Latest news with #Putin-Trump
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call
Key developments on May 20: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from Czech initiative, Ukraine's PM says Trump administration considers deporting nearly 200,000 Ukrainians using foreign aid funds, WP reports Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 20, reacting to a recent call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky's statement follows his call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, during which the Ukrainian leader told his counterpart about his May 19 phone call with Trump, as well as the latter's talks with Putin. "It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation," Zelensky said on X. "We are working with our partners to pressure the Russians to change their behavior." Zelensky thanked partners who continue to impose sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and stressed that the war should end at the negotiating table. "Clear and realistic proposals must be on the table. Ukraine is ready for any effective negotiation format. And if Russia continues to put forward unrealistic conditions and undermine possible results, there must be harsh consequences," Zelensky said. Axios reported on May 20 that Zelensky had to remind Trump that negotiations with Russia are already underway after Trump announced to EU leaders the Kremlin's readiness for talks, citing sources present at the call. The exchange reportedly took place during a phone call involving Trump, Zelensky, and the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Finland, and the European Union. It followed Trump's earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the Russian leader provided vague assurances about peace efforts but again rejected a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump told the leaders that Putin agreed to start direct negotiations on a ceasefire immediately, which led to a few seconds of "puzzled silence" during the call, Axios' source said. Zelensky then reminded Trump that Putin had previously agreed to this, and the first round of direct talks had already taken place on May 16 in Istanbul, marking the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022. Trump did not directly respond, the sources said. The Ukrainian president and other leaders also pointed out to Trump that it had been his idea to start the peace talks with an immediate 30-day ceasefire, according to Axios. Participants on the call reportedly seemed "surprised" that Trump was "relatively content" with what he heard from Putin. Even though the Kremlin's position has not changed, Trump presented this as a new development in the negotiation process. Read also: 'Trump doesn't know how to deal with gangsters' — US lets Ukraine down, once again The EU has formally approved its 17th package of sanctions imposed on Russia over aggression in Ukraine, including measures against almost 200 shadow fleet vessels, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas announced on May 20. "New measures also address hybrid threats and human rights. More sanctions on Russia are in the works," Kallas said on X. The step comes as the U.S. signals disinterest in imposing additional sanctions against Russia, even as Moscow refuses Western-backed ceasefire proposals. The 17th package was supported by EU ambassadors last week, but has since then been criticized as weak and watered down. The new sanctions target members of Russia's military and political elite and foreign entities in China or the United Arab Emirates, accused of helping the Kremlin evade already-imposed measures. The EU will also sanction more than 20 entities and individuals disseminating disinformation, and 20 judges and prosecutors involved in legal cases against Russian opposition, specifically Vladimir Kara-Murza and late Alexei Navalny. The package also targets components vital to Russia's defense industry, namely chemicals, materials, and dual-use goods. The EU has threatened Russia with additional sanctions unless President Vladimir Putin commits to a ceasefire and agrees to seriously engage in peace efforts. President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced that a new "strong EU sanctions package" is underway. While European leaders have proclaimed that additional sanctions are coordinated with Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump, who held a phone call with Putin on May 19, said he does not intend to impose new measures on Moscow to avoid disrupting peace efforts. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us The United States is working with NATO partners to locate additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 20 during Senate testimony on the State Department's budget. Ukraine has consistently warned that its current air defense capacity is insufficient to counter the scale of Russia's intensified missile and drone attacks. "The U.S. is looking for Patriot batteries to be able to transfer from other NATO nations into Ukrainian hands," Rubio told lawmakers, adding that no country is willing to give up these systems, and the U.S. cannot produce them quickly enough. Kyiv has requested more Patriots to shield cities and critical infrastructure. In an April 13 interview with CBS News, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to buy 10 U.S.