Russia says Ukraine, backed by Europe, is trying to wreck peace talks
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attends a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that Ukraine, backed by certain European countries, had taken several 'provocative steps' aimed at derailing Moscow-initiated direct peace talks with Kyiv.
The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years took place on May 16, but failed to produce a ceasefire agreement.
"At the initiative of the Russian Federation, direct Russian-Ukrainian dialogue on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine has been resumed," the ministry said.
"At the same time, the Kyiv regime, supported by certain European countries, has taken a number of provocative steps aimed at disrupting the negotiation process."
According to the Russian ministry, since May 20, Ukraine has significantly increased drone and missile attacks on Russian territory, using Western-supplied munitions and targeting civilian areas.
Between the evening of May 20 and the morning of May 27, Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 2,331 Ukrainian drones, including 1,465 outside the immediate conflict zone, the ministry said.
Ukraine has also reported a sharp escalation in Russian attacks on its territory, including a record barrage on Sunday night.
The intensification prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY," while also threatening new sanctions.
Russia's defence ministry on Tuesday said that its strikes were retaliatory, precise, and targeted solely at military facilities and enterprises within Ukraine's military-industrial complex.
(Reporting by Reuters Writing by Maxim Rodionov Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
22 minutes ago
- The Star
Analysis-Argentine leader Milei licking his chops ahead of October elections
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's firebrand right-wing President Javier Milei has largely tamed runaway inflation with a ruthless austerity plan and he aims to solidify power when his party and its allies take on a divided opposition in legislative elections in October. The trash-tweeting, shaggy-haired economist, who famously handed tech billionaire Elon Musk a chainsaw at an event in Washington earlier this year, has overseen a steady dollar-peso peg but relies on legislative allies in Congress to pass his agenda. Many of the changes he has implemented have been through presidential decrees, like his ideological ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, who called Milei his favorite president. Voters will choose about half the seats in the lower chamber of Argentina's Congress and a third of the upper Senate on October 26. A big victory would not give Milei a legislative majority, but it would offer him leverage to make deals to sell off government-owned companies, cut social spending, change tax and labor policy and embrace social conservatism. That plan is in stark contrast to the program of the parties that are the ideological descendants of General Juan Peron, who ruled the country from 1946-1955 and 1973-1974, and his wife Evita. Their governments nationalized industries, unveiled pro-labor policies and rolled out social programs including free health care. The economic stability spurred by Milei, who took power in late 2023 and quickly slashed spending as part of a shock therapy program to pull the South American country out of a deep crisis, has not translated into across-the-board improvements. Prices of basic goods like jeans and tennis shoes are reportedly double what they are in other parts of the Americas. Pensioners continue to protest the cost of living, and anger over the relatively poor salaries of healthcare workers at a respected pediatric hospital has turned into a months-long saga. Nearly 40% of Argentines remain in poverty, and many of them reject Milei's policies. "I'm not a Peronist, but I'll vote for them because I'd vote for anyone before Milei," said Jorge, a 42-year-old "cartonero" who collects cardboard for recycling, an extremely poor living. The man, who declined to give his last name, said one of his four children was treated at the pediatric hospital where staff are protesting. Posing another threat to Milei's popularity is the possibility that he may in coming months have to further tighten economic policy to meet the terms of a $20 billion International Monetary Fund loan that has boosted Argentina's reputation among investors, whose dollars the country desperately needs. 'RUPTURE IS INEVITABLE' Up for grabs in the election is the vast province surrounding the capital, Buenos Aires, which is the geographic heart of Peronism and home to 40% of the country's voters. A government source told reporters Milei has vowed to defeat Peronist Governor Axel Kicillof there. Milei's candidate unexpectedly placed first in a recent Buenos Aires local election, and consulting firm Observatorio Electoral shows Milei's Libertad Avanza party with a slim 37%-36% advantage over the center-left Peronists. Nationally, 42% of voters favor Milei against 23% for the Peronists. Beating the standard-bearers of Juan Peron's legacy would have seemed impossible a few years ago, but with inflation down to a projected 30% this year, from 118% last year, and Milei credited with cutting corruption, some voters are ready to give the political firebrand more power. "I'll vote for Milei again because he's achieved