The coming week could mark a pivotal moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal approaches ...
Well, there's this ...
Russia considers air truce with Ukraine to avoid US sanctions
www.investing.com
... The Kremlin is considering options for a concession to US President Donald Trump that might include an air truce with Ukraine, according to Bloomberg News.
This potential move aims to avoid the threat of secondary sanctions, even as Russia remains committed to continuing its war in Ukraine.
Russian officials see US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia this week as a late opportunity for agreement with Trump, though expectations for success are low, according to people familiar with the matter.
One possible proposal being weighed is a pause on air strikes involving drones and missiles as a de-escalation gesture, provided Ukraine also agrees to the terms. ...
'Productive' phone call with Trump focused on ending war, sanctions, drone production, Zelensky says
kyivindependent.com
... President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "productive conversation" with U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 5, discussing ending Russia's war and coordinating military and diplomatic efforts.
The call between the leaders takes place three days before Trump's deadline for Russia's President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
"We are grateful to Trump for all efforts toward a just and lasting peace," Zelensky wrote on X.
"It is truly a must to stop the killing as soon as possible, and we fully support this."
The two leaders exchanged assessments of the battlefield situation, noting that "the Russians have intensified the brutality of their attacks," Zelensky's post read.
The Ukrainian president added that Trump is "fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities."
Russia's most recent mass attack on Kyiv was also its most deadly, killing 31 and injuring more than 150 on July 31. ...
Putin doubts potency of Trump's ultimatum to end the war, sources say
www.reuters.com
... Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to bow to a sanctions ultimatum expiring this Friday from U.S. President Donald Trump, and retains the goal of capturing four regions of Ukraine in their entirety, sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
Trump has threatened to hit Russia with new sanctions and impose 100% tariffs on countries that buy its oil -- of which the biggest are China and India - unless Putin agrees to a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine.
Putin's determination to keep going is prompted by his belief that Russia is winning and by scepticism that yet more U.S. sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during 3-1/2 years of war, according to three sources familiar with discussions in the Kremlin.
The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals take precedence, two of the sources said.
Putin's goal is to fully capture the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Russia has claimed as its own, and then to talk about a peace agreement, one of the sources said. ...
Will Joe Rogan defend Trump The Rapist Of Thirteen Year Old Girls?
Trump Aides Plan to Plead With Joe Rogan to End Epstein Crisis
www.thedailybeast.com
Drudge Retort Headlines
Homeowner Shoots 2 Men in Masks Claiming to Be Cops (29 comments)
FBI Plans to Lower Hiring Standards (27 comments)
Greene Issues Scathing Rebuke of Conditions in Gaza (26 comments)
Vance Mocked for WWII History Blunder (25 comments)
Invisible Hand Meet Tiny Hand (23 comments)
WTTC: U.S. Only Major Nation to See Decline in Tourism (13 comments)
GOP Lawmakers (Privately) Oppose Trump Tariffs (13 comments)
Blue States Prepare for 'Soft Succession' (11 comments)
Only 8 People Show Up to Nancy Mace Speech (11 comments)
DOJ Sent Congress Epstein Files That Were Already Public (10 comments)