Ukraine's foreign minister reacts to congratulations by some countries on Russia Day
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said he found it "unpleasant" to read the congratulations extended by "certain countries" on Russia Day.
Source: Sybiha ahead of a Weimar Plus meeting in Rome, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Sybiha did not explicitly name the countries in question. However, it is worth noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio published an official message congratulating Russia on its national day.
Quote: "As a minister of a country at war, it was especially unpleasant for me this morning to read the public congratulations from certain countries addressed to the Russian aggressor."
Details: Sybiha added that he "has the moral right to voice this" and stated that "there can be no rewarding of an aggressor state".
Background: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was challenged with a barrage of hard-hitting questions, including on Ukraine, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the armed forces held on 11 June.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Magazine
20 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's Parade Can't Cover Up How He Made America Weaker
On June 14, a 'big beautiful' military parade will make its way through the streets of Washington. Officially, it commemorates the U.S. Army's 250th birthday, a milestone worthy of recognition. But it also happens to fall on President Trump's 79th birthday. The pageantry will not only honor Army history, it will serve as a made-for-television moment to reinforce the image of a president who claims to have restored American strength. Staged just days after he federalized National Guard troops and readied Marines for deployment to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests, the parade is meant to showcase ' lethality ' and to fulfill Trump's long-held vision of tanks moving down the capital's broad avenues. The estimated cost: $25 to 45 million, although that could increase significantly if the tanks cause damage to DC's roads. But real strength isn't measured by parades. It's measured by whether the United States is more secure, our alliances stronger, and our adversaries more constrained. On that front, the picture is far less celebratory. China's military expansion is accelerating. Its navy is now the world's largest. Its presence in cyberspace, space, and critical infrastructure continues to grow. U.S. rhetoric hasn't slowed Beijing—if anything, it has only deepened its resolve. The Commission on the National Defense Strategy, which I chaired, reached the unanimous bipartisan conclusion that America's defense industrial base is too slow and too fragile to keep pace with global demands. It is not keeping up with China's rapid military buildup and would struggle to support the demands of a sustained conflict—especially in multiple theaters. Defense Secretary Hegseth recently delivered a forceful speech on the Indo-Pacific in Singapore, but his focus at home has been on fighting culture wars, eliminating diversity initiatives, and now overseeing the deployment of federal troops in U.S. cities. The Trump Administration's stated goal is to refocus the Pentagon on lethality, but in practice, these efforts have become a distraction from that mission. Meanwhile, our trade policies are alienating the very allies we need to help push back on China. In Ukraine, President Trump once promised to end the war in a day. That promise feels farther away than ever. Despite the administration's efforts to work toward a cease-fire, Russia has stepped up both its aerial bombardment and ground offensives. This week alone, it launched nearly 500 drones and missiles in a single night—the largest such barrage since the war began. At the same time, Ukraine has launched its own deep strikes inside Russia, including recent drone attacks on military airfields. Meanwhile, the most recent peace talks yielded little more than a prisoner exchange and the administration continues to pull back from a conflict that once galvanized the West. A bipartisan Senate bill to impose secondary sanctions on Russia's enablers has more than 80 co-sponsors, but it's stalled. And Russian President Vladimir Putin is watching. In Gaza, cease-fire talks remain stuck, while hostages remain captive and the humanitarian situation teeters on the brink. Hamas demands a permanent truce; Israel insists on a temporary pause. Negotiators haven't bridged the divide. Trump's broader vision for the region, anchored in Saudi-Israel normalization, is now on ice. Riyadh isn't moving forward without a credible path for Palestinians. And Trump's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, once central to his regional strategy, has frayed. Then there's Iran. Nearly a decade ago, the Trump Administration withdrew from the nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama, promising to replace it with something tougher and more durable. That alternative never materialized. Now, the administration is advancing a new proposal that would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at low levels in the short term, while negotiations proceed on a broader agreement to eventually halt all enrichment on Iranian soil. But Iran insists it will never give up that right. This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency formally censured Iran for failing to disclose nuclear activities—its first such resolution in 20 years. Tehran has condemned the move and vowed to expand enrichment. Trump has said he is 'less confident' a deal is within reach. Meanwhile, Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium continues to grow, Israeli officials are openly weighing military options, and the United States is evacuating diplomats and military families from Iraq due to rising tensions. It's hard to see what's been gained. For all the noise and bluster coming out of Washington, the United States today feels anything but strong. Instead, we are alienating allies, retreating from international commitments, and projecting uncertainty. Trump's attempts to convey otherwise ring hollow. Which brings us back to the parade. The Army's 250 years of service deserve deep respect. Its soldiers have defended not just our territory, but the democratic values we aspire to uphold. But if this administration truly wants to project American strength, it should focus less on optics and more on outcomes. From Eastern Europe to the South China Sea, our adversaries are asserting themselves. Our alliances are under pressure. And we are stepping back from the principles of freedom and liberty we once championed. So it's a bit strange, then, to stage a parade. At a time when American power feels diminished and uncertain, the spectacle may land differently than intended. The world may see it as a performance—and the birthday boy may not like the reviews.
Hamilton Spectator
26 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Israel and Iran: How do they compare militarily?
