London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Ukraine: Russia agrees need to create humanitarian corridors

Ukraine: Russia agrees need to create humanitarian corridors

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have made limited progress at ceasefire talks, agreeing on the need for humanitarian corridors for civilians.

A senior Ukrainian official said that despite this outcome, the talks had not led to the results Kyiv was hoping for.

They came as Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the invasion of Ukraine, saying it was "going to plan".

But a humanitarian crisis has been growing in Ukrainian cities under intense Russian bombardment.

Mr Putin also spoke by phone for 90 minutes to French President Emmanuel Macron.

An aide to Mr Macron told reporters the French president expected that the worst was still to come, after Mr Putin told him Russia would continue its campaign in Ukraine until it had fulfilled its goals.

Mr Macron told his Russian counterpart the invasion was a serious mistake, and that his views did not correspond with reality.
Map showing areas of Ukraine that are under Russian control


At talks from an undisclosed location, the second this week, Russian and Ukrainian delegates agreed to possible temporary ceasefires.

But the truces would only be in places where humanitarian corridors were being set up and for the duration of civilian evacuations, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said.

"To our great regret, we did not get the results we were counting on," he added.

Several Ukrainian cities are currently surrounded or almost surrounded by Russian forces.

The situation is particularly intense in the southern port city of Mariupol, which has been under relentless bombardment with almost no respite for several days.

Hundreds of people are feared dead in the city.

Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has also been under a fierce aerial assault. Its mayor told the BBC shelling and cruise missile strikes were hitting residential areas and inflicting heavy civilian casualties.

On Wednesday Russian tanks entered the port town of Kherson, a provincial capital home to about 250,000 people. It is the first major Ukrainian city to fall in more than a week of fighting. The US said the situation on the ground was changing rapidly, with fighting ongoing.

Ukraine reports that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the invasion began last Thursday. The conflict has also caused more than a million people to flee Ukraine, according to the UN.

After his phone call with the French president, Mr Putin addressed members of his Security Council.

In televised remarks, he defended the attack on Ukraine, saying the campaign was on schedule.

He said he would never give up his conviction that Russians and Ukrainians were one people, claiming that some Ukrainians had been intimidated or "duped by Nazi propaganda".

Mr Putin alleged that Ukrainian forces were using civilians as human shields and holding foreigners hostage. He provided no evidence for this.

In a defiant video message on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Russia compensate Ukraine for the trauma of the invasion.

"You will reimburse us for everything you did against our state, against every Ukrainian, in full," he said.

He called on the West to send more military aid, including aircraft, and warned that if Ukraine lost the war, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia would be Mr Putin's next targets.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×