Latest news with #Russia-ukraine
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia, Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners hours after Moscow launches massive aerial assault
Russia and Ukraine on Sunday swapped hundreds of prisoners just hours after Moscow launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the more than three-year war between the two countries. The prisoner swap was the third and final part of a major exchange, marking a rare moment of cooperation. Russia's Defense Ministry said both sides exchanged more than 300 soldiers. This followed the release of 307 combatants and civilians each on Saturday, and 390 on Friday — the largest total swap of the war so far. "303 Ukrainian defenders are home," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X, confirming the exchange. Russia Launches Largest Aerial Attack Of Ukraine War, Killing At Least 12 He said the troops returning to Ukraine were members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. Read On The Fox News App In talks held earlier this month in Istanbul — the first face-to-face meeting between the warring sides in recent peace talks — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each. The exchange has been the only tangible outcome from the talks. The exchange came just hours after Russia launched a massive drone-and-missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other regions, killing at least 12 people – including three children – and injuring dozens more. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that air defense forces were working in the capital against enemy drones. Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv military administration, said Kharkiv and its suburbs were also under attack by drones. Major Russia-ukraine Prisoner Swap Is Underway, Official Says Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force, told The Associated Press that Russia used a total of 69 missiles of various types and 298 drones – the largest single aerial attack of the war. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defenses shot down 110 Ukrainian drones overnight. The latest round of violence came as President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday he was "not happy" with Russia's large-scale strike against Ukraine. Speaking at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, the president accused Putin of "killing a lot of people" in the attack. Russia Bombards Ukraine With Drones Hours After Trump Announces Talks With Putin "I'm not happy with what Putin is doing," Trump said. "He's killing a lot of people, and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin." Later expanding on his comments in a Truth Social Post, Trump said Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY!" "I've always said that [Putin] wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!" the social media post read. But the president also criticized Zelenskyy. "Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop," Trump wrote, concluding: "This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy's, Putin's, and Biden's War, not 'Trump's,' I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred."Original article source: Russia, Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners hours after Moscow launches massive aerial assault
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US awaits Putin ceasefire proposal after Trump phone call, Rubio says
The U.S. is awaiting a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin that may lead to a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Secretary Marco Rubio announced Tuesday. "He says he's going, they're going to submit a proposal that would lead to a ceasefire, that would then lead to a broader negotiation," Rubio told lawmakers during a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing. "I think we will know from the context of that proposal where their mindset is and where they stand." Asked if he believed Russia was ready to cut a deal, the secretary and interim national security advisor said, "I think Putin will always cut a deal he thinks is in the best interest for the country, for Russia and for his view of the world." President Trump Confident Putin Wants Peace With Ukraine, Thinks He's 'Had Enough' Of War President Donald Trump and Putin spoke by phone for two hours Monday, though the discussion did not yield an immediate breakthrough. Trump told reporters he believes Putin wants peace and said he trusts him. "I think he's had enough. I think he's had enough. It's been a long time. This has been going on for more than three years. When you think, it's been going on for a long time," Trump said. Read On The Fox News App Asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was doing enough to move the peace process along, Trump said, "I'd rather tell you in about two weeks from now, because I can't say yes or no." "Look, he's a strong person, Zelenskyy, a strong guy, and he's not the easiest person to deal with," said Trump. "But I think that he wants to stop, and it's a very bad thing that's happening over there. I think he wants to stop. But I could answer that question better in two weeks or four weeks from now. I hope the answer is that he wants to get it solved." Trump Says Putin Is 'Tired' Of Russia-ukraine War The European Union on Tuesday passed a set of new sanctions against Russia, and Republicans on Capitol Hill have said they are waiting for the go-ahead from the White House to pass a new sanctions package. Trump said Monday he was not yet ready to impose new sanctions but could in the future. "I think there's a chance of getting something done," Trump said. "And if you do that, you can also make it much worse. But there could be a time when that's going to happen." He also said Moscow and Kyiv would continue direct peace negotiations, adding the Vatican was ready to host peace article source: US awaits Putin ceasefire proposal after Trump phone call, Rubio says
