Latest news with #MoskovskyKomsomolets
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Russia, Ukraine set to hold more peace talks after Kyiv strikes nuclear-capable bombers
Russian and Ukrainian officials arrived at a palace in Istanbul on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has warned the US could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus, along with senior Turkish officials, though there was an unexplained delay in the start of talks, which had been slated to start at 10 GMT. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said that Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. Russia has said it will present its own draft peace accord at the talks along with unspecified ceasefire proposals. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1,000 prisoners, but no sign of peace – or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Lithuania for talks, said on Monday that ceasefire and humanitarian issues, such as returning more prisoners from Russia would be a priority for Kyiv at the Istanbul talks. Ukraine regards Russia's approach to date as an attempt to force it to capitulate – something it says it will never do – while Moscow, which advanced on the battlefield in May at its fastest rate in six months, says Kyiv should submit to peace on Russian terms or face losing more territory. Amid low expectations of a breakthrough, a Ukrainian source told Reuters ahead of Monday's talks that Kyiv was ready to take real steps towards peace if Moscow showed flexibility and what they described as a readiness to 'move forward, not just repeat the same previous ultimatums.' The mood in Russia before the talks was angry, with influential war bloggers calling on Moscow to deliver a fearsome retaliatory blow against Kyiv after Ukraine on Sunday launched one of its most ambitious attacks of the war, targeting Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers in Siberia and elsewhere. Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched 472 drones at Ukraine, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia's Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper cited Vasily Stoyakin, a political analyst, as saying it was hard to imagine the Istanbul talks producing much given how far apart the two sides were. 'It's some kind of theatre of the absurd going on in Istanbul right now. The two sides are going to discuss completely different agendas,' it cited Stoyakin as saying.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Vladimir Putin's electrician for 'secret palace' blown up in 'assassination attempt'
An electrician who worked at a secret palace belonging to Vladimir Putin is reportedly seriously wounded and in a coma after an explosion at his Moscow flat. Mikhail Mukhin, 34, serviced the Valdai residence in north of Moscow which the Russian dictator is said to share with his alleged lover Alina Kabaeva, 41, and their two young children, according to Telegram channel VChK-OGPU. It said details of the explosion, including its cause, were immediately classified but the report said there was a 'smell of gunpowder' at this scene, raising the possibility of an assassination attempt. Three people died in the blast. The victims included nursery school teacher Natalya Leonova, 38. As many as 13 others were wounded according to reports on Monday, which did not mention Mukhin and said a gas explosion caused the blast. Harrowing footage showed the victims of a neighbouring eighth floor flat at the windows as it was engulfed by flames. They were pleading in vain for rescue. The channel reported today: 'All case materials were classified, even doctors were forbidden to discuss the nature of Mikhail's injuries with relatives - he is in a coma.' It stressed 'the cause of the explosion is carefully hidden.' The channel published a picture of a man which it claimed was the palace electrician. 'Mikhail Mukhin, as an invited specialist, was in charge of the work to replace the lighting system in Putin's residence in Valdai at the end of 2024," it reported. "He told his acquaintances that he was again called to the residence in Valdai and that he must definitely go there on Wednesday." But early on Monday, 'a strong explosion thundered in the apartment where Mukhin lived. After the incident, the entrance smelled of gunpowder, not gas.' Mukhin 'received serious injuries and was secretly hospitalised from the scene of the incident, first to [Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine] and then transferred to a burn centre.' He was reportedly identified by his ex-partner Yana Tikhomirova, who had moved out of the apartment in the building on General Tyulenev Street two months ago. The channel said Mukhin 'has multiple burns on his body and is in a coma. At the same time, the hair on his head is burnt at the back, and his lungs are not affected.' Reports said that Leonova, 38, a kindergarten teacher, was killed in the explosion along with her son, 19, and mother. Two of Leona's children were hospitalised. Her partner is said to be a fighter in Putin's war, and was away from home. News outlet Moskovsky Komsomolets said the epicentre of the explosion was in a one-room apartment - where Mukhin is believed to have lived - and not in the neighbouring three-room apartment where three people died. Putin, 72, shares the secret Valdai palace retreat, some 230 miles northwest of the Kremlin, with alleged secret lover Kabaeva and their sons Ivan, ten, and Vladimir junior, six. The dictator has never admitted to his relationship with Kabaeva, or his sons, and at the weekend showed Russians his flat in the Kremlin, rather than any of his lavish residences such as the Valdai retreat.
