Latest news with #Ukranians
Kiwiblog
3 days ago
- Politics
- Kiwiblog
Ukraine strikes back
The Ukrainian military have managed to take out 40 nuclear-capable long-range Russian bombers, representing a third of the Russian air missile carrier fleet. The cost of the damaged or destroyed planes is estimated to be between US$2 and US$7 billion. They were taken out by 117 drones that cost around $4,000 each, but not launched from Ukrainian territory. It was a cunning plan, that was 18 months in the planning. The drones were smuggled into Russia in trucks and then placed into mobile wooden kit houses. The trucks went around 4,.000 kms into Russia and then the roofs of the kit houses were remotely retracted, and the drones took off and targeted planes at five different airports. Slava Ukraini! UPDATE: Further details are that the truck drivers were not Ukranians but just Russians who had been hired, with no idea what was hidden in the roof of the truck. Can you imagine their surprise when you're driving along, and suddenly a few dozen drones blast off from your truck!
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Franklin County woman mourns brother killed in Russia-Ukraine war
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – The world continues to watch as the Russia-Ukraine war unfolds with no end in sight. While the battlefield is over five thousand miles away from Southwest Virginia, the impacts of the war are still being felt by people here. (Photo Credit: Olena Kuhfahl) One of those people is Olena Kuhfahl. Olena currently lives in Franklin County, but she is from Ukraine. Olena moved to the US 10 years ago after meeting her husband, David, but she left behind many loved ones. 'I am daughter, sister and friend of people who Russians killed the last three years,' said Olena. For the last three years, and many Ukranians like Olena argue even longer, she has watched her home country fight Russian aggression. 'What reasons? Why Russians kill us? Just because we are Ukrainian? Just because we love our land,' said Olena. President Trump says he spoke with Russian president about ending the war The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including dozens of Olenas friends, her mother, Raisa and most recently, her brother, Sasha who was a captain in the Ukrainian military. 'In civilian life, he was an electricity man, an absolutely ordinary profession. In 2014, we count that as start of war, that is when Russia attacked us for the first time. 2015, he volunteered to go to war, because they said if not we, who else? It's our country and we have incredible global evil that is attacking us because we want to be independent,' said Olena. 'It's very difficult. I've watched my wife's health deteriorate. I've watched my mother-in-law pass away, my father-in-law be displaced and now Sasha's passing,' said David. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Olena and David started fundraising to support Ukrainian troops. The couple even traveled to Ukraine in 2023 to deliver supplies, like winter clothes and a truck to Sasha and his squadron. 'Everyday, Ukraine loses men, young men. Ukraine needs to win, if Ukraine does not win, then Putin wins. We need support, Ukraine needs support,' said Olena. With no end in sight, families like the Kuhfahls are left to mourn, thousands of miles away. 'The last suggestion, or promise we made to Sasha was that we would have him come here [to America] and go fishing with us on Smith Mountain Lake, because he loved to fish in freshwater, but we will not have that opportunity,' said David. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Politico
18-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
The call heard around the world
DEAL OR NO DEAL — It could prove to be the most important deal of Donald Trump's career. But, so far, Russia doesn't think the U.S. president is driving a hard bargain. A marathon call between Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin today put that on display. After its conclusion, the White House proudly announced that Russia 'will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire,' and that additional negotiations are planned for 'a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.' The Kremlin also stated they agreed to a prisoner exchange of 175 Russian prisoners for 175 Ukranians. But directly after Putin hung up, Russia launched drone strikes over Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. There remains no indication that Putin dropped or changed his increasingly steep demands for ending the war outright, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a news conference today that he had 'skepticism' about the deal, but that 'if there is a partial ceasefire, this is a positive result.' Meanwhile, much of Europe is unconvinced of Trump's success and hopes to bring Ukraine into a closer partnership with them; multiple countries in Northern Europe are pushing the EU to speed up the process of making Ukraine a full member of the bloc. It remains unclear what the exact parameters are of any ceasefire agreement. What is obvious, though, is that Trump has won no end of admirers in Moscow. 'Under the leadership of President Putin and President Trump, the world has become a much safer place today!' Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and an envoy of Putin's, wrote on X today. And Putin himself last week said the Republican leader 'is doing everything to restore at least something of what was basically destroyed by the previous U.S. administration.' One of the reasons for the warm words between the two sides is that Kyiv, London, Brussels, Paris and any number of other American partners have been shut out of the discussions to date. That's been a major coup for the Russians, allowing them to float economic deals and other areas of mutual interest without having to face up to the Europeans' fears a pause in fighting could simply allow Moscow to resupply and prepare for a new offensive. 