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Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ukraine Says It's Ready to Resume Talks with Russia but Needs Clarity on Kremlin's Terms
The Associated Press In this photo taken on May 27, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier prepares a 120mm mortar to fire towards Russian army positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 27, 2025 KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, following days of uncertainty over whether Kyiv would attend a further meeting proposed by Moscow. But Ukrainian officials have insisted that the Kremlin provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate. 'Ukraine is ready to attend the next meeting, but we want to engage in a constructive discussion,' Andrii Yermak said in a statement on the website of Ukraine's Presidential Office late Thursday. 'This means it is important to receive Russia's draft. There is enough time – four days are sufficient for preparing and sending the documents,' Yermak said. Ukraine and its European allies have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet in peace efforts, while it tries to press its bigger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. Kyiv's Western partners, including the U.S., are urging Moscow to agree to an unconditional ceasefire, something Kyiv has embraced while the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking. Ukraine's top diplomat, Andrii Sybiha, also told reporters on Friday that Kyiv is waiting for Russia to clarify its proposals ahead of a next round of talks. 'We want to end this war this year. We are interested in establishing a ceasefire, whether it is for 30 days, 50 days, or 100 days. Ukraine is open to discussing this directly with Russia,' Sybiha said at a joint news conference in Kyiv with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. Sybiha and Fidan also held the door open to a future meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin of Russia, possibly also including U.S. President Donald Trump. Fidan said the ongoing peace push in Istanbul could be 'crowned with' such a meeting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday told reporters that a Russian delegation will head to Istanbul and stand ready to take part in the second round of talks on June 2. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday publicly invited Ukraine to hold direct negotiations with Moscow on that date. In a video statement, Lavrov said Russia would use Monday's meeting to deliver an outline of Moscow's position on 'reliably overcoming' what it calls the root causes of the war. Russian officials have said for weeks that such a document is forthcoming. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday said that Ukraine isn't opposed to further direct talks with Russia, but that they would be 'empty' if Moscow were to fail to clarify its terms. Umerov said he had personally handed a document setting out Ukraine's position to the Russian side. Low-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul on May 16. The talks, which lasted two hours, brought no significant breakthrough, although both sides agreed to the largest prisoner exchange of the war. It was carried out last weekend and freed 1,000 captives on each side. Fidan on Friday voiced a belief that the successful swap has 'proved that negotiations can yield concrete results.' 'There are two paths in front of us. Either we will turn a blind eye to the continuation of the war, or we will reach a lasting peace within the end of the year,' he told reporters in Kyiv.
Epoch Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Breaching Its Own 3-Day Cease-Fire
Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called Russia's three-day cease-fire a 'farce' and claimed Moscow breached it 734 times between 12:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. Sybiha He claimed that the 734 violations of the cease-fire included '586 attacks on our troops' positions, 464 of which used heavy weapons ... and 10 air strikes using 16 guided aerial bombs.' The Russian defence ministry, cited by the Interfax news agency, said Ukraine had carried out 488 attacks on Russian targets. On April 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally Ukraine rejected the Russian cease-fire and queried why Moscow would not assent to Kyiv's call for an immediate 30-day cease-fire. Related Story 5/9/2025 In an 'Now, yet again, another attempt at manipulation: for some reason, everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire—just to provide Putin with silence for his parade. We value human lives, not parades.' The regional prosecutor's office in the Sumy region, in northeastern Ukraine, said one person was killed and two were wounded when Russian forces dropped guided bombs on residential areas near the border. Oleh Petrasiuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, said Russian attacks took place near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. But the Russian Defense Ministry blamed Ukrainian forces for attacking its positions and said its forces would 'mirror' Ukraine's actions during the three-day cease-fire. Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said it briefly imposed restrictions on flights to and from Nizhny Novgorod airport after reports of Ukrainian drones in the area. Russia is hosting celebrations and a military parade for Victory Day on Friday, at which the guest of honor is Chinese leader During the meeting, Xi said China and Russia should remain committed to cooperation and 'eliminate external interference,' according to a Other foreign leaders attending the Victory Day anniversary celebrations in Moscow include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, and representatives from Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam, Venezuela, and a number of countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. Russian state-owned news agency TASS, on its Telegram channel, posted a photograph of Putin meeting North Korean soldiers in Red Square on Friday. Putin Thanks North Korean Soldiers TASS said the Russian leader thanked them, adding, 'Putin conveyed his best wishes to all North Korean fighters.' In October 2024, But Russia only confirmed that North Korean soldiers were fighting alongside its forces on On On Thursday, the Ukrainian Parliament—by a vote of 338 in favor and none against—ratified the minerals deal that was Ukraine's economics minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, A rescue worker helps an injured woman evacuated from a building that was allegedly damaged by a Russian strike in the Sumy region, Ukraine, on May 8, 2025. Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP U.S. President Donald Trump spent months working on a deal in which the United States could gain access to Ukraine's natural resources. Negotiations for this economic partnership hit an early setback during a Feb. 28 White House meeting in which Trump and Zelenskyy clashed in front of the gathered media over how best to settle the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. But negotiations resumed and eventually led to the April 30 deal, which does not need to be ratified by Congress. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