-made Patriot systems for $15 billion. "We will find the money and pay for everything," he said. Despite Kyiv's appeals, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the request, accusing Zelensky of "always looking to purchase missiles" and falsely blaming Ukraine for provoking the war. The Patriot is a high-precision, U.S.-made surface-to-air missile platform capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats. Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine needs at least seven more systems to defend its most at-risk regions. The New York Times reported on May 4, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that a Patriot system currently based in Israel will be transferred to Ukraine following refurbishment. Western allies are also reportedly reviewing whether to reallocate systems from Germany or Greece. Kyiv currently operates eight Patriot systems, though only six are functional, with two undergoing repairs, according to the publication. Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire back in March. Moscow has continued its large-scale drone and missile strikes, including the largest drone assault of the war on May 18, when 273 drones entered Ukrainian airspace. Read also: 'No one saw surrender as an option' – Mariupol defender on historic Azovstal fight and brutal Russian captivity Ukraine will receive 400,000 additional artillery shells in 2025 through the Czech-led munitions initiative, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on May 20 on Telegram. The initiative, supported by contributions from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other nations, has significantly enhanced Ukraine's artillery capabilities. Launched in 2024, it has become a vital supplement to the country's firepower amid shell shortages. Following a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Shmyhal said Ukraine received around 1.5 million artillery shells of various calibers through the initiative in 2024. He announced that Czechia has increased its annual aid allocation to Ukraine to over $43 million. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Prague has provided $900 million in military assistance to Kyiv. Fiala and Shmyhal also discussed expanding cooperation on weapons production, economic support, and humanitarian assistance. "We will strengthen the integration of the Ukrainian and Czech defense industries," Shmyhal wrote. "In addition, we agreed to cooperate in training Ukrainian pilots of F-16 airplanes." Czechia has played a leading role within the EU in rallying military support for Ukraine and has hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees since the start of the war. The country's opposition party, ANO, has threatened to suspend the munitions initiative if it wins parliamentary elections in October 2025. ANO deputy leader Karel Havlicek made the remarks in January, raising concerns about the future of one of Ukraine's most reliable arms pipelines. Read also: As Russia's fiber optic drones flood the battlefield, Ukraine is racing to catch up Washington plans to spend about $250 million of foreign aid funds to repatriate people from active conflict zones, including about 200,000 Ukrainians and 500,000 Haitians, the Washington Post reported on May 20, citing the draft internal documents the newspaper obtained. During Joe Biden's presidency, Ukrainians and Haitians were granted temporary protection, allowing them to stay in the U.S. if they could not return to their home country. With the Trump administration coming to office, the U.S. has tightened its immigration policy. U.S. President Donald Trump previously pledged to impose harsher legislation on migrants and launch the "largest deportation program in U.S. history," aimed at removing 15 to 20 million migrants from the country. According to the draft internal documents, the proposal was prepared after the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on May 5. The statement read that those immigrants who voluntarily leave the U.S. for their home countries would be eligible for $1,000 in assistance. Besides Ukrainians and Haitians, the draft documents also mention Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis, who could become other targets of the deportation program, the WP reported. Tricia McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, verified the documents' authenticity, but described them as "outdated." McLaughlin added that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not made a "final" decision on temporary protected status for Haiti or Ukraine. According to the draft documents reviewed by the newspaper, the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) will fund the voluntary resettlement program using funds allocated by Congress for charter flights or commercial airfare. The State Department has acknowledged that it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to provide "travel support and financial incentives" to encourage migrants to leave the country voluntarily. The Trump administration's proposal has been criticized, including by former government officials who called it inhumane and counter to long-held U.S. ideals, the WP reported. According to the plan's opponents, the Trump administration is forcing asylum seekers to return to countries where they are "at risk of being killed." They also questioned whether the plan constitutes an abuse of foreign aid funds intended primarily to support refugees and their resettlement. In late January, Washington suspended acceptance of applications from Ukrainians for asylum under the Uniting for Ukraine program. This program allowed for two years of asylum in the U.S., as well as the right to work, study, and have health insurance, among other benefits. There are about 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in the U.S., according to the United Nations. 