'History has proven that Putin uses negotiations as a stalling tactic,' said Svitlana Romanko, director of Ukrainian advocacy organization Razom We Stand. 'And by sidelining Ukraine and key European allies, Trump is signaling very clearly that the U.S. is no longer committed to transatlantic unity.' For Russia's efforts to divide the continent, that's a good thing. 'The Europeans are calculating that Trump will fail to reach an agreement with Moscow. Then they will run to the White House in triumph and say I told you so,' said Aleksey Pushkov, a senator from the ruling United Russia party, before the call. 'They seem to underestimate the very philosophy that guides Trump's actions. He didn't take on the negotiations just to then back down.' At the same time, the optics of Trump directly offering to secure an end to the conflict plays into Russian propaganda narratives that Ukraine and NATO are simply U.S. puppets. According to Jade McGlynn, a lecturer at King's College London and author of 'Russia's War,' Trump's tactics 'have affirmed the Kremlin's cynical vision of what the world is and how it should be.' Top Russian mouthpieces are now even trying to play the U.S. against the Europeans, with Putin's security council chief and invasion cheerleader Dmitry Medvedev insisting that proposals from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron would fly in the face of private agreements struck with Washington. 'Consult with Trump, scumbags,' Medvedev wrote online. But it's not just the Russians or the EU responding to Trump's shift in rhetoric and focus on profiting from the conflict. In an exclusive interview with POLITICO EU on Monday, President Zelenskyy's sanctions chief, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said he thought a return to Western firms doing business with Russia is now just 'a matter of time' given the thawing relations between Moscow and Washington. However, he said, any relaxation in economic restrictions must be used as 'leverage' to secure a lasting peace and justice for the Ukrainians. And, pushed by the British to go along with Trump's proposals for a ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to show that it is Russia that ultimately stands in the way of Washington's peace proposals. Now, Putin will have to explain why he will not sign up to the initiative, as his forces try to push the Ukrainian army out of the Kursk region of his country, depriving them of one of their few bargaining chips. But, while Kyiv and other European countries are hoping that they can together convince Trump to deliver a lasting and durable end to the war, they're increasingly afraid that a bad peace deal is worse than no peace deal. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at ggavin@ What'd I Miss? — John Roberts, in rare statement, hits back after Trump calls for impeaching judges: Chief Justice John Roberts is pushing back against President Donald Trump's call to impeach judges who've ruled against the administration. 'For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,' Roberts said today in a rare and brief statement issued just hours after Trump publicly joined demands by his supporters to remove judges he called 'crooked.' It's the most intense public conflict between Trump and Roberts since 2018, when the chief justice came to the defense of federal judges who'd ruled against Trump policies. — Key House Republican warns Trump on TikTok: Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House's select committee on countering China, drew a hard line this morning against any deal for TikTok that keeps control of the app or its underlying technology in the hands of Beijing-based ByteDance. 'The law is clear: any deal must eliminate Chinese influence and control over the app to safeguard our interests,' he wrote in an op-ed in The National Review. His op-ed responded to recent reports that the White House is seriously considering a deal to keep TikTok online in the U.S. by selling a stake to the American firm Oracle, which would run TikTok's American operations. — Musk effort to dismantle USAID likely violated Constitution, judge rules: A federal judge has rebuked Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency for their efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development,declaring that Musk's effort to erase the agency likely violated the Constitution in 'multiple ways.' But the ruling today from U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang appears to permit the Trump administration to ratify and maintain the draconian cuts — as long as they are ordered by USAID's official leadership, rather than by Musk or his allies at DOGE. — JD Vance will serve as RNC finance chair: JD Vance will assume a key fundraising role in the Republican National Committee. The vice president will serve as the committee's next finance chair, a position that charges Vance with securing donations and charting the party's path ahead of the 2026 midterms. Vance, who could run for president in 2028 since President Donald Trump is term-limited, is the first sitting vice president to assume the role. — Jordan demands testimony from prosecutors who went after Trump: House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan is calling prosecutors who oversaw the criminal investigation into Donald Trump to testify before his committee — the latest chapter in congressional Republicans' campaign to target government officials who investigated the president. Jordan asked Attorney General Pam Bondi today for her department's cooperation in the testimony of Justice Department staffer Thomas Windom and former staffer J.P. Cooney, both of whom worked with former special counsel Jack Smith on the criminal investigations into Trump in between his terms in the White House. AROUND THE WORLD CASH ADVANCE — German lawmakers passed a historic package of constitutional reforms today that will unleash hundreds of billions of euros in new borrowing to bolster the country's enervated military and aging infrastructure. Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives supported the package of measures along with lawmakers from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens. Altogether, 513 of 720 lawmakers who cast votes in Germany's Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, backed the bill. Merz needed a two-thirds majority to pass the necessary amendments to the constitution. The vote marks a U-turn in the fiscal policy of the EU's biggest economy after years of self-imposed austerity under a debt brake, which limits the structural budget deficit to 0.35 percent of gross domestic product, except in emergencies. The measures are set to take effect as Berlin's incoming coalition — which is likely to consist of Merz's conservatives and the SPD — looks to shore up Europe's defenses in the face of Russia's grinding advance in Ukraine and a weakening transatlantic alliance. Under the package of measures, defense spending exceeding one percent of GDP is to be exempted from the strictures of the country's constitutional debt brake. Aid for Ukraine is also to be included in that exemption, potentially unlocking billions in aid for the embattled country. 'ONLY THE BEGINNING' — Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early today that killed more than 400 Palestinians, local health officials said, shattering a ceasefire in place since January as it vowed to force Hamas to release more hostages and relinquish control of the territory, The Associated Press reports. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to free half of the remaining hostages as a precondition for extending the ceasefire. Israel's deadliest bombardment of the territory in the 17-month war killed mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Netanyahu said the attack was 'only the beginning' and that Israel would press ahead until it achieves all of its war aims — destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the militant group. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP FAST-FOOD — After 17 years of stasis, U.S. fast food restaurants are increasing their productivity again, cutting down on wait times and better serving customers. According to a new study, we have the pandemic to thank. While Covid-19 disrupted the restaurant industry through social distancing and lockdowns, more people wanted to spend less time in restaurants. Eateries adapted, especially fast-food ones, by expanding smartphone apps, building takeout shelves and doubling drive-through lanes. Research also suggests that higher productivity could lead to higher wages for employees and lower prices for consumers. Greg Rosalsky explores this for NPR's Planet Money. Parting Image Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
The Guardian
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy hails ‘three years of resistance' on anniversary of Russian invasion
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine, on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed 'Three years of resistance' and the 'absolute heroism' of Ukranians this morning. In a post on X he wrote: 'Three years of gratitude. Three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians. I am proud of Ukraine! I thank everyone who defends and supports it. Everyone who works for Ukraine. And may the memory of all those who gave their lives for our state and people be eternal.' His post came as EU leaders, including president of the EU commission Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv in a show of support. Posting on X she wrote: 'On the 3rd anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion, Europe is in Kyiv. We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It's Europe's destiny.' António Costa, president of the European Council, wrote: 'In Ukraine, about Ukraine, with Ukraine,' as he arrived in the capital. The meeting comes at a time of fragile and fragmenting transatlantic relations, with the UN set to vote on rival resolutions from Ukraine and the US urging an end to the war. In a diplomatic note sent on Sunday and reviewed by Reuters, the US described its brief resolution as 'a forward-looking resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war' and asks countries to 'vote no on any other resolution or amendments presented' during Monday's meeting of the security council. The US resolution was 'simple [and] historic,' US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday, however, a draft text made no reference to Ukraine's territorial integrity, Agence France-Press reported. In contrast, Ukraine and more than 50 other states are planning to introduce a text before the wider General Assembly saying it is 'urgent' to end the war this year and repeating the assembly's previous demands: an immediate cessation of Russian hostilities and an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. In other developments: Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would be willing to resign in exchange for peace or Nato membership, telling reporters he doesn't plan to stay in power for decades. 