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Turkiye Detains Istanbul District Mayor Over Corruption: State Media
Turkiye‘s police detained 40 individuals, including Istanbul’s Beyoglu district mayor, in a corruption probe, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported on Friday, marking the latest action in a crackdown on the opposition.
Beyoglu Mayor Inan Guney from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was the 16th mayor to have been taken into custody in the crackdown, in which a total of more than 500 people have been detained in less than a year.
Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism.
The CHP denies the charges and calls them an attempt to eliminate a democratic alternative, a charge the government rejects.
TRT Haber said those held in the latest operation are suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities at companies linked to the Istanbul municipality. Arrest warrants were issued for a total of 44 people, including the 40 detained, it said.
On Thursday, CHP mayor Ozlem Cercioglu from the western city of Aydin joined Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, citing disagreements with the CHP administration.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters, without providing evidence, that AKP officials had threatened Cercioglu with legal investigations into her municipality and arrest unless she joined the ruling party.
AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazici called Ozel’s allegation “completely untrue”. Cercioglu also rejected the claim.
Crackdown On Opposition
Turkiye has intensified its crackdown on opposition leaders, following the high-profile arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a move that has drawn widespread domestic and international attention.
Imamoglu, a prominent figure from the opposition CHP, was detained amid allegations of corruption, sparking concerns over the state of democracy and rule of law in the country.
His arrest marked a significant escalation in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ongoing efforts to suppress dissent and consolidate power.
The detention of Imamoglu triggered unprecedented nationwide protests, with thousands of citizens taking to the streets to express outrage over what many perceive as politically motivated actions.
Demonstrators called for respect for democratic norms and the protection of elected officials, highlighting deepening political polarisation in Turkiye.
Social media platforms were flooded with messages of support for Imamoglu, further amplifying public scrutiny of the government’s actions.
Observers note that these developments are part of a broader pattern in Turkiye, where opposition leaders and critics have increasingly faced legal and administrative pressure.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Nigeria’s Defence Chief Stands By Military Operations Amid Growing Scrutiny
Nigeria’s defence chief has defended military operations against insurgents and criminal gangs causing civilian casualties, asserting that the armed forces are striving to minimise loss of life.
Nigeria’s military has increasingly used airstrikes against the growing threat of militias in the north and central regions. It has admitted to mistakenly targeting civilians while pursuing armed gangs in the northwest, where there is widespread insecurity, and has promised to investigate such cases.
Defence Chief of Staff General Christopher Musa also called for a review of international laws, arguing that they restrict state forces while leaving non-state actors “who kill at will” unchecked.
In rare comments to reporters in the capital, Abuja, on Wednesday, Musa said the military frequently halts operations to prevent civilian harm, even at the cost of compromising tactical advantages.
‘Striving To Protect Civilians’
“We are made to look as if we are committing the worst atrocities ever, but I can assure you that we are doing the best we can. We respect human rights and value civilian lives,” he said.
“We often abort operations to avoid civilian casualties … this has, in part, prolonged the conflict.”
The remarks come after growing scrutiny of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations and accusations by rights groups that the military has used excessive force.
But there are frustrations within Nigeria’s armed forces, where many believe they are being judged against higher standards than comparable forces in more developed countries.
They also say too little account is taken of the difficulties of fighting informal armed Islamist insurgents or criminal gangs who operate entirely among civilians.
The general cited ongoing training in human rights and international humanitarian law for military personnel, both locally and abroad, as evidence of progress.
Nearly 600 Killed In Airstrikes
Nigeria’s military has killed 592 armed militia members in Borno State over the past eight months, following intensified airstrikes in the violence-plagued region, the air force said.
The results surpassed the operational gains recorded in 2024, Chief of Air Staff Hasan Abubakar said during a visit to Borno Governor Babagana Zulum on Tuesday.
Abubakar said the air force also destroyed more than 200 technical vehicles and 166 logistics hubs in a sweeping offensive against insurgents in the northeast.
Militants from Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have attacked security forces and civilians in Nigeria’s northeast, causing widespread displacement and thousands of deaths.
