WhatsApp says Russia is trying to block it
MOSCOW (Reuters) -WhatsApp said Russia was trying to block its services because the social media messaging app owned by Meta Platforms offered people's right to secure communication, and vowed to continue trying to make encrypted services available in Russia.
Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
"WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people," WhatsApp said in a statement.
"We will keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia."
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Europe to discuss Ukraine peace plan after Trump-Putin summit
WASHINGTON: Leaders of France, Germany, and Britain will hold a video call on Sunday to discuss steps towards ending the war in Ukraine. This follows Donald Trump's decision to drop his push for a ceasefire after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Securing a ceasefire had been one of Trump's key demands before the meeting, which excluded Ukraine and its European allies. However, after the summit yielded no clear breakthrough, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire, a move seen as favouring Putin's push for long-term peace talks. Ukraine and European allies have criticised this approach, calling it a tactic to buy time for Russian military gains. Trump later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on his flight back to Washington. He stated that all parties agreed the best way to end the war was through a direct peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire. Trump added on his Truth Social platform that ceasefire deals often fail to hold. Zelensky, set to visit Washington on Monday, expressed doubts about the shift in strategy, saying it 'complicates the situation.' He warned that Russia's unwillingness to halt attacks raises concerns about its commitment to lasting peace. An official briefed on Trump's discussions revealed his support for Putin's proposal to take full control of two Russian-held Ukrainian regions. In exchange, Russia would freeze military advances in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Ukrainian forces still hold key cities. Russia had previously claimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions despite not fully controlling any of them. The official noted that Zelensky refused to cede Donbas, a region comprising Donetsk and Lugansk. Trump also offered Ukraine security guarantees, a move praised by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as 'significant progress.' EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, however, accused Putin of prolonging negotiations without genuine intent to end the war. She stated that Russia has no plans to stop the conflict soon. Zelensky's upcoming White House visit will be a key diplomatic focus. An EU source confirmed several European leaders were invited to join the talks. Zelensky's last Oval Office meeting in February ended in a heated exchange over US aid. He described his recent conversation with Trump as 'substantive' and looked forward to discussing peace details in Washington. Trump suggested in a Fox News interview that Zelensky must now take the lead in securing a peace deal. European leaders welcomed plans for a trilateral summit but vowed to maintain pressure on Russia without a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Ukraine reported overnight Russian attacks involving 85 drones and a ballistic missile. Putin called his summit with Trump 'timely' and 'very useful.' He warned against 'behind-the-scenes intrigues' that could disrupt progress towards peace. - AFP
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Ukraine drone attack injures train station employee in Russia's Voronezh, governor says
(Reuters) -A railway employee was injured and a power line damaged by a Ukrainian drone attack at a station in Russia's Voronezh region, the regional governor said on Sunday. "According to preliminary information, a railway station track technician was injured in one of the municipalities," Alexander Gusev said of the overnight attack on the Telegram messaging app. "He has been hospitalised." Gusev said the attack caused train delays, but by Sunday morning trains were running back on schedule. The Russian defence ministry, which reports only how many drones its units destroy not how many Ukraine launches, said on the Telegram messaging app that nine drones were downed over the Voronezh region in Russia's southwest. In total, the ministry said, its defence systems destroyed 46 Ukrainian drones overnight, all of them in regions west of Moscow. Reuters could not independently verify the Russian reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv says that its strikes inside Russia are in answer to Moscow's continued attacks on Ukraine and are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Russia's war efforts. The reports of the attacks came after a summit between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin yielded no agreement on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump said on Saturday that Kyiv should make a deal with Moscow to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard and Sonali Paul)
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Lavrov discusses Alaska summit with Turkey, Hungary after US-Russia
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held separate calls with his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts on Saturday. The discussions followed the inconclusive US-Russia summit in Alaska, where no agreement was reached on ending the Ukraine war. The Russian foreign ministry confirmed the call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was initiated by Ankara. Both ministers reviewed the outcomes of the August 15 meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump. Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator, maintaining open channels with Russia, Ukraine, and NATO allies. Lavrov also spoke with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto about the Ukraine crisis in light of the Alaska summit. Hungary has faced criticism for its continued energy ties with Russia and opposition to EU sanctions. Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the world 'safer' post-summit, while EU leaders stressed Ukraine's sovereignty over its territory. - Reuters