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.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump seeks direct peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, Zelensky says
U.S. President Donald Trump has been clear that he aims to see direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 19 during a press briefing in Kyiv. The Ukrainian and Russian delegations held direct talks for the first time since 2022 on May 16. They concluded without a breakthrough. During the talks, Moscow demanded that Kyiv withdraw its troops from four partially occupied Ukrainian oblasts that Russia illegally claims as its own — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. "For Trump, the most important thing is direct talks between Ukraine and Russia," Zelensky said, adding that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, held a call on May 19 and discussed a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange. The exchange will happen "in the next days or weeks," and civilians will not be included in the list, according to Zelensky. In the meantime, Ukraine also wants to discuss with Russia the release of Ukrainian political prisoners and journalists, the president added. Speaking about a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, Zelensky said Russia will deliver a memorandum with its proposals. Zelensky added that during a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 19, he asked for three things: a ceasefire, the agility to present the Ukrainian view on the memorandum and for decisions "to be agreed on Ukraine without Ukraine." Zelensky had a call with Trump before the latter was to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin. After speaking with Trump, Putin again refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire and said that Russia's position in the negotiations remains unchanged and requires "eliminating the root causes" of the war. Reacting to the Putin-Trump call, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine will not withdraw its troops from the partially Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, as the Russian delegation previously demanded in Istanbul. Ukraine's president added that Kyiv is also exploring the possibility of a meeting with delegations from Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the EU in Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland. Read also: 'It's all a farce' — Ukrainian soldiers on Russia's 'smokescreen' peace talks in Istanbul We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Immediately correct your wrongdoings, else…': China's ultimatum to US over AI chip ban
'Enrichment will continue': Iran stands firm amid US nuclear deal talks, FM Araghchi says 'He killed himself': Kash Patel, Dan Bongino make big revelation on Jeffrey Epstein's death mystery Vance and Zelenskyy share smiles in Rome after explosive White House clash 'Are you serious, Putin?': Vance blasts Russia after massive drone attack ahead of Putin-Trump call 'Americans gave you a chance…': Leavitt blasts GOP for sabotaging Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill Pakistan: IMF imposes 11 new conditions for its bailout programme, suggests big changes GOP passes Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill' in key US House committee vote 'Like the lights turned on in a dark room': Leavitt sums up Trump's Middle East state visit
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Russia launches Ukraine war's largest drone attack ahead of Putin-Trump call
Russia launches Ukraine war's largest drone attack ahead of Putin-Trump call KYIV, May 18 (Reuters) - Russia launched on Sunday its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, destroying homes and killing at least one woman a day before President Donald Trump is due to discuss a proposed ceasefire with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's intelligence service said it also believed Moscow intended to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile later on Sunday as an attempt to intimidate the West. There was no immediate response from Moscow to the accusation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, straining to restore ties with Washington after a disastrous February White House visit, met Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Sunday on the sidelines of Pope Leo's inauguration. Zelenskyy said the meeting was "good" and released pictures of Ukrainian and U.S. officials sitting outside at a round table and smiling. Ukrainian media said the meeting lasted 40 minutes. "I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible," said