US president Donald Trump has suggested he has two more phases of action planned against his Russian counterpart over the war with Ukraine.
Asked by a reporter why there had been "no US action" against Russia since he took office, Mr Trump denied this, citing US sanctions on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he is prepared to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow, but that it remained to be seen whether a meeting was worthwhile.
“As for a meeting with Zelensky I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting,” Mr Putin said, speaking in Beijing. “Let him come to Moscow...But is there any point?”
Mr Trump suggested on social media that Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were conspiring against the United States.
Zelensky and several European leaders are due to call Trump tomorrow afternoon after a summit, the French presidency has said.
- Trump suggests he has more action planned against Putin
- Putin says Zelensky 'can come to Moscow for meeting'
- Putin's offer of Moscow leaders meeting in unacceptable: Kyiv
- US president vows never to pull American troops out of Poland
- Trump to join call with European leaders, Zelensky tomorrow
ICYMI: China trialling visa-free travel for Russians: Putin adviser20:00 , Steffie Banatvala
China will extend visa-free travel to ordinary passport holders from Russia on a trial basis, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The visa exemption will be for a period of a year from September 15, with entry to China of no more than 30 days.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said officials will "try to connect" with President Trump to hear about new ways to increase pressure on Russia.
The Ukrainian leader recalled, in Denmark, how he and Mr Trump had previously discussed ways the United States could put pressure on Russia to lead Vladimir Putin to engage in political negotiations over the war.
“When we speak about pressure, we mean air defence, we mean weapon deals, we mean drone production, and of course, of course, sanctions," the Ukrainian leader said at a news conference alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
"Such signals we gave (the) president of the United States. He said 'couple of weeks', and he will answer on this," Mr Zelensky said of Mr Trump.
"'Couple of weeks', in my understanding, it's two weeks or maximum three weeks. This Monday, two weeks ended."
As Ukrainians gathered to mark Independence Day across the country last Sunday, Russia accused Kyiv of launching dozens of drones at a nuclear power plant in Kursk.
The attack, which sparked a large fire and destroyed parts of the plant’s infrastructure, was one of the most audacious attacks on Russian territory so far this year.
Damage was done to an auxiliary transformer and there was a 50 per cent reduction in a nuclear reactor’s operating capacity, according to Russian authorities.
Ukraine’s military refused to comment on the attack. But in a message shared shortly after it took place, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasised his nation’s resolve in the face of Russian aggression.
“We are building a Ukraine that will have enough strength and power to live in security and peace,” he said in a video address.
I will know plan after speaking to Zelensky, says Trump18:32 , Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump has said he will be speaking to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky soon and he will know what to do after that to end the war.
Asked by a UK reporter about his two-week deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a meeting with Mr Zelensky, which expires early next week, Mr Trump said: “I'm having a conversation with him very shortly, and I'll know pretty much what we're going to be doing.
“But I'll be speaking to him over the next few days, and we're going to see with whom... I'm going to know exactly what's happening.
Mr Trump had said: “I'm having a conversation with him very shortly,” and it was not clear to whom he was referring. A White House official later clarified the president had been referring to Mr Zelensky, not Mr Putin.
Ending war harder than I expected, Trump admits17:47 , Jane Dalton
Donald Trump has admitted ending the Russia-Ukraine war is much harder than he had expected.
“I think we're going to have a good solution, but they're losing soldiers at levels that nobody has seen since the Second World War,” he said.
“This is the worst conflict, and it's just going on and on. It's one's defence, one's offense. The offence moves a little bit, just a little bit. You take a look, they move inches. They're dropping bombs and killing everybody.
“Not, since the Second World War has there been anything even close to this.
“And they're not soldiers from my country. This is my country, but I have a power to end things. That's why I was able to end seven other wars.”
He said the seven others were tough to end, “much tougher I thought than the war with Ukraine and Russia”.
“I thought that Ukraine and Russia – have a very good relationship with President Putin. I thought that that would be much easier.
Trump suggests he has more action planned against Putin17:29 , Jane Dalton
Donald Trump has suggested he has more action planned against Vladimir Putin over the war.
During a visit to the White House by Polish president Karol Nawrocki, a Polish reporter asked the US leader why there had been "no US action" against Russia since he took office.
Mr Trump denied this, citing US sanctions on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil.
"You call that no action?” he said. “And I haven't done phase two yet. Or phase three."
I have no more message for Putin, says Trump17:15 , Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump has said he has no further message for Vladimir Putin and awaited a decision as Russia continued to show little interest in ending its war with Ukraine.
"I have no message to President Putin," he told reporters at the White House.
"He knows where I stand and he'll make a decision one way or another. Whatever his decision is, we'll either be happy about it or unhappy about it and if we're unhappy about it, you'll see things happen."
He said he would know in the coming days what he would do over Russia’s stance.
”I think we’re going to have a good solution,” he said.
Russia was moving “inches”, he said.
He admitted he had thought solving the war would be easy but that it was now a “bloody war” and would get solved one way or another.
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