a degree of normality in the economy," said Federico Segovia, a 22-year-old university student who blamed the last Peronist president, Alberto Fernandez, for leaving the economy in disastrous shape. A recent survey by the consulting firm Synopsis found that the share of those who viewed Milei positively rose to 43.4% in May from 40.9% in April. Perhaps the biggest wind in Milei's sails comes from the power struggle that has pitted Kicillof and his one-time mentor, former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Kicillof, who served as economy minister in Fernandez de Kirchner's government from 2013 to 2015, is expected to run for president in the 2027 election. "The rupture is inevitable," a Peronist source told Reuters. The two opposition politicians are still debating whether they will join forces for the congressional elections. "If there is no agreement for the legislative elections and Peronism is divided, La Libertad Avanza will win the elections in the province of Buenos Aires," the source said. Milei, meanwhile, has patched over divisions with his closest ideological neighbor, agreeing to offer a combined list of candidates with the center-right PRO party. The Peronists make up the largest party in Congress and have dozens of governors and mayors across the country. Observatorio Electoral pollster Julio Burdman, however, thinks that power base won't be enough to stop Milei's forces. "The ruling party has all the conditions" to win the most votes, he said. "I can't imagine any other result." (Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Editing by Peter Henderson and Paul Simao)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Low turnout set to thwart moves to ease Italian citizenship rules
A person votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella ROME (Reuters) -Voting resumed on Monday for Italy's two-day referendum on proposals to make it easier to obtain Italian citizenship and strengthen labour rights, but low turnout looked set to make the vote invalid. Data overnight showed under 23% of eligible voters had cast their ballots as polls provisionally closed on Sunday, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the outcome of the vote binding. Voting ends at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT). One of the five referendums is about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years. This could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals, organisers say. With Italy's birthrate in sharp decline, economists say the country needs to attract more foreigners to boost its anaemic economy, and migrant workers feel a lot is at stake for them as they seek closer integration into Italian society. Three other referendum questions would reverse a decade-old liberalisation of the labour market, and a fourth concerns liability rules for accidents at work. Opposition leftist and centrist parties, civil society groups and a leading trade union have latched on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes as a way of challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government that took power almost three years ago. Meloni and her allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister attended a polling station in Rome on Sunday but her staff confirmed that she did not collect ballot papers and did not cast a vote, a tactic she had indicated that she would adopt. A low turnout and a failed referendum could lead to further infighting among centre-left opposition groups which have struggled to find a way to dent Meloni's popularity since she came to power. (Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise ArmelliniWriting by Keith Weir; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
South Korea president calls for extra budget to be ready swiftly
SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (pic) urged officials on Monday (June 9) to swiftly draw up a supplementary budget plan aimed at supporting economic recovery and spurring consumption, his office said. Lee, who took office last week, has made economic recovery a priority, launching an emergency economy taskforce with government officials. The economy contracted in the first three months of the year as exports and consumption stalled amid fear over the impact of US tariffs, fanning expectations of interest rate cuts. If the extra budget is finalised under Lee, that would add to the country's earlier supplementary budget of 13.8 trillion won (US$9.7 billion) approved on May 1. During his election campaign, Lee had emphasised the need for an extra budget to provide short-term economic stimulus. At the taskforce meeting on Monday, he also asked for measures to stabilise prices, saying the increasing cost of living is causing "too much pain". "Prices are causing too much pain for the people, so please check the current situation and see if there are any possible measures and report them even before the next meeting," Lee said, referring to higher prices of instant noodles. Prices of chicken and eggs have risen since an outbreak of avian flu in Brazil, a vice finance minister told Lee during the meeting. The government has restricted chicken imports from avian flu-affected areas in Brazil. The left-leaning president is expected to pursue fiscal expansion policies, including increased cash subsidies and welfare, aimed at bolstering economic growth despite concerns over rising debt levels. - Reuters