Zelenskyy, who also met the new pope. More: Vance and Zelenskyy have 'good' meeting as Trump pushes for Ukraine peace deal Ukraine and Russia held their first face-to-face talks in more than three years on Friday, under pressure from Trump to agree to a ceasefire in a war he has pledged to bring to a quick end. The foes agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners each but failed to agree a truce, after Moscow presented conditions that a member of Ukraine's delegation called "non-starters". The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland planned to speak to Trump before the U.S. and Russian presidents speak on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. The four European leaders jointly visited Kyiv last week and have been calling for Trump to back new sanctions on Russia. Asked if it was time to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that was up to Trump. More: Russia and Ukraine agree to prisoner swap at first talks in 3 years "I think we will see what happens when both sides get to the table," he told NBC News' "Meet the Press" programme. "President Trump has made it very clear, that if President Putin does not negotiate in good faith, that the United States will not hesitate to up the Russia sanctions along with our European partners." After a night of air alerts, Ukraine's air force said that as of 8 a.m. on Sunday Russia had launched 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, more than the previous record Moscow had set in February on the war's third anniversary. 'I COULD HEAR THE DRONE' In the ruins of her family home in the Obukhiv region west of Kyiv, Natalia Piven, 44, recounted how she squeezed into a cellar with her son after an air raid warning, just in time to survive a first wave of drones. They then ran out to a bomb shelter at a kindergarten, before another wave of drones bore down on the village. Their house was completely destroyed. A 28-year-old woman who lived next door was killed. Ukrainian authorities said three other people were injured, including a four-year-old child. More: Trump announces Monday calls with Putin, Zelenskyy after negotiations end in Istanbul "I cannot get over it. I simply cannot. I could clearly hear the drone flying right towards my house," Piven told Reuters. Trump has shifted U.S. rhetoric from supporting Ukraine towards accepting some of Moscow's narrative about the war that Putin launched in 2022. But Kyiv and its European allies are working hard to persuade Trump that it is Moscow that is holding up a truce now. Zelenskyy has said he would accept Trump's proposal for an immediate ceasefire of at least 30 days with no conditions. Moscow says it would consider a ceasefire but only if conditions are met, including a halt in arms supplies to Kyiv. It also says any peace talks must address the "root causes" of the conflict, including its demands that Ukraine cede territory, be disarmed and accept neutral status. Kyiv says that would amount to capitulation and leave it defenceless. (Additional reporting by Valentyn Ogirenko, Gleb Garanich, Anna Voitenko in Kyiv and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne;Writing by Lidia Kelly and Peter GraffEditing by William Mallard, Jamie Freed and Helen Popper)
The Irish Sun
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Trump vowed to end Ukraine bloodshed in 24 hours – 100 days on, is puppet master Putin calling all the shots?
FIRST it was 24 hours. Then it was a few weeks. 100 days on, Trump is finally calling time on negotiations - peace or not. The US President has slapped Ukraine and Russia with 14 A Ukrainian soldier drives an anti-aircraft machine gun during an air raid alarm Credit: EPA 14 A Ukrainian family picks their way through debris and machinery in the reclaimed town of Bucha Credit: EPA 14 A woman injured by a Russian missile weeps at the site of her destroyed house Credit: Reuters But experts say this was Putin's plan all along and he's Ukraine has far more at stake if the Americans But still Trump publicly Former intelligence officer Philip Ingram told The Sun: "Putin is a master at playing things. read more on war in ukraine "He's sitting back behind his big oak desk in his office in Moscow with a very large glass of Russian vodka over ice." The US has drawn up a In his haste to get a deal, Trump appears to be determined to force Zelensky to bend to his will - GLAD VLAD Ingram said the proposed peace plan "is giving Putin physical ownership of Crimea" and "potentially all" the areas of the Donbas region he took by force. Most read in The Sun Dr Stephen Hall, political scientist at the University of Bath, said the proposal "would reward the Kremlin for what it's done over the past three years". Alan Mendoza, director of the Henry Jackson society, warned: "It's clearly loaded against Ukraine." Life in Ukraine under Putin-Trump carve-up- Families wrenched apart and threat of execution in echo of post-WW2 Germany Meanwhile, Russia has hardly had to give an inch. Mendoza said: "All Putin has had to do is sit there and smile at Steve Witkoff." Hall pointed out that even if Zelensky wanted to release Crimea, he legally could without a referendum, which is impossible during the war. "So Zelensky is in a catch-22," he said. The US reportedly offered