Latest news with #UkraineRussiaConflict
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Ukraine Ups Its Arms Production, Asking Allies to Pay for It
The clang of hammers and the whine of drills echo through a factory in central Ukraine, as workers assemble hulking armored personnel carriers that troops will soon ride into combat — a cacophony that captures this moment in the war with Russia. Ukraine has been ramping up domestic arms production significantly, unable to rely as heavily as it once did on an increasingly uncertain supply of weapons from its allies. Last year, Ukrainian Armor, a private company that runs the armored vehicle factory, produced double the number of vehicles it did the year before, according to Vladislav Belbas, the chief executive. 'But that's not enough,' Mr. Belbas said during a recent visit to the factory, which also includes an assembly line for mortars. 'We need to produce more.' His view reflects a growing sense of reckoning in Ukraine after three and a half years of war. President Trump's inconsistent support for Ukraine has called into question the continued backing of the United States, Kyiv's biggest arms supplier. The Trump administration recently paused some arms transfers but then reversed course, agreeing to sell weapons to European allies, which will then give them to Ukraine. But even with greater certainty about the flow of Western weapons, it still does not match what Ukraine needs to fend off the Russian invasion. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Bolton dismisses Trump's Nobel hopes over Ukraine policy shift
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has cast doubt on President Donald Trump's aspirations to earn a Nobel Peace Prize over the Ukraine-Russia conflict, saying the president's recent policy shift undercuts the credibility of any peacemaking ambitions. In comments made to Newsweek on Monday, Bolton argued that Trump's latest move, allowing the delivery of both defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine via NATO member states, undermines his stated goal of bringing an end to the war. According to Bolton, Trump's motivations are not rooted in a sincere commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty or regional peace. Rather, the former official believes the decision is an attempt to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin back to the negotiating table, a tactic that Bolton views as unlikely to succeed. 'From that point of view, it doesn't look like there's much chance to strike a deal between Ukraine and Russia — and therefore no Nobel Peace Prize to be won there,' Bolton told Newsweek. Bolton also criticized Trump's approach to foreign policy, saying it lacks long-term strategic vision and is shaped largely by personal relationships with world leaders, rather than consistent principles. This comes after Netanyahu's announcement during a White House dinner early Tuesday, where the Israeli leader revealed his official nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, describing him as the "greatest supplier of weapons" to the Israeli occupation. US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that the United States will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, emphasizing that the European Union will cover the costs. The US president had announced last week that Washington would be supplying Kiev with more weapons as the Ukraine war rages on. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews upon his return to Washington, Trump said, "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection, but the European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it." Trump also took a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need because Putin has really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. A little bit of a problem there. I don't like it." Meanwhile, the Russian government responded by reiterating its position that ongoing Western arms deliveries to Ukraine only prolong the conflict and represent a direct involvement of NATO countries. Moscow has consistently maintained that the supply of advanced military systems to Kiev undermines the prospect of any political resolution and escalates regional instability. The decision follows a short-lived halt by the Defense Department last week, which paused delivery of certain air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns over depleted US military stockpiles. The White House later confirmed that the halt came after a global assessment of American military commitments. However, the Pentagon reversed the decision days later, announcing on Tuesday that it would resume shipments of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. The reversal followed Trump's directive, with the Pentagon stating the move was intended "to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops." Trump later told reporters that he was unaware of who had approved the earlier pause in deliveries.
Russia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev not negotiating in good faith
Ukraine does not take ceasefire negotiations with Russia seriously and only attended talks in Istanbul to avoid being viewed as an obstacle to peace in the eyes of its Western backers, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tikhiy has said. Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of direct talks in Istanbul in recent months. The discussions did not result in significant breakthroughs with regard to ending the conflict, but did lead to several large-scale prisoner exchanges. 'We don't expect a real ceasefire as a result of these meetings,' Tikhiy said in an interview on journalist Aleksandr Notevsky's YouTube channel on Friday. The Ukrainian diplomat explained that Kiev's presence at the talks serves to protect its image in the eyes of the international community and avoid accusations of being the side obstructing peace negotiations. 'It's to prevent anyone from accusing Ukraine of being the side that doesn't want peace,' Tikhiy said. He acknowledged concerns being raised 'in different circles, even among allied countries,' that Kiev is blocking peace efforts, explaining that 'Ukraine is sending a delegation… to show that this is not true.' The Ukrainian official acknowledged the humanitarian aspect of the talks, noting that if 'a thousand people are returned… then it's worth going and listening to any historical nonsense.' Back in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions in Istanbul – where Kiev had unilaterally abandoned talks back in 2022, reportedly at the behest of its Western backers. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky immediately dared the Russian president to personally meet him in Türkiye, although the Kremlin noted such a meeting would be pointless without thorough preparatory work. Ukrainian officials have since repeatedly disparaged Moscow's delegation as being too low-level, even though the same chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, worked on the original 2022 peace framework. Tikhiy claimed that the makeup of the Ukrainian delegation, which includes Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, somehow proves that Kiev is more serious about the talks than Moscow. Zelensky is seeking a personal meeting with Putin to defend his claims to legitimacy and resist Western attempts to push him out of power, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. '[Zelensky] is insanely afraid of being forgotten, of becoming unnecessary for the West. That somehow the West will sideline him. And you can see he doesn't step away from the microphones. I think he already sleeps with a webcam,' she said. Zelensky's presidential term expired last year, and Moscow views him as illegitimate. In June, Putin said he was open to meeting with the actor-turned-politician, but suggested that the Ukrainian leader lacks legitimacy for signing binding agreements. 'I am ready to meet with anyone, including Zelensky,' Putin said. 'That's not the issue – if the Ukrainian state trusts someone to conduct negotiations, by all means, let it be Zelensky. The question is different: Who will sign the documents?'
The Independent
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ukraine's Mariupol ‘heroes' returned in prisoner swap as Kyiv halts Moscow's Sumy advance
Ukraine has received from Russia a number of its soldiers who were hailed as "heroes" for their role in defending besieged Mariupol. The soldiers' return is part of the latest prisoner swap between the two countries that was agreed in Istanbul, reflecting the limited progress Moscow and Kyiv have made in peace talks. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Donald Trump told him he would attend peace talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in Turkey if they took place. On the frontline, Ukrainian forces have halted Russia's recent advance into the northern Sumy region and have stabilised the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine's top military commander said yesterday.
Washington Post
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
With no end to war in sight, Ukraine's economy teeters on the edge
KYIV — At the NATO summit, this week President Donald Trump expressed a degree of puzzlement that the war between Ukraine and Russia is still going on, admitting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been 'difficult.' 'I'm surprised with him; I thought we would have that settled easy,' Trump said at a news conference Wednesday, adding that the Ukraine-Russia conflict has 'been more difficult than other wars.'
