Zelensky announces date of next Russia-Ukraine talks
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Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Kremlin responds to Azerbaijan's position on Ukraine conflict
Russia disagrees with Azerbaijan's stance on the Ukraine conflict but hopes that this divergence in views will not hinder efforts to restore bilateral ties in light of a recent rift, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. He added that Moscow wants to resolve the tensions in its relationship with Baku. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently urged Ukraine to 'never agree to occupation.' Speaking at the Shusha Global Media Forum last week, Aliyev encouraged Kiev to consider Azerbaijan's approach to resolving its territorial dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. The longstanding conflict between Baku and Yerevan over the breakaway region ended in 2023 after Azerbaijan retook it by force, prompting the departure of its remaining ethnic Armenian population. Peskov acknowledged the differences in the positions of Russia and Azerbaijan on the Ukraine conflict, but insisted that this has not been an obstacle in relations. He added that Moscow seeks 'to move past what we hope is a brief period of cooling in bilateral relations and avoid sacrificing mutually beneficial interests for the sake of a short-term situation.' Tensions between Moscow and Baku have been rising following the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals suspected of being gang members during a Russian law enforcement operation in Ekaterinburg last month. The Azerbaijani authorities rejected the conclusions of the Russian investigation and accused the police of unlawful killings. In response, Azerbaijani police raided the local office of the Russian news network Sputnik, detaining two journalists along with several other Russian nationals. The government also suspended all Russia-related cultural events. Despite the strain, Moscow has emphasized the historically cooperative nature of its relationship with Baku and voiced hope for a de-escalation of tensions.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine ends independence of anti-graft bodies
The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to end the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies. The ongoing crackdown has triggered international scrutiny and protests across the country. The Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday approved legislation placing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under executive oversight. Lawmakers opposing the bill reportedly shouted 'shame!' as the results were read out. Later in the day, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky reportedly signed the bill into law. The vote came just a day after the country's domestic security service raided the NABU's headquarters, arresting two investigators. The raids elicited concern from G7 ambassadors, who said they were monitoring the situation. Anti-corruption activists called the timing deliberate. 'This is about silencing NABU and SAPO as they close in on Zelensky's inner circle,' the NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center stated. The legislation was introduced by lawmakers from Zelensky's ruling party and was initially aimed at changing Ukraine's criminal code under martial law before last-minute amendments targeting anti-corruption bodies were added. MP Anastasia Radina warned the changes would 'effectively dismantle' anti-graft infrastructure, turning the NABU and SAPO into 'purely decorative institutions … completely dependent on the will of the prosecutor-general.' The agencies were created in 2015 as part of a Western-backed push to ensure prosecutorial independence – a key condition for Ukraine's EU bid and international lending. The NABU received significant technical and equipment support from the US, UK, and EU. European Commissioner Marta Kos condemned the 'dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence as a serious step back' in the country's reform trajectory, saying the rule of law remains central to Ukraine's EU bid. European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier called the agencies 'crucial' for fighting corruption and maintaining public trust. He stressed that Ukraine's accession would require 'strong institutional resilience,' and noted that EU aid remains tied to reforms. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko dismissed the backlash, calling corruption concerns 'overemphasized,' and signaled Kiev would seek more IMF support. Brussels has long viewed corruption as a key obstacle to Kiev's EU ambitions. Ukraine's reputation for endemic graft has deepened since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022. The defense sector has been hit by procurement scandals, while donors have pushed for greater transparency.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
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Moscow hopes Trump's ‘reasonable' position will influence EU
Moscow hopes the 'reasonable' position on the Ukrainian conflict displayed by US President Donald Trump will have an impact on the stance of the EU, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Speaking during a press conference in Moscow following talks with his Mozambican counterpart, Maria Manuela Lucas, on Tuesday, Russia's top diplomat expressed hopes the EU will, at some point, show a willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue. 'I really hope that the reasonable approach that the Trump administration showed in this situation after it replaced the Biden administration, which spoke in unison with the unhinged Europeans, that this reasonable approach, which includes a willingness to dialogue and a willingness to listen and hear, will not go unnoticed by the Europeans, despite all the current discussions about the need to arm the Kiev regime again and again and again at the expense of… European taxpayers,' Lavrov stated. While the US president had repeatedly promised to end the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, he admitted last month, however, that the task had proven to be 'more difficult than people would have any idea.' Thus far, the direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, kick-started by the US administration, have failed to yield any tangible result, focusing primarily on humanitarian issues, including prisoner swaps and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers. Trump has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times in recent months. He recently criticized the Russian leader for supposedly resisting a settlement and threatened to impose sanctions on Russia and its trade partners unless the Ukraine conflict is ended by autumn. In response, the Kremlin stated it had a calm view of the criticism and expressed its intention to continue the dialogue with Washington. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the US administration to put pressure on Kiev instead, suggesting that it 'appears that the Ukrainian side takes all statements of support as signals to continue war, not as signals for peace.'
