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Zelenskyy says Trump 'began to see things a little differently' after meeting at Vatican
Both the White House and Ukraine described the one-on-one meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump as 'very productive'. The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St. Peter's Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes read more
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that his American counterpart Donald Trump's views on the war have altered a bit after the duo's last conversation at the White House in February.
Trump met Zelenskyy last month on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican. The Ukrainian president said, 'I am confident that after our meeting in the Vatican, President Trump began to look at things a little differently. We'll see. That's his vision, his choice in any case.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Both the White House and Ukraine described the one-on-one meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump as 'very productive'. The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St. Peter's Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes, according to Zelenskyy's office and images of the meeting released by Kyiv and Washington.
US withdraws from peace negotiations
Zelenskyy's comments come hours after US announced its withdrawal from formal peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The United States will no longer indulge in shuttle diplomacy to bring the war between Ukraine and Russia to an end, according to the Department of State.
The Trump administration is changing 'the methodology of how we contribute' to peace talks and will no longer 'fly around the world at the drop of a hat' for meetings, said State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Attack in Kharkiv
Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes on Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv wounded 47 people late Friday, police said, while Russian officials reported a 'massive attack' by Ukraine on the Krasnodar region.
'Hostile attacks on Kharkiv resulted in 47 injured civilians,' police in the Kharkiv region wrote on Telegram.
Kharkiv governor Oleg Synegubov previously said that around 50 people had been wounded in the strikes, including an 11-year-old girl.
'Fires have broken out. Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and cars have been damaged' in the drone strikes, he added.
The attacks came hours after Russian strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia wounded more than 20 people.
With inputs from agencies
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Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Russia launches 500 drones at Ukraine in biggest overnight bombardment of the war
Russia launched its biggest drone attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Monday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war. On the third straight night of significant aerial bombardments, US President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he had gone 'crazy' by stepping up attacks on Ukraine. The expansion of Russia's air campaign appeared to be another setback US-led peace efforts, as Putin looks determined to capture more Ukrainian territory and inflict more damage. It comes after Kyiv accepted an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in March that was proposed by the US but that Moscow effectively rejected. This month alone, Russia has broken its record for aerial bombardments of Ukraine three times. Russia is also still pushing along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where it has made slow and costly progress, and is assembling its forces for a summer offensive, analysts say. 'Only a sense of complete impunity can allow Russia to carry out such attacks and continually escalate their scale,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday. 'There is no significant military logic to this, but there is considerable political meaning.' The Russian bombardment on Sunday night included 355 drones, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force's communications department, told The Associated Press, calling it the biggest of the war. The previous night, Russia fired 298 drones and 69 missiles in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest combined aerial assault of the conflict. From Friday to Sunday, Russia launched around 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Monday that its forces shot down 103 Ukrainian drones overnight that were flying over southern and western Russia, including near Moscow. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said 32 flights scheduled to land at three Moscow airports on Sunday and Monday had to divert amid Ukrainian drone attacks. The numbers from Ukraine and Russia could not be independently verified. Soon after Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion, the conflict became a testing ground for increasingly sophisticated drone warfare. Drones are generally cheaper to produce than missiles. Russia has received Iranian-made Shahed drones since 2022 and is now believed to be manufacturing its own version. Ukraine, as well as receiving smaller battlefield drones from its allies to help it compensate for a troop shortage, has developed its own long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there are 'no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British, nor by the French or by us, and not by the Americans either.' 'That means Ukraine can also defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia. Until a while ago, it couldn't … it can now,' he said. It was not clear if Merz was referring to the easing of restrictions on longer-range weapons late last year. Before becoming chancellor, Merz called for Germany to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to do. Commenting on Merz's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a decision to lift range restrictions was 'quite dangerous' and 'contrary to our efforts to reach a political settlement.' On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the latest Russian bombardments 'show the extent to which President Putin has lied to the Europeans and to the Americans.' He told reporters while on a visit to Vietnam that Ukraine's allies should, with U.S. support, set Putin a deadline 'so that finally everyone can understand that he is lying and that beyond this deadline, massive retaliation is carried out, in particular in terms of sanctions.' The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, also said the bloc intended to impose more sanctions on Moscow, calling Russia's latest attacks as 'totally appalling.' Trump has threatened massive sanctions, too, but so far hasn't taken action. But he made it clear Sunday night that he is losing patience with Putin. 'I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Trump wrote in a social media post. Trump said Putin is 'needlessly killing a lot of people,' pointing out that 'missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.' The U.S. president also expressed frustration with Zelenskyy, saying that he is 'doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.' Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said Putin makes decisions that are necessary to ensure Russia's security and that the attacks were Moscow's response to a series of deep strikes by Ukraine. He said negotiations are at 'a decisive moment that is linked to emotional overloading for everyone and emotional reactions.' Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners Sunday in the third and last part of a major exchange. All told, each side released more than 1,000 prisoners — soldiers and civilians — in the biggest swap of the war.
