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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, opening a new front in his trade wars hours before another wave of duties takes effect.The additional 25-percent tariff on Indian goods, coming into place in three weeks, stacks atop a separate 25-percent duty entering into force Thursday, taking the level to 50 percent for many products.Trump’s order also threatens penalties on other countries who “directly or indirectly” import Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Exemptions remain however for goods targeted under sector-specific duties such as steel and aluminum, and categories that could be hit later, like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.Smartphones are in this list of exempted products for now, shielding Apple from a major hit as the US tech titan shifts production from China to India.India’s foreign ministry condemned Trump’s announcement Wednesday, calling the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”The ministry previously said India began importing oil from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe over the war — noting that Washington had “actively encouraged” such imports to strengthen “global energy market stability.”But Trump recently raised pressure on India over the oil purchases, threatening new tariffs as part of a campaign to force Moscow into ending its devastating invasion of Ukraine.India’s national security adviser was in Moscow on Wednesday, media in New Delhi reported, coinciding with US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit.The 25-percent additional tariff is lower than the 100 percent Trump floated last month when he told Russia to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions.The Republican said at the time that these would be “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.”This marks a low point in US-India relations,” said Farwa Aamer, the Asia Society Policy Institute’s director of South Asia Initiatives.She expects domestic pressure for India to accede to US demands, but said “this will be a tough road to navigate.”- Tariff turmoil -Trump has separately taken aim at Brazil over the trial of his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro — who is accused of planning a coup.US tariffs on various Brazilian goods surged from 10 percent to 50 percent Wednesday, although broad exemptions including for orange juice and civil aircraft are expected to soften the blow.Brazil took the first formal step Wednesday at the World Trade Organization to begin dispute proceedings against the tariffs, government sources told AFP.And come Thursday, a new wave of tariffs impacting dozens of other economies, from the European Union to Taiwan, is set to kick in.These updated “reciprocal” tariffs, meant to address trade practices Washington deems unfair, go up to 41 percent for Syria.US trading partners face varying increases from a current 10-percent level, starting at 15 percent for economies like the EU, Japan and South Korea.Countries not targeted by these “reciprocal” tariff hikes continue facing a 10-percent levy Trump imposed in April.Trump’s plans have sparked a rush to avert steeper duties, with Switzerland’s President Karin Keller-Sutter hurrying to Washington ahead of the Thursday deadline. It was unclear if she would meet Trump or any top economic officials.While Switzerland’s key pharmaceutical sector has been spared from the incoming 39-percent duty for now, Trump has warned that future pharma tariffs could eventually rise to 250 percent.Many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers, with the cases likely to ultimately reach the Supreme Court.Tokyo’s tariffs envoy Ryosei Akazawa was also in Washington, pressing for clarity on when promised cuts to tariffs on Japan’s auto imports from 25 to 15 percent would take effect.A US official said meanwhile that, unlike for the European Union, tariffs on other Japanese imports would not be capped at 15 percent but that these “reciprocal” levies would be added to existing ones.Japan averted threatened extra tariffs of 25 percent in a deal struck in July, but the two sides appear at odds over key details, including over Japanese investments of $550 billion into the United States.”That’s like a signing bonus that a baseball player would get,” Trump told CNBC on Tuesday. “It’s our money to invest as we like.” 