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
President Trump confident Putin wants peace with Ukraine, thinks he's 'had enough' of war
Following his phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump appeared confident that peace talks between the two warring nations will soon be progressing. In response to a reporter's question outside the White House on Monday, Trump said that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuine in his seeking a peace deal. "President Trump, do you think Vladimir Putin wants peace?" the reporter shouted across the lawn. Trump stopped and responded: "I do. Yes." "Do you still trust Putin?" the reporter continued, to which Trump responded: "I do." Trump Says Putin Is 'Tired' Of Russia-ukraine War Read On The Fox News App Speaking later that same day, after an event honoring fallen law enforcement officers in the White House, Trump said that he believes Putin has "had enough" of the war. "I think he's had enough. I think he's had enough. It's been a long time. This has been going on for more than three years. When you think, it's been going on for a long time," said the president. Meanwhile, Trump seemed less confident in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Asked whether Zelenskyy is doing enough to help the peace talks process along, Trump responded: "I'd rather tell you in about two weeks from now, because I can't say yes or no." "Look, he's a strong person, Zelenskyy, a strong guy, and he's not the easiest person to deal with," said Trump. "But I think that he wants to stop, and it's a very bad thing that's happening over there. I think he wants to stop. But I could answer that question better in two weeks or four weeks from now. I hope the answer is that he wants to get it solved." Russia Bombards Ukraine With Drones Hours After Trump Announces Talks With Putin Trump also commented on newly inaugurated Pope Leo XIV, saying he would like to help facilitate peace between the two nations. Trump said that it would be "great" to have the peace talks at the Vatican. "There's tremendous bitterness, anger, and I think maybe that could help some of that anger," said Trump. Trump and Putin held a two-hour call on Monday in what the U.S. said was a push to get Russia to end its deadly war in Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin described the call in a positive light, with the Kremlin chief saying it was "frank" and "useful," but it is not immediately clear what results were achieved. Trump took to social media to praise the call as having gone "very well" and said, "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War." Rubio Teases Details Of Potential Trump, Putin In-person Meeting After Russia-ukraine Ceasefire Talks Stall "The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of," he added. Putin, in a statement after the call, also noted that "a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible" but "Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides." Any concrete details on the nature of these compromises remain unclear, despite negotiation attempts in Turkey on Friday, which Trump suggested failed because he needed to negotiate with Putin first. In the lead up to the talks, Trump also spoke with Zelenskyy, along with other world leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who said they discussed the urgent need for Putin to agree to an unconditional ceasefire or face serious repercussions, including more sanctions. Trump Kicks Off 18Th Week In Office With High-stakes Bid To Broker Ukraine, Russia Peace Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine's landmass. However, the Russian military's advance has significantly slowed to a virtual stalemate. In October, Fox News Digital reported that Russia has suffered some 600,000 casualties in its war with Ukraine — more than its losses in every conflict since World War II article source: President Trump confident Putin wants peace with Ukraine, thinks he's 'had enough' of war
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump to call Putin in a bid to end Russia's 'bloodbath' war with Ukraine
President Donald Trump is speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in an effort to end the "bloodbath" war with Ukraine after peace talks resulted in a prisoner swap over the weekend. A White House spokesperson confirmed the call was underway shortly after 11 a.m. ET. Trump said he would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of NATO shortly after. "The subjects of the call will be, stopping the 'bloodbath' that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end," Trump added. "God bless us all!!!" Russia Bombards Ukraine With Drones Hours After Trump Announces Talks With Putin Just hours ahead of the call, Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine yet, firing 273 exploding drones and decoys targeting the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, according to Ukraine's air force. Of those, 88 were intercepted and 128 lost, likely being electronically jammed. Read On The Fox News App Russia's defense ministry said Monday it had downed 35 Ukrainian drones overnight. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Zelenskyy in Rome on Sunday for ongoing peace talks. On Friday, Russian and Ukrainian officials took part in direct talks in Turkey for the first time since the early days of the war. Initially, there was hope that Zelenskyy and Putin would sit down with each other. The Ukrainian leader said he would attend if Putin showed up. However, after the Kremlin announced they would be sending an envoy, Zelenskyy appointed his defense minister to lead the delegation. Rubio Teases Details Of Potential Trump, Putin In-person Meeting After Russia-ukraine Ceasefire Talks Stall The two sides each agreed to release around 1,000 prisoners of war "in the coming days," though they failed to reach agreement on peace. Zelenskyy attributed the lack of a breakthrough to Putin sending low-level officials to the talks. "Everyone could see that the Russian delegation in Istanbul was of a very low level. None of them were people who actually make decisions in Russia. Still, I sent our team," Zelenskyy wrote in an X post on Friday. Putin said Sunday any peace deal would need to "eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis" and "guarantee Russia's security." Trump, meanwhile, suggested peace would not be brokered without him. "Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together," Trump told reporters on Thursday. Ukraine has called for a 30-day, unconditional ceasefire. Putin, however, has suggested that Ukraine might use the time to rearm and article source: Trump to call Putin in a bid to end Russia's 'bloodbath' war with Ukraine
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK, Europe strike post-Brexit deal on defense, trade issues
The United Kingdom and the European Union reached a landmark agreement centered on fishing rights and defense cooperation Monday, five years after Brexit. British Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds announced the deal as officials from both sides met in London for their first major summit since the U.K. formally left the 27-nation trade bloc in 2020. That followed a slim-margin 2016 referendum vote calling for the U.K.'s departure. The government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials, billed the summit as a major milestone in resetting relations. "Historic day," Thomas-Symonds wrote on X on Monday. "After months of negotiations, I can announce that the Labour Government has secured a new agreement with the EU." Starmer's chief negotiator said the agreement was good for jobs, bills, borders and more. Rubio Teases Details Of Potential Trump, Putin In-person Meeting After Russia-ukraine Ceasefire Talks Stall "Britain back on the world stage, with a Government in the service of working people," Thomas-Symonds added, without further elaborating on the details of the deal. Read On The Fox News App Starmer has stressed that the U.K. will not rejoin the EU's frictionless single market and customs union, nor agree to the free movement of people between the U.K. and the EU. The prime minister has faced growing challenges from the Reform U.K. party, which supported Brexit and opposes mass migration policies upending the powerful island nation. Reform, which recently won big in local elections, and the opposition Conservative Party have already called the deal a "surrender" of U.K. sovereignty to EU leadership in Brussels. "The white flag has been waved outside Downing Street. The great EU surrender by the UK is taking place as we speak," Reform UK's Richard Tice told British media, billing the deal as a betrayal of the terms of Brexit on fishing in particular. Talks on strengthening ties focused largely on security and defense, and on a youth mobility plan that would allow young Britons and Europeans to live and work temporarily in each other's territory. That remains a politically touchy issue in the U.K., seen by some Brexiteers as inching back toward free movement, according to the Associated Press. The U.K. already has youth mobility arrangements with countries including Australia and Canada. Johnson Pushes 'Aggressive' Timetable For House To Pass Trump's Budget Bill After Gop Mutiny: 'We Cannot Fail' Another issue that has long been a sticking point in U.K.-EU relations is fishing — a symbolically important issue for the U.K. and EU member states such as France. Disputes over the issue nearly derailed a Brexit deal back in 2020. The summit is also expected to cover aligning standards on the sale of agricultural products, which could eliminate costly checks on food products exported across the English Channel. Thomas-Symonds told the BBC he was confident that trade could be improved for food imports and exports. "We know we've had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported, because frankly it's just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that," he reportedly said. The New York Times cited an unnamed European diplomat as saying the agreement will allow European boats access to U.K. fishing waters until June 30, 2038. The agreement comes as the return of President Donald Trump brings a greater sense of urgency for cooperation between the U.K. and the bloc, as the incoming U.S. administration takes a new approach to European trade and security, as well as the Ukraine-Russia war. It's unclear how Trump, who backed Brexit, will react to Starmer's new deal with the EU. "The reset could still be blown off course by disagreements over how to consolidate existing areas of cooperation like fisheries and/or external factors, such as a negative reaction from the U.S. to the U.K. seeking closer ties with the EU," Jannike Wachowiak, a research associate at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, told the AP. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: UK, Europe strike post-Brexit deal on defense, trade issues
