Latest news with #USRussiaRelations
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
War of words escalates between Russia and Trump
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and current security official, has warned of 'World War III' after US President Donald Trump criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin 's actions in Ukraine. Mr Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, responded to Mr Medvedev's comments as 'reckless' and 'unfitting of a world power'. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested Trump was 'emotional' and that Europe was sabotaging peace efforts between the US, Turkey, and Russia. Russian state media and political commentators have downplayed Mr Trump's recent criticisms, viewing them as a 'skirmish across the ocean' and questioning whether the US will escalate actions against Moscow. Despite the escalating war of words, US embassy officials attended a security meeting in Moscow, marking the first time an American delegation has attended such an event since before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Independent
7 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow says US prisoner-swap agreed after Trump hits out at ‘crazy' Putin
The US and Russia have agreed to a prisoner exchange, the Kremlin has claimed, as Moscow's foreign minister heaped praise on Donald Trump as a man 'who wants results' after the US president blasted Vladimir Putin's attacks on Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov told a press conference Washington and Moscow had agreed on a prisoner swap after Trump and Putin spoke of exchanging nine people from each side during their phone call last week, according to NBC. Moscow claimed the diplomatic development after Trump branded Putin 'absolutely crazy' for a record-breaking drone attack on Ukraine, and the Kremlin said the US president was being "emotional". Mr Trump issued some of his sharpest criticism of Mr Putin after Russia fired 355 drones and nine missiles at Ukraine — the largest aerial attack of the more than three-year war. He added that if the Russian leader tried to conquer all of Ukraine, it would 'lead to the downfall of Russia ' as he warned of further sanctions. On Tuesday Lavrov grovelled to Trump as a man "who wants results." "He sees some of the Europeans are working to sabotage his efforts [on peace]... of course, he gets emotional, and, of course, as someone who does not like anything to stand in the way of his noble goals, he looks at it a certain way,' Lavrov said, according to Russian news outlet Tass.
Al Arabiya
27-05-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Trump criticism won't hit US-Russia prisoner swap plans: Kremlin
The Kremlin said Tuesday that Donald Trump's criticism of Vladimir Putin will not affect plans for a US-Russia prisoner exchange that the two presidents discussed in a call last week. Trump called Putin 'crazy' over the weekend after Russia pummeled Ukraine with its largest drone attack since the start of its full-scale offensive, launched in February 2022. The Kremlin downplayed the spat when asked whether the US leader's comments could disrupt plans for a nine-for-nine prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. 'It is clear that the Russian and American sides should not and can not agree on everything. There will always be certain disagreements,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 'But there is political will to implement the agreements that have been reached, and the work continues. We highly value this mutual willingness,' he added. Following a two-hour call between Putin and Trump last week, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the pair had discussed 'swapping nine people for nine people' -- without giving any details on which prisoners. There have been several rounds of prisoner exchanges between Washington and Moscow since Trump returned to the White House in January. Washington has accused Moscow of 'hostage taking' -- arresting US citizens on baseless charges in a bid to use them as pawns to secure the release of Russians behind bars in the West. In the latest swap last month, dual US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina was released from a Russian jail -- where she was serving 12 years on treason charges after donating around $50 to a Ukrainian charity. In exchange the United States freed Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen accused of breaking sanctions by trying to export US-made electronics to Russian military companies.
Arab News
27-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
Kremlin says Trump criticism won't hit US-Russia prisoner swap plans
MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Tuesday that Donald Trump's criticism of Vladimir Putin will not affect plans for a US-Russia prisoner exchange that the two presidents discussed in a call last week. Trump called Putin 'crazy' over the weekend after Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest drone attack since the start of its full-scale offensive, launched in February 2022. The Kremlin downplayed the spat when asked whether the US leader's comments could disrupt plans for a nine-for-nine prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. 'It is clear that the Russian and American sides should not and can not agree on everything. There will always be certain disagreements,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 'But there is political will to implement the agreements that have been reached, and the work continues. We highly value this mutual willingness,' he added. Following a two-hour call between Putin and Trump last week, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the pair had discussed 'swapping nine people for nine people' — without giving any details on which prisoners. There have been several rounds of prisoner exchanges between Washington and Moscow since Trump returned to the White House in January. Washington has accused Moscow of 'hostage taking' — arresting US citizens on baseless charges in a bid to use them as pawns to secure the release of Russians behind bars in the West. In the latest swap last month, dual US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina was released from a Russian jail — where she was serving 12 years on treason charges after donating around $50 to a Ukrainian charity. In exchange the United States freed Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen accused of breaking sanctions by trying to export US-made electronics to Russian military companies.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Putin threatens to 'throttle' Microsoft and Zoom after Trump tirade
By Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday threatened to 'throttle' U.S. tech firms, including Microsoft and Zoom, on the heels of President Donald Trump 's furious tirade against the Russian leader. 'They're trying to choke us, we should respond in kind,' Putin said, after being told that the two U.S.-based tech firms were still technically operating in Russia , despite officially pulling out due to the Ukraine war. Putin's comments came after the Kremlin said that Trump was showing signs of an 'emotional overload' after the president ranted to reporters Sunday that he didn't know 'what the hell happened to Putin.' In a Truth Social post later Sunday night , Trump also charged that Putin had gone 'gone absolutely CRAZY!' 'I've always said that he 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!' Trump said. Russia has bombarded Ukraine with missiles and drone strikes in the past three nights, showing no signs of letting up despite Trump's demands for the war to end. A week ago, Trump and Putin were on the phone for two hours, with the U.S. president saying that the 'tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent.' 'If it wasn't, I would say so now, rather than later,' Trump said. But with no 30-day ceasefire agreement firmed up, as was proposed, Russia has continued to assault Ukraine, including the country's civilian population. Ukrainian officials estimated around 900 drones were launched by Russia in attacks from Friday through Sunday nights, the Associated Press reported . French President Emmanuel Macron reacted Monday by saying that the Russian attacks 'show the extent to which President Putin has lied to the Europeans and to the Americans.' On Monday, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Senate's president pro tempore, encouraged Trump to levy additional sanctions on Russia for the country's bad behavior. 'I've had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl. Pres Trump Take action AT LEAST SANCTIONS,' the 91-year-old Iowa Republican posted on X . Trump told reporters Sunday at the Morristown Airport as he left his Bedminster golf club that he was considering such a move. The president said he was 'absolutely' open to more sanctions. 'I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people,' Trump also said. 'I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time. Always gotten along with him. But he's sending rockets into cities and killing people. ' 'We're in the middle of talking and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all... I don't know what's wrong with him,' the president complained. Trump had stayed largely quiet throughout the weekend - as he delivered a commencement address at West Point and golfed at Bedminster - with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky encouraging him to react. 'The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin,' Zelensky wote on Telegram. 'Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia.' In turn, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky mouthing off wasn't helping matters. 'Likewise, President Zelensky 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,' the U.S. president said. On the campaign trail, Trump would boast that his negotiating skills would put a stop to the Ukraine war within 24 hours of him taking office. But so far he's been frustrated at the slow progress. A breakthrough meeting that was to take place in Turkey earlier this month, ended up not happening at the leader level as Putin refused to show up. Trump later said that Putin didn't fly to Turkey because the U.S. president wasn't going, as Trump was scheduled on his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Trump then got on the phone with Putin the following Monday.