The Hill
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Ukraine accuses Russia of violating its own truce over 700 times as Kyiv ratifies US minerals deal
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine both reported attacks on their forces Thursday on the first day of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian lawmakers unanimously approved a landmark minerals deal with the U.S. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of violating its own ceasefire 734 times between midnight and midday Thursday. He called the ceasefire a 'farce' on the social media platform X. The unilateral ceasefire coincides with Russia's biggest secular holiday, the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Kyiv has pressed for a longer-term ceasefire. Meanwhile at the Kremlin, Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Putin earlier described as Russia's 'main guest' at Friday's Victory Day festivities. Xi arrived Wednesday for a four-day visit. The Ukrainian parliament's ratification of the minerals deal marked a key step in a deal that will allow Washington access to Ukraine's largely untapped minerals, deepen strategic ties and create a joint investment fund with the U.S. for the reconstruction of Ukraine. 'This document is not merely a legal construct, it is the foundation of a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner,' Ukraine's economics minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, wrote on X. The minerals agreement was approved by all 338 members of parliament, far surpassing the required 226 votes, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote on his Telegram account. No lawmaker abstained. In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked everyone involved in the deal and said he expected the ratified agreement to be submitted to his office soon. 'Once the legal procedures are complete, we will be able to begin establishing the fund,' he said. Two more technical agreements will have to be developed and signed by both sides, Svyrydenko said. Those deals include 'a limited partnership agreement and an agreement that essentially determines how the fund will function,' she told reporters ahead of the vote. She said the U.S. expects the work on the documents to take 'weeks, not months.' U.S. President Donald Trump said he planned to talk with Zelenskyy later Thursday following the ratification. In the opening hours of Moscow's ceasefire, Russian bombs struck northeast Ukraine, killing at least one civilian, Ukrainian officials said. Artillery assaults took place across the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, although with less intensity than in the previous 24 hours, officials said. Sybiha said Russia carried out 63 assaults along the front line, 23 of which were still ongoing as of midday. Ukraine responded 'appropriately,' he said, and shared information about the attacks with the U.S, the European Union and others. 'We will not let Putin fool anyone when he does not even keep his own word,' Sybiha said. Russian attacks also took place near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, Oleh Petrasiuk, a spokesman with Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, told The Associated Press by phone. One person died and two were wounded when Russian forces dropped guided bombs on residential areas near the border in the northeast Sumy region, the regional prosecutor's office said. Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, abated for a short time, with no assaults recorded since 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Ukrainian air force said. Zelenskyy had previously cast doubt on the ceasefire, calling it 'manipulation' as U.S.-led peace efforts stalled. 'For some reason, everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire — just to provide Putin with silence for his parade,' Zelenskyy said. In March, the United States proposed a 30-day truce in the war, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for ceasefire terms more to its liking. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of attacking its positions and said Russian forces would continue to 'mirror' Ukraine's actions during the Kremlin's ceasefire. The Russian regions of Belgorod, Lipetsk, Orenburg, Ryazan and Tambov came under a drone-threat alert overnight, but there were no reports of any drones being shot down or intercepted. Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia briefly imposed restrictions on flights to and from the airport in Nizhny Novgorod. In welcoming Xi, Putin said that 'the brotherhood of arms between our peoples, which developed during the harsh war years, is one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations.' He added that Moscow and Beijing were developing ties 'for the benefit of the peoples of both countries and not against anyone.' Xi, in turn, said that 'history and reality have fully proved that the continuous development and deepening of China-Russia relations is a necessity for the friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation.' He also called for safeguarding 'international fairness and justice.' Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties as both countries face tensions with the West. China offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping to fill the Kremlin's war coffers. Russia has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies. ___ Associated Press journalist Evgeniy Maloletka contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Ukraine accuses Russia of violating own truce more than 700 times as Kyiv ratifies U.S. minerals deal
