Latest news with #UkrainePeace
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the Ukraine peace negotiations during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed Rubio on 'concrete proposals for the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.' 'Both sides affirmed their intent to maintain constructive and respectful dialogue,' the ministry said in a statement on its website. US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Rubio 'welcomed Russia and Ukraine's exchange of '1,000-for-1,000' prisoners over the weekend.' 'The secretary reiterated President Trump's calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war,' Bruce added. The conversation took place as US President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Russia, accusing President Vladimir Putin of 'playing with fire.' He stopped short, however, of imposing new sanctions – something he suggested could still happen if peace talks stall. 'We're going to find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently,' Trump said on Wednesday. Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years on May 16 in Istanbul, agreeing to carry out a major prisoner swap and to each draft a memorandum outlining their terms for a potential ceasefire. The exchange was conducted in several phases and concluded last week. While Kiev has said it shared its memorandum with both Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it is 'finalizing' its version of the document. Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Russia's lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has rejected Ukraine's claims that Moscow is stalling the process. Ukraine has backed Trump's proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. However, Russia has stated that, for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory. Moscow also insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia. The Kremlin has described NATO's expansion as one of the 'root causes' of the conflict – an issue it says must be addressed in the ongoing talks.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Tuesday Briefing: A Trump-Putin Phone Call
A two-hour Trump-Putin phone call President Vladimir Putin of Russia told reporters after his call with President Trump yesterday that he was ready to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine, but he repeated his demand for broad concessions. Trump offered a more optimistic take on the call. Trump said on social media that the call, which lasted two hours, 'went very well,' and that Russia and Ukraine would 'immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.' He added that he had also spoken with Ukraine's president and with European leaders. The high-stakes call came amid growing impatience in the Trump administration with Putin's refusal to agree to an immediate cease-fire, despite Ukraine's readiness to do so. Vice President JD Vance earlier in the day questioned Putin's position. 'I'm not sure that Vladimir Putin has a strategy himself for how to unwind the war,' he said. Prisoner release: Putin and Trump also discussed a potential nine-for-nine prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, Putin's foreign policy adviser told Russian news agencies. Military buildup: Russia has been beefing up bases near the Finnish border, and analysts predict the area could become a hot spot. Centrists held off the right in Eastern Europe Presidential elections on Sunday in Romania and Poland halted, or at least slowed, a hard-right breakthrough that many liberals had feared. Nicusor Dan, a centrist mayor, upset a Trump-aligned nationalist to clinch a victory in Romania. The liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, appeared to narrowly win a first-round vote against a hard-right candidate. Dan confounded expectations of a sharp right turn in Romania by winning 54 percent of the vote. Poland delivered a far less emphatic rebuff to nationalism, and the race is headed to a runoff on June 1, in which Trzaskowski's victory is far from assured. Portugal: The center-right Democratic Alliance won Sunday's snap election and will continue ruling as a minority government. But the hard-right party Chega won over 22 percent of the vote, positioning itself to be a potent movement. Israel let some aid into Gaza Israel allowed a few trucks of food to enter Gaza yesterday after a two-month blockade that threatened to lead to famine. And despite Israel's promise of an escalating ground operation, the advance had yet to begin, even though the past few days of bombardments have been particularly deadly for Palestinians. The lack of strategic clarity reflects disagreements within Israel's leadership. Here's what we know about the situation on the ground. Go deeper Israel has been working for decades to recover the remains of Eli Cohen, one of its most famous spies, who was executed in Syria in 1965. This week, it came one step closer. Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad, brought back from Syria 2,500 items from Cohen's years undercover, including documents and personal artifacts. Read about what they found. Lives lived: Jonnie Boer steered his restaurant, De Librije, in the Netherlands, to wide acclaim with ingredients plucked from nearby streams and fields. He died at 60. Warm up like the stars Many of us have a prework routine, like meditating or maybe having a coffee. These activities can help us perform better. We asked some creative professionals to share their favorite warm-up rituals. Jeff Daniels said that he recites a diaphragm exercise ('budda-gudda budda-gudda'). The Tony Award-nominee Marjan Neshat tries to find a perfume for her characters. The 'Let's Make a Deal' host Wayne Brady blows bubbles. Check out the rest. Cook: This Thai-inspired skillet meal pairs ground turkey with sugar snap peas and fresh herbs. Watch: The Netflix mini-series 'Sirens' showcases bad vibes in a stunning location. Read: Our critic recommends these three nerve-shredding thrillers. Travel: Leaving your phone at home can make your trip more rewarding. Cope: Here's how exercise can help you manage your blood sugar. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Emmett We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican, scheduled to have private talks
