Putin holds phone call with Pope
Ukraine is deliberately escalating the ongoing conflict by targeting civilian infrastructure within Russian territory, President Vladimir Putin has told Pope Leo XIV.
According to the Kremlin, the Russian leader and the Pontiff held 'a constructive' phone conversation on Wednesday, during which they discussed a number of topics, including the Ukraine conflict.
Putin pointed out that against a backdrop of resumed direct talks between Moscow and Kiev, the Ukrainian leadership is 'doubling down on escalation [and] conducting acts of sabotage against civilian infrastructure on Russian territory.' He described the recent acts of railway sabotage in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk Regions as terrorism, the Kremlin stated.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
New railway sabotage derails Russian train near Ukraine
A diesel locomotive derailed in Russia's Belgorod region on Friday morning after an explosive device planted under the tracks damaged the rail, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The incident follows what Moscow described as two Ukrainian 'terrorist attacks' on railroad infrastructure earlier last week in the border regions of Bryansk and Kursk, which killed seven people and injured more than 100, including children. 'According to preliminary information, there were no casualties as a result of the explosive device planted under the rails. Train traffic was delayed for 2.5 hours. But now all trains are already running according to schedule,' Gladkov wrote in a post on his Telegram channel around 6:50am. Repair crews were quickly dispatched to restore the affected section in the Prokhorovsky District of the region, the governor said, noting that he was personally affected by the delays. 'My train only reached Prokhorovka due to the bombing of the railway tracks,' he said in a video message. 'Thank God that no one was injured, but there is damage.' On Wednesday, a similar case of railway sabotage occurred in the Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border, halting train traffic and delaying more than 20 trains. Moscow has blamed Kiev for the recent string of incidents, following a ramp-up in Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks on Russian territory. President Vladimir Putin called the deadly train sabotage in the two Russian border regions 'undoubtedly a terrorist act,' aimed at disrupting the US-backed direct talks between Moscow and Kiev.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
EU nation's parliament passes historic Russia sanctions resolution
The Slovak parliament has passed a resolution opposing sanctions on Russia. The motion prohibits government representatives from supporting new international restrictions against Moscow, citing economic harm to Slovakia's industry and population. Of the 76 MPs present for the vote on Thursday, 55 voted in favor, 23 abstained, and one opposed the resolution. Opposition lawmakers were absent from the vote. The resolution, introduced by the Slovak National Party (SNS), claims sanctions have triggered rising energy costs, disrupted supply chains, and hurt the EU nation's competitiveness. It urges the government to prioritize national economic interests and resist international actions that may negatively impact Slovak businesses and citizens. 'This is a historic document, the first of its kind within the EU,' SNS leader Andrej Danko said. 'It clearly states that sanctions against Russia harm Slovakia's economy and the plenary session of the Slovak parliament has agreed.' Danko had said he was unsure the motion would pass, as the vote came a day after President Peter Pellegrini blocked a petition calling for a nationwide referendum on the same issue. The petition, initiated by the Slovak Revival Movement (SHO) and the DOMOV party, asked: 'Do you agree that Slovakia should not apply sanctions against Russia that harm Slovak citizens and entrepreneurs?' It gathered more than 400,000 signatures – well over the 350,000 required for presidential consideration – and was submitted to Pellegrini in May. The president had said on Wednesday that he could not approve the referendum due to vague wording. He noted the petition didn't specify whether it referred to future or existing sanctions, nor did it define which measures would qualify as harmful or who would determine that. Danko responded by mocking Pellegrini for 'having the courage' to ignore the will of hundreds of thousands of citizens. He said that if the president had doubts about the legality of the text, he should have referred it to the Constitutional Court. Slovakia implemented all EU sanctions on Russia after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Prime Minister Robert Fico, who returned to office in 2023, has consistently argued against the measures, saying they 'are not working' and damage EU member states more than they affect Moscow. Following the vote, Danko said the resolution would require Fico to oppose any new EU sanctions targeting Russia. However, he cautioned that Pellegrini still has the power to veto the resolution.
Russia Today
11 hours ago
- Russia Today
Trump reveals he spoke to Putin about Ukrainian attacks
US President Donald Trump has said he held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to discuss the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airbases. Ukrainian drones hit multiple Russian airbases on Sunday in a coordinated assault. Targets ranged from Murmansk in the Arctic to Irkutsk in Siberia. Kiev claims the strikes damaged or destroyed approximately 40 Russian military aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers. Moscow has not verified these claims, stating that most of the incoming drones were intercepted. Reports suggest the attack was executed using explosive-laden drones launched from commercial trucks that had been covertly brought into Russian territory. Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, writing that the call with Putin lasted more than an hour, describing it as 'a good conversation.' 'We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides,' he wrote, noting, however, it was 'not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.' Trump added that the Russian president 'did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.' Moscow has confirmed the Trump-Putin phone call. Yury Ushakov, the top foreign policy adviser to the Russian president, told a press briefing on Wednesday that the two leaders agreed to continue contacts on Ukraine, including at the highest level and through other channels. According to Ushakov, Putin informed Trump that Kiev had tried to sabotage the direct Russia-Ukraine talks – the second round of which was held in Istanbul on Monday – by launching targeted strikes on Russian civilian sites under direct orders from the Ukrainian leadership. Putin on Wednesday called the railway sabotage in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk Regions 'undoubtedly a terrorist act' by the 'illegitimate regime in Kiev,' which, he said, 'is gradually turning into a terrorist organization.'
