Latest news with #RussiaConflict
NHK
3 days ago
- Business
- NHK
Germany, Ukraine to jointly produce long-range weapons
Germany and Ukraine have agreed to work on joint production of long-range weapons. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Berlin on Wednesday. They discussed ways to deal with Russia, which is stepping up attacks on Ukraine while rejecting a ceasefire requested by the West. At a joint news conference after the meeting, Merz said Russia is playing for time, and that massive airstrikes on Kyiv "do not speak the language of peace." Zelenskyy said every possible pressure must be put on Russia. They disclosed that they agreed to seek joint production of long-range weapons to enhance Ukraine's defense. Merz said on Monday that Germany will now allow Ukraine to conduct long-range attacks into Russian territory using weapons supplied by his country. A focal point in the latest meeting was whether Germany would agree to supply its Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers. But Merz did not mention that. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the agreement between Berlin and Kyiv. He said in an interview with state-run TV on Wednesday that the move hinders peace efforts. He also said that despite such provocative actions and obstacles, Russia expects the peace process to continue and Moscow and Kyiv to hold a second round of negotiations and exchange memorandums. On May 16, the two sides held direct talks in Turkey.
Russia Today
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Vance outlines changed US strategy on Ukraine
US Vice President J.D. Vance has expressed doubts regarding a Ukraine-supported 30-day ceasefire in the conflict with Russia, saying that Washington is instead focused on shaping a durable peace agreement with Moscow. Ukraine had floated a one-month ceasefire as a counter to Russia's 72-hour truce proposal to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. However, Moscow has rejected Kiev's plan, arguing that Ukrainian troops, which have been on the backfoot for months, would use it to regroup and strengthen their military posture. Speaking at the Munich Leaders Meeting on Wednesday, Vance stressed that the US remains interested in a 'long-term settlement' of the conflict rather than a short-term one. 'We've tried to move beyond the obsession with the 30-day ceasefire and more on the what would the long-term settlement look like? And we've tried to consistently advance the ball,' the vice president said. Vance also noted that the US has deemed Moscow's initial negotiation proposals as excessive. 'Certainly, the first peace offer that the Russians put on the table, our reaction to it was you're asking for too much,' he said. 'But this is how negotiations unfold.' Vance added that US President Donald Trump is prepared to abandon negotiations if there is no progress, urging Moscow and Kiev to engage in diplomacy. 'We would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another.' Russia has repeatedly said it is open to talks with Kiev but noted that Ukraine has low credibility, especially when it comes to honoring ceasefire commitments. Moscow's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Ukraine of sabotaging earlier efforts on this front, including a US-brokered 30-day moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure and a Moscow-backed Easter truce. In light of this, she noted that Russia would view Ukraine's conduct during the 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire, which went into effect on Thursday, as a test of good faith. Moscow earlier described the initiative as a humanitarian gesture and a move to pave the way for direct peace talks with Ukraine without preconditions. Meanwhile, Trump appeared to support the three-day ceasefire, noting that it 'doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot, if you know where we started from.'