Militia gangs in Borno State have killed at least 2,000 people since 2023, according to Nigeria Watch, a database that monitors lethal conflicts and security in the country.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Modi Calls For Self-Reliance, Vows Farmer Protection Amid US Trade Tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on the nation to pursue greater self-reliance, produce everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries, and promised to safeguard farmers amid trade tensions with Washington.
With the “punishing” tariffs imposed on Indian exports by U.S. President Donald Trump expected to hurt growth in the world’s fastest-growing major economy, Modi announced lower goods and services taxes (GST) from October – a move that could help boost consumption.
Modi was addressing the nation on the occasion of its Independence Day at a time when New Delhi has been struggling with Trump’s tariffs and the collapse of trade talks, largely due to differences over imports of American farm and dairy products.
“Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities,” Modi said in his customary annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi.
“Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers,” he said.
Modi did not mention the tariffs or the U.S. in his speech that lasted nearly two hours.
Trump’s Tariff Salvo
Last week, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations.
The new import tax will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50% – among the highest levied on any U.S. trading partner.
Modi has never spoken about the tariffs directly, only alluding to them in a speech last week, where he swore to protect the interests of farmers, even if it came at a personal price.
Although local manufacturing and self-reliance have been Modi’s key focus areas for years now, the push is seen to have gained urgency amid ongoing global trade tensions and supply chain disruptions.
“The need of the hour is to take a resolve for building a strong India … I want our traders, shopkeepers to display boards for ‘Swadeshi’ products,” Modi said, using the Hindi word for made in India goods.
He said made-in-India semiconductor chips would hit the market by the end of this year and that India was pushing for self-reliance in producing critical minerals, with exploration underway at more than 1,200 locations.
Trump’s tariffs threaten to disrupt India’s access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87 billion in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery.
In retaliation, some supporters of Modi have sought to stoke anti-American sentiment and called for a boycott of U.S. companies such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Amazon and Apple.
Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India’s vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases.
On Thursday, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that it hoped relations with the United States would move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests, seeking to temper concerns that ties were headed downhill.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Ukraine Peace And Arms Control On Agenda As Trump Meets Putin In Alaska
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on Friday to address the war in Ukraine and potential arms control measures. While Trump’s aim of securing a ceasefire remains uncertain, Putin has put forward a last-minute proposal for a possible nuclear agreement that could allow both leaders to claim a diplomatic win.
The summit of the Russian and U.S. leaders at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska will be their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House and comes amid Ukrainian and European fears that Trump might sell Kyiv out.
The White House said the meeting will take place in Anchorage, at 11 a.m Alaska time (1900 GMT).
‘A Tougher Nut To Crack’
Trump, who once said he would end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours, said on Thursday the three-and-a-half-year conflict had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought.
He said if his talks with Putin went well, setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who was not invited to Friday’s meeting – would be even more important than his encounter with Putin.
Trump is pressing for a truce to bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, something he has made clear is important to him.
Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by their conference call on Wednesday in which, they said, Trump agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskyy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement, although the U.S. president has made no public mention of them.
Wednesday’s call eased their fears of a Trump-Putin deal that would leave Ukraine under pressure to make territorial and other concessions.
Putin, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, needs Trump to help Russia break out of its straitjacket of ever-tightening Western sanctions, or at the very least not to hit Moscow with more sanctions, something Trump has threatened.
The day before the summit, the Kremlin leader held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants – a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February next year.
Trump Says Putin Will Do A Deal On Ukraine
Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin, meanwhile, praised what he called “sincere efforts” by the U.S. to end the war.
A source close to the Kremlin said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some unspecified common ground beforehand.
“Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon tomorrow (Friday) because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure),” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
Putin has set stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a phased truce in the air war, although both sides have accused the other of flouting a previous accord.
Analysts say Putin could try to look like he’s giving Trump what he wants while remaining free to escalate in Ukraine if he wants to.
“If they (the Russians) are able to put a deal on the table that creates some kind of a ceasefire but that leaves Russia in control of those escalatory dynamics, does not create any kind of genuine deterrence on the ground or in the skies over Ukraine… that would be a wonderful outcome from Putin’s perspective,” said Sam Greene, director of Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis.
Trump Suggests Land Transfers Will Be Needed
Zelenskyy has accused Putin of bluffing and playing for time to avoid U.S. secondary sanctions and has ruled out handing Moscow any territory.
