Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of exaggerating its strength while hiding the toll of the war. During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said that he told the US President and all his European colleagues that "Putin is bluffing" about his ability to conquer Ukraine and withstand sanctions.
“Russia is trying to portray itself as capable of occupying the whole of Ukraine. This is undoubtedly their desire,” he said. “Putin is also bluffing, pretending that sanctions are not important to him and that they are not working. In reality, the sanctions are very helpful and are hitting the Russian military economy hard.”
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged Russia’s advantage in firepower, noting it has “three times more artillery,” but stressed that it also suffers “three times more losses. And that is a fact". He added that he had made clear in talks with Trump and other Western allies that “Putin does not want peace. He wants to occupy our country, and we all understand that very well. Putin cannot fool anyone.”
“I very much hope that some agreement will be reached, because so far all the talks held with Putin have ended only with him increasing military presence, intensifying attacks,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine refuses to cede Donbas region
Zelenskyy has also rejected a Russian proposal to cede more Ukrainian territory in exchange for a ceasefire, warning that Moscow would simply use any gains as a springboard for a future war.
At a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Vladimir Putin was demanding Ukraine withdraw from the final 9,000 square kilometres of Donetsk still under Kyiv’s control, a message he said was relayed to him by US officials. He stressed that agreeing to such terms would “merely lay the groundwork for another war”.
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US warns of additional tariffs on India if Trump-Putin talks fail The Donald Trump administration has warned of higher secondary tariffs on India if the talks between the US President and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin don’t go well in Alaska on August 15. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with Bloomberg TV said, “We put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see if things don’t go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up.” India at present faces a total 50% US tariffs for its exports to America. Russian oil made up 35% to 40% of India's oil imports in 2024 - up from 3% in 2021. |