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First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
After National Guard, Marines deployed in LA: Why Trump's use of military on US soil has sparked fears
Around 700 US Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles to quell protests against government immigration raids and deportations. This comes after 2,000 National Guard troops were activated, with 2,000 more to be deployed. American President Donald Trump's decision has led to worries about the use of the military for domestic purposes read more Military veterans and legal experts have raised alarm over United States President Donald Trump's decision to mobilise the military in Los Angeles to quash protests against government immigration raids and deportations. After deploying 2,000 National Guard members through a memorandum on Saturday (June 7), the Trump administration has ordered the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members in the city. Around 700 US Marines have also been activated in the Los Angeles area to join the National Guard members, the US Northern Command said in a statement. The National Guard was mobilised by Trump over the weekend without the consent of California's governor or LA's mayor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US president has threatened that troops could be deployed on a much wider scale. 'We're gonna have troops everywhere,' he said on Sunday. There are concerns that this could set a dangerous precedent in the US. Let's take a closer look. National Guard, Marines to quell immigration protests Trump deployed National Guard troops in response to street protests in Los Angeles on Saturday. His memo stated that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth can activate regular military troops, along with National Guard forces, to protect federal activities in the country wherever protests have erupted. It further said that troops can be sent to 'locations where protest against [federal] functions are occurring, or are likely to occur based on current threat assessments'. The National Guard members started arriving in LA on Sunday to protect federal personnel and buildings. However, they are not authorised to conduct law enforcement activities, such as making arrests. About 1,700 troops are operating in the greater Los Angeles area, a statement from US Northern Command said on Monday. LA is witnessing protests against immigration raids and mass deportations since Friday, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carried out raids in areas with dominant Latino populations. The development comes amid Trump's promise to curb illegal immigration. While the LA protests have been largely peaceful, there have been some incidents of arson and demonstrators shutting down a major freeway. The police fired rubber bullets and flash bangs at the protesters on Monday to disperse the crowd. California Governor Gavin Newsom has criticised the deployment of the National Guard, calling it 'unlawful'. The US state has also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, urging a judge to declare the deployments 'unconstitutional'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Newsom also announced Monday that he is sending more than 800 additional state and local law enforcement officers to 'ensure the safety of our LA communities.' On Monday, the US Northern Command announced that it is activating 700 Marines in the Los Angeles area to protect federal personnel and property. California Governor Newsom's press office called the deployment of Marines 'completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented'. 'Trump is escalating this situation even further – deploying active duty Marines, the 'best of the best,' against their own countrymen in an American city,' the office said in a post. 'Completely unnecessary and only inflames the situation more.' LA Mayor Karen Bass said there was 'nothing happening in our city' that warranted immigration raids. 'It makes me feel like our city is a test case,' she said, as the federal government 'moves in and takes authority' from the local government. Responding to the scenes from the protest, Trump wrote on social media on Monday, 'Looking really bad in LA. BRING IN THE TROOPS.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He also called for the arrest of any protesters wearing masks, calling them 'insurrectionists.' Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.09.25 12:19 AM EST ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW! — Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 9, 2025 Why Trump's troop deployment has caused worries Trump 's troop deployment has raised concerns about the use of the military for domestic politics. Speaking to The Guardian, Major General Paul Eaton said this is the 'politicisation of the armed forces'. 