Trump has said land transfers between Russia and Ukraine could be a possible way of breaking the logjam.
Putin, whose forces control nearly one fifth of Ukraine, wants Trump to start reviving the two countries’ shrunken economic, political and business ties and, ideally, not to make that process contingent on progress on Ukraine.
But it is unclear whether Putin is willing to compromise on Ukraine. In power for a quarter of a century, the Kremlin chief has staked his legacy on coming out of the war with something he can sell to his people as a victory.
Chief among his war aims is complete Russian control over the Donbas industrial region in eastern Ukraine, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Despite steady advances, around 25% of Donetsk remains beyond Russian control.
Putin also wants full control of Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions; NATO membership to be taken off the table for Kyiv; and limits on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces.
Ukraine has said these terms are unacceptable and tantamount to asking it to capitulate.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Taiwan’s President Warns Against Aggression In World War Anniversary Message
On Friday, marking the anniversary of the end of World War Two, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said that aggression inevitably results in defeat and stressed the need for freedom and democracy to prevail as authoritarianism gains ground — a message seen by many as directed at Beijing.
Taiwan has this year sought to cast the war as a lesson to China, which views the democratic island as its own territory, to show how aggression will end in failure, and to remind the world it was not the government now in Beijing that won the war.
The Chinese government at the time was the Republic of China, part of the U.S., British and Russian-led alliance, and its forces did much of the fighting against Japan, putting on pause a bitter civil war with Mao Zedong’s Communists whose military also fought the Japanese.
The republican government then fled to Taiwan in 1949 after finally being defeated by Mao, and Republic of China remains the democratic island’s official name.
Taiwan Will Not take Part In Beijing’s Parade
Late on Thursday, Taiwan said it had banned government officials from attending next month’s military parade planned by Beijing to mark the end of World War Two, along with former senior defence, intelligence and diplomatic officials, though that does not include ordinary members of the public.
If former officials insist on going, penalties would include the revocation of pensions, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a post on his Facebook account that did not directly mention China, the Taiwan President said the war served as a stark reminder to the world that peace is priceless and war has no winners.
“World War Two was a catastrophe in history, triggered by the personal ambitions of a few dictators, extreme ideologies and military expansionism,” he wrote.
Today, people in Taiwan take freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity for granted, but lessons from history must be learned, Lai added.
“The most valuable lesson of World War Two is that unity leads to victory, while aggression leads to defeat.”
China labels Lai a “separatist”, and has ramped up military activities around the island, including holding large-scale war games. Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Eduardo Bolsonaro Warns Of Potential New US Sanctions And Tariffs On Brazil
Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, said he anticipates further U.S. sanctions targeting Brazilian officials and possibly new tariffs, linking the measures to ongoing legal actions against his father.
In an interview in Washington after meetings with senior U.S. officials, the lawmaker said he saw no way for Brazil to negotiate a lower U.S. tariff on its exports without concessions from the Brazilian Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court justices have to understand they’ve lost power,” he said. “There is no scenario where the Supreme Court emerges victorious from this whole imbroglio. They’re in conflict with the greatest economic power in the world.”
The younger Bolsonaro’s advocacy in Washington has put him at the center of bilateral tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods and financial sanctions on the Brazilian judge overseeing prosecution of the elder Bolsonaro, demanding an end to a “witch hunt” against the former president.
“I think he’s an honest man… This is really a political execution that they’re trying to do with Bolsonaro,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.
Jair Bolsonaro is currently on trial before Brazil’s top court over an alleged plot to overturn the 2022 election that he lost. He denies any wrongdoing.
U.S. Tariff A ‘Bitter Medicine’
Eduardo Bolsonaro described the U.S. tariffs on Brazilian beef, coffee, fish, footwear and other goods as “bitter medicine” aimed at curbing what he called an out-of-check legal offensive against his father.
“I’ve told everyone trying to approach this only through the lens of trade: it won’t work. There needs to be a signal first to the U.S. that we’re resolving our institutional crisis,” he said.
The U.S. State Department ratcheted up pressure on Wednesday, moving to revoke and restrict visas on government officials and their family members from countries including Brazil due to their ties with an exchange program involving Cuban doctors.
