Türkiye ready to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks
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Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky calls for ‘regime change' in Russia
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year, has called on Kiev's Western backers to push for regime change in Moscow in order to 'defend' themselves from alleged 'Russian aggression.' The Ukrainian leader delivered his remarks during a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, which emphasized equal and indivisible security for all. In an article published for the same occasion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that the West's betrayal of those core principles was a key factor that led to the Ukraine conflict in the first place. 'I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war... But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilize neighboring countries,' Zelensky said in his virtual address. 'It's time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them,' he added, urging Kiev's sponsors to 'put every frozen Russian asset… to work defending against Russian aggression.' Moscow has repeatedly dismissed speculation that Russia plans to attack the EU and NATO as 'nonsense.' Lavrov said the EU is sliding into what he described as a 'Fourth Reich,' marked by a surge in Russophobia and aggressive militarization, while President Vladimir Putin has accused Western states of deceiving their populations to justify inflated military budgets and cover up economic failures. Russia has stated that it is ready to negotiate peace with Ukraine and has held several rounds of direct talks with Kiev in recent months. At the same time, it has accused Ukraine and its Western backers of lacking interest in a long-term solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and the territorial reality on the ground. Moscow has also raised concerns about Zelensky's legal authority. His five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to call new elections, citing martial law. Russian officials have suggested that any documents signed under his name could later be challenged, insisting that true power now lies with the Ukrainian parliament.
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Russia Today
Germany and rest of EU transforming into a Fourth Reich
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Germany and the wider European Union of sliding into what he described as a 'Fourth Reich,' marked by a surge in Russophobia and aggressive militarization. The stark warning was delivered in an article published Friday in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act on European security. Lavrov lambasted the EU and NATO for betraying the core principles of the Helsinki process, which emphasized equal and indivisible security for all. Instead, he claimed that Western powers have pursued unilateral dominance, NATO expansion, and political interference in sovereign states under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights. 'Today's Europe has completely plunged into a Russophobic frenzy, and its militarization is becoming, in fact, uncontrolled,' Lavrov wrote, citing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's calls to build Europe's strongest army and reintroduce conscription as evidence. He also pointed to recent remarks by Germany's defense minister about readiness to kill Russian soldiers as further proof of a hostile and dehumanizing agenda. This brings historical events to mind. With their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are transforming into a Fourth Reich. He argued that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has failed in its mission, becoming a vehicle for Western propaganda and selective enforcement. He said the West ignored Russian calls for equitable security guarantees, and that NATO's continued encroachment on Russia's borders left Moscow no choice but to launch its 2022 military operation in Ukraine. To defuse tensions, Lavrov called for 'an honest dialogue' aimed at stabilizing the situation on the Eurasian continent through a new security framework based on sovereign equality and the principles of the UN Charter. 'There will be a place for European countries within this architecture,' he wrote, 'but they certainly will not be the ones calling the tune. If they want to be part of the process, they must learn proper manners, abandon diktat and colonial instincts, and get used to equality and teamwork.' Lavrov concluded by warning that if NATO and the EU continue to hollow out the OSCE's core principles, the organization may collapse altogether, and history will remember those who 'buried' the last chance for peaceful coexistence in Europe.
Russia Today
11 hours ago
- Russia Today
EU ‘not feared enough'
French President Emmanuel Macron has criticized the newly signed EU-US trade deal, stating that the bloc was not 'feared enough' during negotiations, according to sources cited by Euractiv. The agreement, concluded on Sunday during talks between US President Donald Trump and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen at Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, sets a 15% tariff on the majority of EU exports to the US. As part of the deal, Brussels also committed to investing $600 billion in the US economy and buying $750 billion in American energy over the next three years. The US, however, will not face any EU tariffs on its exports. 'To be free, you have to be feared, and we haven't been feared enough,' Macron told the Council of Ministers in Paris on Wednesday, according to two attendees present during the meeting. Macron reportedly expressed regret that the EU 'does not yet see itself sufficiently as a power.' He urged Brussels to 'work tirelessly' to rebalance its relationship with Washington. The French president also called for an acceleration of the 'European agenda on sovereignty and competitiveness,' in what some have interpreted as a veiled critique of von der Leyen's leadership and priorities, Euractiv reported. 'France has always maintained a firm and demanding stance. This is not the end of the story, the negotiation has to continue,' Macron added. Government spokesperson Sophie Primas later confirmed at a press conference that Macron welcomed elements of the deal, particularly the increased visibility it offers to French businesses. However, she emphasized that the president considered the agreement 'incomplete.' Criticism of the deal has continued to mount within the French government. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described it as a 'submission' on Monday, while several ministers have questioned both its content and the process behind it. 'We would have preferred that these negotiations take place in an official setting and not in a private golf course in Scotland,' Primas said, calling the location 'unusual.'
