Egypt hails Russian proposal on talks with Ukraine as ‘crucial' to settlement
CAIRO - 12 May 2025: Egypt appreciates the constructive diplomatic efforts and contacts aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis peacefully, according to a Monday statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Referring to the Russian proposal to hold direct talks with Ukraine on May 15, and the Ukrainians' willingness to respond to this proposal, Egypt said this is crucial to reaching a settlement to the crisis.
This paves the way for a new phase that will contribute to discussing and addressing the concerns of the parties to the conflict, leading to sustainable peace that restores security and stability to the European continent, the statement said.
'Egypt reiterates that for decades it has emphasized the need to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and has expressed its support for initiatives and efforts aimed at ending the crisis,' the statement added.
Egypt has previously participated in Arab, African, and "Friends of Peace" initiatives calling for a settlement to the Ukrainian crisis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Egypt Independent
4 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
French president to touch down in Greenland, in solidarity with territory eyed by Trump
Paris CNN — French President French President Emmanuel Macron is due to land in Greenland Sunday, in a move designed to bolster European support for the Danish territory, which is still batting away advances from the Trump administration to acquire it for the United States Macron will be the first foreign leader to visit the resource-rich island since US President Donald Trump began his campaign to buy or annex Greenland, which he insists the US needs for national security purposes. A source at the Élysée Palace said that the French president's trip had a 'dimension of European solidarity and one of strengthening sovereignty and territorial integrity,' without mentioning the Trump administration's threats to purchase Greenland, or take it by force. Additionally, Macron's visit would focus on Arctic security, climate change and Greenland's economic development, the source added. During his time on the world's biggest island the French leader will tour a glacier, a hydroelectric power station and a Danish warship moored near the semiautonomous territory's capital, Nuuk, per the Élysée. 'The deeps are not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale,' Macron said on June 9 as he opened a United Nations conference on the oceans in Nice, France. Trump's intentions for Greenland can't be far from the French president's thoughts on his first visit to the Arctic territory, which Macron will conduct alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's political leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. French President Emmanuel Macron holds a news conference at the Élysée Palace in Paris on June 13. Michel Euler/Pool via Reuters French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in January that Paris had 'started discussing (the deployment of French troops) with Denmark,' but that Copenhagen did not want to proceed with the idea. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying the island, or the US taking it by military or economic coercion, even as NATO ally Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected the idea. Last month, the US president renewed his threat of using military force to annex the territory. US Vice President JD Vance also made a stopover to visit American troops in Greenland in late March. During that trip, the vice president made a high-profile case for US control of the island. He said Greenland would be better off 'coming under the United States' security umbrella than you have been under Denmark's security umbrella.' In a move widely seen as an effort to ease American ambitions for the territory, on June 12 Denmark's parliament widened a military agreement with Washington to allow US bases on Danish soil. US soldiers had previously been based at Danish facilities. Denmark is also moving to bolster its military presence in Greenland, some 1,500 miles from the Danish mainland, including with fighter jets to patrol the western coastline toward the US and a navy frigate, per Greenland's parliament.
Egypt Independent
4 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Russia is shifting tactics again, assaulting Ukrainian cities with swarms of killer drones
CNN — On a recent evening in Kyiv, 4-year-old Olexander Reshetnik made a simple suggestion to his parents: 'Let's go to the parking garage now so we can sleep properly, and you don't have to wake us up twice to take us there and back.' The family lives on the 18th floor of a high-rise building and getting into the underground garage that doubles as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks is an uncomfortable experience. With aerial attacks becoming more common, it made sense to Oleksander to simply stay there. Even at his young age, he knew the Russians would likely attack again. His mother Khrystyna Reshetnik said the family has gotten used to seeing drones being shot down in the skies over Ukraine's capital. In days gone by there would be one or two, maybe three, but things have changed. 'Lately, they've been flying like a swarm that doesn't stop for three or four hours. Explosions right outside the windows,' she told CNN. People shelter inside a metro station during a Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 6, 2025. Dan Bashakov/AP Russia has ramped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, launching as many as 479 drones and missiles in a single night. These assaults are not just bigger and more frequent; they are also more concentrated and executed in a way that makes them a lot more difficult to combat – as they are flown at higher altitudes, out of reach of machine guns. The increase in the number of drones Russia is deploying against its neighbor is stunning: seven of Moscow's largest drone attacks in its war on Ukraine have happened in the past four weeks, according to a CNN tally. Russia ramps up drone production Russia successfully scaled up the domestic production of its most frequently used drone – the Iranian-designed Shahed – last fall and is now churning out hundreds of these killing machines every day. Christina Harward, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said that according to current estimates, Moscow can now produce about 2,700 Shahed drones per month, as well as some 2,500 decoy drones. 'These numbers are allowing Russia to more frequently launch over 300 or even 400 drones in just one night,' she told CNN. The fact that some of the drones are decoys makes little difference to the Ukrainian defenses as Moscow has adapted them in a way that makes it very difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. 