Pakistan, Aug. 1 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled no shift in his stance on Ukraine, despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump warned he would impose new sanctions on Russia and its energy buyers if Putin does not move to end the war by August 8. Without directly addressing the deadline, Putin said peace talks had made some progress but emphasized that Russia still held the upper hand on the battlefield.

Speaking alongside Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Putin claimed Russian troops were advancing along the entire front. He referred to the reported capture of Chasiv Yar after a long battle, which Ukraine denies. Putin added that any meaningful peace would require calm, private negotiations, not public d...