Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Trump ‘slashes Kyiv repayments bill’ to open up minerals deal
The US has slashed its demands for the payback of aid by Ukraine during talks over an economic deal between the two nations.
Following a round of negotiations in Washington last week, Donald Trump‘s administration reduced its estimate of US aid provided to Kyiv to about $100 billion from $300 billion, sources told Bloomberg.
Trump sees the deal – which would allow the US to share profits on Ukraine’s rare minerals – as a means to recover the billions of dollars spent on aid in Ukraine.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa president Volodymyr Zelensky said the negotiations on the minerals deal are “positive”.
“When the teams are ready, they will present what they have worked out. So far, both sides have ended the meetings in a positive mood,” Zelensky said.
The talks come after months of stalled negotiations over a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine’s vast reserves of critical raw materials.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a “massive” overnight drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa damaging residential buildings and warehouses.
It came just hours after Nato secretary-general visited the region alongside Volodymyr Zelensky.
Italy transfers $28 million to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The Italian government has transferred the first 25 million euros ($28.3 million) instalment to help rebuild Ukraine’s war-damaged energy infrastructure.
Its part of a broader 200 million euros (around $227 million) initiative co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The project aims to restore energy access, reinforce critical power grids, and ensure delivery of essential services in the hardest-hit regions, the Italian Embassy in Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.
“This first financing is a concrete signal of Italy’s strong support for Ukraine’s energy sector, which has been severely tested by the war,” said Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Carlo Formosa.
Minerals deal going ‘in a positive mood,’ Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations on a key minerals agreement with the US are “positive”, following a round of technical consultations held in Washington.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa on Tuesday, Zelensky noted that working-level meetings would continue through the end of the week.
“When the teams are ready, they will present what they have worked out. So far, both sides have ended the meetings in a positive mood,” Zelensky said.
The talks come after months of stalled negotiations over a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine’s vast reserves of critical raw materials.
Trump has a deep grudge against Zelensky – but he’s now taken it further than ever before
Soon after the massacre in Sumy, where two Iskander missiles slammed into the provincial Ukrainian capital killing 35 people, including two children, Trump sloughed off the atrocity by claiming it had been a Russian mistake.
Shocking, but not surprising, as Trump has consistently taken the Russian side at every opportunity this year.
“When you start a war, you got to know you can win,” he said of Ukraine’s leader.
Read more by Sam Kiley here:
Ukrainian parliament extends martial law and mobilisation
Ukraine’s parliament voted on Wednesday to extend martial law until August 6, a senior lawmaker said.
An overwhelming majority of 357 deputies supported the extension, which allows the country to continue mobilising troops and suspends the election cycle.
One lawmaker voted against the bill.
This marks the 15th vote by the Ukrainian parliament to extend martial law and mobilisation since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Three injured in Odesea drone attack
A Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight injured three people, sparked fires and damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, officials of the southern Ukrainian region said.
Several morning attacks by Russian aviation and artillery on the southern city of Kherson also killed one person and injured three more, according to local authorities.
In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s emergency service said three people were injured and several fires broke out in Odesa as a result of the overnight attack there.
In Odesa, residents picked through debris in several ruined homes. A woman swept up after the windows in a church were smashed.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 57 out of 97 drones launched by Russia overnight. Another 34 did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures.
The emergency services also said an attack on Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk region injured two people and damaged a gas pipeline. The fires had been put out by the morning.
Watch: Trump falsely accuses Zelensky of ‘starting’ war in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump falsely blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “starting” the war in Ukraine, disregarding Russia’s 2022 invasion, on Tuesday.
Trump questioned Mr Zelensky’s requests for more Patriot missile defence systems, suggesting he should have considered the potential outcome before engaging in conflict with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Joe Biden, and Zelensky for the lives lost in the war, saying “millions are dead because of three people”.
Ukrainian servicemen from anti-drone mobile air defence unit
Ukrainian servicemen from anti-drone mobile air defence unit are seen at their position in Donetsk region amid Russia’s attack.
Watch: Russia drone attack hits Odesa
In Pictures: Firefighters put out the fire following Russia’s drones attack in Kamianske
Russia kills civilian and injures 27 over past day
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed at least one civilian and injured at least 27 over the past day, regional authorities reported.
A drone attack killed a man in Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy region, according to the military administration there.
Overnight attacks against the Dnipropetrovsk region injured two men, aged 39 and 48, governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Russia injured five people in the Donetsk region and another five in the Kharkiv region, including a paramedic, local governors said.
In the Kherson region, 11 people were injured while two high-rise buildings and 11 houses were damaged, according to governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Another three people were injured in a drone attack on Odesa.
Source: independent.co.uk