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Israeli strikes on Iran on Friday and Tehran's vows of reprisals have brought the two Middle East adversaries closer to an all-out war, which also threatens to draw in the United States, at least to some degree. So how do the militaries of Iran and Israel stack up against each other? Iran boasts a large standing force but also relies on proxies and undercover operations that have been severely disabled in recent months by U.S. and Israeli actions. Israel, meanwhile, relies on both subterfuge and robust regular ground and air forces that are apparently unmatched in the region. Though roughly equal in the number of troops, the two militaries bring strikingly different tactics and firepower. Where does Iran stand? On paper, Iran would seem to have an advantage in numbers, with 88 million people and a land area of 1.6 million square kilometers (618,000 square miles) compared to Israel's 9 million people and 22,000 square kilometers (8,500). Militarily however, those numbers mean little. Iran's troops are divided between the regular armed forces, generally commissioned with guarding Iran's borders and carrying out more conventional military tasks, and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite Quds Force, the strategic missile command and the cyberforce. The regular forces command the bulk of the troops — around 600,000 men — and standard equipment, while the Revolutionary Guard has about 200,000 personnel split between various divisions. Along with Iran's proxies, its conventional forces are believed to have been heavily degraded by Israeli and U.S. military operations over the past year. Iran's military equipment is a hodge-podge, including some provided by the Soviet Union and others by the U.S. prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, along with more recent Russian additions. With an estimated 350 antiquated planes in its air force, it lags far behind Israel in both quantity and quality. Iran, however, does have the ability to produce a wide range of UAV's and similar equipment, typified by the Shahed attack drones it has sold to Russia in large numbers for use in the war in Ukraine. The security of its top commanders has been a recurring problem from Iran, with the head of the Revolutionary Guards Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, among those who killed in Friday's strikes in Tehran. Top nuclear scientists were also killed. Other senior commanders have been killed in recent strikes around the region . Iran's nuclear program has advanced in recent years, and it is believed to have developed enough uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels to produce multiple nuclear weapons in a matter of months if it took the decision to do so. But Iran would need even more time to develop a missile or other means of weaponizing them. Israel does not appear inclined to take that chance, however, having already struck facilities manufacturing nuclear material and ballistic missiles. How does Israel compare? Israel's formidable land, sea and air forces are derived from both the latest U.S. and European technology as well as a robust domestic defense industry that can design, build and sustain a full range of armaments, allowing it to take on opponents on multiple fronts at the same time. For a small nation it also has a considerable supply of troops, with about 170,000 active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. Though fewer than Iran, Israel's forces have been battle hardened by regional conflicts. One option for Iran's counterstrike may include hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel, though how long that could be sustained is unclear. In October 2024, a massive Iranian missile assault on Israel caused only limited damage, partly because of U.S. help in shooting down Iranian missiles. That defense was made possible by Israel's multi-tiered missile defenses . The sophisticated system, developed over decades with considerable U.S. support, is capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn't 100% guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, though it has never acknowledged having such weapons. Israel also has a steadfast ally in the United States, which has been key in previous conflicts and will likely be crucial in any that follow. The U.S. role The United States has distanced itself from the Israeli actions but could be a target of Iranian retaliation. Among the U.S. assets in the region are an aircraft carrier with about 60 fighters in the Arabian Sea, along with dozens of other jets at bases throughout the region — as well as thousands of troops. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel took 'unilateral action against Iran,' warning Iran not to target U.S. forces in retaliation. In recent days, the U.S. began pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East. Israel already curtailed Iran's ability to fight back, having decimated Iranian proxies Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah and heavily bombed Iran's air defense systems. Ahead of Friday's strikes, Iran had vowed massive retaliation for any attack, not just against Israel but also U.S. bases in the region, with one official vowing to effectively drive the U.S. from the Middle East through the destruction of its military infrastructure. ___ Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Amid Moscow's war in Ukraine, Trump wonders why 'everybody hates' Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump on June 12 praised Russia's role in World War II, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is "confused" why everyone "hates" Moscow. Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump recounted a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron about World War II commemorations. "I said, 'You're celebrating our victory?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, "Your victory?'" Trump said. "And then I spoke to President Putin at the time. He lost 51 million people. He (sic!) fought with us in World War II. Russia did fight. It's interesting, isn't it? It fought with us in World War II, and everyone hates it. "And now everybody hates Russia and loves Germany and Japan. It's a strange world." Trump said Putin had expressed confusion over the West's treatment of Russia post-war, citing the Soviet Union's wartime alliance with the U.S. and U.K. "We were your ally," Putin allegedly told Trump. "Now everybody hates Russia." Trump's remarks align with a Kremlin propaganda narrative that downplays the Soviet Union's World War II non-Russian casualties. According to Ukraine's Institute of National Remembrance, Ukraine alone lost more than 10 million people during the war and suffered immense destruction on its territory — a fact often overlooked in Kremlin-led historical revisionism. Russia has frequently weaponized its version of World War II history to justify present-day aggression. The Kremlin has invoked anti-Nazi rhetoric and Soviet-era heroism to rationalize its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022 — a war that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions. Trump has positioned himself as the only leader capable of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, but his reluctance to apply real pressure on Moscow has left Kyiv and its allies doubtful. The U.S. president has softened his tone on Russia while repeatedly threatening sanctions over its attacks on Ukraine — yet no new measures have been imposed. Talking at the press conference about the war and the stalled peace efforts, Trump said he was "disappointed" with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that "deals could have been made." Trump has previously said that he refrained from imposing additional sanctions in hopes of securing a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. "If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that," he said on May 28, adding that a decision would come "in about two weeks." Despite failed peace efforts in Istanbul and Russia's continued refusal to agree to a ceasefire, Trump reportedly asked Senate Republicans to delay voting on a bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries buying Russian oil. The legislation, introduced in April, has broad bipartisan support, including backing from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine and has shown no signs of seeking peace. It continues escalating its attacks on Ukrainian cities, causing numerous civilian casualties. Read also: Who's countering Russian propaganda now? Expert on US' declining disinformation defense We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
