Latest news with #Pro-Ukraine
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. "Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. 'Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pro-Ukraine Republican agrees with Trump on 'CRAZY' Putin, urges 'Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW'
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., called Russian President Vladimir Putin "crazy," expressing support for Ukraine and advocating for "Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW." "I agree with President Trump, war criminal Putin is crazy. The civilized world will not sit by for Putin's imperial tantrum at the cost of more children's lives. Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW. Grateful to stand with Ukraine as they continue to repel this unprovoked INVASION and work for peace in their homeland," Wilson wrote on X on Monday. President Donald Trump asserted in a Sunday night Truth Social post that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY!" and is "needlessly killing" many people. Germany's Chancellor Ends Weapons Range Limits For Ukraine Despite Russian Nuclear Threats Trump, who has been aiming to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the post as well, declaring, "Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop." In a Monday night post on X, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged President Trump to act. Read On The Fox News App "I've had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl. Pres Trump Take action AT LEAST SANCTIONS," Grassley said in the post. Gop Lawmaker Blasts 'Dumb' Trump Comment On Zelenskyy Despite 'Perfect' Criticism Of Putin A massive bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators is supporting a proposed sanctions measure. Grassley is an original cosponsor on the Senate measure and Wilson is an original cosponsor on the House edition. Zelenskyy is also advocating for sanctions. Russia, Ukraine Swap Hundreds Of Prisoners Hours After Moscow Launches Massive Aerial Assault "New and strong sanctions against Russia — from the United States, from Europe, and from all those around the world who seek peace — will serve as a guaranteed means of forcing Russia not only to cease fire, but also to show respect," Zelenskyy declared Monday in a post on article source: Pro-Ukraine Republican agrees with Trump on 'CRAZY' Putin, urges 'Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky sends delegation to Turkey, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16
Key developments on May 15: Zelensky sends Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16 Trump expects no progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks until he meets Putin Pro-Ukraine partisans sabotage railway track near Russia's Smolensk Ukraine shows its latest 'ship-killer' Magura drone series to the public for the first time US proposes reviving NATO-Russia Council, Bloomberg reports President Volodymyr Zelensky announced during a press conference on May 15 that he will not personally participate in the upcoming negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, instead sending a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Speaking in Ankara, Zelensky clarified that Ukraine's delegation would not include the head of the General Staff, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as it was previously suggested. Among other members of Ukraine's delegation are First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya, Deputy SBU Chief Oleksandr Poklad, Military Intelligence Deputy Head Vadym Skibitskyi, as well as other national security and intelligence officials. The delegation will engage with representatives from Turkey, the United States, and Russia. Agreeing on a ceasefire, according to Zelensky, remains a key priority. "Out of respect for President Trump, the high level of the Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and since we want to try to achieve at least the first steps toward de-escalation, an end to the war – namely a ceasefire – I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul," Zelensky said. After Moscow proposed to hold peace talks in Turkey this week, Zelensky agreed and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader declined to attend and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the talks. "We see that they, unfortunately, are very unserious about real negotiations. So far, we do not see any real decision-makers among those present," Zelensky said at the press conference. Zelensky said that, under the current circumstances, he sees no reason for his or certain other top officials' presence in Istanbul, given that Putin declined to attend. Read also: 'It's a mess' — after all the hype, Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul descend into name-calling shambles U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 15 that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will not move forward until he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported. "Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together," the U.S. president told journalists aboard Air Force One before landing in Dubai as part of his Middle Eastern tour. Trump has previously suggested he might join the talks on May 16 if progress is made, but downplayed Putin's absence on the first day of the negotiations, saying, "Why would he go if I'm not going?" Later on May 15, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey are unlikely to yield meaningful progress, calling the low-level Russian delegation "not indicative of one that's going to lead to a major breakthrough." "I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm 100% wrong. I hope tomorrow the news says they've agreed to a ceasefire, they've agreed to enter serious negotiations," Rubio told reporters during a briefing in Ankara. "But I'm just giving you my assessment." Rubio said that meaningful progress would likely only come through a meeting between Trump and Putin. "The next thing that has to happen for there to be a breakthrough is going to involve President Trump's direct involvement," Rubio said. "And I believe the president shares my assessment." Rubio also said he would meet with Ukraine's senior delegation and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, while other lower-level members of the U.S. team will attend the talks involving Russian representatives. He added that Trump is "impatient to end this war," saying, 'Our goal here is to achieve peace — whether that begins with a 30-day ceasefire, a one-day ceasefire, or a final deal that's all negotiated in a single day. To us, the process is less important than the outcome.' Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Members of Ukraine's Atesh partisan group have set fire to a relay cabinet at a Russian railway track used by the Russian military, the group said on May 15. The operation was allegedly carried out in Russia's Smolensk Oblast, a western region bordering Belarus, to disrupt arms and equipment shipments to Russian forces stationed at Ukraine's northeastern border. The Ukrainian leadership has warned that Moscow is amassing forces near Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts in the northeast for a potential new offensive. "Thanks for the courageous steps by our partisans, Russia faced serious disruption in timely deliveries of front-line supplies," Atesh said on Telegram. A video shared by the partisans shows an unknown person behind the camera setting fire to the relay cabinet at night. According to the partisans, the targeted equipment was located close to the city of Smolensk, some 270 kilometers (170 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Read also: Putin appoints Russian Ground Forces Commander Saliukov to Security Council role Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on May 14 for the first time presented its latest versatile Magura naval drones to the public. The Magura drones, as well as the Sea Baby drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), have been pivotal in turning the tide of the war in the Black Sea, destroying or damaging multiple Russian ships and other assets. HUR's Group 13 has deployed Magura drones to successfully hit 17 naval and aerial Russian targets. Fifteen of them, including two Mi-8 helicopters, two Su-30 fighter jets, and theSergey Kotov, Ivanovets, and Ceasar Kunikov warships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, have been destroyed, the agency said. Several variants of the Magura drones exist, including the "ship-killer" V5, the V7 capable of carrying machine guns or anti-air missiles, and the multi-platform V6P. As of 2024, Ukraine was reportedly able to destroy or disable one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in a drone and missile campaign, despite Moscow's significant advantage in sheer naval power. Black Sea hostilities have since then quieted down as Russia moved most of its naval assets from occupied Crimea further east and Ukraine managed to resume its maritime shipping. Read also: Norway to complete F-16 deliveries to Ukraine by end of 2025, minister says The United States is proposing to revive the NATO-Russia Council as part of a broader American plan to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing unnamed sources. In April, Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan also included Washington's de jure recognition of Russia's control over occupied Crimea, along with de facto recognition of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories, offering sanctions relief, and freezing the war along current front lines. The proposal to revive the NATO-Russia Council, a forum for military and political dialogue frozen since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is a new part added to the American proposal, according to Bloomberg. The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) was created in 2002 to promote cooperation and dialogue between NATO and Russia. Originally designed as a forum where NATO members and Russia could work as equal partners on shared security issues, the NRC has not convened since January 2022. While formal cooperation was suspended after Russia's 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea, the council remained a key channel for communication, primarily on Ukraine, until ties were effectively severed following the 2022 invasion. Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Republican supporters of Ukraine put pressure on Trump after missile strikes
Republican supporters of Ukraine are using the Kremlin's deadly missile strikes as their latest evidence to convince Donald Trump that he must increase pressure on Vladimir Putin if he wants to reach a ceasefire deal. Pro-Ukraine lawmakers and aides in the Republican party have carefully navigated Trump's apparent affinity for Putin and avoided direct intervention in their efforts to shift his support toward Kyiv. But following the Russian strikes during Palm Sunday celebrations in the city of Sumy, advisers and allies have been highly vocal in condemning the attack using language meant to resonate with the US president's conservative, religious base. 'Putin and peace apparently do not fit in the same sentence,' wrote Lindsey Graham, the Trump-allied senator who has sought to balance his support for Ukraine with his desire to remain on Trump's good side. 'Russia's barbaric Palm Sunday attack on Christian worshippers in Ukraine seems to be Putin's answer to efforts to achieve a ceasefire and peace,' he wrote. 'While Ukraine has accepted President Trump's ceasefire proposal, Putin continues to show he is more interested in bloodshed than in peace,' said Rep. Michael Mccaul. 'Targeting innocent civilians as they gather to worship on Palm Sunday is beyond the pale.' The strike came less than 48 hours after Steve Witkoff, the Trump envoy, met with Putin in St Petersburg. The Kremlin called the meeting 'extremely useful and very effective', although there was no indication that the two men achieved concrete results. Witkoff's gesture of holding has hand over his heart when he saw Putin has been criticised in Washington as excessively fawning and naive. Witkoff reportedly told Trump after a previous meeting with Putin adviser Kirill Dmitriev that the quickest way to end the war would be to recognise Russian control over the four Ukrainian regions it has sought to annex. Reuters reported that several Republican lawmakers were so concerned about Witkoff's pro-Kremlin positions that they called the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, afterward to complain. Trump said he had been told that the Russians had 'made a mistake' in the strike on Sumy. The double-tap strike killed at least 34 and wounded more than 100. The strikes have further invigorated a circle of advisers around Trump who have remained more wary of Putin but have largely been overshadowed by Ukraine skeptics like Witkoff and the US vice-president, JD Vance. Keith Kellogg, the Ukraine envoy who has largely been sidelined from the negotiations, said: 'Today's Palm Sunday attack by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy crosses any line of decency. There are scores of civilian dead and wounded. As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.' Richard Grenell, the Trump special envoy who has also led his culture war at the Kenendy Center, wrote: 'Attacking on the holy day of Palm Sunday?! Dear God.' The messaging is likely to resonate most among the religious right, a key constituency for Trump and for many of his supporters in the US Congress. A previous campaign to raise awareness over Russian persecution of Christian religious groups in east Ukraine was seen as instrumental in lifting Republican opposition to a supplemental funding bill that included about $61bn for Ukraine and replenishing US weapons stockpiles. Some of those supporters are also pushing for tougher sanctions against Russia. 'Unless there is a dramatic change soon, it is obvious to me that the only hope of ending this war is to continue to cripple Russia's economy and punish those who prop up Putin,' said Graham. The Ukrainian government has said that the attacks show that Russia is ignoring the US calls for a ceasefire. 'It's now the second month that Putin has been ignoring the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire,' wrote Zelenskyy. 'Unfortunately, there in Moscow they are convinced they can keep killing with impunity. Action is needed to change this situation.' Trump had signaled even before the attack that he was growing exasperated with Russia's intransigence – the first signs of frustration that many Ukrainian allies hope will develop further during his presidency. But he stopped short of condemning the strike which he described as a 'mistake', and on Monday, he appeared unswayed by an invitation by Zelenskyy to come to Ukraine and see the results of the attacks for himself. 'I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WAR, BUT AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO STOP,' he wrote in a post.
