Putin is ‘mocking' Trump
The top Polish diplomat took to X on Friday to respond to a series of overnight Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian drone production facilities, an airfield and an oil refinery, which Moscow said was a response to 'terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime.' .
'President Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts. Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor,' Sikorski wrote, complaining that a Russian strike had damaged the Polish embassy compound in Kiev.
Ukraine's military reported that Russia launched over 330 drones in what was described as the largest single drone offensive to date. With the addition of missile strikes, the total number of projectiles reached approximately 550, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yury Ignat estimated.
Moscow says it never targets non-military targets and attributes collateral damage to Ukrainian air defenses and Kiev's alleged propensity to station military assets in civilian areas.
The US has paused certain weapons deliveries to Ukraine to preserve its own strategic reserves. Trump clarified on Thursday that there was no complete freeze on military aid while announcing that he and Putin had held a phone call, which the US president characterized as disappointing.
Kiev and its Western backers, including Poland, continue to press Washington to expand sanctions on Russia, boost military support for Ukraine, while hoping Trump will continue to pick up the considerable financial burden arming Ukraine places on the US budget.
One of their key demands is that Moscow agree to an unconditional ceasefire lasting at least a month.
Russia has rejected that proposal, describing it as an attempt to allow Ukrainian forces to regroup.
During peace talks in Istanbul last month, Moscow proposed a conditional truce offering two possible frameworks: one requiring Ukrainian troop withdrawal from all Russian territories; and the other, mandating a halt to Ukrainian mobilization and suspension of Western military aid. Both were rejected.
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
Russia and Ukraine carry out latest prisoner swap – MOD (VIDEO)
Russia has returned more of its service members from Ukrainian captivity, while releasing a group of Kiev's soldiers, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said. In a statement on Friday, the ministry said that the exchange was carried out according to the Russian-Ukrainian deal agreement reached on June 2 in Istanbul. Officials, however, did not provide details on how many Russian or Ukrainian soldiers were released. The ministry added that the Russian military personnel are now in Belarus, where they are receiving all the necessary psychological and medical assistance, and will later be taken to Russia for further medical treatment and rehabilitation. According to an RT source, Ukraine also returned two residents of Russia's Kursk Region, located near the Ukrainian border, which Kiev invaded last summer, before being pushed back in late April. Footage shared by the ministry shows around two dozen Russian service members carrying national flags as they board a bus. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky confirmed the exchange, saying that most of the prisoners had been in Russian captivity since 2022 and included personnel from the military, national guard, border and transport services, as well as an undisclosed number of civilians. 'The exchanges must continue, and I thank everyone who ensures this. Ukraine's goal is to free all our people from Russian captivity,' he added. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Macron reveals topics he discussed with Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron said his first phone conversation in nearly three years with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin focused mostly on nuclear non-proliferation, following a series of Israeli and US strikes against Iran. Macron told journalists that the call centered on Iran's nuclear program and the need to preserve the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), according to a video broadcast by BFMTV on Friday. 'I called him first on the Iranian issue and the necessity of maintaining the non-proliferation treaty,' Macron explained. 'It was very important to reach an agreement, because France also bears responsibility for ensuring stability.' The French president described the conversation as 'important for France,' noting that both nations, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, share obligations under the NPT. Following a series of Israeli and US bombings of its nuclear and other strategic sites, Tehran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing it of failing to condemn the attacks on facilities under its supervision. Iran also claimed the UN agency colluded with its adversaries, alleging it had passed the identities of nuclear scientists to Israel, several of whom were later assassinated. According to the Kremlin's readout of the July 1 call, both Putin and Macron emphasized the need to respect Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy while fulfilling its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. Moscow and Paris also agreed to continue diplomatic engagement to avoid further escalation in the Middle East. Macron also said he could not report any 'progress' on Ukraine in his discussion with Putin, echoing sentiments expressed by US President Donald Trump following his own call with the Russian leader on Thursday. 'We shared our disagreements,' Macron said, insisting that 'there needs to be a ceasefire first, followed by the resumption of negotiations.' He added that Western sanctions, including those already imposed by the EU and new ones proposed by the US Congress, were essential to applying pressure. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin reiterated Russia's view that the Ukraine conflict stems from years of Western disregard for its security concerns. The Russian president maintained that any settlement must be 'comprehensive and long-term,' address the 'root causes' of the crisis, and take into account what Moscow describes as the 'new territorial realities.' Russia and Ukraine resumed Türkiye-hosted talks earlier this year after nearly three years without direct diplomatic contact, following Kiev's withdrawal of its demand for an unconditional ceasefire as a precondition for negotiations. Macron's outreach comes amid a shift in his stance on the conflict. While previously advocating the deployment of French and other NATO troops to Ukraine, the French president has more recently proposed that the EU begin considering a broader dialogue on regional security that includes Russia as part of a potential peace framework.
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Germany planning six-month military service
Germany is planning to introduce a voluntary six-month military service in order to double the number of reservists, Reuters has reported, citing informed sources. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Berlin has been trying to boost its armed forces, citing a 'threat' posed by Russia. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed as 'nonsense' claims it intends to attack NATO countries, saying that the Western politicians are deliberately scaring their populations to justify increased military spending. Earlier this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to make the Bundeswehr the 'strongest army' on the continent, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius eyeing a 'drastic increase' to Germany's military budget of up to €90 billion ($102 billion) by 2028. The German government expects that attracting volunteers would allow the country to increase the number of reservists from around 100,000 to 200,000, Reuters reported in an article on Friday. Berlin could consider returning to conscription, abolished in Germany since 2011, if the scheme fails to deliver, according to the sources. During six-month service, volunteers would learn 'simple tasks' such as guard duty while being offered the chance to eventually obtain tank or truck driver's licenses, it added. Berlin hopes that some of the volunteers would go on to have a career in the military, the sources said. According to Reuters, Pistorius wants to have the legislation passed by the end of August so that the first volunteers to start their training in May next year. The defense minister said in June that the Bundeswehr would be required to increase the number of its active duty troops from around 180,000 to 260,000 to meet its NATO targets. The statement was made ahead of the recent NATO summit, during which the bloc's members agreed to boost their defense spending to 5% GDP by 2035. Russian officials have condemned the militarization drive in Germany and other Western European nations, urging them to support US-led peace initiatives for the Ukraine conflict, instead of gearing up for war with Moscow.
