Latest news with #Vladimir Zelensky
Russia Today
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moldova denies claims its soldiers were killed in Ukraine conflict
Moldova has denied media reports that it covered up the deaths of several Moldovan soldiers who were allegedly killed in a Russian strike at a Ukrainian training ground near the front line. On Sunday, local media claimed that a group of Moldovan contract soldiers was present at a Ukrainian military range near Davydov Brod in the Kiev-occupied part of Russia's Kherson Region – around 50km from the front line – when it was struck by Russian forces in late June. The reports claimed that out of ten Moldovan troops, four were killed and two were wounded. They also claimed that the families of the deceased received 'enormous payouts' and were forced to sign secrecy agreements. The Moldovan soldiers were reportedly dispatched to Ukraine in a 'private deal' between President Maia Sandu and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. The report added that the soldiers were supposed to be deployed to western Ukraine and should not have been sent so close to the front line, but Kiev violated the agreement with Chisinau. Media reports claiming that the Moldovan soldiers were killed featured footage released by Russia's Defense Ministry on June 22 showing a strike in the area. At the time, Moscow claimed that over 70 Ukrainian troops were killed and more than ten vehicles were destroyed at the training ground, but it did not mention any foreign personnel. The Moldovan Defense Ministry has denied the claims, dismissing them as 'a gross lie' concocted with 'the aim of manipulating public opinion... discrediting the National Army, and sowing panic among citizens.' On Monday, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused NATO of turning Moldova into a 'battering ram' against Russia by preparing the former Soviet Republic to host the bloc's military. The SVR also claimed that NATO plans to use Moldova's population as 'cannon fodder' in a potential clash with Russia.
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.
Russia Today
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Istanbul talks format ‘exhausted itself'
The format of direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul has 'practically exhausted itself' due to Russia's 'maximalist' demands, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa has claimed. Russia and Ukraine have met for two rounds of direct negotiations in Türkiye this year, restarting talks that Kiev unilaterally abandoned in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin's goal for the ongoing US-backed talks is to demand Kiev's surrender in the conflict, Kislitsa said in an interview with the Kiev Independent published on Friday. 'Putin's mandate is to force capitulation. Their logic is the opposite of ours,' he said, arguing that the Russian position was worse than 'maximalist.' 'Our mandate had three points: first, ceasefire,' Kislitsa said. The second was to 'create the conditions' for a meeting between Putin and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, and the third included 'confidence-building measures' such as humanitarian issues such as prisoner swaps, he added. Putin has not refused such a meeting, but has argued that currently any final peace agreements signed by Zelensky would be illegitimate given that his presidential term expired in May 2024. Kislitsa insisted that a direct meeting between the leaders is necessary due to the 'complexity' and 'depth' of the conflict. He also argued that Moscow aims to 'bureaucratize' the talks. 'We saw this before in the endless Minsk process groups,' the diplomat claimed. 'Endless meetings – but there were no results.' The failed Western-backed 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements were ostensibly meant to freeze the conflict between Ukraine and the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Both former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande later admitted that the accords were a mechanism to stall for time and allow Kiev to rearm. Moscow has refused Ukrainian demands for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, arguing that such a truce would be a repeat of the Minsk Agreements. Russia has maintained that any settlement needs to be permanent, legally foolproof, and it must address the core causes of the conflict. The Kremlin has also condemned French and British initiatives to deploy peacekeeping troops and fighter jets to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, blasting them as 'militaristic.'
Russia Today
12-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Trump sees Zelensky as ‘primary obstacle' to Ukraine peace
US President Donald Trump continues to regard Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky as the main hurdle to resolving the conflict, despite his recent criticism of Moscow, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing sources. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Trump said he was 'unhappy' with Putin, claiming the Russian leader did not want to end the conflict. 'We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin,' Trump said. The US president added that while Putin was 'very nice all the time,' it turned out to be 'meaningless' for ending the fighting. Later, he announced a 'major statement' on Russia soon amid reported discussions in Washington over imposing a 500% tariff on countries that buy Russian energy and goods. However, two unnamed senior officials involved in defense and security talks with Washington told the FT that there was little indication the White House had actually adopted a more pro-Kiev stance. Ukraine's backers, the report said, are 'still assuming Trump was predisposed to seeing Putin as his main negotiating partner in any settlement and Zelensky as the primary obstacle to a workable peace deal.' One official pointed to 'a little bit of overexcitement based on a shift in tone,' while cautioning that 'we're not seeing that translate into major actions.' The FT report echoes a New York Times article in June claiming that the US president is 'exasperated' with both Putin and Zelensky, but 'reserves special animosity' for the Ukrainian leader, viewing him as a 'bad guy' pushing the world towards a global conflict. In May, Trump openly criticized Zelensky, suggesting that 'everything out of his mouth causes problems.' The fiercest public clash between the two came in February at the White House, when Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and 'gambling with World War III.' Commenting on Trump's remarks targeting Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is 'calm about this,' adding that 'we are committed to continuing our dialogue with Washington and our policy of repairing the significantly damaged bilateral relations.' Russia maintains it is open to a diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict, but in a way that would address its 'root causes' and its security concerns. Moscow insists on Ukraine's neutrality, recognition of the 'territorial reality on the ground,' as well as demilitarization and denazification.
Russia Today
12-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Zelensky confirms resumption of US military aid
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that deliveries of weapons from the US have resumed following a pause earlier this month. Military aid from abroad is becoming increasingly crucial as Ukrainian forces continue to lose ground and suffer heavy casualties while trying to hold positions along various sections of the front line. 'We have received political signals at the highest level, good signals, including from the United States and from our European friends. According to all reports, aid shipments have been restored,' Zelensky said in his daily video message on Friday. He added that Ukraine will maintain military cooperation with the US and expects new deliveries from its European partners. His remarks come after nearly two weeks of uncertainty, during which the Pentagon abruptly suspended shipments, citing concerns over depleting stockpiles. US President Donald Trump has since pledged to restart the flow of arms, following reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the pause without first consulting the president or the State Department. Reuters and Politico reported earlier this week that Trump plans to use the Presidential Drawdown Authority to authorize a new aid package potentially worth $300 million, which may include Patriot air defense missiles. The president teased a major statement on Russia scheduled for Monday and told NBC that he had finalized a deal to sell weapons to NATO that would later be transferred to Ukraine. Trump has recently expressed frustration over the lack of progress in Russian-Ukrainian peace talks and said he is open to approving a new sanctions bill currently under discussion in the Senate. Moscow has insisted that no amount of foreign aid will prevent it from achieving victory. The Kremlin has also listed a halt to weapons deliveries as one of its conditions for a ceasefire, arguing that military support from NATO members makes them direct participants in the conflict.
