Latest news with #Podolyak
Novaya Gazeta Europe
5 days ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Kyiv open but unhopeful on ceasefire ahead of Trump-Putin talks in Alaska — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Ukraine is willing to consider an aerial ceasefire with Russia, Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview ahead of Friday's talks in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Podolyak said that while Washington was proposing an all-out ceasefire, including an end to missile strikes and drone attacks, 'neither of those scenarios was accepted by Russia. Air strikes are key for Moscow as it attempts to exert psychological pressure on Ukraine.' Russia was 'unlikely to want to give up on airstrikes and the mass use of drones', Podolyak said. However, Ukraine was willing to consider the scenario and 'sees it as the first stage in realistic negotiations,' Podolyak said. Podolyak's comments follow a report by The Economist on Saturday, in which sources said that Putin had suggested a 'limited ceasefire, in the air and sea' during the talks with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff last week. However, the views on what could be deemed a satisfactory outcome of peace negotiations seem as far apart as ever in Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. On 5 August, Zelensky said that he fully supported Trump's proposal of an immediate ceasefire. 'We have already tried many ways … to bring about a ceasefire and stop the killings. We have offered Russia an aerial ceasefire and an end to missile and drone strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure. All of which was rejected by the Russians,' Zelensky explained. On Wednesday, European leaders and Zelensky are due to hold a video conference with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, where they are likely to discuss Friday's meeting in Alaska.
France 24
08-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Kyiv, Moscow residents baffled by Trump's wavers on Ukraine aid
Moscow first revelled in the move to pause the support -- only to warn on Tuesday that sending arms to Ukraine served to prolong the conflict. In Kyiv, the move to freeze shipments prompted fears for US-made air-defence systems, crucial for shielding Ukraine's cities from Russian daily drone and missile attacks. On Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's senior advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Trump's latest move "was expected, as it aligns with the core strategic interests of the United States". But for Kyiv resident Valentyna Minakova, the US president's sudden change of mind was not a reason to rejoice. "He says one thing today and another tomorrow," the 58-year-old told AFP, adding: "We can't count on him at all, absolutely not." "But let's hope that he will give us something. At least what we need for air defence, to protect our civilian population," Minakova, unemployed, said. The sentiment was shared by Vira Tykhonenko, a 50-year-old retail worker. "I'll tell you one thing: I don't trust him. I didn't trust him during his first term, and now even less so," she said. "Because everything he says doesn't match his actions," Tyhonenko told AFP. Similar as for student Egor Kyryukhin, Trump's reversal on weapons shipments to Ukraine was too early to celebrate. "I'd wait until he actually delivers them," the 20-year-old told AFP. "Trump makes a lot of statements, different ones," Kyryukhin said. 'He's crazy' In Moscow, many residents AFP spoke to also shrugged away Trump's latest statements on Ukraine. "This person is mentally unstable, in my opinion," said Ekaterina, a 56-year-old Russian teacher who declined to give her full name. Trump "makes impulsive decisions, and this harms the whole world and prolongs the situation, leads it to a dead end," she added, echoing earlier statements from the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian state media, said it was "obvious of course that these actions probably do not align with attempts to promote a peaceful resolution." For 23-year-old Mikhail, who works in marketing, Trump's decisions "delay the end" of the over three-year conflict. "I think nothing will change. In general, he's crazy... That's why it neither disappointed me nor surprised me," he told AFP. "I don't know at all when it will all end," Mikhail added. © 2025 AFP
02-07-2025
- Politics
US freezes air defense and precision weapons shipment to Ukraine, White House says
LONDON -- The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's administration froze the shipment of some air defense and precision guided weapons that were on track to be sent to Ukraine. Officials said the decision followed an assessment of U.S. stockpiles. "This decision was made to put America's interests first following a DOD review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned -- just ask Iran," she added in a statement sent to reporters. Politico first reported the decision. It was not immediately clear whether other shipments of weapons would be released or how much was paused. The Pentagon declined to provide additional details about the decision. "America's military has never been more ready and more capable thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's leadership," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. "Our service members are fully equipped to deter against any threat and the Senate's recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill ensures that our weapons and defense systems are modernized to protect against 21st century threats for generations to come." Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby provided an updated statement Wednesday saying the military is continuing to provide Trump "with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end." Mykhailo Podolyak -- a top adviser to Ukraine's presidential office -- denied that the U.S. will end its supply air defenses to Ukraine. Speaking on Ukrainian television on Wednesday, Podolyak said negotiations are ongoing on how to provide them, including potential purchases by Kyiv. "America will not abandon its support for Ukraine in protecting civilians from Russian strikes," Podolyak said. "There are enough anti-missile systems and missiles for them in U.S. warehouses." "Negotiations on their supply to Ukraine, including on a commercial basis, are ongoing," Podolyak said. Ukraine's Defense Ministry also commented on the reports, saying in a post to Telegram it "has not received any official notification regarding the suspension or revision of delivery schedules for the agreed defense assistance." The ministry said it requested a phone call with its U.S. counterparts "to further clarify the details." "For Ukraine, it is critically important to maintain resilience, continuity, and predictability in the provision of the agreed defense assistance -- especially in strengthening our air defense systems," the ministry said. "We are grateful to the United States for all its support and highly value the efforts of our American partners aimed at achieving genuine peace. We emphasize that the path to ending the war lies through consistent and collective pressure on the aggressor, as well as through continued support for Ukraine." Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's party and the chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, told ABC News that the reports are "concerning, of course, but I hope that it's some kind of technical delay." "If not, then it might have negative impact on our defense capabilities -- especially when it comes to air defense," Merezhko added. Any hint of a delay in aid, the lawmaker warned, would "embolden" Russian President Vladimir Putin "to intensify bombardments." The military shipment was frozen comes just a week after Trump signaled his openness to selling Patriot missiles to Ukraine. After meeting with Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump said, "They do want to have the anti-missile, missiles," Trump said of Ukraine. "As they call them the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available." "You know, they're very hard to get. We need them too. We were supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective," Trump said. "As far as money going, we'll see what happens. There's a lot of spirit," Trump added. The Patriot system is especially valuable to Ukraine, having been used to down Russian ballistic missiles, drones and aircraft since arriving in the country in the spring of 2023. Russia is intensifying its near-nightly drone and missile attacks on cities and targets all across Ukraine. June saw Moscow set a new monthly record for the number of long-range drones and missiles launched into Ukraine -- 5,438 drones and 239 missiles -- according to figures published by the Ukrainian air force. The U.S. remained the most generous single contributor of aid to Ukraine as of April 2025, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a research group based in Germany that tracks support from foreign governments toward Ukraine. The U.S. has contributed around $130 billion in total aid to Ukraine since 2022, of which $74 billion is military assistance. Combined, European Union nations have contributed more overall -- $157 billion -- but less than the U.S. on the military front, at slightly less than $73 billion. Ukraine's budget for military and security spending approved by lawmakers in late 2024 was around $53.7 billion. Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of curtailing or ending U.S. military support for Kyiv, both on the campaign trail and since returning to office in January. A nine-month pause on U.S. aid in 2024, due to a gridlocked Congress, forced Kyiv to consider a future without American assistance. Those fears materialized in March 2025 when Trump imposed a week-long freeze on all American military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The flow soon resumed, but Trump's frustration has only deepened as U.S.-brokered peace talks floundered. The administration approved a $50 million sale of military aid to Ukraine in April, but only after Kyiv signed off on a controversial minerals sharing deal. The White House is also yet to use some $3.9 billion earmarked to fund military aid to Ukraine -- to be drawn from existing U.S. stocks, meaning it can be delivered quickly -- that former President Joe Biden was not able to spend before the end of his term. Zelenskyy said early this year that American aid accounts for 30% of Ukrainian weaponry. Though other estimates go as low as 20%, Washington remains a key benefactor -- particularly for advanced weapons systems for which Ukraine has no domestically- or European-produced analogues.
Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Zelensky will refuse to negotiate ‘with anyone other than Putin'
President Zelensky will be in Turkey for potential talks on ending the war with Russia, but he will refuse to negotiate with anyone but President Putin, a Ukrainian presidential adviser has said, as Moscow declined to confirm the Russian leader's plans. 'Only Putin can decide whether the war continues or ends. That's indisputable,' Mykhailo Podolyak told Russian journalists, ruling out talks between Zelensky and Russian ministers or negotiators. 'We understand how power is structured in Russia,' Podolyak said. 'It's clear that even people with formal ministerial status — or even someone like [Russian prime minister, Mikhail] Mishustin — are unlikely to be authorised to make key decisions.' Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine would 'do everything' to ensure that a summit meeting with Putin takes
Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Russia launches smallest nighttime attack on Ukraine in months in run-up to possible peace talks
Lower-level talks would amount to simply 'dragging out' any peace process, Podolyak said. European leaders have recently accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he attempts to press his bigger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. Advertisement Russia effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire demanded by Ukraine and Western European leaders from Monday, when it fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine. Putin instead offered direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted a Russian delegation would be in Istanbul without preconditions. Both sides are preparing a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield, where a war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Monday that Russia is 'quickly replenishing front-line units with new recruits to maintain the battlefield initiative.' Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and European leaders but offered direct talks with Ukraine. Advertisement Putin has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, especially Zelenskyy himself, saying his term expired last year. Under Ukraine's constitution, it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while it's under martial law, as it now is. In a further complication, a Ukrainian decree from 2022 rules out negotiations with Putin. But the U.S. has been applying stiff pressure on both sides since President Donald Trump came to power with a promise to end the war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Monday with the top diplomats from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, who were meeting in London, to assess 'the way forward for a ceasefire and path to peace in Ukraine,' spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Those European countries had pledged further sanctions on Russia if it didn't comply with a full ceasefire that Ukraine had accepted from Monday, but they made no announcement of additional punitive measures.
