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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Putin has shown he doesn't respect Trump. Will Trump push back?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to May 10, based on 'humanitarian considerations,' is a complete joke. It is solely intended to ensure Ukraine does not strike Moscow as Putin and his guests celebrate Russia's World War II Victory Day Parade — the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany — on May 9. The Kremlin's air defense network has repeatedly demonstrated they cannot provide security against Ukrainian drones, cruise missiles, or special operators. On April 22, Ukrainian drones struck an ammunition depot of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate designed to hold up to 264,000 tons of munitions, just 37 miles from Moscow in the Vladimir region. The Russian defense ministry claimed a fire had broken out at the military depot due to a 'violating of safety standards,' and that 'As a result of a fire … ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated.' Nor are the streets of Moscow secured. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car just outside the Russian capital on April 25. Ukraine's Long Neptune, a new cruise missile believed to have a 600-mile range, is now Moscow's latest nemesis. The missile was used to strike an oil refinery in Tuapse, approximately 300 miles from the front lines in Ukraine on March 14. Coupled with the possible introduction of Germany's Taurus missile — Russia is increasingly vulnerable to interdiction and deep strikes well into its interior and Crimea. If Putin were truly interested in humanitarian considerations, he would have accepted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent proposal following the funeral service for Pope Francis in Rome. Ukraine called for an immediate and full 30-day ceasefire. Instead, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov immediately rejected it declaring that 'without resolving all the nuances, this is impossible.' Putin's ceasefire proposal is a farce to cover what his military cannot secure — Russian airspace. In the meantime, Russia continues to intentionally target innocent Ukrainian civilians in their residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and churches. Tragically, 164 Ukrainian civilians were killed and another 910 wounded in Russia attacks in March alone. How many more civilians will be killed or wounded by the Russians between now and May 8? Putin's drones struck Kyiv yet again early Tuesday morning, striking a residential building in the Samarivskyi district of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a 12-year-old girl. Ukraine's air force said the Russian strike consisted of 100 drones and that they were able to shoot down just 37. Then on Wednesday, at least 45 people were injured in major drone attacks throughout Ukraine. In Kharkiv, the attack damaged apartment buildings, private homes, a medical center, and other civilian infrastructure. Among the injured were a 16-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and a 24-year-old pregnant woman. In Dnipro, one person was killed and another was injured. At least five homes were damaged. It is time for Team Trump to stop pretending that Putin is 'serious about peace' – at least not the version of peace the West envisions. For Putin, 'peace is accomplished when Ukraine stops resisting. His intended end-state is the complete annihilation of Ukraine, its people, and its culture.' Putin has no intention of stopping the war. If Trump truly wants to 'stop the killing' and 'bring about an end to this war' he is going to have to make Putin stop. More sanctions alone are not the answer. Putin would only use them to buy more time. Stopping Putin means stopping the ballistic missile strikes. That requires a kinetic response –defensive and offensive. From a defensive perspective, it begins by implementing the European no-fly zone initiative known as Sky Shield. The plan involves the deployment of 120 fighter jets as part of a European air force to protect Kyiv and western Ukraine from potential Russian air attacks. Next, sell Zelensky the ten Patriot air defense systems he offered to purchase in mid-April for $15 billion to shield densely populated cities and Ukrainian civilians from ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks. Our NATO partners must also contribute additional air defense systems and munitions to create an integrated, layered air defense belt similar to the one Israel employed to defeat the Iranian attacks in April and October 2024. To stop Putin from killing Ukrainian civilians, they also need the ability to defeat the weapon systems — the ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, along with their crews, from wherever they fire. Similar to the tactic U.S. Central Command is using to defeat the Houthi threat in Yemen, they need authorization to strike radars, missile storage facilities and command and control centers. This will require precision deep strike munitions and precise targeting data. Trump needs to get behind German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who stated Germany is willing to send its Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine 'if it were done in conjunction with allies.' Together with those from France and the United Kingdom, German missiles can encourage Putin to stop attacking Ukraine. As John Lough, head of foreign policy at New Eurasian Strategies Centre, recently told CNN, 'Putin is playing a waiting game, because he believes that time is on his side and that he can force Ukraine into a more disadvantageous position and persuade Kyiv and its European allies with the help of Washington that there is no alternative to a peace settlement on Russian terms.' Putin must be pushed to the negotiation table — not enticed. The last 100 days under Team Trump's negotiations have yielded nothing except more death and destruction for Ukraine. Putin has shown he does not respect Trump. He mocks Trump, as do his propagandists. As Trump's Special Envoy, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, stated on Fox News, 'Russia's not winning this war. Russia has not made any major advances in the last year and a half. They haven't taken the city of Kyiv, the capital, they haven't pushed to the west of the Dnipro river, they haven't taken Odesa.' They simply target, kill, and wound Ukrainian civilians. Trump can stop the killing only by stopping Russia's ability to attack. Calling out Putin's May Day ceasefire farce would be a good place to start. