Latest news with #Ukraine conflict
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU nation slams bloc's ‘war budget'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has described Brussels' recent seven-year fiscal proposal as a 'war budget,' focusing on support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia instead of EU citizens. The €2 trillion ($2.17 trillion) 2028-2034 spending plan published by the European Commission earlier in July includes around €100 billion in aid for Kiev and funds for its potential EU accession. Speaking at a students' summer camp in Romania on Saturday, Orban said the proposed fiscal plan does not serve the interests of European citizens. He accused the 'Brusselian elite' of presenting a budget built on the 'logic of war,' offering 'billions for Ukraine, crumbs for farmers and development.' He claimed that the EU's goal is to defeat Russia in Ukraine, 'paving the way for a change of power' in Moscow. The budget must be approved by all 27 member states, giving Hungary the power to block it. Germany has also rejected the plan as 'unacceptable,' citing deficit concerns, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying Ukraine is unlikely to join the EU before the 2034 budget cycle ends. Budapest has opposed Ukraine's bids to join NATO and the EU, warning that these steps could escalate into a full-scale war with Russia. Orban's government has also refused to supply weapons to Kiev and continues to call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. While initially unopposed to Ukraine pursuing EU membership, Moscow have since adopted a harsher stance, accusing the bloc of 'rabid militarization' and acting as an extension of NATO.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump hammers Putin with new 10-day ceasefire ultimatum
President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, giving the Russian president a shortened deadline to start peace talks with Ukraine or threatening to hit him with economic sanctions. 'I'm going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There's no reason in waiting,' he said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Turnberry, Scotland. 'I want to be generous, but we just don't see any progress being made.' 'I'm disappointed in President Putin,' he said earlier Monday. 'Very disappointed.' Trump imposed his original deadline a month about but Putin has continued to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. 'We thought we had that settled numerous times,' Trump noted. The president's frustration was visible. He pointed out that he thought 'five times we had a deal.' 'And then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street. And I say that's not the way to do it.' Trump has been pushing for an end to the fighting in Ukraine. The president's comment came during his high-stakes meeting with the British prime minister where the two men discussed the details of the U.S.-UK trade deal and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The St armer talks come the day after Trump negotiated a trade deal with the European Union where EU countries will purchase $750 billion of energy from the U.S., and provide an additional $600 billion in U.S. investments. The deal was described by Trump as a 'very powerful deal' as well as 'a very big deal. It's the biggest of all the deals.' He also called it 'the biggest deal ever made.' The EU also agreed to tariffs of 15 percent on automobiles and most other E.U. goods. Those tariffs are higher than the 10 percent duty on most British goods that Britain, which is not in the European Union, agreed to in a deal that Starmer and Trump signed in May. The two men have met before and have a good relationship. 'I like your prime minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am - as you probably heard - but he's a good man. He got a trade deal done,' Trump told reporters after he landed in Scotland. Relations were helped when Starmer visited the White House in February, arriving with a letter from King Charles II, inviting Trump to the UK for a state visit. Starmer, in front of the cameras, handed it to Trump in the Oval Office. The president accepted the invitation and described it as an 'honor'.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump hammers Putin with new 10-day ceasefire ultimatum for peace as his frustration grows
President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, giving the Russian president a shortened deadline to start peace talks with Ukraine or threatening to hit him with economic sanctions. 'I'm going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There's no reason in waiting,' he said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Turnberry, Scotland. 'I want to be generous, but we just don't see any progress being made.' Originally, Trump gave Putin a 50-day deadline and threatened to bring stiff economic penalties on Russia if it did not end hostilities with Ukraine. But he's now expressing his impatience with Russia' continued bombardment of Ukraine. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin,' he said earlier Monday. 'Very disappointed.' Trump imposed his original deadline a month about but Putin has continued to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. 'We thought we had that settled numerous times,' Trump noted. The president's frustration was visible. He pointed out that he thought 'five times we had a deal.' 'And then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street. And I say that's not the way to do it.' Trump has been pushing for an end to the fighting in Ukraine. The president's comment came during his high-stakes meeting with the British prime minister where the two men discussed the details of the U.S.-UK trade deal and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Starmer talks come the day after Trump negotiated a trade deal with the European Union where EU countries will purchase $750 billion of energy from the U.S., and provide an additional $600 billion in U.S. investments. The deal was described by Trump as a 'very powerful deal' as well as 'a very big deal. It's the biggest of all the deals.' He also called it 'the biggest deal ever made.' The EU also agreed to tariffs of 15 percent on automobiles and most other E.U. goods. Those tariffs are higher than the 10 percent duty on most British goods that Britain, which is not in the European Union, agreed to in a deal that Starmer and Trump signed in May. The two men have met before and have a good relationship. 'I like your prime minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am - as you probably heard - but he's a good man. He got a trade deal done,' Trump told reporters after he landed in Scotland. Relations were helped when Starmer visited the White House in February, arriving with a letter from King Charles II, inviting Trump to the UK for a state visit. Starmer, in front of the cameras, handed it to Trump in the Oval Office. The president accepted the invitation and described it as an 'honour'. After a meeting at the course, Starmer and Trump will travel together to Trump's golf course in Aberdeen. The president arrived in Scotland on Friday and has been enjoying a few rounds of golf on his Turnberry course. His sons Eric and Don Jr. are also on the trip.
The Standard
6 days ago
- The Standard
Ukraine says Starlink's global outage hit its military communications
A Starlink satellite internet system is set up, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Ukraine April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Inna Varenytsia/File Photo
Russia Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky replaces defense minister
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has named the country's longest-serving prime minister, Denis Shmigal, as the next minister of defense, as part of a sweeping government reshuffle expected to be finalized by parliament this week. Shmigal, 49, has served as prime minister since 2020, navigating the Kiev government through the Covid-19 pandemic and the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. In a video address on Monday evening, Zelensky praised Shmigal's experience in managing the country's limited resources, saying it would be valuable in his new role. 'Denis Shmigal's extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine's defense minister – it is precisely in this area that the country's resources are currently concentrated, the number of tasks is at its peak, and the responsibility is immense,' Zelensky said. Zelensky has also proposed Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko as Shmigal's replacement as prime minister. Sviridenko, 39, who gained prominence for brokering a deal that granted the US preferential access to Ukrainian mineral resources, has said she will soon present her proposed cabinet and government action plan. The reshuffle will require parliamentary approval once Shmigal formally submits his resignation. A vote on dismissing the current cabinet is reportedly expected as early as July 16. Outgoing defense minister Rustem Umerov, who also led Kiev's delegation in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, is the main candidate to become Ukraine's new ambassador to the United States, according to Zelensky. 'We need a person to be strong and to be in the context of the most important thing, in the context of strengthening Ukraine – through weapons, first of all,' Zelensky said after meeting with Umerov over the weekend. Ukraine's Defense Ministry has faced multiple corruption scandals in recent years, with former defense chief Aleksey Reznikov stepping down in 2023 amid a scandal involving overpriced food contracts for the military. Four months later, his successor, Umerov, stated that an internal ministry audit had uncovered approximately $262 million in losses related to theft. Umerov himself was also reportedly under investigation by anti-corruption authorities for alleged abuse of power in connection with defense procurement.