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine both reported attacks on their forces Thursday on the first day of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian lawmakers unanimously approved a landmark minerals deal with the U.S. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of violating its own ceasefire 734 times between midnight and midday Thursday. He called the ceasefire a 'farce' on the social media platform X. The unilateral ceasefire coincides with Russia's biggest secular holiday, the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Kyiv has pressed for a longer-term ceasefire. Meanwhile at the Kremlin, Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Putin earlier described as Russia's 'main guest' at Friday's Victory Day festivities. Xi arrived Wednesday for a four-day visit. The Ukrainian parliament's ratification of the minerals deal marked a key step in setting in motion a deal that will allow Washington access to Ukraine's largely untapped minerals, deepen strategic ties and create a joint investment fund with the U.S. for the reconstruction of Ukraine. 'This document is not merely a legal construct, it is the foundation of a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner,' Ukraine's economics minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, wrote on X. The minerals agreement was approved by all 338 members of parliament, far surpassing the required 226 votes, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote on his Telegram account. No lawmaker abstained. Two more technical agreements will have to be developed and signed by both sides, Svyrydenko said. Those deals include 'a limited partnership agreement and an agreement that essentially determines how the fund will function,' she told reporters ahead of the vote. She said the U.S. expects the work on the documents to take 'weeks, not months.' President Trump said he planned to talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Thursday following the ratification. In the opening hours of Moscow's ceasefire, Russian bombs struck northeast Ukraine, killing at least one civilian, Ukrainian officials said. Artillery assaults took place across the 620-mile front line, although with less intensity than in the previous 24 hours, officials said. Sybiha said Russia carried out 63 assaults along the front line, 23 of which were still ongoing as of midday. Ukraine responded 'appropriately' and shared information about the attacks with the U.S, the European Union and others. 'We will not let Putin fool anyone when he does not even keep his own word,' Sybiha said. Russian attacks also took place near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, Oleh Petrasiuk, a spokesman with Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, told the Associated Press by phone. One person died and two were wounded when Russian forces dropped guided bombs on residential areas near the border in the northeast Sumy region, the regional prosecutor's office said. Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, abated for a short time, with no assaults recorded since 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Ukrainian air force said. Zelensky had previously cast doubt on the ceasefire, calling it 'manipulation' as U.S.-led peace efforts stalled. 'For some reason, everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire — just to provide Putin with silence for his parade,' Zelensky said. In March, the United States proposed a 30-day truce in the war, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for ceasefire terms more to its liking. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of attacking its positions and said Russian forces would continue to 'mirror' Ukraine's actions during the Kremlin's ceasefire. The Russian regions of Belgorod, Lipetsk, Orenburg, Ryazan and Tambov came under a drone-threat alert overnight, but there were no reports of any drones being shot down or intercepted. Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia briefly imposed restrictions on flights to and from the airport in Nizhny Novgorod. In welcoming Xi, Putin said that 'the brotherhood of arms between our peoples, which developed during the harsh war years, is one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations.' He added that Moscow and Beijing were developing ties 'for the benefit of the peoples of both countries and not against anyone.' Xi, in turn, said that 'history and reality have fully proved that the continuous development and deepening of China-Russia relations is a necessity for the friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation.' He also called for safeguarding 'international fairness and justice.' Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times and developed strong personal ties as both countries face tensions with the West. China offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping to fill the Kremlin's war coffers. Russia has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies. Novikov writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Evgeniy Maloletka contributed to this report.
Jordan Times
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Ukraine ceasefire talks planned Sunday in Jeddah — US
Members of the 24th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Military rest around a fire after a field training exercise in an undisclosed location in the eastern region of Ukraine, on March 18, 2025 (AFP photo) WASHINGTON - Talks on a ceasefire in Russia's war with Ukraine will continue on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday. In an interview with Fox News hours after Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said talks on a ceasefire deal "will begin on Sunday in Jeddah." Witkoff said the US delegation in Saudi Arabia would be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, but did not indicate who they would be holding talks with. Referring to a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and targets in the Black Sea, Witkoff said: "I think both of those are now agreed to by the Russians. I am certainly hopeful that the Ukrainians will agree to it." Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of effectively rejecting the US-backed ceasefire proposal, reporting a barrage of strikes on civilian infrastructure hours after Moscow agreed only to pause attacks on the energy grid. Washington has been pushing for a full, 30-day ceasefire as a first step towards a wider settlement of the grinding three-year-old war. In a 90-minute call with Trump on Tuesday, Russian President Putin refused, insisting that any such deal would be contingent on Ukraine's allies halting all military aid. According to the Kremlin, Putin has already ordered his military to pause strikes against Ukrainian energy targets for 30 days. Witkoff, however, reiterated that the proposed ceasefire included "energy and infrastructure in general." Trump's envoy commended Russian President Putin "for all he did today on that call to move his country close to a final peace deal." Witkoff said that with consensus around energy and infrastructure targets as well as those in the Black Sea, he believed "it's a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there."
