraine’s neighbouring Sumy region, it added.
Russia’s lightning offensive has seen a critical collapse of Ukrainian control in Kursk, which had been a crucial bargaining chip for Kyiv in future peace negotiations.
US sidelined Trump envoy after Kremlin claimed he was too ‘close to Ukraine’, report says
In November, President Trump announced retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, 80, as one of the key players in ending the war.
Tom Watling reports:
Moscow sees Trump as weak and easy to manipulate – report
Moscow sees Donald Trump as weak, a report has revealed before the pair hold talks in a phone call.
The US president has long touted his strong relationship with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin – but the apparent respect may not flow both ways.
Citing intelligence from the past month, a European intelligence official said that Moscow believe Trump is weak, the Washington Post reported.
The stinging report doesn’t stop there.
The intelligence official also said Moscow believes Mr Trump may be open to manipulation by the Kremlin – and that he lacks a core set of principles.
This poses concerns for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Putin is attempting to manipulate the US with his purported support for a ceasefire – which Mr Zelensky says is false.
Witkoff leaves Moscow after Putin talks
According to flight-tracking data, US envoy Steve Witkoff has left Moscow, Russian media is reporting.
Mr Witkoff, who is officially Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy but has been heavily involved in Ukraine talks, met Vladimir Putin in Moscow late last night.
EU renews sanctions on thousands of Russian individuals and entities
The EU has agreed to renew sanctions on thousands of Russian individuals and entities – and have kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary.
Sanctions imposed by the EU must be renewed every six months in a unanimous vote by the Brussels ambassadors of the 27 member states. The sanctions list has been extended until September 15.
Hungary had threatened to block the renewal unless nine names were removed from the list – but envoys managed to reduce the number to three.
The EU has more than 2,400 individuals and entities on its Russia sanctions list.
Source: independent.co.uk
