Talks between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff ‘helpful and constructive’, Kremlin says – Europe dwell | Europe

in Kyiv

Russian information businesses mentioned the talks between the US particular envoy and the Russian president ended after about three hours, and Witkoff’s convoy was seen leaving the Kremlin. There was no quick assertion from both facet on how the talks had gone.

The go to is Witkoff’s fifth journey to Moscow in his capability as Trump’s lead negotiator with the Kremlin, and comes as Trump has begun to speak robust on Russia for the primary time since taking on the presidency.

Trump lower quick an earlier 50-day deadline to Putin, claiming he noticed no need within the Kremlin to vary its behaviour and calling latest strikes that killed civilians in Kyiv “disgusting”. He has now promised to introduce secondary tariffs on international locations that import Russian oil if no progress is made by Friday.

After Trump made the specter of additional sanctions, the previous Russian president Dmitry Medvedev claimed the tough rhetoric might result in a direct battle between Russia and the US. In response, Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned.

Putin has given little indication that he’s able to make concessions or prepared to regulate Russia’s core warfare goals. Nevertheless, reviews by Bloomberg and the impartial Russian information outlet the Bell have prompt that the Kremlin might suggest a halt to long-range strikes by each side as an providing to Trump.

Each Trump and Kyiv have been calling for a full and unconditional ceasefire, to permit negotiations to start, however a halt to long-range strikes might supply welcome respiratory area to each side.

Within the first briefing from the Russian facet, the previous Russian ambassador to the US and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov instructed reporters the talks have been “helpful and constructive.”

He mentioned Russia “acquired some alerts from Trump” and “despatched some alerts” in response, however didn’t elaborate on what they have been.

He mentioned Putin and Witkoff additionally mentioned the prospects for the event of the “strategic partnership” between the US and Russia.

After just below three hours, Russian information company Ria is reporting that the assembly between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff has now concluded.

Let’s wait to see what, if something, we hear in briefing from each side of the dialog.

In different occasions that occurred simply earlier than the talks between Witkoff and Putin, a person accused of passing Russian satellite tv for pc secrets and techniques to the US has been arrested for suspected treason and positioned in pre-trial detention, a court docket within the Russian metropolis of Kaliningrad mentioned on Wednesday.

Reuters mentioned the suspect was solely recognized by a single letter, with the court docket saying he was a former worker of an organization producing digital engines for area satellites.

It mentioned he was suspected of accumulating and storing details about the agency’s know-how on behalf of US intelligence providers between July 2021 and December 2023.

The company famous that the person might face a possible sentence of life imprisonment.

Hours earlier than the assembly, Russia has struck a gasoline facility in Ukraine’s Odesa area, with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it was an try and undermine Ukrainian preparations for winter, Reuters reported.

“This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season, completely cynical, like each Russian blow to the vitality sector,” Zelenskyy mentioned on Telegram.

Ukraine has confronted a severe gasoline scarcity since a collection of devastating Russian missile strikes this 12 months, which considerably diminished home gasoline manufacturing.

The Russian defence ministry confirmed the assaults on gasoline transportation services in Ukraine, the Tass state information company reported.

We’re getting first footage from contained in the Kremlin displaying Russia’s Putin welcoming Witkoff for his or her talks.

Earlier immediately, Witkoff additionally went for a stroll via Zaryadye Park close to the Kremlin with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s envoy for funding and financial cooperation, AP reported, pointing to footage aired by Tass.

Nawrocki will participate in quite a few ceremonial appointments all through the day. I’ll regulate this.

However let’s return to Russia and Ukraine, as Interfax is now reporting that – as anticipated (8:59) – the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is assembly the US particular envoy Steve Witkoff for his or her crunch talks forward of this Friday’s Trump deadline to finish the warfare in Ukraine.

Nawrocki’s punchy opening paragraphs give us a taster of what lies forward.

“The free selection of a free nation has introduced me earlier than you immediately – regardless of the marketing campaign of propaganda, lies, political theater, and the contempt I encountered on the street to the workplace of president.

And I forgave … as a Christian … I forgive all that contempt.”