'It casts the military in a terrible light – it's that man on horseback, who really doesn't want to be there, out in front of American citizens.' Democratic governors across America have signed a letter, describing Trump's National Guard deployment as an 'alarming abuse of power.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The military appears to be clashing with protesters in the streets of our country. That's not supposed to happen,' Elizabeth Goitein, a national security law expert at New York University's Brennan Center, told Politico. 'It's such a dangerous situation. It's dangerous for liberty. It's dangerous for democracy.' Legal experts worry that the troop deployment in LA is a way to wield more power over blue states that have not toed the line on Trump's deportation agenda. This could result in the US president calling in more troops or expanding their mission. A line of California National Guard, stand in formation guarding a Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. 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'We are headed towards the invocation of the Insurrection Act, which will provide a legal basis for inappropriate activity,' Eaton warned. A US official, on the condition of anonymity, said to Reuters that it is unlikely Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act, at least for now. However, the person said the situation was 'fluid' and might change. Trump's move could, however, backfire as Americans do not favour the use of the military for domestic purposes. A CNN poll conducted in 2020 showed that 60 per cent of Americans said it would be 'inappropriate' for a president to 'deploy the US military in response to protests in the United States.' With inputs from agencies
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa
Even as it pounds Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa , delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, The Associated Press has found. Relying on satellite imagery and radio signals, AP tracked a convoy of Russian-flagged cargo ships as they made a nearly one-month journey from the Baltic Sea. The ships carried howitzers, radio jamming equipment and other military hardware, according to military officials in Europe who closely monitored them. The deliveries could strengthen Russia's fledgling Africa Corps as Moscow competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across the continent. The two-year-old Africa Corps, which has links to a covert branch of Russia's army, is ascendant at a time when U.S. and European troops have been withdrawing from the region, forced out by sub-Saharan nations turning to Russia for security. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been battling fighters linked with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for more than a decade. At first, mercenary groups with an arms-length relationship to the Kremlin entered the fray in Africa. But increasingly, Russia is deploying its military might, and intelligence services, more directly. Live Events "We intend to expand our cooperation with African countries in all spheres, with an emphasis on economic cooperation and investments," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "This cooperation includes sensitive areas linked to defense and security." From the ports, Russian weapons are trucked to Mali Russia's 8,800-ton Baltic Leader and 5,800-ton Patria are among hundreds of ships that Western nations have sanctioned to choke off resources for Russia's war in Ukraine. The ships docked and unloaded in Conakry, Guinea, in late May, AP satellite images showed. Other ships made deliveries to the same port in January. They delivered tanks, armored vehicles and other hardware that was then trucked overland to neighboring Mali, according to European military officials and a Malian blogger's video of the long convoy. The military officials spoke to AP about Russian operations on condition of anonymity. The AP verified the blogger's video, geolocating it to the RN5 highway leading into Bamako, the Malian capital. After the latest delivery in Conakry, trucks carrying Russian-made armored vehicles, howitzers and other equipment were again spotted on the overland route to Mali. Malian broadcaster ORTM confirmed that the West African nation's army took delivery of new military equipment. AP analysis of its video and images filmed by the Malian blogger in the same spot as the January delivery identified a broad array of Russian-made hardware, including 152 mm artillery guns and other smaller canons. AP also identified a wheeled, BTR-80 armored troop carrier with radio-jamming equipment, as well as Spartak armored vehicles and other armored carriers, some mounted with guns. The shipment also included at least two semi-inflatable small boats, one with a Russian flag painted on its hull, as well as tanker