Latest news with #Ukraineinvasion
The National
21 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Donald Trump warns Russia of Ukraine sanctions in August
President Donald Trump signalled his exasperation with Russia's failure to engage in full-scale peace talks with Ukraine by bringing forward a deadline for the imposition of punishing sanctions. The US leader spoke on Monday in Scotland where he indicated his new deadline for Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table over the Ukraine invasion would be between 10 and 12 days. Asked by reporters how long he would set for the new deadline, Mr Trump said he had been let down by Mr Putin after direct talks. 'I am going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today," he 'aid. 'There is no reason in waiting.' On July 14 Mr Trump initially announced a 50-day deadline for Russia, which would have expired on September 2. Now he is threatening to impose stiff economic penalties on Mr Putin if there is no end to the war with Ukraine. Not only has there not been an end to the fighting, but Russian forces have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. 'So what I'm doing is we're going to do secondary sanctions, unless we make a deal, and we might make a deal, I don't know,' Trump added. Announcing the offer to Russia, Mr Trump had warned he would impose 100 per cent tariffs and other punitive economic measures on Russia if they did not stop the fighting. Officials have cast secondary levies that would fall on countries who buy Russian goods such as oil. Washington and other capitals allied with Kyiv view such oil purchases as a form of tacit support for Russia, helping to bolster its economy and undercut sanctions. Following through on his secondary sanctions threat would hit India and China, two major trading partners, while Mr Trump is seeking to negotiate a trade deal to lower tariffs and other barriers with New Delhi, and with negotiators in Stockholm to extend a truce with Beijing. Mr Trump's latest threat – and shortened timeline for Putin to comply – highlight his growing frustration with the Russian leader. 'I'm not so interested in talking any more,' Mr Trump said on Monday. 'He talks. We have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations, and then people die the following night in a – with a missile going into a town. 'I really felt it was going to end. But every time I think it's going to end he kills people. I'm not so interested in talking (to him) any more,' he added. Ukraine swiftly praised the US President's stand and thanked Mr Trump for 'standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength'. 'When America leads with strength, others think twice,' Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media. The comments came during a trip to Scotland by Mr Trump, who met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who focused on ending the suffering in Gaza and reviving stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump promised to use his relationship with Mr Putin to end the three-year war in a single day, but that has not happened. Moscow has responded to his efforts with maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory, and by declining calls for face-to-face talks between Mr Putin and the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin on Monday said it was not ruling out a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump in September in China. Mr Putin is due to visit China in early September for celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 'If it so happens that in the end the US President decides to visit China during those days, then of course such a meeting cannot in theory be excluded,' the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
NHK
11-07-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov arrives in North Korea
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting North Korea, in the latest sign of the two countries' deepening ties. Lavrov arrived in the eastern city of Wonsan on Friday night. North Korea is trying to draw Russian tourists to a new coastal resort in the area. Russia's Foreign Ministry says Lavrov will meet his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui during his stay through Sunday. They are expected to discuss a plan for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia, and Pyongyang's additional support for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov is expected to hand Kim a letter from President Vladimir Putin. The two countries are deepening military cooperation under a comprehensive strategic partnership signed in June last year. Lavrov said on Friday that the United States is strengthening its alliances with South Korea and Japan, and provoking North Korea. He said Russia will do everything possible to prevent such provocations.
CNA
10-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Europe's top human rights court says Russia responsible for 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight
STRASBOURG, France: A top European court on Wednesday (Jul 9) ruled Russia committed a string of human rights violations in backing anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine from 2014, in the downing of the MH17 flight that year and in invading Ukraine in 2022. The European Court of Human Rights, part of the Council of Europe rights body, is tasked with implementing the European human rights convention in signatory countries. Wednesday's largely symbolic ruling comes after the Council of Europe excluded Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow dropped out of the European rights convention in September that year. The ECHR however still handles cases against Russia that were brought before that date. A panel of 17 judges found Russia violated the convention through "extrajudicial killing of civilians and Ukrainian military personnel" outside of combat, "torture", "forced labour", "unlawful and arbitrary detention of civilians" as well as looting. The judges also ruled that Russia had violated the European rights convention through "the transfer to Russia and, in many cases, the adoption there of Ukrainian children". The court said Russia "must without delay release or safely return all persons who were deprived of liberty on Ukrainian territory under occupation by the Russian and Russian-controlled forces." It added that Moscow should cooperate in the establishment of an international and independent mechanism to help identify "all children transferred from Ukraine to Russia and Russian-controlled territory" before September 2022 to restore contact between them and their families, and enable their safe reunification. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said Russia had no intention of complying with the decision of the court, whose rulings it considered to be "null and void". "HISTORIC" The court issued its verdict in response to four complaints. Ukraine had filed three of these over events from 2014 to 2022, and the Netherlands had filed a fourth over the downing over eastern Ukraine of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014. The UN's aviation agency has blamed Moscow for the tragedy that killed all 298 on board. The ECHR found that "the suffering of the next of kin of the victims of the downing of flight MH17" violated the right to freedom from torture and punishment. Ukraine celebrated what it said was a "historic decision". Its justice ministry said the court's recognition of "systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by Russia" was a "victory on the international stage". Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said it was "an important step toward justice". "The court has designated Russia as responsible for the downing of MH17 and the death of its passengers, including 196 Dutch nationals," he said. Piet Ploeg, who lost his brother, step-sister and nephew in the tragedy, said it was an "important day". "I don't think Russia will pay anything but it is not about money today," he said. "It is about getting justice and recognition and maybe getting apologies... You never know." Usually individuals file cases at Europe's top human rights court, appealing to it as a last resort in cases where they have exhausted all domestic legal avenues.
