Putin's Troops Build ‘KILLING POCKET' Around Ukrainian Troops I Battle For Donetsk Peaks
Read More
Hashtags

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


Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
No deal on ceasefire as Russia, Ukraine conclude brief talks in Turkey
Russia and Ukraine discussed further prisoner swaps on Wednesday at a brief session of peace talks in Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Ukraine's chief delegate said a meeting was proposed before the end of August between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We have progress on the humanitarian track, with no progress on a cessation of hostilities," Ukraine's chief delegate Rustem Umerov said after talks that lasted just 40 minutes. He said Ukraine had proposed a meeting before the end of August between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added: "By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach." Russia's chief delegate Vladimir Medinsky said the point of a leaders' meeting should be to sign an agreement, not to "discuss everything from scratch". He renewed Moscow's call for a series of short ceasefires of 24-48 hours to enable the retrieval of bodies. Ukraine says it wants an immediate and much longer ceasefire. The talks took place just over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days. There was no sign of any progress towards that goal, although both sides said there was discussion of further humanitarian exchanges following a series of prisoner swaps, the latest of which took place on Wednesday. Medinsky said the negotiators agreed to exchange at least 1,200 more prisoners of war from each side, and Russia had offered to hand over another 3,000 Ukrainian bodies. He said Moscow was working through a list of 339 names of Ukrainian children that Kyiv accuses it of abducting. Russia denies that charge and says it has offered protection to children separated from their parents during the war. "Some of the children have already been returned back to Ukraine. Work is under way on the rest. If their legal parents, close relatives, representatives are found, these children will immediately return home," Medinsky said. Umerov said Kyiv was expecting "further progress" on POWs, adding: "We continue to insist on the release of civilians, including children." Ukrainian authorities say at least 19,000 children have been forcibly deported. SHORTEST TALKS YET Before the talks, the Kremlin had played down expectations, describing the two sides' positions as diametrically opposed and saying no one should expect miracles. At 40 minutes, the meeting was even shorter than the two sides' previous encounters on May 16 and June 2, which lasted a combined total of under three hours. Oleksandr Bevz, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said Kyiv had proposed a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting in August because that would fall within the deadline set by Trump for a deal. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters last week that Putin, unfazed by Trump's ultimatum, would keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engaged on his terms for peace, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance.


Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
Russiagate reignited: Tulsi Gabbard says Barack Obama engineered false intel, DOJ to review charges
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ignited a political firestorm on Wednesday (July 23), alleging that former President Barack Obama and his national security team engineered a 'contrived narrative' that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to aid Donald Trump. 'There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false,' Gabbard said during a tense White House press briefing. 'They knew it would promote this contrived narrative… selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn't.' Gabbard's claims follow the release of newly declassified intelligence documents that, according to her, expose efforts by the Obama administration to politicise intelligence findings. She said the materials show there was no direct information proving that Russian President Vladimir Putin actively supported Trump in 2016. 'All [the documents] come back to and confirm the same report: There was a gross politicization and manipulation of intelligence by the Obama administration intended to delegitimize President Trump even before he was inaugurated,' Gabbard stated. 'Ultimately, they sought to usurp the will of the American people.' Gabbard confirmed that the declassified material has been referred to federal law enforcement agencies for further investigation. 'We have referred and will continue to refer all of these documents to the Department of Justice and the FBI,' she said. 'The evidence that we have found, and that we have released, directly point to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment. There are multiple pieces of evidence and intelligence that confirm that fact.' A day earlier, President Donald Trump directly accused Obama of being the 'ringleader' behind the 2016 Russia probe, escalating his long-standing claims that the investigation was politically motivated. Gabbard alleges 'treasonous conspiracy' by Obama-era officials to undermine Trump in 2016 Gabbard on Friday in her explosive claim said that former President Barack Obama and senior members of his administration orchestrated a 'treasonous conspiracy' to delegitimize Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. 'No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' Gabbard said in a statement. 'We must ensure nothing like this ever happens again.' The released memo from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) identifies several high-profile intelligence figures allegedly involved in reviewing and crafting the intelligence community's assessment of Russian meddling in the election. The names include former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former FBI Director James Comey. Gabbard claims these officials collaborated to create a politically motivated assessment intended to delegitimise Trump's presidency even before he was sworn in. Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush dismissed the allegations as absurd. 'These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,' Rodenbush said in a statement. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.' He added, 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.'


Economic Times
41 minutes ago
- Economic Times
World War 3 is Coming: Nuclear war between Russia and West may happen soon, say reports. Here's what happened
Russian Papers Warn of Nuclear War in Future Kaliningrad as a Strategic Flashpoint Live Events Finland and the Arctic as New Hotspots Moldova and NATO Presence Political Voices Promote World War 3 Narrative US and Ukrainian Response FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Reports by Moscow-based newspapers describe possible war scenarios. Experts and analysts close to the Kremlin claim the West is preparing for conflict. These narratives aim to prepare Russian citizens for potential state-linked Russian news outlets, including Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP), are warning of a nuclear war with NATO. The reports claim that the West, including Britain and European countries, may provoke a large-scale war by the end of this decade. These reports feature Russian experts outlining what a confrontation could look articles state that NATO forces might be ready for combat by the end of the decade. Readers are told that this buildup is part of a strategy to provoke and divide Christopher Donahue of the US Army Europe and Africa recently said NATO could seize Russia's Kaliningrad region quickly if conflict begins. Kaliningrad is surrounded by NATO members and separated from the rest of Russia. It holds military value and could be central in any commentators warn that the West is turning surrounding areas, such as Sweden's Gotland island, into military zones. These include air defense systems and missiles, seen as preparation for a ground a military analyst quoted in KP, claims NATO plans to cut off Kaliningrad by blocking air and sea routes. He predicts a military response through the Suwalki Gap, a 60-mile strip linking NATO nations that sits between Kaliningrad and cited in Russian media claim that Finland, which recently joined NATO, could become a new launch zone for Western attacks. They mention military infrastructure in Finland that could target St Petersburg and other Russian is also a suggestion from analysts that Russia should conduct a nuclear weapons test in the Arctic to deter NATO aggression. This would be the first such test since the Cold also names Moldova as another risk zone. Russia's SVR intelligence service has accused NATO of turning Moldova into a military base. This could create another direct confrontation between NATO and Russia in Eastern a military commentator, warned that any assault on St Petersburg, even if Kaliningrad is taken peacefully, would trigger a broader Klintsevich and other experts featured in Russian media say the West is mobilising its defense industries and pushing for war. They accuse NATO of planning to break Russia into smaller regions to gain access to its Medvedev, a top Russian official and former president, recently said that World War Three has already started. He blamed the US and Europe for provoking the conflict. He also called for Russian strikes on the rise in rhetoric comes amid Russia's continued bombing of Ukraine. The US is backing Ukraine militarily. Donald Trump, a US presidential candidate, has reportedly promised Ukraine defense systems and 100% tariffs on Russia unless a peace agreement is made within 50 British documents obtained by The Sun reportedly describe London's plans in case of a nuclear attack. These documents give an idea of how seriously governments are considering worst-case media says NATO is preparing military zones near its borders, which they claim could provoke a future war. Kaliningrad is a Russian military area in Europe. NATO sees it as a threat, and Russia sees it as a base to defend.