Connect with us

Published

on

“The revolution is still alive in people, and people are looking forward to a big change to this country.”

These are the words of a young man studying at a university in Iran, who has shared his diary entries with Sky News.

Mohammed has seen first hand how authorities have cracked down on protests at universities and how students have adapted to continue their activity. His name has been changed to protect his identity.

When demonstrations break out against the nation’s repressive regime, it’s often students who are the beating heart of the resistance.

The sweeping unrest that has followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody is no different, and more than 700 students have been arrested, according to the activist HRANA news agency. At least four people have been executed in connection with the demonstrations.

Diary entry one – University protests

“I want to talk about the day they executed Majidreza Rahnavard.

More on Iran

“I was totally shocked. I was really, really sad and very angry. I wanted to do something.

Majidreza Rahnavard
Image:
Majidreza Rahnavard was executed by the regime

“I went to university. I was looking forward to seeing students come out and start chanting.

“But because of the high level of suppression and bad behaviours towards students we don’t have that kind of protests but things have changed.

“Changed to writing slogans on walls. At one of the campuses they do artistic protests, they hung hanging ropes from the ceiling in order to criticise the regime’s execution of these two guys.

“But although the form has changed for now the revolution is still alive in people, and people are looking forward to a big change to this country.

“The resistance groups are very active right now, a lot of them have been arrested and they try to keep the fire of the revolution going.

“For those who are truly against the regime, they don’t have a normal life. How can we have a normal life?

“Every step we walk, every piece of food we eat, every minute we spend working, every minute we spend studying and reading, we are thinking of the people who are in the prison.

“We are thinking of the people who are executed or killed on the streets.

“What we want from the world is please if you can’t do something good for us, please do not help this regime.

“You know their overthrow is our job. Stop talking and negotiating with them. This is a regime which is going to fire back at you if you continue working with them.

“We need the whole world to isolate this regime.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

UK imposes sanctions on Iran following execution of British-Iranian national accused of spying

Diary entry two – Escaping into people’s homes

“I’m going to talk about one of the experiences I had in Iran during the last three months here during the revolution.

“We were on the street, we were protesting and chanting.

“Suddenly the special forces of the police and plain-clothes agents attacked us, and so we had to escape.

“We tried to find a way to get out of there.

“I saw that some people would open the doors to their homes to rescue us and we went into one of them.

“I have heard that in some houses they have saved some of the people. They also treated them because they got shot and used first aid kits to take care of those who were injured.

“That was so brave of them because if the government knows that, finds that out, they will also arrest them. Some of those arrested are people who have helped people on the street.”

Diary entry three – ‘She slapped his face and ran away’

“I also saw many girls, especially girls, who were so brave that they would stand in front of those with guns.

“In one case, one girl even slapped the face of one of the plain-clothes agents who had captured one of the guys and was forcing his foot on his back.

“She slapped his face and ran away. The good thing was that the people tried to help him.”

Diary entry four – Protest in Tehran

“I talked to one of my friends, she is a brave girl.

“She has a friend who was arrested when she wanted to join the people who were protesting in Tehran.

“When she got out of her car to join the protesters, some people suddenly put her in a van. Unfortunately she has been raped.

“After some days she was released, I think in the same neighbourhood.

“She was in a bad place but I think she has gained her energy back and she is even more brave now.”

The aftermath of a fire at Evin prison last October. Pic: AP
Image:
The aftermath of a fire at Evin prison last October. Pic: AP

Diary entry five – Evin prison

“I also remember the night when Evin prison was set on fire. That was a very, very bad night.

“Many people in Tehran went on to the street and tried to get to the prison.

“We just got into the cars and tried to get there, but unfortunately they had blocked the roads to not let the people get there.

“That was just a warzone, they just shot some people with tear gas.”

Continue Reading

World

Trump: I won’t send US troops to Ukraine – but might help by air

Published

on

By

Trump: I won't send US troops to Ukraine - but might help by air

Donald Trump has said American troops will not be sent to Ukraine, but the US may provide air support as part of a peace deal with Russia.

A day after his extraordinary White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Kyiv’s European allies, the US president told Fox News “when it comes to security, [Europeans] are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably, by air”.