Eduardo Bolsonaro said he expects those restrictions will soon hit Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and probably leftist ex-President Dilma Rousseff for their roles in the program.
Rousseff was the chief of staff and successor to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva when his second term ended in 2010. Representatives for Padilha and Rousseff did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lula has dismissed Trump’s demands as an affront to national sovereignty and said he has refused to “humiliate” himself with a call to the White House. Last week, he called Eduardo Bolsonaro and his father “traitors” for courting Trump’s intervention.
Brazil’s top court is investigating both Bolsonaros over their appeals to Trump. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has increased pressure on the former president, putting him under house arrest and forbidding contact with his son in the U.S. or foreign officials.
In Thursday’s interview in Washington, Eduardo Bolsonaro said he expected a U.S. response to that crackdown, including sanctions against Viviane Barci de Moraes, a high-powered Brazilian attorney married to Justice Moraes.
Bolsonaro also said he could see more tariffs on Brazilian goods on the way.
“I could expect more tariffs, because Brazilian authorities have not changed their behaviors,” he said.
The Brazilian lawmaker, who moved in March to the United States in an effort to garner Trump’s support for his father, said he had been advocating for sanctions targeting Moraes and his family, with tariffs as a “last resort.”
He said immediate U.S. sanctions against other Supreme Court justices seemed unlikely, given the focus on isolating Moraes, whom he called a “gangster,” a “psychopath” and a “mafioso.”
The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moraes has described his rulings, which have been upheld by the wider court, as a defence of Brazilian democracy under constitutional law.
In an interview last month, Jair Bolsonaro said he expected his son to seek U.S. citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil.
The younger Bolsonaro declined to comment on the details of his immigration status, but said he and his family had permission to stay in the United States “for a good while,” and left the door open to seeking asylum and eventually citizenship.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai Trial Delayed After Health Scare
The national security trial of Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was adjourned on Friday after the 77-year-old reported experiencing heart palpitations, prompting the court to delay closing submissions.
The closing submissions will recommence on Monday after the court adjourned to allow Lai to obtain medication and a heart monitor.
Lai, who founded the Apple Daily newspaper that was forced to close after a police raid and asset freeze in June 2021, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Call For Release
Some Western governments, including the US, have called for Lai’s immediate release, saying the trial is politically motivated under a years-long national security crackdown in the China-ruled financial hub.
He has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,500 days since December 2020.
China Opposes Interference
Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said Lai had been “a key orchestrator and participant in anti-China, destabilizing activities in Hong Kong.”
“We strongly oppose external forces using judicial cases as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs or to smear and undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law,” he said.
Trump To Save Lai
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would see what he could do to help “save” detained Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, even though Chinese President Xi Jinping would not be “thrilled.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to save him,” Trump told Fox News Radio in an interview. “We’ll see what we can do … we’re going to do everything we can.”
Trump has said he would raise Lai’s case as part of negotiations with China over trade and tariffs.
US-China Tariff Truce
On Monday, the US and China extended a tariff truce for another 90 days, staving off triple-digit duties on each other’s goods. On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said trade officials from the two sides will meet again within the next two or three months to discuss the future of the economic relationship.
(With inputs from Reuters)
South Korea Eyes Military Pact Revival With North
South Korea will seek to resume inter-Korean cooperation and intends to restore an agreement to suspend military activity along the border with North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday.
In a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said he will seek to restore the so-called September 19 Military Agreement, which was signed at an inter-Korean summit in 2018 and was designed to de-escalate tension along their shared border.
Pyongyang later effectively tore up the agreement and said it would restore all military measures after Seoul suspended parts of the agreement amid a spike in tensions.
President Lee, who won a snap election in June, has sought to re-engage Pyongyang after a period of cross-border tension and shown a willingness to return to dialogue.
North Remains Suspicious
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s influential sister said on Thursday that Pyongyang never dismantled its propaganda loudspeakers and has no plans to do so, dismissing South Korea’s belief in a positive response to its peace overtures as a mere “pipedream”.
Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior official in the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, also said a change made to the plan for annual joint military drills by South Korea and the United States was a “futile” move that does not change the allies’ hostile intent.
Kim, who officials and analysts believe speaks for her brother, has in recent weeks rebuffed moves taken by South Korea’s new liberal government aimed at easing tension between the two Koreas.