up Crimea in exchange for Russia - saying it would freeze the front lines where they are now and stop grabbing land. 14 Trump has made it his mission to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine - but has so far failed Credit: Splash 14 Putin claims to want peace but many say he has not interest in stopping the war Credit: EPA 14 Russian troops march for their Victory Day military parade Credit: AP Ingram said: "Putin would be happy for the frontlines to be stabilised there - whether a full-time peace agreement or just a ceasefire. "It would give him a chance to rebuild his forces up again and take another salami slice off Ukraine, and another." At the moment, Putin is getting "almost everything he wants at a very limited cost", Mendoza added. "That doesn't strike to me as a deal. It strikes to me as a surrender," he said. There are reports that the American offer includes lifting Russian sanctions - "not an accident", according to Mendoza, because Putin "knows the wheels are coming off". PLAYED LIKE A FIDDLE While it's true Trump is unpredictable, Putin has found a way to lead him by the nose, according to Ingram, by whispering in his ear. Ingram said: "He's playing Donald Trump and saying things Trump wants to hear. It's all about giving partial truths and spinning it in a way that's preferential to what you're doing." Time and again, Putin has vowed he's serious about peace while applying the brakes - usually claiming some issue needs slowly ironing out. Very few people believe he is actually seeking peace. But Trump has appeared to give him the benefit of the doubt - until now. He hit out at Putin in a fiery rant on , accusing the tyrant of "stringing him along". Trump said: He said: "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. "It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!" 14 Trump belittled and scolded Zelensky during his trip to the White House Credit: The Mega Agency 14 Ukrainian soldiers walking to their positions in the Donetsk region Credit: EPA 14 Ukraine's 'Siberian Battalion' on a training mission Credit: EPA It comes after Hall said the continued bloodbath "undermines yet again Trump's assertion that Russia wants peace". Mendoza is "puzzled" that Putin has pulled the wool over Trump's eyes so easily. He asked: "President Trump is a great deal maker. Where's the deal here?" Browder says the Trump-Putin dynamic remains mysterious - with the US president lurching from hot to cold. TRUMP IN A RUSH A possible reason for Trump's trip down the garden path is that he's in too much of a rush to realise - or, perhaps, care. He has always made clear he wants to be a president that can end conflicts quickly. And Trump is widely thought to be after the Nobel peace prize - envious of the recognition his predecessor Barack Obama received in 2009. He famously boasted throughout 2024's election campaign that he would end the war in Ukraine in "24 hours". Hall said Ukraine has suffered from this deadline-drive approach. 14 A ballistic missile explodes over Kyiv during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 14 A boy weeps for his friends, 17-year-old Danylo Khudia, killed in a Russian missile attack Credit: Reuters 14 Rescuers pull victims from the rubble after a missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv this month Credit: Getty He said Trump "has this idea that he has to achieve peace in 100 days" - which was always going to favour Russia. And the "easiest way for Trump to his goal is to coerce Ukraine into a corner". But Trump could "walk away quite happily" when he's had enough - meaning Ukraine's position is perilous, Mendoza said. WHAT NOW? If Trump is to be taken at his word, the US is poised drop everything and let Ukraine go it alone. But the White House said his talks with Zelensky before the Pope's funeral were "very productive" - offering a glimmer of hope that peace could be on track. But for as long as Trump is still at the table, Zelensky will keep trying to find a deal. Hall said: "The Ukrainians are trying to work out what they can bring to the table. "Europeans seem to be procrastinating in terms of whether they actually support Ukraine or not. "I think the Ukrainians will propose yet again that yes, they want peace, but they want the 30 day ceasefire first." 14 Grieving Kyiv residents at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian ballistic missile Credit: AP 14 Mendoza said all Putin has had to do is 'smile at Steve Witkoff' Credit: Reuters However, Hall said Ukraine will never willingly give up Crimea - and Zelensky has already made clear that is not an option. Ingram is cautiously optimistic that Ukraine would fare alright if the US did pull the plug. He said: "Zelensky is in a stronger position - his forces have held the Russians back for the last three years. "Russians are making small advances on the frontline, Ukraine are making small advances. Ukrainian military support from Europe is going to increase dramatically." "By the end of this year, Russia will have almost run out of armoured vehicles it's been refurbishing and sending back to the frontline." Mendoza agreed, adding: "Putin would like to think he's winning on the battlefield [...] but he's losing so many they'll soon have to start recruiting the middle classes."
