Latest news with #VladimirZelensky
Russia Today
11 hours ago
- General
- Russia Today
Russian retaliation ‘inevitable'
Russia will 'inevitably' respond to recent Ukrainian attacks on its territory despite continuing diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated on Tuesday. His comments follow suspected acts of Ukrainian sabotage on railways in Russia and drone strikes on multiple Russian airfields at the weekend. Despite this, Russian officials traveled to Istanbul on Monday for another round of direct negotiations with Ukrainian representatives. In a social media post, Medvedev addressed domestic calls for a more forceful military response, declaring that Russian retaliation was 'inevitable.' 'Our army is on an active offensive and will continue its push forward. Everything that needs to be blown up will be, and those who need to be eliminated will be,' he wrote. Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, said the Istanbul negotiations were necessary 'for our victory to be most swift and the full elimination of the neo-Nazi authorities' in Kiev. During the talks, Moscow proposed two possible routes toward a ceasefire and suggested a brief halt in the fighting to allow military units to retrieve bodies from the battlefield. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky called Russian negotiators 'idiots' for proposing the idea, asserting that a ceasefire should solely serve to prevent further loss of life. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Zelensky's remarks 'awkward' and 'unfortunate,' saying they undermined efforts to move the talks forward. Moscow also offered to return the remains of over 6,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who is leading Kiev's delegation, said Kiev would reciprocate by returning the same number of Russian military casualties. Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide heading Russia's team, said Moscow agreed to accept all remains offered in return. Kiev consented to direct negotiations with Moscow last month under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has expressed exasperation with both parties and warned that Washington could 'walk away' from mediation efforts if progress stalls.
Russia Today
a day ago
- General
- Russia Today
Kiev comments on latest round of negotiations with Moscow
Moscow and Kiev have agreed to exchange the bodies of thousands of fallen soldiers, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Monday following the second round of direct talks in Istanbul, Тürkiye. Speaking to the press after the negotiations, Umerov, who led Kiev's delegation, stated that the two sides had discussed a number of topics, including a ceasefire, humanitarian issues, and a potential meeting between Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the question of prisoner exchanges, Umerov said Moscow and Kiev had agreed to 'focus on specific categories, not numbers.' Both sides have reportedly reached an agreement to exchange all seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war in an 'all-for-all' format. 'The second category is young soldiers aged 18 to 25. Also all for all. We also agreed to return 6,000 for 6,000 bodies of dead soldiers,' Umerov said. Umerov added that Kiev has proposed holding a third round of talks at some point between June 20 and 30. Monday's talks mark the second time Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have met directly to discuss the resolution of the Ukraine conflict since Kiev abandoned peace efforts back in 2022. The first round of the renewed talks was held at the initiative of Putin on May 16.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
Ukrainians up in arms over author of ‘mail-order bride Elena Zelenska' novel
A Ukrainian publishing house has destroyed books by American romance writer Sophie Lark, who was accused of praising Russia and disparaging Ukrainians. The Kharkov-based publisher KSD canceled the release of the Ukrainian translation of Lark's novel Brutal Prince following an outcry on social media. Ukrainian bloggers took issue with her 2024 'romantic thriller' Monarch, whose main character is named Elena Zelenska – almost like the real-life wife of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Elena Zelenskaya. In the novel, Zelenska is described as 'the world's most unlikely mail-order bride,' according to the book's description on Amazon. Other users claimed the author was 'romanticizing the Russian mafia' in her other books and depicting Crimea as Russian territory. Some labeled Lark 'a fan of Russia,' accused her of promoting 'pro-Russian' narratives, and claimed she called for 'the murder of Cossacks' in her novel Anastasia, which centers on the Russian imperial Romanov dynasty. In a statement issued on Friday, KSD admitted that the decision to publish Lark's book 'was a mistake.' 'After thoroughly examining the situation and not receiving a response from the author, we have decided to destroy all 30,000 copies of the book and cancel the contract for the entire six-book series,' the publisher said on Facebook. 'It is important for us to remain responsible not only in our publishing decisions, but also in our moral principles.' Ukraine has banned multiple books, films, and songs under its laws prohibiting 'the propaganda of Russian imperial policies.' It has also removed monuments and renamed streets as part of its 'de-Communization' and 'decolonization' campaigns. The government recently announced plans to remove Russian writers, poets, and composers from the school curriculum. In March, US publisher Bloom Books pulled Lark's novel Sparrow and Vine after some readers described parts of the dialogue as racist and criticized lines in which characters praised tech billionaire Elon Musk. Lark apologized at the time, saying she had intended to write 'flawed' characters.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion
Berlin will provide Kiev with another €5 billion ($5.6 billion) in military aid on top of the €28 billion it has given since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in early 2022, the German Defense Ministry has announced. Moscow has stated in response that further assistance to Ukraine could precipitate the 'collapse' of Germany. The funds promised by Berlin would principally be used to 'finance the production of long-range weapon systems in Ukraine,' the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov, who arrived in Berlin together with Vladimir Zelensky, signed a defense cooperation deal between the two countries. 'A significant number' of long-range weapon systems can be manufactured inside Ukraine this year, the statement read without specifying the types of arms. The first of those weapons could be deployed by Kiev against Russian forces 'in just a few weeks' as Ukrainian troops are already familiar with them and will not require additional training, it added. The €5 billion would also cover German deliveries of ammunition, including for air defense systems, small arms and medical equipment, the ministry said. During a joint press conference with Zelensky on Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin and Kiev 'want to ensure joint production' of long-range armaments, but declined to reveal any details. There will be no range restrictions on the weapons and Kiev will be allowed to attack targets outside its own territory, he stressed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reacted to Merz's statement by saying that Berlin's 'direct involvement in the war is now obvious.' 'Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse,' Lavrov stressed, referring to the defeats suffered by the country in the First and Second World wars. Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine will not stop it from reaching its military objectives, but will only prolong the conflict and raise the risk of a confrontation with NATO. The Kremlin warned that the latest 'provocative actions' by EU states could derail the US-brokered diplomatic process between Russia and Ukraine, which restarted last month after a three-year break.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Germany ‘sliding down to collapse'
Germany is repeating historic mistakes by becoming involved in the Ukraine conflict, a trajectory that could lead to its collapse, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned. Lavrov made the remarks on Wednesday in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, responding to recent comments by Berlin. Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons that Kiev could use to strike targets beyond the territory it claims. Berlin's 'direct involvement in the war is now obvious,' Lavrov said. 'Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse,' he added. The Russian diplomat expressed hope that 'responsible politicians' in Germany would 'ultimately draw the right conclusions and put a stop to this madness.' Speaking alongside Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin, Merz announced what he described as 'a new form of military-industrial cooperation' with Kiev, saying the two sides 'want to ensure joint production' of long-range weapons, though he declined to share details. Earlier this week, Merz said there are 'no longer any range restrictions' on weapons supplied to Ukraine by the UK, France, Germany, and the US, noting later that the limits were lifted 'several months ago.' Moscow has repeatedly warned that supplying long-range arms would make Germany a direct party to the conflict. German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil claimed no new decisions had been made on the permissible range of Ukrainian strikes using German weapons beyond what was set by the previous government. Ralf Stegner, a member of the the SPD, Merz's coalition partner, called the comments 'unhelpful' and called for a stronger focus on diplomacy. Moscow has consistently condemned Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing they fuel more bloodshed and obstruct peace efforts. The Kremlin warned that the latest 'provocative actions' by EU states could further hinder diplomacy.