Policy Cannot Change
“I am confident that Seoul’s policy towards the DPRK remains unchanged and can never change,” Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA official news agency. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
South Korea’s military has said it detected moves by the North’s military to dismantle some propaganda loudspeakers directed at the South, following similar moves by the South.
There has been cautious optimism in the South that the North may be responding positively to a policy by President Lee Jae Myung to engage Pyongyang after a period of cross-border tension and even show willingness to return to dialogue.
Kim Yo Jong also said North Korea will not be sitting down with the United States for dialogue, saying reports raising the possibilities of such a development were “false suppositions”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Top Russian Lawmaker Meets Kim Jong Un In Pyongyang
During an official visit to Pyongyang, Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Russian parliament said on Thursday.
Volodin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, conveyed greetings from the Russian leader and thanked Kim for North Korea’s support of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
Putin-Kim Phone Call
Putin held a phone call with Kim on Tuesday and updated him on planned talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.
Kim sent a reply to a letter from Putin that was delivered by Volodin to celebrate the 80th anniversary of liberation from Japan’s colonial rule, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported on Friday.
In the letter to Putin, Kim said the soldiers of North Korea and Russia formed “friendship and unity” in the battlefield to fight against “a mutual enemy” which he didn’t identify, according to KCNA.
Pyongyang and Moscow have both confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia’s offensive against Ukraine to reclaim the Kursk region.
South Korea’s intelligence agency said in June that North Korea was potentially ready to send more troops to Russia.
Pipedream
Meanwhile, Kim’s influential sister said on Thursday that Pyongyang never dismantled its propaganda loudspeakers and has no plans to do so, dismissing South Korea’s belief in a positive response to its peace overtures as a mere “pipedream”.
Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior official in the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, also said a change made to the plan for annual joint military drills by South Korea and the United States was a “futile” move that does not change the allies’ hostile intent.
Kim, who officials and analysts believe speaks for her brother, has in recent weeks rebuffed moves taken by South Korea’s new liberal government aimed at easing tension between the two Koreas.
“I am confident that Seoul’s policy towards the DPRK remains unchanged and can never change,” Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA official news agency. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Will Friday Spell Peace For Ukraine And The Nobel For Trump?
Could Friday be the Big Beautiful Day for Donald J Trump? The day when he walks into history with the Nobel Prize for delivering peace in Ukraine.
That’s a big if. At this point there’s a lot we don’t know. Are the big boys, Trump and Vladimir Putin, meeting because much of the heavy lifting has already been done by officials and diplomats on both sides?
If that is the case, it means they are expected to resolve the nitty-gritty of who or which side gets what. That could be difficult.
As Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation says, “It gets murky because this is not just about the US and Russia, this is about Ukraine which has to sign on a peace deal. Trump may try to bulldoze his way but it won’t be easy.”
Unnikrishnan believes that Putin has a weak hand, in that he wants to end the war but on his terms and knows he will have to give up something. So even while Russia will remain in Ukraine, Putin will not walk away entirely happy.
At the end of the day, Putin wants peace, and a deal that brings his country back into the comity of nations. It will be highly diminished Russia, one that is not America’s equal. Its footprint would be heavily circumscribed, whether in the southern Caucasus or the Middle East.
Putin also wants to be allowed back into the international Swift system, and an end to sanctions as the economy is under strain. So it’s in Putin’s interest to ensure Trump doesn’t lose patience and walk out.
“In the event there’s no deal but both sides agree to work on certain proposals based perhaps on something tangible Trump offers, then homework will have to be done,” says Unnikrishnan.
A former diplomat with long experience of Europe, says Trump will have to tell the Europeans that there will be no more arms supplies for Ukraine, and no question of NATO membership. This was a commitment made way back in 2008 by then president George Bush at the NATO Bucharest Summit. It kept getting rolled over and Ukraine still remains outside the security alliance.
Then there’s Ukrainian President Zelensky, who has already warned he will settle for nothing less than a complete withdrawal by the Russians. But withdrawal is not on Putin’s agenda, not after all that blood, sweat and treasure he has expended in the last three years.
So Zelensky may have to settle for a smaller Ukraine, which means giving up land to the Russians. That would spell the end of his hopes of continuing as president.