Latest news with #HelsinkiAccords
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky calls for Russia's regime change after Kyiv attack
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his allies to bring about "regime change" in Russia after Moscow's drone attack on Kyiv killed 16 people, including a six-year-old boy. At least 150 people sustained injuries after the overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble. Speaking via video at a conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelensky said Russia could be 'pushed' to end the war." But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries," he said, according to AFP. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 1 August 2025 04:14 President Volodymyr Zelensky restored the independence of Ukraine's two main anti-corruption agencies on Thursday, moving to defuse a political crisis that has shaken faith in his wartime leadership. Thousands of protesters rallied in Kyiv and other cities in recent days in a rare show of discontent. It came after lawmakers led by Zelensky's ruling party rushed through amendments last week defanging the respected agencies. He signed a new bill on Thursday shortly after lawmakers approved it 331 to 0, saying the legislation "guarantees the absence of any kind of outside influence (or) interference". "Ukraine is a democracy - there are definitely no doubts," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. Daniel Keane 1 August 2025 03:00 President Donald Trump has made clear that he wants a deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine by August 8, the United States told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. 'Both Russia and Ukraine must negotiate a ceasefire and durable peace. It is time to make a deal. President Trump has made clear this must be done by August 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace, senior U.S. diplomat John Kelley told the 15-member council. Trump said on Tuesday that the US would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia "10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress toward ending its war in Ukraine. Daniel Keane 1 August 2025 02:00 Syria's top diplomat met with Russian officials on Thursday on the first visit to Moscow by a member of the new government in Damascus since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in the Kremlin, according to Syrian news agency SANA. Before the talks with Putin, al-Shibani met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who emphasised that the Russian authorities "sincerely wish that the Syrian people, with whom we have long-standing friendship, overcome all existing challenges and completely normalise the situation." Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow's scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria's civil war and kept Assad in his seat until his swift demise in December. Daniel Keane 1 August 2025 01:00 A powerful US Senate committee approved a military spending bill on Thursday that includes about $1 billion to support Ukraine, despite President Donald Trump's administration having asked Congress to eliminate such funding in its budget request. The Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee approved $852 billion for the Department of Defence in the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 2026. This is $21.7 billion, or 2.6%, more than the Republican president requested earlier this year. The committee voted 26-3 to send the spending measure for a vote in the full Senate, with strong support from both Democrats and Trump's fellow Republicans. Daniel Keane 1 August 2025 00:01 A pair of bipartisan US senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would provide £40 billion ($54.6bn) in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years. The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, faces a stiff struggle to become law but follows threats by President Donald Trump to increase military aid to Kyiv if Moscow does not take steps to end the war. Congress last passed a major aid package for Ukraine - £46 billion ($61bn) - in April 2024, when Democrat Joe Biden was still president and his fellow Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate. Daniel Keane 31 July 2025 23:00 President Donald Trump has said that Russia's war in Ukraine is 'disgusting'. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he plans to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement can be reached to end the conflict. Trump said he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia. He has given Russian President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to make a deal or else he will respond with economic pressure. Daniel Keane 31 July 2025 22:09 Former Russian president and prime minister brushed off US officials's warnings that Russia needs to begin peace deal talks to end the war in Ukraine Bryony Gooch 31 July 2025 22:00 (Russian Defence Ministry/AFP via) (Russian Defence Ministry/AFP via) Bryony Gooch 31 July 2025 21:00 Trump escalates his war of words with Dmitry Medvedev, who had recently warned that U.S. actions were driving the country toward direct conflict with Russia Bryony Gooch 31 July 2025 20:00
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Zelensky urges allies to push for ‘regime change' in Russia
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday urged his allies to bring about 'regime change' in Russia, hours after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 11 people including a six-year-old boy. The overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble and wounded more than a hundred in the capital, according to authorities. The Russian army meanwhile claimed to have captured Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hillside town in eastern Ukraine where the two sides have been fiercely fighting for months. Moscow has stepped up its deadly aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, resisting US pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half year invasion as its forces grind forward on the battlefield. Speaking virtually to a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelenskyy said he believed Russia could be 'pushed' to stop the war. 