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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.
Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Moscow hit by triple explosions
Three explosions were heard in Moscow's central business district on Wednesday afternoon. A car exploded in the underground car park of a shopping mall, causing a fire, Russian state media said, citing emergency services. Footage showed thick black smoke billowing close to the Afimall City shopping centre on the banks of the Moskva River. There were no official reports on casualties or the scale of damage, with authorities claiming the blaze was brought under control shortly after the explosions. The incident took place near where a Russian drone brigade was filmed last week piloting a strike. Kremlin-aligned media last week posted – and then deleted – a video showing the Espanola brigade remotely piloting a drone strike from a high-rise building in Moscow. It is not yet clear whether Wednesday's explosions came as a result of a deliberate attack or if they were related to the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday a series of powerful explosions ripped through one of Russia's largest weapons arsenals, triggering a huge blaze close to Barsovo, a town east of Moscow. Local authorities declared a state of emergency in the Vladimir region, where footage showed a massive fireball, followed by a pall of smoke. The initial blast triggered almost a dozen secondary explosions close to where the 51st arsenal of Russia's Main Missile and Artillery Directorate is based. Last month, Kyiv's forces carried out their biggest drone attack on the Russian capital, killing three and shutting down its four airports. Russian air defences had earlier claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 337 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 91 around the Moscow region, as well as 126 in Kursk, which remains under partial Ukrainian control. All four of Moscow's main airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky – were affected by the drone swarm.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huge explosion destroys ammunition dump outside Moscow
A series of powerful explosions ripped through one of Russia's largest weapons arsenals, triggering a huge blaze and giant mushroom cloud. Local authorities declared a state of emergency in the Vladimir region on Tuesday, where footage showed a massive fireball, followed by a pall of smoke. The initial blast triggered close to a dozen secondary explosions close to Barsovo, a town east of Moscow, where the 51st arsenal of Russia's Main Missile and Artillery Directorate is based. It is still unclear what caused the explosions which came a day before a new round of peace talks between US, Ukrainian and European officials in London as Washington intensifies its efforts to end the three-year conflict. Russia's defence ministry said a fire had broken out at the military depot due to a 'violating of safety standards'and claimed that there were no casualties. 'As a result of a fire on the territory of a military unit in the Vladimir region, ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated,' it said, adding that a special commission was investigating the fire. There has been no comment from Ukraine, whose forces attempted to target the major weapons depot in March. Baza, a Telegram channel close to security services, said at least 10 to 11 explosions had occurred and firefighters from neighbouring regions had worked to contain the blaze. Videos posted on social media also showed emergency services vehicles racing towards the site of the blast. Credit: Telegram/@shot_shot | Telegram/@WarZoneInc Rybar, a Russian military blogger with links to Moscow's defence ministry, said that there had been no reports of a Ukrainian missile or drone attack in the region. 'Apparently, either human error or sabotage took place here,' he wrote on Telegram. Five people were killed in a similar accident at the depot in summer 2022 and in March this 2025, people from Barsovo were evacuated because of a Ukrainian drone attack. US officials are preparing to meet Ukrainian, British, French and German foreign ministers and national security advisers in London on Wednesday to discuss a US ceasefire proposal. Donald Trump's controversial plan includes a pause in fighting down the current lines of control, US recognition of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and reduced sanctions on Moscow. General Keith Kellogg, the US president's Ukraine envoy, will attend the talks while Steve Witkoff, US special envoy, is expected to visit Russia for the fourth time this week to try to push Vladimir Putin closer to a deal. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, said on Tuesday that his country would be ready to hold talks with Russia in any format once a full ceasefire was in place. A 30-hour Easter truce announced by Putin was branded a 'marketing operation'. 'We are ready to record that after a ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format so that there are no dead ends,' the Ukrainian leader said. Mr Zelensky added that he would be happy to meet Mr Trump later this week when they both attend the funeral of Pope Francis, which Putin will not attend due to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him. His statements followed Russia's claim that it captured one of the last remaining Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region after a 10-day battle. Moscow's forces are said to be in control of the St Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery in the border village of Gornal, around a mile from Ukraine. This means Kyiv's foothold inside Russia – and Mr Zelensky's bargaining chip in peace talks – has almost completely disappeared. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Huge explosion destroys ammunition dump outside Moscow
A series of powerful explosions ripped through one of Russia's largest weapons arsenals, triggering a huge blaze and giant mushroom cloud. Local authorities declared a state of emergency in the Vladimir region on Tuesday, where footage showed a massive fireball, followed by a pall of smoke. The initial blast triggered close to a dozen secondary explosions close to Barsovo, a town east of Moscow, where the 51st arsenal of Russia's Main Missile and Artillery Directorate is based. It is still unclear what caused the explosions which came a day before a new round of peace talks between US, Ukrainian and European officials in London as Washington intensifies its efforts to end the three-year conflict. Russia's defence ministry said a fire had broken out at the military depot due to a 'violating of safety standards'and claimed that there were no casualties. 'As a result of a fire on the territory of a military unit in the Vladimir region, ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated,' it said, adding that a special commission was investigating the fire. There has been no comment from Ukraine, whose forces attempted to target the major weapons depot in March. Baza, a Telegram channel close to security services, said at least 10 to 11 explosions had occurred and firefighters from neighbouring regions had worked to contain the blaze. Videos posted on social media also showed emergency services vehicles racing towards the site of the blast.