Ukraine war – follow the latest developments

Mr Trump did not elaborate, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters US air support was “an option and a possibility”.

She said the US president “has definitively stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies”.

Air support could take many forms, including missile defence systems or fighter jets enforcing a no-fly zone – and it’s not clear what role the US would play under any proposed peace deal.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What security guarantees could work?

Zelenskyy-Putin summit

It comes as planning for a possible Zelenskyy-Putin summit get under way. Talks between the Ukrainian and Russian president are seen by Mr Trump as vital to ending the war.

Sky News understands a meeting could happen before the end of the month, with Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Budapest, and Doha among the venues being considered.

Geneva, Switzerland, is considered the best option, with Rome or the Vatican disliked by the Russians and Budapest, Hungary, not favoured by the Ukrainians.

European allies are understood to want security guarantees to be defined before the meeting.

A NATO-like treaty, guaranteeing Ukraine’s allies would come to its defence in case of any future Russian attack, is being worked on and could be completed by next week.

Like the US, Sky News understands Italy is opposed to putting boots on the ground in Ukraine.

But EU diplomats are confident this is the best chance yet to stop the war, and allies could return to Washington in early September to celebrate any deal being struck.

Read more on Sky News:
‘Don’t trust Russia,’ diplomat warns
Why peace may be further away, not closer
Five key takeaways from White House talks

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sky’s Mark Stone takes you inside Zelenskyy-Trump 2.0

Trump still has doubts about Putin

Despite the renewed optimism about a peace deal following Monday’s White House summit, Mr Trump has admitted Vladimir Putin might not be sincere about wanting to end the war.

“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he told Fox News.

He’s previously threatened to put more sanctions on Russia if a peace deal isn’t reached, though previously set deadlines have been and gone.

👉 Listen to Sky News  Daily  on your podcast app 👈        

Russia launched its biggest air assault on Ukraine in more than a month on Monday night, sending 270 drones and 10 missiles, the Ukrainian air force said.

Ukraine’s European allies in the so-called Coalition of the Willing, an initiative spearheaded by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, discussed additional sanctions to place on Russia on Tuesday.

Continue Reading

World

Ukrainian diplomat involved in 90s nuclear deal with Russia warns Trump about ‘very big mistake’ with Putin

Published

on

By

Ukrainian diplomat involved in 90s nuclear deal with Russia warns Trump about 'very big mistake' with Putin

Ukrainians have given a lukewarm reaction to this week’s White House summit.

There is bafflement and unease here after US President Donald Trump switched sides to support his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, dropping calls for a ceasefire and proposing that Ukraine surrender territory.

While allies are talking up the prospects of progress, people here remain unconvinced.

Ukraine war latest – Trump rules out using US troops

Boris Yeltsin (2L) and Bill Clinton (C) sign the 1994 Budapest Memorandum
Image:
Boris Yeltsin (2L) and Bill Clinton (C) sign the 1994 Budapest Memorandum

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What security guarantees could work?

The Trump administration’s contradictory statements on possible security guarantees are causing concern here.

MP Lesia Vasylenko told Sky News it is not at all clear what the allies have in mind.

“Who is going to be there backing Ukraine in case Russia decides to revisit their imperialistic plans and strategies and in case they want to restart this war of aggression?”

For many Ukrainians, there is a troubling sense of deja vu.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ukrainian drone strikes Russian fuel train

In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to give up not land but its nuclear arsenal, inherited from the Soviet Union, in return for security assurances from Russia and other powers.

They know how that ended up to their enormous cost. Putin reneged on Russia’s side of the bargain, with his invasion of Crimea in 2014 and once again with his full-scale attack three and a half years ago.

We met veteran Ukrainian diplomat Yuri Kostenko, who helped lead those negotiations in the 90s.

Veteran Ukrainian diplomat Yuri Kostenko helped lead the Budapest Memorandum negotiations
Image:
Veteran Ukrainian diplomat Yuri Kostenko helped lead the Budapest Memorandum negotiations

He said there is a danger the world makes the same mistake and trusts Vladimir Putin when he says he wants to stop the killing, something Mr Trump said he now believes.

👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈        

“It’s not true, it’s not true, Russia never, never, it’s my practices in more than 30 years, Russia never stop their aggression plans to occupy all Ukraine and I think that Mr Trump, if he really believes Mr Putin, it will be a very big mistake, Mr Trump, a very big mistake.”

Before the Alaska summit, allies agreed the best path to peace was forcing Mr Putin to stop his invasion, hitting him where it hurts with severe sanctions on his oil trade.

But Mr Trump has given up calls for a ceasefire and withdrawn threats to impose those tougher sanctions.

Instead, he has led allies down a different and more uncertain path.

Read more on Sky News:
Putin wasn’t there, but influenced summit
Peace further away, not closer
Five takeaways from White House talks

Ukrainians we met on the streets of Kyiv said they would love to believe in progress more than anything, but are not encouraged by what they are hearing.

While the diplomacy moves on in an unclear direction, events on the ground and in the skies above Ukraine are depressingly predictable.

Russia is continuing hundreds of drone attacks every night, and its forces are advancing on the front.

If Vladimir Putin really wants this war to end, he’s showing no sign of it, while Ukrainians fear Donald Trump is taking allies down a blind alley of fruitless diplomacy.

Continue Reading

World

Putin wasn’t at the White House, but his influence was – the moments which reveal his hold over Trump

Published

on

By

Putin wasn't at the White House, but his influence was - the moments which reveal his hold over Trump

Vladimir Putin wasn’t at the White House but his influence clearly was. At times, it dominated the room.

There were three key moments that revealed the Russian president‘s current hold over Donald Trump.

The first was in the Oval Office. Sitting alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US president told reporters: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire.”

Ukraine talks latest: Zelenskyy ‘ready to meet’ Putin after Trump summit

Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Donald Trump when they met last week. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Donald Trump when they met last week. Pic: Reuters

It was a stunning illustration of Mr Trump’s about-face in his approach to peace. For the past six months, a ceasefire has been his priority, but after meeting Mr Putin in Alaska, suddenly it’s not.

Confirmation that he now views the war through Moscow’s eyes.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump applauds Putin and shares ride in ‘The Beast’ last week

The second was the format itself, with Mr Trump reverting to his favoured ask-what-you-like open-ended Q&A.

In Alaska, Mr Putin wasn’t made to take any questions – most likely, because he didn’t want to. But here, Mr Zelenskyy didn’t have a choice. He was subjected to a barrage of them to see if he’d learnt his lesson from last time.

It was a further demonstration of the special status Mr Trump seems to afford to Mr Putin.

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

The third was their phone call. Initially, President Trump said he’d speak to the Kremlin leader after his meeting with European leaders. But it turned out to be during it.

A face-to-face meeting with seven leaders was interrupted for a phone call with one – as if Mr Trump had to check first with Mr Putin, before continuing his discussions.

We still don’t know the full details of the peace proposal that’s being drawn up, but all this strongly suggests that it’s one sketched out by Russia. The White House is providing the paper, but the Kremlin is holding the pen.

Read more:
Four key takeaways from the White House Ukraine summit
Trump has taken peace talks a distance not seen since the war began

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump, Zelenskyy and the suit: What happened?

For Moscow, the aim now is to keep Mr Trump on their path to peace, which is settlement first, ceasefire later.

It believes that’s the best way of securing its goals, because it has more leverage so long as the fighting continues.

👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈      

But Mr Putin will be wary that Mr Trump is pliable and can easily change his mind, depending on the last person he spoke to.

So to ensure that his sympathies aren’t swayed, and its red lines remain intact, Russia will be straining to keep its voice heard.

On Monday, for example, the Russian foreign ministry was quick to condemn recent comments from the UK government that it would be ready to send troops to help enforce any ceasefire.

It described the idea as “provocative” and “predatory”.

Moscow is trying to drown out European concerns by portraying itself as the party that wants peace the most, and Kyiv (and Europe) as the obstacle.

But while Mr Zelenskyy has agreed to a trilateral meeting, the Kremlin has not. After the phone call between Mr Putin and Mr Trump, it said the leaders discussed “raising the level of representatives” in the talks between Russia and Ukraine. No confirmation to what level.

Continue Reading

Trending