'But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries,' the Ukrainian leader added. Between late Wednesday and early Thursday, Russia fired over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles at Ukraine, the main target of which was Kyiv, the Ukrainian air force said. One missile tore through a nine-storey residential building in western Kyiv, tearing off its facade, authorities said. AFP journalists at the scene of the strike saw rescuers scouring through a smouldering mound of broken concrete, the belongings of residents scattered among the debris. 'It's a shock. I still can't get my bearings. It's very frightening,' Valentyna Chestopal, a 28-year-old resident of Kyiv, told AFP. Tymofii was woken up by the sound of a missile, 'everything started falling on me. It was terrifying,' said the resident of the Solomyansky district, whose apartment was destroyed and described the experience as 'a nightmare.' Among the victims was a six-year-old boy, who died on the way to hospital in an ambulance, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said in a post on Telegram. The Russian army said it had hit Ukraine's military airfield, ammunition warehouse and drone production facilities with a combined overnight strike using high-precision weaponry and drones. The attack came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
After deadly Kyiv strike, Zelenskyy calls for Putin's removal
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday urged his allies to bring about "regime change" in Russia, hours after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 16 people including a six-year-old boy. The overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble and wounded at least 150 people in the capital, authorities said. The Russian army meanwhile claimed to have captured Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hillside town in eastern Ukraine where the two sides have been fiercely fighting for months. Moscow has stepped up its deadly aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, resisting US pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion as its forces grind forward on the battlefield. Speaking virtually to a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelenskyy said he believed Russia could be "pushed" to stop the war. "But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries," he said. From late Wednesday to early Thursday, Russia fired over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles at Ukraine, with Kyiv the main target, the Ukrainian air force said. One missile tore through a nine-storey residential building in the west of the capital, ripping off its facade, authorities said. AFP journalists at the scene saw rescuers scouring through a smouldering mound of broken concrete, the belongings of residents scattered among the debris. "It's a shock. I still can't get my bearings. It's very frightening," Valentyna Chestopal, a 28-year-old resident of Kyiv, told AFP. Among the victims was a six-year-old boy who died on the way to hospital, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, posted on Telegram. Zelenskyy said late Thursday that over 150 people had been injured, "including 16 children and six policemen", denouncing the "unimaginable scale of terror and brutality" of the Russian strikes. The Russian army said it had hit a military airfield, ammunition warehouse and drone production facilities with a combined overnight strike using weaponry and drones. The attack came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. Trump on Thursday blasted Russia's actions in Ukraine, suggesting that new sanctions against Moscow were coming. "Russia – I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting," Trump told journalists. "We're going to put sanctions," he said, before adding: "I don't know that sanctions bother him," referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia said Thursday that it had captured the town of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important military hub for Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy called Moscow's claim "Russian disinformation", saying that "Ukrainian units are defending our positions." Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko said Russian forces "have full control over the entire northern and eastern part" of Chasiv Yar, including districts that had been hardest to get. But he said fighting for the western side was ongoing, with the situation "very difficult." Taking control of Chasiv Yar would be a major military gain for Russia, which has been making steady territorial gains for months. Home to around 12,000 people before the war but now largely destroyed, the town could allow Russian forces to advance on remaining civilian strongholds in the eastern Donetsk region. The Kremlin has made the capture of the Donetsk region a priority since it claimed the industrial region as part of Russia in September 2022. Thursday's attacks came just hours before Ukrainian lawmakers overturned a highly criticised law, signed by Zelenskyy last week, that would have curbed the powers of two anti-graft bodies. Zelenskyy reversed course after the legislation sparked the biggest public unrest in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. The original law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics took to the streets in protest, saying the move would facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. The European Union said the bill could derail anti-corruption reforms that are key for joining the bloc.--AFP
NDTV
8 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Zelensky Urges Allies To Seek "Regime Change" In Russia
Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged his allies to bring about "regime change" in Russia, hours after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 16 people including a six-year-old boy. The overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble and wounded at least 150 people in the capital, authorities said. The Russian army meanwhile claimed to have captured Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hillside town in eastern Ukraine where the two sides have been fiercely fighting for months. Moscow has stepped up its deadly aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, resisting US pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion as its forces grind forward on the battlefield. Speaking virtually to a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelensky said he believed Russia could be "pushed" to stop the war. "But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries," he said. - Kyiv bombarded - From late Wednesday to early Thursday, Russia fired over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles at Ukraine, with Kyiv the main target, the Ukrainian air force said. One missile tore through a nine-storey residential building in the west of the capital, ripping off its facade, authorities said. AFP journalists at the scene saw rescuers scouring through a smouldering mound of broken concrete, the belongings of residents scattered among the debris. "It's a shock. I still can't get my bearings. It's very frightening," Valentyna Chestopal, a 28-year-old resident of Kyiv, told AFP. Among the victims was a six-year-old boy who died on the way to hospital, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, posted on Telegram. Zelensky said late Thursday that over 150 people had been injured, "including 16 children and six policemen", denouncing the "unimaginable scale of terror and brutality" of the Russian strikes. The Russian army said it had hit a military airfield, ammunition warehouse and drone production facilities with a combined overnight strike using weaponry and drones. The attack came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. Trump on Thursday blasted Russia's actions in Ukraine, suggesting that new sanctions against Moscow were coming. "Russia -- I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting," Trump told journalists. "We're going to put sanctions," he said, before adding: "I don't know that sanctions bother him," referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. - Key capture in east - Russia said Thursday that it had captured the town of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important military hub for Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donetsk region. Zelensky called Moscow's claim "Russian disinformation", saying that "Ukrainian units are defending our positions." Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko said Russian forces "have full control over the entire northern and eastern part" of Chasiv Yar, including districts that had been hardest to get. But he said fighting for the western side was ongoing, with the situation "very difficult". Taking control of Chasiv Yar would be a major military gain for Russia, which has been making steady territorial gains for months. Home to around 12,000 people before the war but now largely destroyed, the town could allow Russian forces to advance on remaining civilian strongholds in the eastern Donetsk region. The Kremlin has made the capture of the Donetsk region a priority since it claimed the industrial region as part of Russia in September 2022. - Anti-corruption bill overturned - Thursday's attacks came just hours before Ukrainian lawmakers overturned a highly criticised law, signed by Zelensky last week, that would have curbed the powers of two anti-graft bodies. Zelensky reversed course after the legislation sparked the biggest public unrest in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. The original law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics took to the streets in protest, saying the move would facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. The European Union said the bill could derail anti-corruption reforms that are key for joining the bloc.
LeMonde
8 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Zelensky urges allies to seek 'regime change' in Russia after latest deadly drone attack on Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, July 31, urged his allies to bring about "regime change" in Russia, hours after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 16 people, including a six-year-old boy, and wounded at least 150 others, authorities said. The overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-story apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble. The Russian army, meanwhile, claimed to have captured Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hillside town in eastern Ukraine where the two sides have been fiercely fighting for months. Moscow has stepped up its deadly aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, resisting US pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion as its forces grind forward on the battlefield. Speaking virtually to a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelensky said he believed Russia could be "pushed" to stop the war. "But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilize neighboring countries," he said. 'Unimaginable scale of terror' From late Wednesday to early Thursday, Russia fired over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles at Ukraine, with Kyiv the main target, the Ukrainian Air Force said. One missile tore through a nine-story residential building in the west of the capital, tearing off its facade, authorities said. AFP journalists at the scene saw rescuers scouring through a smoldering mound of broken concrete, the belongings of residents scattered among the debris. Among the victims was a six-year-old boy who died on the way to the hospital, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, posted on Telegram. Zelensky said late Thursday that over 150 people had been injured, "including 16 children and six policemen," denouncing an "unimaginable scale of terror and brutality" from the Russian strikes. Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said Friday had been declared a day of mourning in the capital for the victims. The Russian army said it had hit a military airfield, ammunition warehouse and drone production facilities with a combined overnight strike using weaponry and drones. The attack came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. Trump on Thursday blasted Russia's actions in Ukraine, suggesting that new sanctions against Moscow were coming. "Russia – I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting," Trump told journalists. "We're going to put sanctions," he said, before specificially referring to Putin: "I don't know that sanctions bother him."
