Latest news with #Zelenskyy
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Enlightened Americans should stay and fight, not leave
For all his faults and hubris, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy possesses one unmistakable quality: courage. That became apparent during a memorable moment more than three years ago when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. A foreboding, endless column of Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles had breached the border in a pincer pattern. In the halting face of such an intimidating display of overwhelming force, defeat seemed close by. Kyiv looked bound to fall. Zelenskyy and company would be arrested or killed as a lethal exclamation point while Russian President Vladimir Putin installed a puppet regime to bow and obey. The comedian turned unlikely wartime leader did not flinch. He stood his ground – on the sacred soil of Ukraine. To reassure fretful Ukrainians, Zelenskyy posted a short video on social media featuring himself surrounded by several solemn-looking officials and cabinet ministers. 'The president is here,' he said. 'We are all here … defend[ing] our independence.' I was reminded of that remarkable scene while I read accounts over the past few months from a disparate group of Americans, including artists and academics, departing their beloved homeland in the distressing wake of President Donald Trump's jarring return to the Oval Office. Before I continue, I am obliged to make two instructive points. First, by invoking Zelenskyy's vow to remain in Ukraine despite the ominous risks, I do not mean to imply that enlightened Americans opting to forgo living and working in the United States, lack courage. Far from it. Each of us has confronted or will confront in due course a defining dilemma: to stay or to go. Answering the prickly question can stir doubt and anxiety. Making a choice, regardless of the direction, is a bold act. It takes resolve to exchange the familiar for the unknown. Second, I have avoided the word 'flee' to describe why some Americans choose to emigrate due to Trump's egregious modus operandi. 'Flee' evokes impulsive panic or self-preservation, rather than thoughtful, deliberate decision-making. Still, Zelenskyy offers a compelling example of why it is necessary to stay instead of escaping to Canada or Europe when a bully threatens the values and principles that you hold dear – fairness, truth, empathy, tolerance, justice, diversity, and intelligence. So, enlightened Americans, I urge you to insist like Zelenskyy: We are all here. Your presence in America to fight for its promise is a duty and responsibility. Together, you can fashion a formidable, immovable buttress against the wretched aspects of Trumpism – its assault on facts, erosion of democratic norms, embrace of authoritarianism, and corrosive pursuit of division and fear. This contest cannot be won remotely – far from the epicentre of the urgent battle. It has to be fought face-to-face with an uncompromising adversary and hand-in-hand with other enlightened Americans, thin on the privileges and resources that have enabled your exit. Trumpism thrives when opposition retreats. Absence creates space for extremism to entrench itself even more deeply and widely into America's already frayed and discordant fabric. Withdrawal only comforts the Trumpists determined to quash dissent and erase resistance through edicts, threats, and coercion. Leaving can also be seen as an admission of defeat – a concession that an angry, ruptured country is beyond redemption or salvation. Dynamic governance is not self-sustaining; it requires citizens to keep up the struggle, particularly when it is trying. By forsaking the arena, some enlightened Americans forfeit their ability to shape the present and the future. In contrast, standing with and by enlightened Americans remaining behind, confirms that America belongs to all its people, not just the cartoonish characters shouting the loudest or demanding the most attention. Trump welcomes the idea of disheartened Americans building new lives in new places because he is president. It is, I suspect, a point of pride since it suggests his vindictive agenda is working. For Trump, the exodus of 'liberal elites' or 'out-of-touch' entertainers is proof that the old establishment, never subscribers to his jejune notion of America's 'greatness', is being replaced by 'authentic' patriots. This response is, of course, symptomatic of Trump's broader political strategy – drawing a Berlin-Wall-like line between 'real' Americans – his supporters – and everyone else. By celebrating the phenomenon of Americans parting in protest, he promotes the insidious attitude that protest is not an essential ingredient of a mature, confident nation, but a form of disloyalty. Trump is not interested in unity or persuasion. As such, he frames his presidency as a litmus test of fidelity. If you don't worship him, you're encouraged to join the despondent diaspora – and, in his jaundiced view, good riddance. Despite their arguments and reservations about resettling to avoid the depressing capitulation of major law firms, universities, and corporate media, Americans face an uncomfortable truth: walking out won't help drive change. Scholars and intellectuals with the mettle and means to challenge obstinate power should rejoin the fight where it counts: in classrooms, on airwaves, in town halls. Declarations from abroad, however poignant, are not substitutes for showing up, time and again, in person to remind America that kindness, resiliency, and decency matter. Trumpism thrives on spectacle, and few understand the potency of spectacle better than celebrities. Many bidding America adieu did so defiantly, wielding a righteous pulpit from foreign shores. Even so, symbolism without substance is hollow. Returning means tackling – head-on – the mess, the contradictions, the tarnished ideals of a battered nation still worth the imagination and effort. Public figures ought to leverage their popular platforms not just to condemn, but to galvanise, to convey resistance not as elitist scorn but as shared obligation. That would impress more than a pointed opinion column in the New York Times or a thread of disparaging tweets ever could. Zelenskyy knows that hard work is always done on the ground. This is where returnees can make a tangible difference – not as saviours parachuting in, but instead as allies to like-minded collaborators who do that hard work without notice or applause. Trumpism may be ascendant, but it is not invincible. What it fears most is solidarity that bridges class, race, and background – solidarity that declares that America is not Donald Trump's to disfigure or define. The bruised and disillusioned exiles can reclaim their rightful place in that grave fray – if they come home. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Russian strikes on Ukraine continue amid peace talks uncertainty
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cast doubt over whether renewed peace talks with Russia, set to take place next week in the Turkish city of Istanbul, will yield results. He said on Friday that Kyiv is still waiting for Russia to clarify its proposals ahead of the talks, which are set to take place on 2 June. Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, said Friday that Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia but that the Kremlin should first provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war. Zelenskyy said that Russia was 'undermining diplomacy' by withholding the document. "Neither we in Ukraine nor Turkey, as the host country, have any information about Russia's so-called 'memorandum.' For some reason, the Russians are hiding this document. It is a completely strange position," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Friday. As uncertainty remains about a new round of peace talks, Russia strikes have continued to hit Ukraine. Officials said Russia's drone and missile attacks on Ukraine on Saturday killed at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl. Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed and another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. A 9-year-old girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov said. 'One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,' Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Another man was killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on either attack. Russia's Ministry of Defence said Saturday that it had gained control of the Ukrainian village of Novopil in the Donetsk region, and took the village of Vodolahy in the northern Sumy region. Ukrainian authorities in Sumy ordered mandatory evacuations in 11 more settlements as Russian forces make steady gains in the area. The new additions bring the total number of settlements under evacuation orders in Sumy, which borders Russia's Kursk region, to 213. Meanwhile, 14 people were injured including four children after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, according to local acting governor Alexander Khinshtein. European club football's biggest prize is at stake between two teams that have keenly felt the pain of falling at the last hurdle in recent years. Inter was a losing finalist against Manchester City in 2023 and PSG lost in its only final so far against Bayern Munich in 2020. Supporters were gearing up for the evening game by making their way to the designated fan zones hours before kick-off. Many stopped en route to sample Munich's gastronomy on a beautiful warm day in the Bavarian capital. Near Odeonsplatz, where the Inter fans were to gather, many stopped at neighbouring Wittelsbacherplatz — a cobbled plaza flanked by stately buildings with a bronze statue of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, on a horse in the centre — where they sheltered from the sun under giant umbrellas and enjoyed lunch washed down by beers. Police kept a watchful eye on a huge group of black-clad 'ultras' who banged drums, sang and waved flags as they marched toward the fan zone. Other Inter supporters who wore t-shirts identifying themselves as hooligans cheered them on. The PSG supporters were making their way to Königsplatz, another town square nearby. According to local media, the German authorities are reckoning with around 500 violent fans from Milan and 150 from Paris and have dispatched more than 2000 police. Helicopters are watching the city and the area surrounding the venue, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, closely. After spending billions and signing some of the sport's greatest players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, PSG is still waiting to win its first Champions League title. Those superstars have left, but coach Luis Enrique has assembled one of the most exciting squads in Europe, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia filling the void left by that trio. Luis Enrique is aiming to win the competition for the second time as a coach, having lifted it with Barcelona in 2015, and would become the seventh coach to win the trophy with different teams. 'The motivation for me is to win the Champions League title for the first time for PSG,' he said. 'That is the gift I want to give the people, the club, the city.' Inter was looking for a treble just over a month ago, but is now left with the Champions League as its only possible trophy. It lost the Italian title by a point and was knocked out of the Italian Cup in the semifinals. 'These players in these four years did a lot — won a lot and lost sometimes. It happens. But we all gave our all, everyone. We are proud to be Inter," coach Simone Inzaghi said. 'I dreamed of playing the Champions League final. I didn't do it as a player, but thanks to this group of players I've been in two finals as a head coach.' Inter has won the Champions League or European Cup on three occasions, most recently in 2010. The match at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is scheduled to start at 21:00 CEST.
