Latest news with #Russians
CNBC
7 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Trump interest in Russia sanctions raises Ukraine allies' hopes
A bipartisan U.S. bill that would hit Russia with sanctions in a bid to pressure Moscow into good-faith peace negotiations with Ukraine has gained momentum this week in Congress, but it still lacks the presidential push it needs to get over the finish line. Now, Ukraine's supporters in Washington and Kyiv, who have for months hoped for President Donald Trump to throw his weight behind the bill, are anxiously awaiting what the Republican president has said will be a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump, who vowed during his election campaign to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has given no details on what his planned announcement would entail, but over the past few weeks he has grown increasingly and publicly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his reluctance to accept a ceasefire and the growing civilian death toll of Russian attacks. On Tuesday, Trump approved sending U.S. defensive weapons to Ukraine. Two days later, he came closer than ever to endorsing the sanctions bill, although he has not yet signed off on the legislation's text, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters earlier in the week that the Senate could vote on the bill this month. Mike Johnson, the top House Republican, has expressed similar optimism, while Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have privately told European diplomats that the bill will move imminently, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. "The Senate will move soon on a tough sanctions bill – not only against Russia – but also against countries like China and India that buy Russian energy products that finance Putin's war machine," Graham wrote on X on Tuesday. Still, it was unclear if Trump had given up on pushing for diplomacy with Russia. And the extensive veto power on sanctions that the White House is demanding could render the bill more symbolic than substantive, some supporters acknowledge. Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Friday following his second in-person meeting with Russian Foreign Sergei Lavrov, Rubio said "a new idea" was discussed that he would be taking back to Trump for further consultations. He declined to give further details. "That new concept is – this new approach is not something that automatically leads to peace, but it could potentially open the door to a path," Rubio said. But he also reiterated Trump's frustration over Moscow's unwillingness to be more flexible and said Americans had told the Russians weeks ago that a sanctions bill could well pass. The bill, whose lead sponsors are Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, would levy extensive sanctions against various Russian individuals, government bodies and financial institutions. It would also punish other countries that trade with Moscow, imposing 500% tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly urged Ukraine's Western allies to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow to force the Kremlin to agree to a ceasefire as a step towards reaching an end to the war, now 40 months old. Work on the bill has picked up pace over the last week, according to two U.S. officials. One person familiar with Trump's thinking said the text still needs work. The current version, that person said, does not give the president enough flexibility to carry out his foreign policy agenda independent of Congress. The White House was working with Congress and the bill's sponsors to ensure it would be "an enhancement to the president's foreign policy objectives," that person added. One person with knowledge of the drafting process said congressional staff had been ironing out technical issues in recent days, such as how to keep any sanctions from affecting the operations of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. A spokesperson for Graham told Reuters the bill would probably not come to the floor until the week of July 21 at the earliest, due to other legislative priorities. The House of Representatives, which will need to vote on the measure, leaves for August recess in two weeks, meaning floor time is at a premium. That is particularly true if a Trump request to slash $9.4 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting - which passed the House and is currently in the Senate - heads back to the House following any changes. Some supporters of the bill acknowledge that the legislation is largely symbolic, given that Trump would have broad authority to veto the sanctions, and in any case could simply issue sanctions from the executive branch if he wishes. "The president already has all these authorities," said one Republican Senate staffer.
Int'l Business Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
North Korea's Kim Offers Russia Full Support On Ukraine In Lavrov Talks
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his full support for their war in Ukraine during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pyongyang state media said Sunday. Lavrov's visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties amid Russia's offensive against Kyiv. Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to oust Ukrainian forces and has also provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles. Kim and Lavrov met on Saturday in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust", North Korea's official KCNA news agency reported. Russia's foreign ministry posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug. It said the talks were held in Wonsan, a city on North Korea's east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month -- one of leader Kim's pet projects. Kim told Lavrov that Pyongyang was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis", KCNA said. The North Korean leader also expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country". He lauded Putin's "outstanding leadership", the report said. The two men otherwise discussed "important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024", KCNA said, referring to North Korea by its official name. Lavrov told Kim that Putin "hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future", according to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS. He left Pyongyang and landed in Beijing on Sunday to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers' Council, Russia's TASS news agency reported on its Telegram account. Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov lauded Wonsan as "a good tourist attraction", adding: "We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians." KCNA also issued a statement on Sunday on the meeting between Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui, held a day earlier in the coastal city, saying that bilateral ties were becoming an "invincible alliance". Moscow "expressed its firm support for the DPRK side in its just efforts for defending the security of the state" during the meeting, KCNA said. In return, Choe demonstrated "full sympathy and support for all the measures taken by the Russian government to remove the root cause of the Ukrainian conflict". TASS earlier reported that Lavrov thanked the "heroic" North Korean soldiers who have been deployed to aid Russia during the ministerial meeting. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in April, and admitted its soldiers had been killed in combat. Both sides "emphasised their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region", Russia's foreign ministry said. The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
