Putin's visit to Kursk is critical to understand his narrative of the war. Here's why
Two days after his trip to Kursk, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday his forces had started building a 'security buffer zone' along the border between Russia-Ukraine, raising fears of a new Russian offensive. But as Russia continues to sidestep Western calls for a ceasefire, Putin's choreographed visit also reveals the lengths the Kremlin is going to, to justify this war.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Trump Compares Russia and Ukraine to Children Fighting
As Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sat beside him watching in silence, President Trump compared Russia and Ukraine to two fighting children who needed to work out their differences for a while before anyone could intervene. 'Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy,' Mr. Trump said on Thursday in an Oval Office news conference. 'They hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don't want to be pulled. Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.' 'And I gave that analogy to Putin yesterday,' Mr. Trump added. 'I said, 'President, maybe you have to keep fighting and suffering a lot, because both sides are suffering, before you pull them apart, before they're able to be pulled apart.'' Mr. Merz, who became Germany's chancellor last month, had come to Washington hoping to persuade Mr. Trump to play a more active role in defending Ukraine by bringing unrivaled U.S. power to the task of forcing Russia to end its invasion of its smaller neighbor. But he got a very different response. Mr. Trump essentially threw up his hands, saying that there was nothing the United States could do right now to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. Mr. Trump repeatedly promised during the presidential campaign that he could make peace between the warring nations within 24 hours, but he now says he was being sarcastic. Four months into his second term, Mr. Trump is talking about the war as if he is a bystander. When a reporter asked him at Thursday's news conference whether he was going to put more sanctions on Russia, as he had previously threatened, Mr. Trump equivocated. He suggested he would know when the moment had arrived to pile on more pressure, but that it hadn't yet. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
29 minutes ago
- Fox News
Pope makes plea for peace with Ukraine in call with Putin
Print Close By Caitlin McFall Published June 05, 2025 Pope Leo XIV has made a direct plea for peace with Ukraine to Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first call since the American pontiff took up the highest seat in the Catholic Church last month. Following the call on Wednesday, the Vatican said the pope emphasized the "importance of dialogue" though it is unclear if he encouraged Putin to engage in direct discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which the Kremlin chief has so far refused to do. While the pair also discussed humanitarian issues, prisoner exchanges and aid, Putin also apparently accused Kyiv of "escalating" the war during the phone call. UKRAINE TARGETS BRIDGE LINKING RUSSIA TO CRIMEA WITH MASSIVE UNDERWATER BLAST, VIDEO SHOWS Putin apparently told the pope "that the Kyiv regime is banking on escalating the conflict and is carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure sites on Russian territory." The claim was in reference to a recent attack on the Kerch Bridge this week, which links Crimea, the Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, and Russia. The attack came after a massive drone operation targeted Russia's military complex and destroyed dozens of warplanes capable of deploying cruise missiles. RUSSIA DRONE STRIKE KILLS 5 IN UKRAINE AFTER PUTIN PROMISED RETALIATION IN TRUMP CALL The attack reportedly prompted Putin to question the value of peace talks, though the Kremlin has already been accused of failing to participate in ceasefire attempts in good faith as it continues to pound Ukrainian cities with drone and missile strikes. In a readout of the call, the Kremlin also apparently called on the Vatican to "take a more active role" in advocating for religious freedoms in Ukraine when it comes to members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has historic links to Russia. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Criminal proceedings have been levied by Ukrainian authorities against clergy members over suspected sympathies for Moscow. Ukraine's foreign ministry in April also accused Russia of religious oppression in occupied territories, where hundreds of churches have been destroyed, and some 67 clergy members killed since the start of the war. Print Close URL
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Putin Warns Trump of Response to Ukraine Drone Strikes
US President Donald Trump says his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, warned him "very strongly" of Russia's intention to respond to Ukraine's drone attack, which struck dozens of long-range bomber aircraft across Russian regions over the weekend. In a post on Truth Social on June 4, Trump described his latest phone call with Putin as a "good conversation," though he noted it was not the kind of conversation that would lead to immediate peace. According to Trump, the call lasted 75 minutes, and Ukraine's surprise drone attack, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on June 1, was one of the topics discussed. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides," Trump said. "Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," he added. Earlier, the SBU claimed that more than 40 bombers were hit in the attack, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as "absolutely brilliant," noting that the operation had taken more than 18 months to prepare. Through the analysis of videos and satellite images, RFE/RL was able to independently verify that at least 11 Russian strategic bombers were destroyed. Following the phone call, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told the state-run TASS news agency that Trump had informed Putin the United States was not notified by Ukraine about its plans for the drone attack. When asked if Russia would respond to the attack, Ushakov said, "the issue was discussed" but gave no further details. Robert Pszczel, an independent security policy expert, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that he has no doubt Russia would conduct more attacks on Ukraine. However, Pszczel also suggested it was difficult to imagine what new level of brutality Russia might reach after previous attacks on Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure. Ushakov also added that Putin briefed Trump on the second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which took place in Istanbul on June 2, a day after the drone attack. He said Putin called the talks "useful" and expressed hope that they would continue. Earlier in the day, speaking at a government meeting, Putin effectively dismissed Zelenskyy's proposals for a lasting cease-fire and a potential leaders' summit. Putin accused Kyiv of coordinating deadly "terrorist attacks" on bridges in border regions over the weekend -- an issue that, according to Ushakov, was also discussed during the phone call with Trump. "The Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at the meeting. "What is there to talk about?" During his visit to the United States, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, responded to Putin's remarks by noting Ukraine had once handed its strategic bombers to Russia in exchange for security guarantees. Now Ukraine has struck part of Russia's strategic aviation in an "act of retaliation," Yermak said. Earlier, Zelenskyy added the attack would never have happened if a cease-fire had been implemented. In the United States, Yermak met with US Secretary Marco Rubio and members of US Congress. Following the talks, he called for a new package of US sanctions and emphasized that pressure remains the only tool to influence Russia's actions. At the same time, the US Embassy in Kyiv warned its citizens of an ongoing risk of "significant air attacks" and urged caution. Serhiy Lysak, governor of Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, reported that a Russian drone attack on Nikopol killed a woman and injured five other people. "She was 45 years old. The doctors fought for her life until the very end, but her injuries were too severe," Lysak wrote on Telegram of the victim. According to Ukrainian authorities, 54 more people were also injured in Marhanets in the Zaporizhzhya region as a result of an FPV drone attack. Among them was an 83-year-old woman. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From this article on