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, opening a new front in his trade wars hours before another wave of duties takes effect.The additional 25-percent tariff on Indian goods, coming into place in three weeks, stacks atop a separate 25-percent duty entering into force Thursday, taking the level to 50 percent for many products.Trump’s order also threatens penalties on other countries who “directly or indirectly” import Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Exemptions remain however for goods targeted under sector-specific duties such as steel and aluminum, and categories that could be hit later, like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.Smartphones are in this list of exempted products for now, shielding Apple from a major hit as the US tech titan shifts production from China to India.India’s foreign ministry condemned Trump’s announcement Wednesday, calling the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”The ministry previously said India began importing oil from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe over the war — noting that Washington had “actively encouraged” such imports to strengthen “global energy market stability.”But Trump recently raised pressure on India over the oil purchases, threatening new tariffs as part of a campaign to force Moscow into ending its devastating invasion of Ukraine.India’s national security adviser was in Moscow on Wednesday, media in New Delhi reported, coinciding with US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit.The 25-percent additional tariff is lower than a 100-percent level Trump floated last month when he told Russia to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions.The Republican said at the time that these would be “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.”This marks a low point in US-India relations,” said Farwa Aamer, the Asia Society Policy Institute’s director of South Asia Initiatives.She expects domestic pressure for India to accede to US demands, but said “this will be a tough road to navigate.”- Tariff turmoil -Trump has separately taken aim at Brazil over the trial of his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro — who is accused of planning a coup.US tariffs on various Brazilian goods surged from 10 percent to 50 percent Wednesday, although broad exemptions including for orange juice and civil aircraft are expected to soften the blow.Brazil took the first formal step Wednesday at the World Trade Organization to begin dispute proceedings against the tariffs, government sources told AFP.And come Thursday, a new wave of tariffs impacting dozens of other economies, from the European Union to Taiwan, is set to kick in.These updated “reciprocal” tariffs, meant to address trade practices Washington deems unfair, go up to 41 percent for Syria.US trading partners face varying increases from a current 10-percent level, starting at 15 percent for economies like the EU, Japan and South Korea.Countries not targeted by these “reciprocal” tariff hikes continue facing a 10-percent levy Trump imposed in April.Trump’s plans have sparked a rush to avert steeper duties, with Switzerland’s President Karin Keller-Sutter hurrying to Washington ahead of the Thursday deadline. It was unclear if she would meet Trump or any top economic officials.While Switzerland’s key pharmaceutical sector has been spared from the incoming 39-percent duty for now, Trump has warned future pharma tariffs could eventually rise to 250 percent.Mexico’s president said Wednesday that her country will seek to grow trade with Canada, as the North American economies grapple with separate US tariffs from other countries.Many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers, with the cases likely to ultimately reach the Supreme Court.

OpenAI on Wednesday said it was letting the US government use a version of ChatGPT designed for businesses for a year, charging just $1 for the service.Federal workers in the executive branch will have access to ChatGPT Enterprise in a partnership with the US General Services Administration, according to the pioneering San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) company.”By giving government employees access to powerful, secure AI tools, we can help them solve problems for more people, faster,” OpenAI said in a blog post announcing the alliance.ChatGPT Enterprise does not use business data to train or improve OpenAI models and the same rule will apply to federal use, according to the company.Earlier this year, OpenAI announced an initiative focused on bringing advanced AI tools to US government workers.The news came with word that the US Department of Defense awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to put generative AI to work for the military.OpenAI planned to show how cutting-edge AI can improve administrative operations, such as how service members get health care, and also has cyber defense applications, the startup said in a post.OpenAI has also launched an initiative to help countries build their own AI infrastructure, with the US government a partner in projects.The tech firm’s move to put its technology at the heart of national AI platforms around the world comes as it faces competition from Chinese rival DeepSeek.DeepSeek’s success in delivering powerful AI models at a lower cost has rattled Silicon Valley and multiplied calls for US big tech to protect its dominance of the emerging technology.The OpenAI for Countries initiative was launched in June under the auspices of a drive — dubbed “Stargate” — announced by US President Donald Trump to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States.OpenAI, in “coordination” with the US government, will help countries build data centers and provide customized versions of ChatGPT, according to the tech firm.Projects are to involve “local as well as OpenAI capital.”

Switzerland’s president held last-gasp talks Wednesday with the US secretary of state after rushing to Washington to avert a surprise steep hike in tariffs — but her chances of meeting Donald Trump were unclear.The Alpine country faces a 39-percent duty on many of its exports to the United States come Thursday, one of the highest levels among dozens of economies due to be hit by President Trump’s upcoming tranche of tariffs.President Karin Keller-Sutter said she and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who does not oversee tariff policy — had “discussed bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and the US, and the tariff situation, and international issues.”A US State Department spokeswoman said the talks included “the importance of a fair and balanced trade relationship that benefits the American people.”Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin hurried to Washington after an emergency meeting of the Swiss government on Monday.The White House told AFP that there was, for now, no meeting planned with Trump, who threatened in April to slap a 31-percent tariff on Swiss goods.Trump blindsided the country last week when Washington released an updated list of tariff levels for dozens of US trading partners, due to take effect Thursday, showing the Swiss duty would be raised to 39 percent.This is significantly higher than the 15-percent level faced by economies like the European Union, Japan and South Korea.On Tuesday, Trump told CNBC in an interview that he “did something with Switzerland the other day” and spoke to Keller-Sutter, although he referred to her mistakenly as “their prime minister.””The woman was nice, but she didn’t want to listen,” he added.It remains unclear if the Swiss delegation, which includes business leaders, will meet with US economic officials during the trip.The Swiss embassy said no press conference was planned, adding the president’s visit “demonstrates Switzerland’s clear commitment to reaching a positive, forward-looking agreement.”Keller-Sutter told German television that her talks with Rubio were friendly and open.The wave of US tariffs taking effect Thursday does not cover sectors that are being separately targeted by US investigations such as pharmaceuticals, a key sector for Switzerland.But Trump signaled that fresh duties on pharmaceutical imports could be announced within the week, starting at a low level before potentially surging as high as 250 percent.

