Putin says Russia has told Israel there's no evidence Iran wants nuclear weapons
Israeli military says it killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders
Alexander Cornwell and James Oliphant
©Reuters
Russia has repeatedly told Israel that there is no evidence Iran is aiming to get nuclear weapons, Sky News Arabia on Saturday quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying in an interview.
"Russia, as well as the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), has never had any evidence that Iran is preparing to obtain nuclear weapons, as we have repeatedly put the Israeli leadership on notice," Sky News Arabia quoted Putin as saying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
42 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
‘It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory' – Taoiseach says after Trump's meeting with Putin
Micheal Martin attended a virtual leaders' meeting of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' in support of Ukraine on Sunday. The call was convened by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. On Monday, Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting Donald Trump with several EU leaders, including Mr Starmer, also travelling to Washington DC in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian president. Mr Martin, who will not be in Washington, said he had assured Mr Zelensky on Sunday that Ireland will 'continue to steadfastly support Ukraine'. EU leaders have agreed that sanctions and wider economic measures 'will be reinforced' if Russia continues its military action. The Taoiseach also said that he believes Ukraine needs 'long-term security guarantees'. Speaking after Sunday's online conference, Mr Martin said: 'I welcomed the opportunity to join other European leaders today to discuss developments on ending the war in Ukraine. 'We had a very useful engagement with President Zelensky as he prepares to meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington. 'I welcome the initiative by President Trump to seek the ending of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Ireland, together with our European partners, continues to contribute to these efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.' The meeting of European leaders follows the US president's summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Mr Martin said it is 'essential that Ukraine is a full participant' in any discussions regarding its future. He said: 'I therefore welcome that President Zelensky will meet with President Trump in Washington tomorrow, together with other European leaders.' Mr Martin said he stressed that international law and principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity need to be respected for security in the region. 'It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force. 'I fully agree that Ukraine needs strong, credible, long-term security guarantees. This will mean sustained support from Europe, the United States and other partners. 'Ireland stands ready to play our part. Earlier this year we committed to providing non-lethal military support to Ukraine and we will look to do more. 'At today's meeting, I also reiterated Ireland's readiness to contribute to any peacekeeping force that is in line with the UN Charter.' The Taoiseach said Ireland will also continue to support Ukraine's EU membership ambitions, adding that Russia 'cannot have a veto' on the matter. 'Our joint efforts for peace should be combined with firm and co-ordinated pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and engage seriously with negotiations on a just and lasting peace. 'We agreed today that sanctions and wider economic measures will be reinforced if Russia does not stop the killing. 'The human dimension and accountability must also be at the centre of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. 'Russia must urgently return Ukrainian children who they have abducted as well as prisoners of war and civilians being held unlawfully.' Meanwhile, special US envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the US and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling Nato's collective defence mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the war. "We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato," he said on CNN's State Of The Union. Mr Witkoff said it was the first time he had heard Mr Putin agree to that. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a news conference in Brussels with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, said that "we welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the 'Coalition of the willing' - including the European Union - is ready to do its share". Mr Witkoff, offering some of the first details of what was discussed at Friday's summit in Alaska, said the two sides agreed to "robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing". He added that Russia said that it would make a legislative commitment not to go after any additional territory in Ukraine. Mr Zelensky thanked the United States for recent signals that Washington is willing to support security guarantees for Ukraine, but said the details remained unclear. "It is important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine," he said. "But there are no details how it will work, and what America's role will be, Europe's role will be and what the EU can do, and this is our main task, we need security to work in practice like Article 5 of Nato, and we consider EU accession to be part of the security guarantees." Mr Zelenskiy, speaking in Brussels on Sunday, said the current front lines in his country's war against Russia should be the basis for peace talks. "We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now," Zelenskiy said, adding that European leaders supported this. Zelenskiy reiterated his position that it was necessary to establish a ceasefire in order to then negotiate a final deal. Mr Witkoff defended Mr Trump's decision to abandon his push for Russian to agree to an immediate ceasefire, saying the president had pivoted toward a peace deal because so much progress was made. "We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal," Mr Witkoff said, without elaborating. "We began to see some moderation in the way they're thinking about getting to a final peace deal," he said. European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on Monday. They are rallying around the Ukrainian leader after his exclusion from Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The remarkable show of solidarity — with leaders from France, Britain and Germany saying they would be at Zelenskyy's side at the White House on Monday — was an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter. 'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr. Zelenskyy to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations. 'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump," he said. The European leaders' physical presence to demonstrate their support for Ukraine could potentially help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Ukraine risks being railroaded into a peace deal that Trump says he wants to broker with Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on X that she will take part in the talks, 'at the request' of Zelenskyy. The secretary-general of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte, will also take part in the meeting, his press service said. The office of President Emmanuel Macron said the French leader will travel 'at the side of President Zelenskyy' and that he, too, would visit the White House. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also take part in the meeting with Trump, according to a statement from 10 Downing Street. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also be part of the European group. Writing on X, he said he would discuss security guarantees, territorial issues, and further support for Ukraine. The grouped trip underscored European leaders' determination to ensure that Europe has a voice in Trump's attempted peace-making, after the U.S. president's summit on Friday with Putin — to which Zelenskyy wasn't invited. Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said European leaders are trying to 'shape this fast-evolving agenda.' After the Alaska summit, the idea of a ceasefire appears all-but-abandoned, with the narrative shifting towards Putin's agenda of ensuring Ukraine does not join NATO or even the EU.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Number of European leaders to join Zelenskyy in the White House tomorrow
