Author: gqSbgCfmna

Ukraine and its European allies will insist that discussions with Russia on any territorial swaps can only take place once the war ceases along the current line of contact, according to people familiar with a counter-proposal that will be presented to the US later today in Switzerland.

Their response to the US 28-point plan asks for a security guarantee from Americans that mirrors NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defence clause and demands that frozen Russian assets be used to reconstruct and compensate Kyiv, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. They reject Moscow’s demands that Kyiv cede unoccupied territory in the east.

Furthermore, the US would be compensated for the robust guarantees it provides and Russian assets would stay frozen unless Moscow agrees to pay for the damage it has caused.

Other sanctions would be lifted in phases and Russia would be progressively let back into the global economy if it abides by the deal.

The European response comes as US, Ukrainian and European national security advisors are set to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss a US plan as President Donald Trump continues to push for a quick deal.

Under the terms proposed by the US, Ukraine would have to withdraw troops from parts of the eastern Donbas region that Russia has failed to fully occupy. The area would become a neutral demilitarised buffer zone internationally recognised as Russian.

Moscow would also obtain de facto recognition over Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk. Most of the remainder of the frontline, including in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, would be effectively frozen.

The US proposal, which was drafted with Russian input, would also limit the size of Ukraine’s armed forces to 600,000 personnel. 

European leaders, joined by Group of Seven members Canada and Japan, pushed back against the notion that Ukraine’s borders could be shrunk or that the armed forces could be capped in a statement issued on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in South Africa on Saturday.

The statement said a higher cap could be negotiated. Ukraine has previously said it needs an army of at least 800,000 troops during peacetime.

Many other clauses proposed by the US, including the return of all hostages, including children, would be acceptable. The plans would need to include a family reunification programme and provisions to address the suffering of the victims from the war, the people said.

Any agreement would be monitored under US supervision and guaranteed by a peace board chaired by Trump.

The People’s Party (PP) has revealed its three prime ministerial candidates and outlined a policy agenda centred on equality, transparency and modern governance, insisting it will not leave voters guessing about its choice for premier.

The announcement was made during the party’s “Recharge the People” event at the Future Forward Building in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 42 in Bangkok’s Hua Mak district, where party leader Natthapong Ruengpanyawut said the PP aims to offer a “clear, honest leadership team”, announcing himself, Sirikan Tansakun, deputy leader and head of policy, and Veerayooth Kanchoochart, deputy leader and head of strategy, as the party’s three PM nominees.

He said voters must not be left guessing who will become prime minister after the election, adding: “We do not believe in a lucky-draw PM. When you enter the voting booth, you must already know who is No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.”

Mr Natthaphong outlined the PP’s first policy package, focusing on tackling inequality, fixing gaps in public health and education, and modernising basic infrastructure. He cited one million out-of-school youths, high maternal mortality rates, labour shortages allegedly aggravated by conscription, and 18,000 annual road deaths — most involving motorcyclists — as signs of systemic neglect.

The party also pledged major land reform and a digital-driven push for government transparency, arguing that public trust must be restored before deeper reforms can succeed.

Mr Natthaphong said the party will operate as a team, not a single strongman: “Our promise is a Thailand that is equal, fair and ready for the future.”

In August last year, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward Party (MFP). The party’s prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat was banned from politics for ten years.

Former MFP members quickly formed the People’s Party to continue their political agenda and Mr Natthaphong was selected as the new party leader. The party has the highest number of House representatives, 143, as MFP won the 2023 election.

The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has ordered strict monitoring of food and household supplies in flood-hit southern provinces, warning retailers not to hike prices and urging shoppers not to panic-buy.

Director-general Wittayakorn Maneenetr said on Sunday that the department had received reports of damage to crops and farmland, disrupted transport links and temporary closures at some department stores and outlets in provinces including Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Trang, Phatthalung and Pattani. The interruptions, he said, have raised the short-term risk of local shortages in affected areas.

“Some branches of supermarkets and shops have had to close or reduce services because roads are cut off or for safety reasons, though many vendors remain open as normal,” Mr Wittayakorn said. He urged residents to buy essential items gradually and not to hoard, adding that the DIT is already coordinating with manufacturers and distributors to build stocks and expedite deliveries into flooded zones as soon as routes allow.

The DIT has ordered provincial commerce offices in affected and neighbouring areas to step up inspections of retail outlets — checking that items are sold at normal prices, that price tags are clearly displayed, and that no unlawful price gouging or hoarding takes place. Violators face penalties under the Price of Goods and Services Act of 1999, the department warned.

Mr Wittayakorn admitted that transport problems may temporarily disrupt supplies of some items but said the DIT will hold immediate talks with major producers and traders to plan emergency shipments and, where necessary, reroute logistics to maintain supply flows.

The department said it will monitor the situation daily and is prepared to introduce additional measures should signs of real shortages emerge, stressing its aim is to ensure consumers can continue to buy essentials at fair prices and with minimal disruption.

Not everything is broken and needs fixing. Know when to move and when to rest

In a world obsessed with fixing, improving and optimising, sometimes the bravest act is to stop and simply let things be.

We are conditioned to act: to chase, correct, refine and rebuild. When something breaks, we fix it. When something slows down, we push harder. When uncertainty arises, we plan more.

But there comes a moment, often in the midst of success rather than struggle, when you realise that not everything needs your control. Some things just need your calm.

Our culture celebrates the fixer mindset. Leaders solve problems, entrepreneurs pivot quickly and professionals seek solutions. Action feels powerful. Stillness feels passive.

Yet not everything is broken and needs fixing. Some things need space. Some people need time. Some seasons need to unfold without our interference.

It is a hard lesson for high achievers: effort is not always the answer. Sometimes what is needed is acceptance, not of failure, but of the natural rhythm of life.

Many of us reach a point where constant striving turns into quiet fatigue. The harder you try to control outcomes, the more they seem to slip through your hands.

Relationships, careers, even personal growth all thrive not by force, but by flow. Letting go does not mean giving up. It means trusting that not everything must bend to your will to hold value.

Try this: instead of asking, “What can I do next?” ask, “What if I don’t?”

What if the best idea comes when you stop pushing for one?

What if growth happens in the silence between decisions?

What if calm itself is a strategy?

Pausing creates clarity. It allows life to speak in whispers we miss when we are shouting for progress.

Three Practices to Let Things Be

1. Step back before you step in. When tension rises, resist the urge to fix it immediately. Watch, listen and understand. Many problems dissolve once they are seen clearly.

2. Redefine control. Control is not about micromanaging others. It is about managing yourself: your tone, your pace, your energy.

3. Trust the timing. Not every seed sprouts when you want it to. Patience is not passivity; it is partnership with reality.

When you stop forcing outcomes, life reveals its natural intelligence.

The conversation that once felt strained becomes softer.

The project that stalled finds new direction.

The team that seemed tired starts breathing again.

Progress does not disappear; it evolves. It moves from doing more to being more present.

Letting things be is not surrender. It is mastery — the quiet kind that says, “I know when to move and when to rest.”

In a world that constantly tells you to do more, it takes courage to pause, to observe and to trust.

Because sometimes, peace is not found in control. It is found in the grace of letting go.

Arinya Talerngsri is Senior Vice President, Local Partner and Managing Director at BTS Thailand (formerly SEAC), part of the BTS Group, a leading global strategy implementation firm. She is passionate about revolutionising education and creating opportunities for Thais and people worldwide. Executives and organisations looking to collaborate or learn more about leadership development, talent development, succession planning and organisational transformation can contact her directly at arinya.talerngsri@bts.com or visit her LinkedIn profile.