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Sweet served 30 years as an Army intelligence officer. Mark Toth writes on national security and foreign policy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Putin has shown he doesn't respect Trump. Will Trump push back?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to May 10, based on 'humanitarian considerations,' is a complete joke. It is solely intended to ensure Ukraine does not strike Moscow as Putin and his guests celebrate Russia's World War II Victory Day Parade — the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany — on May 9. The Kremlin's air defense network has repeatedly demonstrated they cannot provide security against Ukrainian drones, cruise missiles, or special operators. On April 22, Ukrainian drones struck an ammunition depot of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate designed to hold up to 264,000 tons of munitions, just 37 miles from Moscow in the Vladimir region. The Russian defense ministry claimed a fire had broken out at the military depot due to a 'violating of safety standards,' and that 'As a result of a fire … ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated.' Nor are the streets of Moscow secured. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car just outside the Russian capital on April 25. Ukraine's Long Neptune, a new cruise missile believed to have a 600-mile range, is now Moscow's latest nemesis. The missile was used to strike an oil refinery in Tuapse, approximately 300 miles from the front lines in Ukraine on March 14. Coupled with the possible introduction of Germany's Taurus missile — Russia is increasingly vulnerable to interdiction and deep strikes well into its interior and Crimea. If Putin were truly interested in humanitarian considerations, he would have accepted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent proposal following the funeral service for Pope Francis in Rome. Ukraine called for an immediate and full 30-day ceasefire. Instead, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov immediately rejected it declaring that 'without resolving all the nuances, this is impossible.' Putin's ceasefire proposal is a farce to cover what his military cannot secure — Russian airspace. In the meantime, Russia continues to intentionally target innocent Ukrainian civilians in their residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and churches. Tragically, 164 Ukrainian civilians were killed and another 910 wounded in Russia attacks in March alone. How many more civilians will be killed or wounded by the Russians between now and May 8? Putin's drones struck Kyiv yet again early Tuesday morning, striking a residential building in the Samarivskyi district of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a 12-year-old girl. Ukraine's air force said the Russian strike consisted of 100 drones and that they were able to shoot down just 37. Then on Wednesday, at least 45 people were injured in major drone attacks throughout Ukraine. In Kharkiv, the attack damaged apartment buildings, private homes, a medical center, and other civilian infrastructure. Among the injured were a 16-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and a 24-year-old pregnant woman. In Dnipro, one person was killed and another was injured. At least five homes were damaged. It is time for Team Trump to stop pretending that Putin is ' serious about peace ' – at least not the version of peace the West envisions. For Putin, ' peace is accomplished when Ukraine stops resisting. His intended end-state is the complete annihilation of Ukraine, its people, and its culture.' Putin has no intention of stopping the war. If Trump truly wants to ' stop the killing ' and 'bring about an end to this war' he is going to have to make Putin stop. More sanctions alone are not the answer. Putin would only use them to buy more time. Stopping Putin means stopping the ballistic missile strikes. That requires a kinetic response –defensive and offensive. From a defensive perspective, it begins by implementing the European no-fly zone initiative known as Sky Shield. The plan involves the deployment of 120 fighter jets as part of a European air force to protect Kyiv and western Ukraine from potential Russian air attacks. Next, sell Zelensky the ten Patriot air defense systems he offered to purchase in mid-April for $15 billion to shield densely populated cities and Ukrainian civilians from ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks. Our NATO partners must also contribute additional air defense systems and munitions to create an integrated, layered air defense belt similar to the one Israel employed to defeat the Iranian attacks in April and October 2024. To stop Putin from killing Ukrainian civilians, they also need the ability to defeat the weapon systems — the ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, along with their crews, from wherever they fire. Similar to the tactic U.S. Central Command is using to defeat the Houthi threat in Yemen, they need authorization to strike radars, missile storage facilities and command and control centers. This will require precision deep strike munitions and precise targeting data. Trump needs to get behind German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who stated Germany is willing to send its Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine 'if it were done in conjunction with allies.' Together with those from France and the United Kingdom, German missiles can encourage Putin to stop attacking Ukraine. As John Lough, head of foreign policy at New Eurasian Strategies Centre, recently told CNN, 'Putin is playing a waiting game, because he believes that time is on his side and that he can force Ukraine into a more disadvantageous position and persuade Kyiv and its European allies with the help of Washington that there is no alternative to a peace settlement on Russian terms.' Putin must be pushed to the negotiation table — not enticed. The last 100 days under Team Trump's negotiations have yielded nothing except more death and destruction for Ukraine. Putin has shown he does not respect Trump. He mocks Trump, as do his propagandists. As Trump's Special Envoy, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, stated on Fox News, 'Russia's not winning this war. Russia has not made any major advances in the last year and a half. They haven't taken the city of Kyiv, the capital, they haven't pushed to the west of the Dnipro river, they haven't taken Odesa.' They simply target, kill, and wound Ukrainian civilians. Trump can stop the killing only by stopping Russia's ability to attack. Calling out Putin's May Day ceasefire farce would be a good place to start.