trucks, some marked "inflammable" in Russian on their sides. The military officials who spoke to AP said they believe Russia has earmarked the most potent equipment - notably the artillery and jamming equipment - for its Africa Corps, not Malian armed forces. Africa Corps appears to have been given air power, too, with satellites spotting at least one Su-24 fighter-bomber at a Bamako air base in recent months. Moscow's notorious secret unit For years, French forces supported counterinsurgency operations in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. But France pulled out its troops after coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. Russian mercenaries stepped into the vacuum. Wagner Group , the most notable, deployed to Sudan in 2017 and expanded to other African countries, often in exchange for mining concessions. It earned a reputation for brutality, accused by Western countries and U.N. experts of human rights abuses, including in Central African Republic, Libya and Mali. Of 33 African countries in which Russian military contractors were active, the majority were Wagner-controlled, according to U.S. government-sponsored research by RAND. But after Wagner forces mutinied in Russia in 2023 and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed two months later in a suspicious plane crash, Moscow tightened its grip. Russian military operations in Africa were restructured, with the Kremlin taking greater control through Africa Corps. It is overseen by the commander of Unit 29155, one of the most notorious branches of Russia's shadowy GRU military intelligence service, according to the European Union. Unit 29155 has been accused of covertly attacking Western interests for years, including through sabotage and assassination attempts. The EU in December targeted Unit 29155 Maj. Gen. Andrey Averyanov with sanctions, alleging that he is in charge of Africa Corps operations. "In many African countries, Russian forces provide security to military juntas that have overthrown legitimate democratic governments, gravely worsening the stability, security and democracy of the countries," the EU sanctions ruling said. These operations are financed by exploiting the continent's natural resources, the ruling added. The Russian Ministry of Defense didn't immediately respond to questions about Averyanov's role in Africa Corps. Africa Corps recruitment Researchers and military officials say the flow of weapons from Russia appears to be speeding Africa Corps' ascendancy over Wagner, helping it win over mercenaries that have remained loyal to the group. Africa Corps is also is recruiting in Russia, offering payments of up to 2.1 million rubles ($26,500), and even plots of land, for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, plus more on deployment. Within days of the latest equipment delivery, Wagner announced its withdrawal from Mali, declaring "mission accomplished" in a Telegram post. Africa Corps said in a separate post that it would remain. The changeover from Wagner to Africa Corps in Mali could be a forerunner for other similar transitions elsewhere on the continent, said Julia Stanyard, a researcher of Russian mercenary activity in Africa. "Bringing in this sort of brand-new sophisticated weaponry, and new armored vehicles and that sort of thing, is quite a bit of a shift," said Stanyard, of the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Armed groups in Mali have inflicted heavy losses on Malian troops and Russian mercenaries. The al-Qaida linked group JNIM killed dozens of soldiers in an attack this month on a military base. Insurgents also killed dozens of Wagner mercenaries in northern Mali last July. Some of the latest hardware could have been shipped over specifically in response to such attacks, military officials said. They said the jamming equipment, for example, could help defend against booby traps detonated using phone signals. Russian escort's red flags The latest convoy attracted attention because a Russian Navy warship, the Boykiy, escorted the ships after they set off in April from Russia's Kaliningrad region on the Baltic. Last October, in what's considered a hostile act, the Boykiy's radar systems locked onto a French Navy maritime surveillance plane on patrol against suspected Russian efforts to sabotage underwater cables, according to military officials. The convoy included a third sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Siyanie Severa. It continued onward as Baltic Leader and Patria unloaded in Conakry, docking in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Satellite imagery from May 29 shows trucks lined up on the dock as the ship unloaded. The AP could not verify whether the cargo included weapons or the ultimate destination for the shipment, though Wagner has maintained a strong presence in the nearby Central African Republic.