Memri
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Renowned Russian Academic Sergei Karaganov: The U.S. Proposal To Reduce Nuclear Weapons Is A Trap
On March 10, 2025, the Russian media outlet Moskovsky Komsomolets published an interview with renowned Russian academic Prof. Sergei Karaganov, who is a former advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the interview, Prof. Karaganov disagreed with President Donald Trump's proposal to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China. [1] "Many in our country believe that the fewer nuclear weapons, the better. But this is imported from U.S. strategic thinking. We do not need an excess of nuclear arms, of course, but we do need enough so that no one would ever think about starting a war against Russia or its closest allies, or about a major war at all," Prof. Karaganov stated. Renowned Russian Academic Sergei Karaganov Below is a translation of Moskovsky Komsomolets' interview with Prof. Karaganov: [2] "On February 6, U.S. President Donald Trump said that, contrary to French President Emmanuel Macron, he would like denuclearization, and that he expected to start negotiations on it with Russia and China. However, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that 'there have been no concrete negotiations on arms control between the Russian Federation and the United States, and there is no understanding as to when or where they will begin.' Political scientist and economist Sergei Karaganov explains why denuclearization is not desirable. "On March 5, French President Emmanuel Macron declared Russia a threat to France and Europe, and called for discussing the use of France's nuclear weapons to protect the EU, noting that the U.S. had changed its position on Ukraine and on its own leading role in NATO. "Responding to a question about Macron's initiative, President Trump said that he would like the 'opposite,' namely nuclear arms reduction, and was hoping to discuss this with Russia and China. "The Federation of American Scientists has calculated that nine countries together possess 12,000 nuclear warheads, the total having increased over the past 40 years by 700, due to growth in the arsenals of China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea. Russia tops the list with 5,580 warheads, followed by the U.S. with 5,044. "Moskovsky Komsomolets asked renowned Russian political scientist and economist Sergei Karaganov to explain the situation." "We Ourselves Forgot About The Many Functions Of Nuclear Deterrence" "Question: 'If nuclear weapons are to be reduced, then this should probably be done by all nuclear-armed states, not just by Russia and China, which the U.S. National Strategy designates as adversaries?' "Karaganov: 'Such proposals, which I have heard from American strategists and experts for decades, only make me smile or smirk. The U.S. – with its technological, economic, and military preponderance, with its still-powerful conventional forces (especially the navy), and with an advantage in space – has an interest in reducing nuclear weapons. They make the U.S.'s colossal investments in other military spheres pointless, and nullify its economic, technological, and demographic advantages vis-à-vis Russia. By drawing us into trilateral or even multilateral negotiations, the Americans would like to drive a wedge in our relations with friendly China. "'Many in our country believe that the fewer nuclear weapons, the better. But this is imported from U.S. strategic thinking. We don't need an excess of nuclear arms, of course, but we do need enough so that no one would ever think about starting a war against Russia or its closest allies, or about a major war at all. "'At some point in history, we ourselves forgot about the many functions of nuclear deterrence, which is needed for preventing not only nuclear aggression, but also any war. It nullifies any advantages – demographic, economic, or military-technological – of the enemy. "'We have just seen how, by failing to use nuclear deterrence at the very beginning of the armed conflict, we got what we got in Ukraine. "'But, thanks to God, or our expert community, we have finally activated our nuclear deterrence capabilities, amended the nuclear doctrine, and begun, although not vigorously enough, to move up the so-called ladder of nuclear deterrence.'" "I Regret That We Did Not Activate The Mechanism Of Nuclear Deterrence Earlier" "Question: 'What is behind these amendments to the nuclear doctrine?' "Karaganov: 'At the beginning of last summer, a discussion began about the need to increase reliance on nuclear deterrence, and we eventually did amend our nuclear doctrine, and climbed several steps up the nuclear deterrence escalation ladder. This convinced our opponents of our readiness to use nuclear weapons, if desperately needed. Further continuation of the war threatened to lead the Americans into a situation where they are deprived of the possibility to rely on their economic and other advantages. Either they would suffer a shameful defeat, or they would see nuclear strikes against their allies and their own foreign military bases. At first, they said that Russia would never use nuclear weapons, and therefore they could continue the war to the last Ukrainian, until Russia was exhausted. Then, having received signals from Russia, they stopped saying that, and started talking about the need to avoid World War III and stop the escalation. The U.S. had come to this understanding by the end of