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian long-range drone successfully completes 3,000-kilometer test, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on March 17 in his evening address that a Ukrainian long-range drone has successfully completed testing, demonstrating its ability to fly 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). "There is good news about long-range drones. Our drone has passed a 3,000-kilometer test," Zelensky said following a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for Ukraine's defense and security forces. Kyiv uses long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields, oil refineries, and logistics hubs. During the meeting, participants also discussed a new long-range missile developed by Ukraine, the Long Neptune. "We can say that we are satisfied with the results of the strikes. But we need to produce more missiles, more drones, and we will be talking about this with our partners this week," Zelensky said. Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk earlier said that the Ukrainian Navy is the only structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that uses the Long Neptun missiles. Ukraine has also developed long-range missile-drone hybrids, such as the Palianytsia and Peklo models, featuring turbojet engines as alternatives to cruise missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has set a target of producing at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025. Read also: 'Don't try to build a whole new drone:' How one Ukrainian wartime startup got into quantum encryption — and the West We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine unveils 600-mile cruise missile that can reach Moscow amid peace talks
Ukraine now has a cruise missile that can travel over 600 miles, far enough to reach Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy boasted over the weekend. "We have significant results," Zelenskyy said Saturday. "Long Neptune has been tested and successfully used in combat. A new Ukrainian missile, an accurate strike. The range is a thousand kilometers," or 620 miles. That puts Moscow within striking range. The missile has been in development for years. Battle watchers believe the combat success Zelenskyy referred to was a Friday strike on an oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia, some 300 miles from the front line. Russia Wants 'Ironclad' Guarantee That Ukraine Will Be Barred From Nato: Official The refinery is under 60 miles from Russian President Vladimir Putin's sprawling cliffside palace on the Black Sea in Gelendzhik. Read On The Fox News App The Neptune cruise missile was used in April 2022 to take out a flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Zelenskyy recently pledged that Ukraine would produce 100,000 long-range munitions in 2025. Trump, Putin Call Expected This Week, As Admin Edges Closer To Russia-ukraine Ceasefire Deal: Witkoff Russia intercepted and destroyed several Ukrainian drones flying over Moscow on Friday, with some coming as close as just two miles away from the Kremlin, according to Russian officials. White House envoy Steve Witkoff was in Moscow last week. The fresh attacks and new offensive weapons contradict the delicate ceasefire negotiations that will culminate in a phone call between President Donald Trump and Putin on Tuesday. Zelenskyy has already agreed to the terms of a 30-day ceasefire after meetings with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. "We'll be talking about land, we'll be talking about power plants, that's a big question. But I think we have a lot of it already discussed, very much, by both sides, Ukraine and Russia," Trump said of his call. Russia has not accepted the terms of the ceasefire and accelerated attacks on Ukraine after Zelenskyy said he would agree to article source: Ukraine unveils 600-mile cruise missile that can reach Moscow amid peace talks
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine made a new version of its 'Neptune' missile for strikes deep into Russia. It's already put it to work.
Ukraine has a new version of its Neptune missile with a longer range. Kyiv said the new weapon, which has a reach of over 600 miles, has already been used in combat. The Neptune began as an anti-ship cruise missile that was later modified for land attack missions. Ukraine has a new version of its homemade Neptune cruise missile for longer range, expanding the country's deep-strike arsenal, and it has already used the weapon against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he received "significant" news on the country's missile program, specifically that the "Long Neptune" had been tested and successfully used in combat. "A new Ukrainian missile, an accurate strike. The range is a thousand kilometers (or 620 miles)," Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging platform. "Thank you to our Ukrainian developers, manufacturers, and military. We continue to work to guarantee Ukrainian security." The Long Neptune missile is a bigger version of Kyiv's R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile, a subsonic truck-launched munition that Ukraine previously modified to strike land targets. It is made by the Ukrainian defense manufacturer Luch Design Bureau. The new "Long Neptune" missile has been in the works for some time. Last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that serial production of the missiles had expanded and that they were being upgraded to strike at longer ranges. The munition could previously hit targets over 200 miles away. The new version roughly triples its range. Ukraine has used Neptune missiles to strike high-value Russian targets, including the cruiser Moskva, once the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, in the early days of the full-scale invasion. The missile has also been used to attack high-end air defense batteries and oil terminals. The "Long Neptune" missile was reportedly used late last week to strike an oil refinery in the Russian city of Tuapse, some 300 miles from the front lines. It marked one of Ukraine's latest strikes targeting Moscow's energy sector as Kyiv looks to deprive its neighbor of critical revenue. The new missile exceeds the ranges of the ground- and air-launched missiles Ukraine received from its Western partners. The weapon comes as Kyiv's booming defense industry becomes increasingly self-reliant. The Neptune is part of a growing arsenal of homemade munitions as Ukraine looks to strengthen its deep-strike capabilities with missiles and drones. Kyiv has used its arsenal to hit key Russian airfields, ammunition storage warehouses, and energy facilities. Read the original article on Business Insider