McDonald’s profits rose in the second quarter behind a rebound in US sales but executives said Wednesday that low-income consumers remained under economic stress.The fast-food chain notched a 2.5-percent rise in US comparable sales after the same benchmark shrunk by 3.6 percent in the first quarter. McDonald’s Chief Executive Christopher Kempczinski described the US consumer base as “bifurcated,” with weakness in low-income consumers a reason for lingering caution on the outlook, he said at the outset of an earnings conference call.Later, in response to an analyst question, Kempczinski said “real incomes are down” for this population despite higher wages.”There’s a lot of anxiety and unease with that low-income consumer,” Kempczinski said. “I think we could all speculate the reasons for that, probably tariffs and the impact that might have, be questions around the employment situation.”People are either skipping meals like breakfast, “or they’re trading down, either within our menu or they’re trading down to eating at home,” he said.In terms of the results, McDonald’s reported an 11-percent rise in profits to $2.3 billion, while revenues increased five percent to $6.7 billion.Global comparable sales increased 3.8 percent.Executives pointed to strength in Japan, while promotions in Germany for the Chicken Big Mac and France for the Big Arch burger also boosting demand.McDonald’s has also unveiled meal promotions in the United States such as the $5 Meal Deal and the Snack Wrap for $2.99.However, executives said they were still working to implement the offering throughout its network. US franchisees have sometimes resisted such promotions because of profit concerns.”Too often” consumers may drive up to a McDonald’s “and you’re seeing combo meals that could be priced over $10 and that absolutely is shaping value perceptions…in a negative way,” Kempczinski said.”We’ve got to get that fixed,” he said, adding that the company is holding “active and productive” conversations with franchisees.Shares of McDonald’s jumped 3.0 percent near midday.

Independent journalist Jim Acosta faced a torrent of online criticism Wednesday after he posted an “interview” conducted with an AI avatar of a US school shooting victim.Former CNN White House chief correspondent Acosta interacted with a virtual likeness of Joaquin Oliver, one of the 17 people killed in the Parkland, Florida school shooting in 2018.Acosta, a long-standing hate figure for some supporters of President Donald Trump who often derided the veteran Washington correspondent, has long been an advocate for increased gun control.The clip posted on Acosta’s YouTube channel on August 4 to coincide with what would have been Oliver’s 25th birthday has gathered more than 22,000 views.On the Guy Benson Show on Fox News, conservative columnist Joe Concha said of the segment “It’s just sick.”Acosta said that Oliver’s parents Manuel and Patricia “have created an AI version of their son to deliver a powerful message on gun violence” after falling victim to one of the deadliest US mass shootings.In the interview Acosta asks Oliver, who was killed aged 17, what happened to him.Despite having the blessing of Oliver’s parents, critics said the approach was tasteless and did not advance the campaign against gun violence.”It was more of a bizarre AI demonstration than an interview,” wrote columnist Kirsten Fleming in the New York Post tabloid.”It’s also false. And grotesque. Like a dystopian plot come to life.”In the clip, Oliver’s likeness gives opinions on how to counter gun violence.”I was taken from this world too early while at school due to gun violence,” says a metallic, sped-up voice synthesized to sound like Oliver’s.”It’s important to talk about these issues so we can create a safer future for everyone.”In an opinion piece published Wednesday, journalism institute Poynter suggested that Acosta’s move from major media outlet CNN to an independent operation where he operates without an editorial support mechanism was behind his judgment.”I hope Jim Acosta decides to phone a friend next time. We’ve all got a lot of figuring out to do,” it said.It is not the first time artificial intelligence has been used to highlight the impact of the Parkland shooting.Last year US lawmakers heard recreations of Oliver’s voice and those of other victims in AI phone call recordings demanding to know why action had not been taken on gun control. On February 14, 2018, then 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a town north of Miami, carrying a high-powered AR-15 rifle. He had been expelled from the school a year earlier for disciplinary reasons.In a matter of nine minutes, he killed 14 students and three school employees, then fled by mixing in with people frantically escaping the gruesome scene.Police arrested Cruz shortly thereafter as he walked along the street. He pleaded guilty to the massacre to the massacre in 2021 and was sentenced to life without parole a year later.