
Keir Starmer and Volodymr Zelenskyy ‘welcome' Russia deadline
Trump said on Tuesday he was giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a shorter deadline – August 8 – for peace efforts to make progress, or Washington would impose punitive sanctions and tariffs.
READ MORE: Alexander Dennis puts Falkirk factory up for sale despite talks to save 400 jobs
'The Prime Minister began by sharing his condolences for the deadly attack on Kyiv in recent days,' according to the readout.
It continued: 'It was a bitter reminder of the human cost of the awful conflict perpetrated by Russia, the Prime Minister added.
'The Prime Minister then updated on Trump's visit to the UK, and both leaders welcomed the president's new deadline on Russia to stop their stalling tactics and make meaningful progress on a peace deal.
'It was clear Russia was the only barrier to peace, the leaders agreed.'
Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said on Twitter/X that he had spoken to Starmer.
'Keir expressed his condolences over the deaths of our people as a result of Russia's attack on Kyiv,' Zelenskyy said.
'It was an absolutely vile and brutal missile and drone strike that took the lives of 31 people, including 5 children. Our conversation today focused on how to stop the killings, provide greater protection for our people, and force Russia to end this war.'
Zelenskyy said Russia 'genuinely fears' sanctions, 'no matter how hard it pretends that it couldn't care less'.
He continued: 'Sanctions are undoubtedly working – and there will be more. We are working with everyone on coordinated restrictive measures.
READ MORE: University releases statement after rector launches legal action amid Gaza row
'We discussed our cooperation with American partners, particularly the coordination of actions with President Trump and possible formats for peace negotiations at the level of leaders.'
Zelenskyy and Starmer also discussed battlefield technology.
'We discussed the urgent need to scale up drone production, especially interceptor drones,' the Ukrainian president said.
'There is a specific financial need, and we agreed to find a solution.'
Number 10 said Starmer 'updated on the strong progress being made at rapid pace' and 'welcomed the passing of Ukraine's anti-corruption bill earlier this week'.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
20 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Clip of glam Sydney Sweeney expertly shooting targets goes viral as her ‘secret MAGA life' emerges after anti-woke ad
A CLIP of Sydney Sweeney blasting targets at a shooting range has gone viral - as she's adopted by the MAGA movement and praised by Trump. The video resurfaced after President Trump heaped praise on the actress's "anti-woke" American Eagle jeans advert and she was revealed to be a registered Republican. 9 A clip of Sydney Sweeney practicing at a firing range has resurfaced in light of the revelation of her Republican leanings Credit: instagram/@sydney_sweeney/ 9 Sydney had never revealed how she voted, though people are now seeing clues from over the years Credit: Instagram 9 Sydney Sweeney is the star of American Eagle's latest, controversial ad campaign Credit: American Eagle The clip from 2019 shows a younger Sydney expertly burying rounds into a series of human-shaped dummies at the firing range. She appears well-practiced, skilfully banging two bullets into each in quick succession without so much as a flinch. At the end, she flashes a smile to the camera and holsters the weapon. Since Sydney starred in the controversial American Eagle jeans ad, clues that point to her living a secret MAGA life have emerged. The 27-year-old grew up in a small, Catholic, Trump-supporting town in Washington with her father, mother and younger brother Trent - and has previously said she had a "religious" upbringing. After accepting her breakout Euphoria role, Sydney revealed she had been nervous about how her community would react. She told Stylecaster in 2021: "What's crazy - and this is going to sound really bad- is when I first got sent the audition, I was too nervous to go do it. "I grew up in a smaller town with my family, who are a little more conservative, and I was like: 'They're going to kill me if I do something like this.'" A surprise party she threw for her mom's 60th birthday drew considerable attention when pics were shared of the guests wearing MAGA-style hats and "Blue Lives Matter" shirts. And now, she has starred in the American Eagle ad which has seriously riled voices on the left, who claim it promotes a racial ideal, but delighted the right who hail it as the "end of woke advertising". Trump pours praise on Sydney Sweedy amid 'good jeans' American Eagle ad storm as her voter registration revealed The ad makes a play on the words "jeans" and "genes" - and the main tagline is "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans". It's been claimed that the promotion of Sydney's blonde hair and blue eye traits suggests they are superior to alternative genes. Sydney hasn't publicly commented on the furore stirred up by the ad, but made her first appearance at a screening of her upcoming film "Americana" on Monday. She was heckled by a fan who shouted: "Stop the ad, that is being racist," according to TMZ. 9 Sydney flashes a smile after smashing it at the firing range Credit: instagram/@sydney_sweeney/ 9 Sydney sweeney caused controversy by posting Maga-themed pics from from her mom's 60th Credit: Instagram 9 Sydney Sweeney is most famous for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus Credit: Instagram However, she got into her vehicle without responding. American Eagle defended its advertisement, but removed the video from its social media accounts. It then emerged over the weekend that the actress has been a registered Republican since June 2024 - and she soon received praise right from the top. President Trump was delighted when a reporter told him about Sydney's political leanings, and promptly declared that he "loves" her "fantastic" ad. He said on Sunday night: "That's one I wouldn't have known but I'm glad you told me that. 9 Trump's Truth Social post on Monday, where he doubled down on his support for Sydney Sweeney Credit: X 9 Sydney Sweeney was revealed to be a registered Republican since June 2024 Credit: Getty 9 The ad's tagline 'Sydney Sweeney had great jeans' ignited major controversy Credit: American Eagle 'If Sydney Sweeny is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Trump then doubled down on his enthusiastic support and cemented the American Eagle ad as a bastion of the "anti-woke" agenda. He declared in a Monday morning Truth Social post that the campaign is "the HOTTEST" and went on to slam "woke" companies like "stupid" Jaguar and Bud Light for their own advertising. Jaguar recently put out an ad with models dressed in brightly-coloured, flamboyant clothing - but no cars or the brand's logo. Trump insisted the British manufacturer, whose CEO resigned on last week, should have learned from Bug Light - which suffered a boycott and major losses after an advert featuring a transgender influencer. The President's conclusion: "Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be."