'But we won't let Putin stay in power over Ukrainian territories either,' he said Sunday. He made his remarks just hours after Russia launched its biggest ever aerial attack on Ukraine , using 267 drones, killing at least four people across the country. Kyiv echoed with the booms of anti-aircraft fire as crews spent the night trying to shoot the drones down. Zelenskyy also said he would not bow to pressure from Washington to hand over $500bn worth of Ukraine's minerals , adding: 'I'm not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians are going to pay later.' Around $350bn worth of Ukraine's critical resources are in areas captured by Russia, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, told reporters. Zelenskyy also revealed the Trump administration was asking Ukraine to pay back $2 for every $1 of military aid the US provides Ukraine going forward – an interest rate of 100%. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, will separately meet Trump early this week and have agreed to show 'united leadership in support of Ukraine'. EU leaders will meet on 6 March for a special summit 'to take decisions' on Ukraine and European defence, Costa said, as pressure mounts on European nations to boost defence spending. Meanwhile, US and Russian officials are planning to meet again at some point in the next two weeks, Russian state news agency RIA reported over the weekend, citing the deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov. Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov supported comments made by Trump about Zelenskyy – such as calling the Ukrainian leader a dictator – as 'understandable' after Zelenskyy made 'inappropriate remarks' about Trump. Zelenskyy had accused Trump of being 'trapped' in a Russian 'disinformation bubble.' Despite Zelenskyy's growing frustration with the Trump administration, he repeated his hopes in keeping the US allied with Ukraine, and to be included in any peace talks. 'We would really like it as a priority for the US to first talk to us, then to Russia.' He added, 'it is not possible to decide anything about Ukraine without us.' Share Explore more on these topics
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Sides With Putin, Trashes Zelensky as a ‘Dictator'
Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a 'dictator' on Wednesday in a rage-fueled social media post amid his administration's push to end Russia's war against the nation. 'Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and 'TRUMP,' will never be able to settle,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added of Zelensky: 'He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.' Zelensky is not low in the polls or running a dictatorship in Ukraine. This week, the Trump administration began so-called 'peace talks' with Russia regarding their ongoing offensive against Ukraine that excluded the Ukranians from negotiations. On Tuesday, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war three years ago, and of being the primary obstacle to peace. 'Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it — three years. You should have never been there. You should have never started it. You should have made a deal,' the president said of Ukraine. It was, of course, Russia that invaded Ukraine in an effort to seize the nation's sovereign territory. In his Wednesday Truth Social Post, Trump claimed that he is 'successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only 'TRUMP,' and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the 'gravy train' going.' A person close to Trump tells Rolling Stone that Trump has for years viewed Zelensky as untrustworthy, perhaps especially in his post-presidency years. The source adds that Trump has brought up, multiple times, an on-camera interview Zelensky did with Axios, during which the Ukrainian leader discusses the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that Trump instigated, as well as the Trump-Ukraine scandal from the first White House term. Trump, this source says, said he felt Zelensky was making fun of him in that televised sit-down, even after Trump had, in Trump's view, done so much for Ukraine. Trump's attack against Zelensky on Wednesday was reportedly prompted by Zelensky telling reporters earlier in the day that Trump is 'living in a disinformation space' created for him by the Russians. 'If someone wants to replace me right now, it's not going to happen,' Zelensky said of Trump's demands that Ukraine hold presidential elections amid the war. While Zelensky's official five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, Ukrainian elections cannot be held during a declaration of martial law, which has been in effect since the war began in 2022. Zelensky remains the legal president of Ukraine, and has an approval rating of above 50 percent. Earlier this month, the American president said it was 'unlikely' that Ukraine would regain territory lost to Russia during the war, prompting criticism that the Trump administration is already siding with Russia before negotiations even began. His post on Wednesday is the strongest indication yet that Russia's side is where he and the administration will remain. More from Rolling Stone 'We're All Paying for It': Kash Patel Called Out Elon Musk for Getting Rich Off Taxpayers Trump Orders Independent Agencies to Follow His Read of the Law, Not the Courts Elon Musk's Empty Hunt for Condoms Is Causing Real Harm Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