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 18, following the pontiff's inauguration mass, according to Vatican News. According to Sky News, the Ukrainian president is also scheduled to have a private meeting with the Pope this afternoon. The visit marked Zelensky's first in-person meeting with the new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was elected head of the Catholic Church on May 8. During the inauguration mass, Zelensky was accompanied by First Lady Olena Zelenska and Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak. The event drew 250,000 pilgrims and 156 foreign delegations, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who met Pope Francis shortly before his death. A day before the event, Rubio said that the Vatican could serve as a neutral venue for future peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Speaking in Rome before his meeting with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican's envoy on Ukraine, Rubio noted that "both sides would be comfortable" holding talks there. On May 11, during his first public address, the pope said he carried the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine" in his heart and called for an "authentic and lasting peace." Zelensky had his first phone call with Pope Leo XIV on May 12, describing the conversation as "warm" and "substantive." On May 18, the pontiff received a list of Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. Before becoming pope, Leo XIV denounced Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine while serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. In a 2022 interview, he described it as "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power." Read also: Russia launches record 273-drone attack on Ukraine ahead of planned Trump-Putin call We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of Ukrainians view Zelenskyy's Türkiye visit as successful, poll finds
A survey has revealed that 53% of Ukrainians consider the recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Türkiye a success. Source: the survey conducted by Rating Group, a Ukrainian public opinion research agency, on 16 May Details: The survey found that a significant majority of respondents, 74%, support an unconditional 30-day truce initiative. It also indicated that most respondents, 53%, regard Zelenskyy's recent visit to Türkiye as successful. The level of confidence in the Ukrainian president has stabilised at around 70%, higher than earlier in the year when it ranged from 53% to 58%. Although only a quarter of respondents believe the negotiations in Türkiye will bring Ukraine closer to peace, they expressed support for Ukraine's continued openness to negotiations, with 47% stating that Zelenskyy should participate, even in the absence of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin. For reference: The survey was conducted on 16 May among 1,000 respondents. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Sky News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Don't get your hopes up of Ukraine peace talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin anytime soon
The Kremlin's response to Donald Trump's comments regarding a possible meeting with Vladimir Putin can be summed up in two words: "Yes, but…". Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was typically non-committal on his daily conference call with journalists, talking up the importance of a summit between the leaders while simultaneously playing down expectations that it will happen any time soon. He described such a meeting as "essential" and "necessary". He even said it was "hard to overestimate" the importance of it - deploying the kind of flattery we've got used to hearing from Moscow when it knows America is listening. 1:08 But Mr Peskov also said, practically in the same breath, that a meeting required "advance preparation", which can be "lengthy". In short, don't get your hopes up… Ukraine war latest: Russia-Ukraine talks under way The prospect of a bilateral meeting has been talked about since Trump came into office, with both sides repeatedly saying that preparations were under way. That talk has dropped off somewhat in the past few weeks, since Washington's stance in the peace negotiations has appeared to shift in favour of Ukraine. But now, Trump is casting a one-on-one with Putin as the keystone to peace. There will be no movement towards peace without it, he said on Thursday. It's exactly the position Moscow craves - carving up Ukraine without Kyiv at the table. So if that's the context, I'm sure Vladimir Putin will want to sit down with the US president. But for now, it seems, it will be at a time of his choosing.