NHK
2 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
Zelenskyy reiterates demand for Russia to present peace memorandum
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his demand that Russia swiftly present its peace memorandum, after speaking with his Turkish counterpart. Zelenskyy spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday over the phone, after Russia had proposed holding another round of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey next Monday. Zelenskyy posted on social media after the phone call that they both "share the view that this meeting cannot and should not be empty." He said that they also discussed the possibility of organizing a four-party meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United States. Russia proposed next Monday's meeting with Ukraine to discuss their peace memorandums. Meanwhile, Kyiv says both sides need to examine each other's memorandum beforehand in order to make the meeting meaningful. Kyiv says that it has already handed over its document to Russia and has been urging Moscow to do the same. Zelenskyy strongly criticized Russia in a video address on Friday, saying the Russians are "concealing" its memorandum.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Russia seizes more Ukrainian territory amid fears of fresh ground offensive
Ukrainian officials issued evacuation orders on Saturday for 11 more villages in the northern Sumy region after continued Russian gains led to fears that Moscow could be gearing up for a fresh ground offensive. Russia advanced deeper into Ukrainian territory on Saturday, taking control of two more villages in Sumy and killing two people in a missile and drone barrage. More than 200 settlements in the region were already under evacuation orders. The attacks came as Ukrainian diplomats continue to discuss participating in a fresh round of peace talks proposed by Moscow in Istanbul next week. The Ukrainian president, Volodymr Zelenskyy, has said that about 50,000 Russian troops were gathered on the border near the Sumy region, which he said was a sign that Moscow is preparing a renewed offensive. The Russian ministry of defence said on Saturday that it had taken control of the village of Novopil in the eastern Donetsk region, as well as the village of Vodolahy in the northern Sumy region. Russia's military also launched 109 drones and five missiles at Ukraine overnight and in the early hours of Saturday, many of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian air force said. The missile salvo killed a nine-year-old girl in the Zaporizhzhia region, eastern Ukraine, as well as injured a 16-year-old, the governor of Zaporizhzhia, Ivan Fedorov, said. Another man was killed by Russian shelling in the port city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine. 'One house was destroyed. The shock wave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars and outbuildings,' Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Ukraine also launched drone attacks in western Russia on Saturday, injuring 14 people. The back and forth attacks came as the prospect of continued peace talks between Russia and Ukraine remain uncertain. Moscow had proposed direct peace talks between the two countries in Istanbul on Monday, but Kyiv insisted that Russia should first provide a promised ceasefire proposal before it agrees to attend. Russia had previously said it would share a memorandum stating its position on what it wants to end the three-year war between the two countries, but has yet to do so. Ukrainian officials said that they had already handed a proposal to Russia setting out its terms. Zelenskyy accused Russia on Friday of 'undermining diplomacy' by not giving Ukrainians its position paper. 'For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,' Zelenskyy said on Telegram. Moscow has said that it will provide its peace terms in person on Monday. Both Russia and Ukraine have come under increasing international pressure to achieve a ceasefire, particularly after the US president, Donald Trump, made a ceasefire a key foreign policy priority. Trump has called for direct talks between the two countries, while Turkey has played a mediation role, offering to host summits between them. Diplomacy has had small gains, with an unprecedented prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine leading to 1,000 prisoners being exchanged earlier in the month. The prisoner swap, meant to be a confidence-building measure, has yet to lead to greater breakthroughs. The EU has accused Russia of stalling ceasefire talks while it makes gains on the battlefield, a claim that Moscow has rebuffed. Moscow has said it is Ukraine that is delaying a ceasefire, though the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has declined to agree to calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
At least 10 killed, 33 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight, officials say
The Ukrainian Air Force said Saturday morning that Russia had carried out 114 aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight with drones and missiles. At least 10 people were killed and 33 others were injured across Ukraine as a result of Russia's aerial attacks as well as from laser-guided bombs, artillery and smaller drone strikes, according to regional and local authorities. In the Zaporizhzhia region, one person -- a 9-year-old girl -- was killed and two people -- a 16-year-old boy and an elderly man -- were injured, according to a statement from the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration. In the Kharkiv region, five people were injured, according to statements from the Kharkiv city mayor, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration and the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. In the Kherson region, three people were killed and 12 others were injured, according to statements from the Kherson Regional Military Administration. In the Donetsk region, five people were killed and nine others were injured, according to a statement from the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, and ,in the Sumy region, one person was killed and five were injured, according to statements from the Sumy Regional Military Administration. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again appealed to the U.S. to apply more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin in pursuit of peace talks to end Moscow's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. "Russian strikes are becoming increasingly brazen and large-scale every night," Zelenskyy wrote in an evening message to Telegram, after consecutive days of intense Russian strikes involving more than 900 attack drones and missiles. "There is no military logic in this, but it is a clear political choice -- the choice of Putin, the choice of Russia -- the choice to keep waging war and destroying lives." "New and strong sanctions against Russia -- from the United States, from Europe, and from all those around the world who seek peace -- will serve as a guaranteed means of forcing Russia not only to cease fire, but also to show respect," Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president is seeking to frame Putin as the key impediment to a peace deal, as Kyiv navigates a fractious bilateral relationship with President Donald Trump's administration. Months of U.S.-brokered peace talks have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire or a clear framework for a peace deal. Trump's building frustration has been evident, with Trump saying last weekend that Putin had gone "absolutely crazy," while also rebuking Zelenskyy for causing "problems" with his public statements. ABC News' David Brennan contributed to this report. At least 10 killed, 33 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight, officials say originally appeared on
