Ukraine, Russia say exchanged new group of POWs
Ukraine and Russia said Thursday they had swapped a fresh group of prisoners of war, the third exchange this week as part of a deal agreed at peace talks in Turkey.
'Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service are back home,' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media, with Russia's defense ministry also confirming the swap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
7 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
France's Macron says Iran responsible for destabilizing region
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Iran bore a heavy responsibility for destabilization of the Middle East and that it had pushed ahead with an unjustified nuclear program, but he also urged restraint after Israel struck Iran. After a day of talks with regional and international leaders following Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets, notably its nuclear sites, Macron said Tehran was close to a 'critical point' in acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently denied seeking one. 'Iran bears a very heavy responsibility for the destabilization of the region,' Macron said. 'Iran is continuing to enrich uranium without any civilian justification and to levels that are very close to what is needed for a nuclear device,' he said. While he urged restraint, Macron acknowledged that resuming diplomatic efforts, specifically US negotiations on a nuclear deal with Iran that started two months ago, would be difficult. 'The current situation has a risk of uncontrolled escalation,' he said, adding that Iran's activities threatened Europe. Warning of a possible impact on the global economy, Macron said France would defend Israel if it was attacked by Iran as it had done in the past, but he ruled out taking part in any operation against Tehran. France and Israel, traditionally close allies, have had frosty relations in recent months with Macron increasingly critical over Israel's war in Gaza. Macron said France's support for Israel was not unconditional and that Paris has the right to disagree with some Israeli government decisions because 'they are sometimes against Israel's security interests.'
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
EU brings Turkiye into its security fold
Turkiye has long insisted on being a part of Europe's defense programs and having a say in how Europe shapes its security. Yet, for decades, European states viewed Turkiye mostly through the lens of its EU membership bid and political disagreements. But today, geopolitical matters — especially growing security threats — are shifting that perspective. Now, both Ankara and Brussels recognize that they face similar security concerns. This growing sense of mutual insecurity was highlighted this month, when Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said that European allies must not only spend more on defense, but also do so wisely — by including Turkiye's fast-growing defense industry in their planning. Although many EU states have long been hesitant to increase their defense spending, US President Donald Trump pushed them to rethink and open their wallets. One major step was last month's creation of a €150 billion ($173 billion) EU defense fund, known as the Security Action for Europe scheme, which is aimed at strengthening its arms industry. A few years ago, the idea of integrating Turkish defense companies into Europe's security systems might have seemed unrealistic. But several factors have changed that. Turkiye's falling-out with the US over the F-35 program, increasing regional threats, Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Europe's doubts about long-term US security commitments have all helped bring Ankara and the EU closer together and make EU-Turkiye defense cooperation more appealing. The combination of these factors has created a major shift in their relationship, which is now reflected in more regular meetings between Turkish and European defense officials. Turkiye has been building strong bilateral defense ties with individual EU countries for some time Dr. Sinem Cengiz Turkiye has been building strong bilateral defense ties with individual EU countries for some time. The recent cooperation between Italy's Leonardo and Turkiye's Baykar — the company behind the well-known Bayraktar drones — is a significant example. Ankara is already joining several EU defense initiatives, such as the European Sky Shield Initiative. It is also involved in joint projects — like making ammunition with Poland, supplying military vehicles to Romania and working on naval programs with Portugal. This bilateral cooperation signals a new type of partnership between Turkiye and the EU states that goes beyond traditional parameters. Turkiye's success in building a strong defense industry — especially with its popular Bayraktar TB2 drone — has impressed many in Europe and boosted Ankara's leverage. Turkiye also has key strategic advantages. It has NATO's second-largest army and a central position near the Black Sea, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East — areas where Europe needs security support. Its ability to help counterbalance Russian influence adds to its importance. With these advantages, Turkiye not only wants to sell its defense products to EU states, it wants a real seat at the table, shaping Europe's defense strategy and becoming part of the continent's industrial defense base. However, this potential partnership comes with some challenges. Not all EU countries are on the same page when it comes to Turkiye's integration into Europe's defense programs. The main challengers are Greece and Cyprus. Their concerns are not related to today's security realities, but rather to long-standing issues in Turkish-Greek relations. Despite these divisions, the insecurity caused by the broader global uncertainty is pushing many EU countries to move ahead with defense partnerships with Turkiye. They are trying to persuade Greece to accept closer cooperation with Turkiye in this field, emphasizing the bigger picture: a stronger and more self-reliant European security system. Thus, the pros of integrating Turkiye into EU defense programs are related to Turkiye's geographical position, its military strength, growing defense industry and mutual security concerns in a time of global instability. On the other hand, the cons and challenges are related to the fragmented EU approach. While some member states prioritize security and pragmatism, seeing Turkiye as essential for regional stability, some have long-standing issues with the country. Moreover, some remain wary of certain Turkish foreign policy moves that clash with EU interests, such as in Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria. Genuine political will and a clear sense of mutual benefit is required to achieve strategic goals in the defense realm Dr. Sinem Cengiz Given these challenges, genuine political will and a clear sense of mutual benefit is required to achieve strategic goals in the defense realm. What is meant by mutual benefit is that, while the EU keeps talking about the importance of Turkiye's role in European security, it is not offering any commitments relating to Ankara's membership of the bloc. The EU's often ambiguous approach raises questions about its sincerity and how it perceives Turkiye. European heavyweights such as Germany — which sees Turkiye's support to Europe's security as significant — often seem to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye when it comes to the issue of Turkish membership. Turkiye's experience with the 2016 migrant deal with the EU further deepens this skepticism. At the time, the agreement had raised hopes in Ankara that Turkiye's role within the EU framework would be strengthened. However, several factors have made both sides doubtful about the other's direction. According to Ankara, inclusion in EU defense planning not only strengthens its own economy and geopolitical standing, but it also increases its bargaining power in other policy areas with the EU. From Turkiye's perspective, defense ties could serve as a steppingstone to resetting broader relations with the EU after years of political friction. There are now even larger expectations that are likely to guide the Turkiye-EU defense partnership. Thus, if a new era is to begin, lessons from the past must guide the new EU approach so that this momentum will not end up as a missed opportunity. • Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye's relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
Asharq Al-Awsat
9 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Putin Tells Netanyahu Issues Surrounding Iran's Nuclear Program Must Be Solved Through Diplomacy
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in separate telephone conversations on Friday, told Iran's president that Moscow condemned Israel's actions against Tehran and told Israel's prime minister that questions around Iran's nuclear program could only be solved through diplomacy. A Kremlin statement said Putin told Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian that Russia "condemns the actions of Israel taken in violation of the UN Charter" and expressed condolences for those killed. The statement said Putin, in his conversation with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu "stressed the importance of a return to the process of talks and resolution of all issues concerning Iran's nuclear program strictly through political and diplomatic means". The Kremlin statement said Russia would remain in close contact with both Iran and Israel.