The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Clip of glam Sydney Sweeney expertly shooting targets goes viral as her ‘secret MAGA life' emerges after anti-woke ad
A CLIP of Sydney Sweeney blasting targets at a shooting range has gone viral - as she's adopted by the MAGA movement and praised by Trump. The video resurfaced after President Trump heaped praise on the actress's "anti-woke" American Eagle jeans advert and she was revealed to be a registered Republican. 9 9 The clip from 2019 shows a younger Sydney expertly burying rounds into a series of human-shaped dummies at the firing range. She appears well-practiced, skilfully banging two bullets into each in quick succession without so much as a flinch. At the end, she flashes a smile to the camera and holsters the weapon. Since Sydney starred in the controversial American Eagle jeans ad, clues that point to her living a secret MAGA life have emerged. The 27-year-old grew up in a small, Catholic, Trump-supporting town in Washington with her father, mother and younger brother Trent - and has previously said she had a "religious" upbringing. After accepting her breakout Euphoria role, Sydney revealed she had been nervous about how her community would react. She told Stylecaster in 2021: "What's crazy - and this is going to sound really bad- is when I first got sent the audition, I was too nervous to go do it. A surprise party she threw for her mom's 60th birthday drew considerable attention when pics were shared of the guests wearing MAGA-style hats and "Blue Lives Matter" shirts. And now, she has starred in the American Eagle ad which has seriously riled voices on the left, who claim it promotes a racial ideal, but delighted the right who hail it as the "end of woke advertising". Trump pours praise on Sydney Sweedy amid 'good jeans' American Eagle ad storm as her voter registration revealed The ad makes a play on the words "jeans" and "genes" - and the main tagline is "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans". It's been claimed that the promotion of Sydney's blonde hair and blue eye traits suggests they are superior to alternative genes. Sydney hasn't publicly commented on the furore stirred up by the ad, but made her first appearance at a screening of her upcoming film "Americana" on Monday. She was heckled by a fan who shouted: "Stop the ad, that is being racist," according to TMZ. 9 9 9 However, she got into her vehicle without responding. American Eagle defended its advertisement, but removed the video from its social media accounts. It then emerged over the weekend that the actress has been a registered Republican since June 2024 - and she soon received praise right from the top. President Trump was delighted when a reporter told him about Sydney's political leanings, and promptly declared that he "loves" her "fantastic" ad. He said on Sunday night: "That's one I wouldn't have known but I'm glad you told me that. 9 9 'If Sydney Sweeny is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Trump then doubled down on his enthusiastic support and cemented the American Eagle ad as a bastion of the "anti-woke" agenda. He declared in a Monday morning Truth Social post that the campaign is "the HOTTEST" and went on to slam "woke" companies like "stupid" Jaguar and Bud Light for their own advertising. Jaguar recently put out an ad with models dressed in brightly-coloured, flamboyant clothing - but no cars or the brand's logo. Trump insisted the British manufacturer, whose CEO resigned on last week, should have learned from Bug Light - which suffered a boycott and major losses after an advert featuring a transgender influencer. The President's conclusion: "Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be." What is the American Eagle controversy? JEANS brand American Eagle sparked a social media frenzy and intense controversy with its latest ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney. The series of ads make a play on the words "jeans" and "genes". Their most controversial element is the tagline: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," which some have interpreted as implying her blonde hair, blue eye traits are superior to others. Critics claim that the ads glorify a specific beauty standard and racial ideal. TikTok videos commenting on the campaign have racked up millions of view, and some of the ad clips have been removed from the brand's official accounts. However, American Eagle released a statement defending its campaign, insisting: "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans." Right-wing figures have hailed the episode as a triumph for the "anti-woke" movement. The Euphoria star has not commented herself on the controversial ad.


Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Indian rupee down; likely saved from all-time low by RBI intervention
MUMBAI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee weakened on Tuesday as U.S.-India trade tensions escalated, though likely central bank intervention helped avert a slide to a record low. The currency was at 87.8275 to the U.S. dollar at 1:15 p.m. IST, weaker than Monday's close of 87.6550. It earlier fell to 87.8850, near the February record low of 87.95. The rupee opened at 87.85 per dollar on possible central bank intervention, with traders saying the RBI sold dollars through state-run banks ahead of market open to help prevent a breach of the 88 level. "The central bank has absorbed the tariff-related impact and prevented the big figure to change for now," a currency trader with a private bank said. U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened to substantially raise tariffs on Indian goods, citing India's continued purchases and resale of Russian oil. India's foreign ministry vowed to take "all necessary steps" to protect national interests and economic security, fuelling fears of an escalating trade row after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed surprise 25% tariffs on Indian imports last week. Traders warned that persistent foreign outflows from Indian equities may accelerate if talks stall, further pressuring the local currency. President tariff threats on India, outflows from domestic equity markets, panic buying by importers and dollar index unable to find a clear direction are adding to pressure on the rupee, said Kunal Sodhani, vice president at Shinhan Bank India. "For USD/INR, breaking the onshore all-time highs of 87.95 will open doors to uncharted territory and may let the pair test 88.50 levels, while any close below 87.60 may bring consolidation back to the pair."