Biden's term, although just before the end, Biden tried to force a continuation of the war, and responsibility for it and the associated failure, onto the next administration. Trump did not fall into this trap, he simply resumed the U.S.'s exit from the lost war. "'I regret that we did not activate the mechanism of nuclear deterrence earlier, then we would have achieved victory faster.'" "Nuclear Weapons Cannot Be Reduced Under Any Circumstances" "Question: 'So the situation changed even under Biden?' "Karaganov: 'Yes, the Americans realized that they could not win this war. We are restoring our economic and military-technical potential, but still lag behind demographically and economically. This is why we have placed emphasis on nuclear deterrence, which should prevent any war, making it unlikely and impermissibly costly for the aggressor. "'We can discuss limiting some types of weapons, for example, biological ones, which are now being widely developed, space weapons, or long-range missiles and drones, which will increasingly threaten people's normal life. The technological revolution that has made missiles and drones so cheap creates enormous risk for human beings. In fact, terrorists could also use them. "'But nuclear weapons cannot be reduced under any circumstances. We should remember that there are a lot of people here in Russia who were brought up within the American ideological framework, who support any disarmament and will take Trump's words at face value. But these words are mere trickery. It is a trap, an attempt to repeat Reagan's trick with Mikhail Gorbachev, who was а nice person but a bit simple. So, I hope that our American opponents (and, hopefully, partners in the future) understand that there can be no positive response to their proposal.'" "Nuclear Parasitism – The Absence Of The Self-Preserving Fear Of War – Has Taken Its Deepest Roots In Europe" "Question: 'Are Europeans afraid of nuclear conflict?' "Karaganov: 'One of the unfortunate consequences of the relatively peaceful period that began in the early 1960s – although there were local, peripheral conflicts – is the loss of the fear of nuclear war. Until very recently, the Americans deliberately spread the view that it's not so terrible. Nuclear parasitism – the absence of the self-preserving fear of war – has taken its deepest roots in Europe. "'We need to use nuclear deterrence so that the Europeans go away as far and as soon as possible. Or defeat them completely.'" "It Seems To Be Time For The French 'Deep State' And French People To Clear Their Leadership Of Idiots"; "No One Is Going To Attack Europe" "Question: 'Is French President Emmanuel Macron's proposed nuclear umbrella for Europe realistic?' "Karaganov: 'I will not insult a once-great country. But the idea of extending the French nuclear umbrella onto other countries is utterly laughable. I have written many times, and American experts have never disagreed, that the United States will under no circumstances use nuclear weapons against Russia in the event of war in Europe. It's an axiom. The American nuclear doctrine foresees their use, but this is a total bluff. What Macron says is stupidity that humiliates the great country of France. I have written and said many times that no American president, unless he is crazy or hates America, will use nuclear weapons 'in defense' of hypothetical Poznan, thus risking Boston. Will the French president put Paris under attack for the sake of Berlin? It seems to be time for the French 'deep state' and French people to clear their leadership of idiots. And by the way, no one is going to attack Europe. We are responding to NATO's many years of military-political aggression. The best way to ensure European security is to respect Russia's interests and even be friends with it. But the pygmies governing Europe right now are unable to understand this. It's time to replace them or defeat them." [1] February 14, 2025. [2] March 10, 2025. Interview by Ioanna Kovaleva.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rosenberg: How Putin and Trump shook up the world in a week
When he penned his eyewitness account of the 1917 Russian Revolution, American journalist John Reed famously titled it Ten Days That Shook The World. But 10 days is too long for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. They've shaken things up in a week. It began with the Putin-Trump telephone conversation on 12 February and their presidential pledges to kickstart relations. It continued with the Munich Security Conference and a schism between Europe and America. Next stop Saudi Arabia for the Russia-US talks: the first high-level in-person contacts between the two countries since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a week that has upended traditional alliances, left Europe and Ukraine scrambling to respond, raised fears for European security and put Russia where it wants to be: at the top table of global politics, without having made any concessions to get there. Follow the latest developments live Sarah Rainsford: Moscow is back at the table Who was at the US-Russia talks? Jeremy Bowen: No sign of a quick peace dividend for Trump One image dominates Wednesday morning's Russian newspapers: senior Russian and American officials at the negotiating table in Riyadh. The Kremlin wants the Russian public and the international community to see that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine have failed. Russian media are welcoming the prospect of