😮 Hey Gen Z and millennials in South & Southeast Asia! U.S. President Donald Trump has just thrown down the gauntlet: give Russia two weeks to kick off real peace talks on Ukraine—or face 'massive sanctions or massive tariffs', or both.
📅 The two-week timer started after Trump's Aug.15 chat with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump warned reporters: 'It's a very important decision…massive sanctions or massive tariffs…or we do nothing and say it's your fight.'
🤔 Meanwhile, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is blocking a sit-down with Putin, calling it 'one of the components of how to end the war.' Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov countered that the meeting agenda isn't ready yet but claimed Moscow is ready to be flexible.
🛢️ Trump's take? 'We'll see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together. It's like oil and vinegar a little bit.'
📣 During a visit to a nuclear research center, Putin said bilateral ties have 'seen light at the end of the tunnel' since Trump took office. He called their Alaska meeting 'highly candid' and said it was 'only the beginning of a full restoration of relations.'
📍 On the ground, Russia still demands Ukraine give up land in two eastern regions, freeze the front line in two southern areas, and maybe return small chunks of other territory.
🛡️ Zelenskyy has dropped his call for a long ceasefire as a must-have for a leaders' meeting—but he's pushing for 'Article 5-like' security guarantees (think of it like your favorite gaming squad promising backup if you get attacked). Negotiations with Europe and the U.S. on those guarantees are in the works.
🔫 He and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also reviewed the NATO-backed Ukraine Prioritized Requirements List—a wishlist of weapons deliveries designed to help Kyiv defend itself and push for peace.
⏳ With the clock ticking, diplomats from Washington to Kyiv to Moscow are scrambling to find common ground. Will we see a breakthrough or just more diplomatic sparring? Stay tuned! 😉
Reference(s):
With no Ukraine peace deal, Trump again threatens Russia sanctions
cgtn.com