North Korea offers full support for Russia to ‘tackle' Ukraine crisis
North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un, have once again vowed full and unconditional support to Russia during its ongoing war with Ukraine. During Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un backed Russia and expressed hopes for a win for the Russian side. Sergey Lavrov's visit to North Korea comes amid deepening ties between the two allies. (via REUTERS) As per state-agency KCNA, North Korea was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis." Also Read: Russia warns US, South Korea, Japan against alliance targeting North Korea Furthermore, Kim Jong Un expressed "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country". Sergey Lavrov's visit to North Korea comes amid deepening ties between the two allies. The foreign minister was welcomed with an "atmosphere full of warm comradely trust" in Wonsan, the coastal city where a tourist resort was recently opened. Lavrov also hailed Wonsan as "a good tourist attraction", adding that it will be open for Russian tourists very soon. 'We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians,' said the top Russian diplomat. Ahead of his meet with Kim Jong Un, the Russian minister met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui, where Russia expressed its gratitude for the "heroic" North Korean soldiers who have been deployed alongside the Russian military. Both Moscow and Pyongyang also "emphasised their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region", read an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Six killed in massive Russian drone, missile attack across Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) -- Russia fired more than 620 drones and long-range missiles overnight, killing at least six people in the latest wave of strikes, Ukraine said Saturday, adding that it was close to an agreement to receive more Patriot air-defense systems. "The Russians continue to use their specific tactics of terror against our country, striking concentrated blows at one city or another, at one region or another," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening address. Moscow has stepped up aerial strikes over recent months as US-led ceasefire talks have stalled. "Twenty-six cruise missiles and 597 attack drones were launched, of which more than half were 'Shaheds,'" Zelenskyy said, referring to Iranian-made drones. The Ukrainian Air Force said it had downed 319 Shahed drones and 25 missiles, adding that one missile and about 20 drones had hit "five locations." Zelenskyy said the strikes had killed at least two people and wounded 20 in the southwestern Chernivtsi region, far from the front lines of the east and south. Twelve people were wounded in Lviv, also in the west, while in the east, two people died in Dnipropetrovsk and three were wounded in Kharkiv, local officials said. Russia also "dropped two guided aerial bombs on the homes of civilians" in the northeastern Sumy region killing two, the local prosecutors office said. Zelenskyy said that some of the drones sent by Russia had been "simulators" intended to "overload the air-defense system and make it more difficult to shoot down the 'suicide drones.' This is their deliberate and despicable terror." The Russian Defense Mministry said it had targeted companies in Ukraine's military-industrial complex in Lviv, Kharkiv and Lutsk and a military airdrome. In a video message, Zelenskyy said "we are close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles for them." Ukraine was stepping up production of its own interceptor systems, he added. US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine on Monday as a Washington-led peace effort flounders. US President Donald Trump also said he would make a "major statement ... on Russia" on Monday. On Friday, the Kremlin restated its opposition to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, after French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv's allies had a plan "ready to go ... in the hours after a ceasefire." Trump called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin but said afterward that there had been no progress towards ending the war. The Kremlin said Putin would not give up on Russia's war goals but would nonetheless continue to take part in negotiations. Moscow says its aim in Ukraine is to get rid of the "root causes" of the conflict and has demanded that Kyiv give up its NATO ambitions. Washington's announcement earlier this month that it would pause some armament deliveries to Ukraine was a blow to Kyiv, which is reliant on Western military support. On Saturday, Zelenskyy urged his Western allies to send "more than just signals" to stop the war launched by Russia in February 2022. "The pace of Russian air strikes requires swift decisions and it can be curbed right now through sanctions," he said on social media. Zelenskyy specifically demanded penalties for those who "help Russia produce drones and profit from oil." Oil exports are important for the Russian economy especially in the face of existing Western sanctions. Sanctions imposed on Russia -- the world's largest fertiliser producer -- after the invasion spared its grain and fertiliser exports. But prices skyrocketed, fueling fears of food insecurity. The UN signed a deal with Russia in July 2022 to facilitate exports of food and fertiliser to limit global price increases. But on Friday, it said the accord would not be renewed when it expires on July 22.
Wall Street Journal
13 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Never-Ending Supply of Drones Has Frozen the Front Lines in Ukraine
In the battle for Ukraine, the front line is increasingly at a standstill. The reason: rapid innovations in drone technology. From just a few commercial and homemade drones, which the Ukrainians used at the start of the war to locate invading Russian columns, unmanned vehicles now dominate the battlefield.