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held “constructive” talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.US President Donald Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties.But three rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a ceasefire, with the two sides far apart in their demands.Russia has escalated drone and missile attacks against its pro-Western neighbour to a record high and accelerated its advance on the ground.”A quite useful and constructive conversation took place,” Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists, including AFP, after the three hour meeting.Putin and Witkoff exchanged “signals” on their positions, Ushakov said, without elaborating.The Kremlin released video of Putin shaking hands with Witkoff at the start of the meeting.Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Washington to increase its pressure on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.- Sanctions threat -The White House has not outlined what action it would take against Russia, but Trump has previously threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s key trade partners, such as China and India.The move would aim to stifle Russian exports, but would risk significant international disruption.Trump said on Tuesday that he would await the outcome of the Moscow talks before ordering any economic sanctions.”We’re going to see what happens,” he told reporters. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”Without explicitly naming Trump, the Kremlin on Tuesday slammed “threats” to hike tariffs on Russia’s trading partners as “illegitimate”.Russia’s campaign against Ukraine since February 2022 has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed swathes of the country and forced millions to flee their homes.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support if it wants the fighting to stop.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.”It is very important to strengthen all the levers in the arsenal of the United States, Europe, and the G7 so that a ceasefire truly comes into effect immediately,” Zelensky wrote on social media on Wednesday after Witkoff landed in the Russian capital.”Ukraine sees the political will, appreciates the efforts of our partners, of America, and of everyone who is helping,” he added.- Nuclear rhetoric -Trump has voiced increasing frustration with Putin in recent weeks over Russia’s unrelenting offensive.Russia fired a record number of long-range drones at Ukraine in July, AFP analysis of data from Kyiv’s air force showed.Its troops have also accelerated their advance on the ground and pushed into parts of Ukraine that Russia has not claimed to have annexed.Ukrainian emergency services reported on Wednesday that at least two people were killed and 12 others wounded in Russian shelling of a holiday camp in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.When reporters asked Trump on Monday what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia believed the talks with Witkoff would be “important” and that it valued US efforts to end the conflict.The visit comes with Moscow-Washington tensions running high.Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be moved following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev that were now “in the region”.It is unknown if Trump meant nuclear-armed or merely nuclear-powered submarines. He also did not elaborate on the deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution” on Monday.Moscow then said that it was ending a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, suggesting that it could deploy such weapons in response to what it alleged were similar US deployments within striking distance of Russia.

Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of 2025, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires, reinsurer Swiss Re said Wednesday.Swiss Re, which serves as an insurer of insurance companies, said first half losses were up from the $123 billion in the first half of 2024.The Zurich-based reinsurance giant estimated that of this year’s first half losses, $80 billion had been insured — almost double the 10-year average, in 2025 prices.The Los Angeles blazes in January constitute the largest-ever insured wildfire loss event by far, reaching an estimated $40 billion, said Swiss Re.It said the “exceptional loss severity” of the fires was down to prolonged winds, a lack of rainfall and “some of the densest concentration of high-value single-family residential property in the US”.Swiss Re said losses from wildfires had risen sharply over the past decade due to rising temperatures, more frequent droughts and changing rainfall patterns — plus greater suburban sprawl and high-value asset concentration.”Most fire losses originate in the US and particularly in California, where expansion in hazardous regions has been high,” it said.Before 2015, wildfire-related insured losses made up around one percent of all natural catastrophe claims, but now account for seven percent.- Hurricane season approaching -Insured losses from severe thunderstorms amounted to $31 billion in the first half of 2025.The second half of the year is usually more costly for insurers due to damage during the North Atlantic hurricane season. If current loss trends continue, global insured losses from natural catastrophes in 2025 could exceed the Swiss Re Institute’s projections of $150 billion. “The strongest lever to increase the resilience and safety of communities is to double down on mitigation and adaptation. It’s here that everyone can help reduce losses before they occur,” said Swiss Re’s group chief economist Jerome Haegeli.”While mitigation and adaptation measures come at a price, our research shows that, for example, flood protection measures such as dykes, dams and flood gates are up to 10 times more cost-effective than rebuilding.”The March earthquake in Myanmar figured among the major natural disasters in the first six months of the year, with the tremors felt in neighbouring Thailand, India, and China.In Thailand alone, insured losses reached $1.5 billion.Overall, while natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses in the first half of 2025, man-made disasters — which include industrial accidents — caused another $8 billion in losses, of which $7 billion were insured losses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties.But three rounds of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a ceasefire, with the two sides far apart.Russia has escalated drone and missile attacks against its pro-Western neighbour to a record high and accelerated its advance on the ground.The Kremlin published video of Putin shaking hands with Witkoff in the Kremlin before the talks. But it provided no further details.Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Washington to up its pressure on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.- Sanctions threat -The White House has not outlined specific actions it would take against Russia, but Trump has previously threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s key trade partners, such as China and India.The move would aim to stifle Russian exports, but would risk significant international disruption.Trump said Tuesday that he would await the outcome of the Moscow talks before moving ordering any economic retaliation. “We’re going to see what happens,” he told reporters. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”Without explicitly naming Trump, the Kremlin on Tuesday slammed “threats” to hike tariffs on Russia’s trading parters as “illegitimate”.Russia’s more than three-year campaign on Ukraine has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed swathes of the country and forced millions to flee their homes.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support if it wants the fighting to stop.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.”It is very important to strengthen all the levers in the arsenal of the United States, Europe, and the G7 so that a ceasefire truly comes into effect immediately. Ukraine sees the political will, appreciates the efforts of our partners, of America, and of everyone who is helping,” Zelensky wrote on social media on Wednesday after Witkoff landed in the Russian capital.- Nuclear rhetoric -Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin in recent weeks over Russia’s unrelenting offensive.Russia fired a record number of long-range drones at Ukraine in July, AFP analysis of data from Kyiv’s air force showed.Its troops have also accelerated their advance on the ground and pushed into parts of Ukraine that Russia has not claimed to have annexed.Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday at least two people were killed and 10 others wounded in Russian night shelling of a holiday camp in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.When reporters asked Trump on Monday what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful” and valued US efforts to end the conflict.The visit comes with tensions running high between Moscow and Washington.Trump said he had deployed two nuclear submarines following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution” Monday.Moscow then said it was ending a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, suggesting it could deploy such weapons in response to what it alleged were similar US deployments within striking distance of Russia.

US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian leadership as President Donald Trump’s deadline to impose fresh sanctions over Russia’s offensive on Ukraine looms.Trump has given Russia until Friday to halt its military campaign or face new penalties. Ukrainian officials meanwhile reported Wednesday at least two people were killed and 10 others wounded overnight in Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhia region.The White House has not outlined specific actions it plans to take on Friday, but Trump has previously threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India.The move would aim to stifle Russian exports, but would risk significant international disruption.Trump said Tuesday that he would await the outcome of the Moscow talks before moving forward with any economic retaliation. “We’re going to see what happens,” he told reporters. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”After arriving in Moscow, Witkoff was met by presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, Russian state news agency TASS said.An American source did not specify if the meetings will include Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Witkoff has met with several times previously.The Kremlin said earlier this week it did not “exclude” a meeting with Putin would take place.Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its campaign against its pro-Western neighbour.Three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire, with the two sides appearing as far apart as ever.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.- Nuclear rhetoric -Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin in recent weeks over Russia’s unrelenting offensive.Russia fired a record number of long-range drones at Ukraine in July, AFP analysis of data from Kyiv’s air force showed.Its troops have also accelerated their advance on the ground and pushed into parts of Ukraine that Russia has not claimed to have annexed.When reporters asked Trump on Monday what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful” and valued US efforts to end the conflict.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said last week that he wants peace but that his demands for ending the nearly three-and-a-half-year offensive were unchanged.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.The visit comes after Trump said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution” Monday.”Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” the Kremlin’s Peskov said.