warmer ties with Washington and pouring scorn on European leaders and Kyiv. "Trump knows he will have to make concessions [to Russia] because he is negotiating with the side that's winning in Ukraine," writes pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. "He will make concessions. Not at America's expense, but at the expense of Europe and Ukraine. "For so long Europe had gone around all puffed up, thinking of itself as the civilised world and as a Garden of Eden. It failed to notice it had lost its trousers… now its old comrade across the Atlantic has pointed that out…" On the streets of Moscow I don't detect that level of gloating. Instead, people are watching and waiting to see whether Trump will really turn out to be Russia's new best friend and whether he can bring an end to the war in Ukraine. "Trump is a businessman. He's only interested in making money," Nadezhda tells me. "I don't think things will be any different. There's too much that needs to be done to change the situation." "Perhaps those talks [in Saudi Arabia] will help," says Giorgi. "It's high time we stopped being enemies." "Trump is active. He's energetic. But will he do anything?" wonders Irina. "We dream that these negotiations will bring peace. It's a first step. And maybe this will help our economy. Food and other goods keep going up in price here. That's partly because of the special military operation [the war in Ukraine] and the general international situation." Putin and Trump have spoken on the phone; their two teams have met in Saudi Arabia; a presidential summit is expected soon. But a few days ago the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets tried to imagine what the two leaders had said to each other during last week's phone call. They came up with this rendition: "Trump called Putin. 'Vladimir! You've got a cool country and I've got a cool country. Shall we go and divide up the world?' 'What have I been saying all along? Let's do it!…." Make-believe? We'll see.
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
How Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump shook up the world in a week
When he penned his eyewitness account of the 1917 Russian Revolution, American journalist John Reed famously titled it Ten Days That Shook The 10 days is too long for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. They've shaken things up in a began with the Putin-Trump telephone conversation on 12 February and their presidential pledges to kickstart continued with the Munich Security Conference and a schism between Europe and America. Next stop Saudi Arabia for the Russia-US talks: the first high-level in-person contacts between the two countries since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of is a week that has upended traditional alliances, left Europe and Ukraine scrambling to respond, raised fears for European security and put Russia where it wants to be: at the top table of global politics, without having made any concessions to get there. Follow the latest developments liveSarah Rainsford: Moscow is back at the table Who was at the US-Russia talks?Jeremy Bowen: No sign of a quick piece dividend for Trump One image dominates this morning's Russian newspapers: senior Russian and American officials at the negotiating table in Riyadh. The Kremlin wants the Russian public and the international community to see that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine have media are welcoming the prospect of warmer ties with Washington and pouring scorn on European leaders and Kyiv."Trump knows he will have to make concessions [to Russia] because he is negotiating with the side that's winning in Ukraine," writes pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. "He will make concessions. Not at America's expense, but at the expense of Europe and Ukraine.""For so long Europe had gone around all puffed up, thinking of itself as the civilised world and as a Garden of Eden. It failed to notice it had lost its trousers… now its old comrade across the Atlantic has pointed that out…"On the streets of Moscow I don't detect that level of gloating. Instead, people are watching and waiting to see whether Donald Trump will really turn out to be Russia's new best friend and whether he can bring an end to the war in Ukraine."Trump is a businessman. He's only interested in making money," Nadezhda tells me. "I don't think things will be any different. There's too much that needs to be done to change the situation.""Perhaps those talks [in Saudi Arabia] will help," says Giorgi. "It's high time we stopped being enemies." "Trump is active. He's energetic. But will he do anything?" wonders Irina. "We dream that these negotiations will bring peace. It's a first step. And maybe this will help our economy. Food and other goods keep going up in price here. That's partly because of the special military operation [the war in Ukraine] and the general international situation."Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have spoken on the phone; their two teams have met in Saudi Arabia; a presidential summit is expected a few days ago the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets tried to imagine what the two leaders had said to each other during last week's phone call. They came up with this rendition:"Trump called Putin.'Vladimir! You've got a cool country and I've got a cool country. Shall we go and divide up the world?''What have I been saying all along? Let's do it!…."Make-believe? We'll see.