He then swiftly turns in opposition to Tusk’s authorities – though not naming him – saying:

“These elections … despatched a powerful message – a message from the sovereign individuals to all the political class … that issues can not proceed to be ruled on this means. That Poland mustn’t look the best way it does immediately.”

He outlines his manifesto saying his presidency will say “no to unlawful migration, sure to Polish złoty, no to becoming a member of the euro,” and that he’ll block any try to boost the retirement age.

However he declares he shall be “the voice of the nation”, and can search to function “throughout” present political divides.

He says he needs Poland that’s “a part of the EU, however not turns into the EU” and desires Poland to remain sovereign. He stresses he won’t comply with any additional switch of competences to the EU.

He additionally makes a pointed reference to Poland’s most necessary alliances, together with with the US.

There’s a White Home delegation of US officers in attendance, led by the US small enterprise administrator, Kelly Loeffler, who Nawrocki’s aides mentioned introduced Nawrocki with a private present from Trump.

(Additionally, price noting, that Nawrocki is sporting his trademark Trump-inspired pink tie.)

Nawrocki has simply made his oath of workplace.

“Assuming, by the need of the nation, the workplace of president of the Republic of Poland, I do solemnly swear to be trustworthy to the provisions of the structure; I pledge that I shall steadfastly safeguard the dignity of the nation, the independence and safety of the state, and in addition that the great of the homeland and the prosperity of its residents shall eternally stay my supreme obligation.”

He ends with the non-obligatory non secular reference: “And so assist me God.”

He’s now formally the president of Poland.

Jakub Krupa

The swearing in ceremony of the following Polish president, Karol Nawrocki, is about to get beneath means.

I’ll comply with Nawrocki’s inaugural speech to deliver you the important thing strains, earlier than we pivot again to Ukraine.

Jakub Krupa

The final two months because the presidential election in Poland have been dominated by repeated allegations of irregularities in counting the votes, raised by some supporters of the defeated liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski.

Responding to hundreds of electoral protests from Trzaskowski’s supporters, orchestrated by a few of his political allies however not overtly supported by the candidate, the state prosecutor launched an investigation that found minor counting errors, however confirmed they didn’t materially alter the end result of the election.

However with the feelings working excessive, immediately’s inauguration shall be a troublesome political second for the ruling pro-European coalition authorities, led by former European Council president Donald Tusk.

In a punchy video posted on his social media channels this morning, Tusk addressed “all Poles for whom immediately is a tragic and disappointing day”, saying he is aware of “very nicely how you are feeling”.

“All of us believed that honesty, goodness, and love would triumph. And what has occurred places that perception to a severe take a look at. You hoped that 10 years of embarrassment, disappointment, and worry for our homeland would come to a definitive finish immediately. As an alternative, to the outdated fears, new ones have been added.”

However he urged his supporters to “persist,” “not lose religion” and regroup forward of the 2027 parliamentary election.

“Let’s do the whole lot we are able to to guarantee that in two years there are much more of us. And let immediately solely strengthen our resolve. As a result of our white-and-red hearts are really unconquerable.”

Jakub Krupa

In his farewell TV deal with final night time, outgoing president Duda trumpeted his successes because the nation’s president, saying he fought in opposition to the impossibilism of political rivals and on the finish of his 10 years in workplace leaves Poland as “a totally completely different nation: stronger, safer, taken extra significantly overseas, and serving its residents higher.”

However he additionally leaves behind a deeply divisive legacy.

Boasting some achievements in overseas and defence coverage by strengthening Poland’s function inside Nato, sustaining a powerful alliance with the US beneath Trump, and taking part in a essential function in serving to Ukraine because the full-scale invasion in 2022, he repeatedly sparked main controversy at residence by intently aligning himself along with his get together, the populist-right Regulation and Justice, together with on the much-criticised reforms of the judiciary that sparked a rule of legislation disaster in relations with the EU.

Regardless of that, Duda got here prime in final month’s belief rankings by CBOS, forward of his successor Karol Nawrocki, with a separate ballot displaying that 54% seen his presidency positively and 40% negatively. He’s solely the second Polish president after 1989 to finish two phrases in workplace.