'So, either Ukrainian forces spend time trying to identify the decoys or they spend precious resources shooting them down. Either way, this helps the Russian missiles and Shaheds – with their large payloads – (as they) have the chance to get through to their targets,' Harward said. The increased number of drones launched each night is overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses, especially since Russia began to zero in on handful of locations at a time. On Monday night, it targeted the Ukrainian capital and the Black Sea port city of Odesa. The following night, it was Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. 'Instead of targeting a bit here and there, they concentrate the strikes and are able to achieve maximum effect, both kinetic and psychological,' Oleksiy Melnyk, a former Ukrainian defense ministry official who is now the co-director of foreign relations and international security programs at the Razumkov Center in Kyiv, told CNN. Russia maintains that it does not target civilians, but evidence to the contrary continues to mount. At least 154 Ukrainian civilians – including children – have been killed by drones, in Russian missile assaults and by artillery across the country in the last four weeks. A further 900 civilians have been injured. The deadly attacks are designed to undermine Ukrainian morale and create the illusion that Russia has the upper hand in the war – even though Moscow is far from 'winning.' The front line in Ukraine has not moved in any significant way since Ukrainian forces liberated the southern city of Kherson in November 2023. Russia has only managed to seize about 5,000 square kilometers (1,900 square miles) of Ukraine's territory since then. Russian troops have advanced in some areas in eastern and northern Ukraine in recent months but have not managed to break through or take over a major city. A Russian drone is shot down by Ukrainian air defenses during a strike on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on June 10, 2025. Sergei Supinksy/AFP/Getty Images 'Impossible to shoot them down' Yuriy Chumak spends many of his nights perched on Kyiv's rooftops, machine gun in hand. A Supreme Court judge by day, he is part of a volunteer drone-hunting unit by night. He said the skies have gotten significantly busier in recent weeks. 'There are many more drones. This is an objective fact. And, of course, the more there are, the harder it is to work against them,' Chumak told CNN. He said after Moscow started flying drones at higher altitudes, it has become much harder, if not impossible, for his unit to destroy them. Previously, Russian forces would fly the drones low, for example along a riverbed, to avoid being detected by Ukraine's air defenses for as long as possible. 'The time to respond was very short because we only detected it when it was (close),' he said. These days, he said, Russian drones are flying two to five kilometers (1 to 3 miles) above the ground. 'We can see them all. Radars can track them. But it has become impossible to shoot them down with machine guns,' Chumak said, adding that Ukraine now has to use missiles to thwart them. Yuriy Chumak is looking for Russian drones, ready to strike against them. CNN But missiles are in much shorter supply. This is pushing Ukrainian forces to find new solutions on the go. Melnyk said that the efficiency of Ukraine's air defense system remains remarkable. 'Even now, about 80% of drones are being intercepted. A few months ago, this percentage was about 95. (But) we can see the impact of Russia increasing the number (of drones) and changing tactics,' he added. Speaking to reporters last month, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Ukrainian Air Force and volunteers like Chumak for pivoting as Russia ramped up its air war. He added that Kyiv was now using drone-to-drone interceptors to combat the higher altitude bombardment. 'We have the technology. The question is when we will be able to expand,' he said. Zelensky said that Russia can produce some 300 to 350 drones a day, while Ukraine can only make 100. 'The issue is no longer about production capacity. It's financial,' he said. Workers clean debris next to a damaged residential building following a Russian drone attack in Odesa on June 10, 2025. Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images 'The norm for our children' Kyiv mom Khrystyna Reshetnik said one of the worst things about the Russian aerial assaults is that they have become commonplace to her three boys, aged 4, 8 and 11. Olexander regularly asks whether the noise he hears is a Kalibr cruise missile or a drone. 'He's just a little boy and he already understands what's going on,' Reshetnik said. As the attacks have intensified in size and scope, the family has been spending more time in the underground parking garage, where Olexander and his two brothers sleep in the trunk of their car. 'This has become the norm for our children. It hurts my heart,' she said. Khrystyna Reshetnik's sons sleep in a car as the family shelter during a Russian aerial attack on Kyiv on June 9, 2025. Khrystyna Reshetnik Yet despite the daily horrors they experience, the Reshetniks are among the lucky ones. They live in Kyiv, a city that is relatively well defended. The majority of the explosions they hear are Ukrainian air defenses intercepting Russian drones. Many others elsewhere around the country are left without protective shields because Ukraine's access to air defenses is limited by what its Western allies are willing to spare. Closer to the front lines, Russian troops have been using smaller drones to target civilians. 'We talk about these big attacks, especially when Kyiv is under attack, but cities like Sumy or Kherson are under attack 24/7,' Melnyk said, interrupted by an air raid alarm as he spoke to CNN. 'There is (a) ballistic missile coming, so I am going to go into the shelter. My point is that this is the daily life of Ukrainian citizens and civilians.'
See - Sada Elbalad
16 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
ُEU Helps Boosting Egypt's Green Transition
By Ahmad El-Assasy On 15 June, the European Union and the Government of Egypt will launch the EU-Egypt Investment Guarantee for Development Mechanism. This platform will attract investments to high impact projects in areas such as clean energy, water and wastewater management and sustainable agriculture. It will also support digital transformation, and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The platform aims to mobilise up to €5 billion in investments by 2027. This includes €1.8 billion announced as part of the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. To achieve this, the platform will leverage EU resources from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). It will also draw resources from European and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) that implement EU guarantees in close coordination with Member States and the private sector. It marks a key milestone under the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership and contributes to the EU's Global Gateway strategy. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