A NUMBER OF European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House tomorrow. Zelenskyy is to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump tomorrow, following the latter's summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that she would be joining Zelenskyy alongside other European leaders at his request. Other European leaders set to attend include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Advertisement In Alaska on Friday, Putin and Trump shook hands on the airfield's runway and discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine in the Russian president's first visit to the western world since Russia's invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. Ultimately, the two parted ways having come to no agreement. Trump still hailed the meeting as a success, and insisted that it was 'extremely productive' with 'many points' agreed, although he did not offer specifics. 'We're not there yet, but we've made progress. There's no deal until there's a deal,' Trump said on Friday. Tense scenes from the last meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the White House in February. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Travelling back to Washington from Alaska, Trump spoke on the phone to Zelenskyy, where the two arranged tomorrow's meeting. Initially beginning as a one-to-one call, several European leaders later joined. Tomorrow's meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy will be the first time the two have reconvened in the White House since their infamous bust-up in February – a scene that saw Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berate Zelenskyy over not wearing a suit, accuse him of being unappreciative and 'disrespectful', and the meeting end early. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Israeli police use water cannons, arrest dozens as protesters demand hostage deal
The 'day of stoppage' was organized by two groups representing some of the families of hostages and bereaved families, weeks after militant groups released videos of emaciated hostages and Israel announced plans for a new offensive. Protesters fear further fighting could endanger the hostages who were seized by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 — the attack that triggered the war — and are believed to still be alive in captivity. Israel believes that some 20 are still alive, with Hamas holding the remains of about 30 others. 'We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages," protesters chanted. They gathered at dozens of points throughout Israel, including outside politicians' homes, military headquarters and on major highways, where they were sprayed with water cannons as they blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. In Tel Aviv, among the protesters was a woman carrying a photo of an emaciated child from Gaza. Such images were once rare at Israeli demonstrations but now appear more often as outrage grows over conditions there. Police said they had arrested 38 people as part of the nationwide demonstration — one of the fiercest since the uproar over six hostages found dead in Gaza last September. 'Military pressure doesn't bring hostages back — it only kills them,' former hostage Arbel Yehoud said at a demonstration in Tel Aviv's hostage square. 'The only way to bring them back is through a deal, all at once, without games.' 'Today, we stop everything to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. Today, we stop everything to remember the supreme value of the sanctity of life,' said Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest. 'Today, we stop everything to join hands — right, left, center and everything in between.' Protesters at highway intersections handed out yellow ribbons, the symbol that represents the hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the stoppage, said. Still, an end to the conflict does not appear near. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the immediate release of the hostages but is balancing competing pressures, haunted by the potential for mutiny within his coalition. 'Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas's position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated," Netanyahu said on Sunday, in an apparent reference to the demonstrations. The last time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that released hostages, far-right members of his cabinet threatened to topple Netanyahu's government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called the stoppage 'a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas' hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future.' Hospitals and eyewitnesses in Gaza reported at least 17 aid-seekers had been killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, including nine awaiting aid trucks close to the Morag corridor. Hamza Asfour, an aid-seeker, said he was just north of the corridor awaiting a convoy, when Israeli snipers fired, first to disperse the crowds, then from tanks hundreds of meters (yards) away. He saw two people with gunshot wounds — one in the chest and other in the shoulder. 'It's either to take this risk or wait and see my family die of starvation,' he said. 'There is no other option.' In response to questions about deaths the hospital reported from two incidents near its sites, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the distribution points, said there was no gunfire Sunday 'at or near' its sites, which are located in military-controlled areas. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about strikes in the three areas. Israel's air and ground war has already killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza and displaced most of the population. The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,900 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. On Sunday, two children died of malnutrition related causes in Gaza, bringing the total over the last 24 hours to seven, according to the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own. While demonstrators in Israel demanded a ceasefire, Israel began preparing for an invasion of Gaza City and other populated parts of the besieged strip, aimed at destroying Hamas. The military body that coordinates its humanitarian aid to Gaza said Sunday that the supply of tents to the territory would resume. COGAT said it would allow the United Nations to resume importing tents and shelter equipment into Gaza ahead of plans to forcibly evacuate people from combat zones 'for their protection.' The majority of assistance has been blocked from entering Gaza since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after a ceasefire collapsed when Israel restarted its offensive. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organizations say the flow is far below what is needed. Some have accused Israel of 'weaponizing aid' through blockades and rules they say turn humanitarian assistance into a tool of its political and military goals. Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital Sunday, escalating strikes on Iran-backed Houthis, who since the war began have fired missiles at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah Television said the strikes targeted a power plant in the southern district of Sanhan, sparking a fire and knocking it out of service. Israel's military acknowledged Sunday's strikes, saying they were launched in response to missiles and drones aimed at Israel. While some projectiles have breached its missile defenses — notably during its 12-day war with Iran in June — Israel has intercepted the vast majority of missiles launched from Yemen.