At simply 53, Duda continues to be believed to be harbouring political ambitions, with speculations about his future additional fuelled by his declaration that he has no intention to retire from frontline politics.

He’s seen as a possible candidate to be the nation’s subsequent prime minister main a hypothetical coalition of the populist-right PiS and libertarian far-right Konfederacja after the 2027 parliamentary election.

In his e-book, revealed immediately to coincide with the final day within the workplace, he repeatedly criticised Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk and pointedly praised Konfederacja’s chief Sławomir Mentzen as “a patriot and a statesman – and that’s spectacular,” which can solely gas rumours about his future intentions.

Karol Nawrocki set to develop into Poland’s subsequent president

Jakub Krupa

Over in Poland, the inauguration ceremony of the nation’s new president, Karol Nawrocki, will begin in just below an hour at 10am native time (9am London).

42-year-old Nawrocki narrowly received the presidential election in June, defying the polls and beating the Oxford-educated liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski who was extensively thought to be the clear favorite to switch the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda stepping down after two phrases.

A historian with a controversial previous, he has little expertise in frontline politics after serving as the top of the Polish Institute of Nationwide Remembrance, a state analysis institute with public prosecution powers investigating historic crimes in opposition to Poland.

Backed by the populist-right opposition Regulation and Justice get together which dominated Poland between 2015 and 2023, Nawrocki ran a marketing campaign beneath Trumpesque slogan “Poland first, Poles first.” He additionally secured Donald Trump’s endorsement after an surprising White Home go to simply weeks earlier than the decisive vote.

Marek Magierowski, former aide to the outgoing president Duda and Poland’s former US ambassador, mentioned in a weblog submit that Nawrocki’s hyperlinks with the US might “assist maintain each international locations aligned within the contest in opposition to Russia”.

Domestically, nevertheless, Nawrocki’s presidency is prone to pose a significant problem for Poland’s pro-European coalition authorities run by former European Council president Donald Tusk.

Whereas the function of the Polish president is largely ceremonial, it carries some affect over overseas and defence coverage and a essential energy to veto new laws. This could solely be overturned with a majority of three-fifths in parliament, which the present authorities doesn’t have.

Nawrocki is predicted to play an energetic function in home politics to immediately problem growingly unpopular Tusk, with the incoming president’s aides saying he’ll put ahead his first legislative proposals already later this week.

Aleks Szczerbiak, an skilled on east and central European politics on the College of Sussex, mentioned in his weblog that Nawrocki’s win “represents an enormous blow to the Tusk authorities’s plans to re-set its reform agenda.”

“The federal government can now count on continued resistance from a hostile President for the rest of its time period till the following parliamentary election, scheduled for autumn 2027, making it very laborious for it to push ahead with its coverage agenda,” he wrote in a latest evaluation.

Nawrocki’s presidency might additionally mark a shift in Poland’s place on Ukraine, as he beforehand repeatedly spoke in regards to the troublesome historical past between the 2 nations and declared his opposition to Ukrainian membership in Nato.

He’ll ship his inaugural deal with as a part of the swearing in ceremony, and I’ll deliver you all the important thing strains.

US particular envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived to Moscow for talks with Russia, probably with the nation’s president Vladimir Putin, forward of this Friday’s deadline set by Donald Trump for ending the warfare in Ukraine.

After touchdown, Witkoff was met by presidential particular consultant Kirill Dmitriev, however the Kremlin beforehand had mentioned that a direct assembly between the US envoy and Putin was “doable.”

Trump mentioned final night time that the end result of the talks would inform his subsequent steps and whether or not he strikes forward with the proposed sanctions and secondary tariffs in opposition to Russia and its buying and selling companions, together with India.

“We’re going to see what occurs,” he instructed reporters. “We’ll make that willpower at the moment.”

Elsewhere, nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki shall be inaugurated as the following president of Poland, marking the start of a brand new, seemingly turbulent, chapter for the nation’s pro-European authorities led by former European Council president Donald Tusk.

I’ll deliver you all the important thing updates right here.

It’s Wednesday, 6 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Reside.

Good morning.