Latest news with #longRangeStrikes
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian ally names ‘first step' towards Ukraine ceasefire
The US could pressure Ukraine into halting long-range strikes against Russian territory as a first step toward achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday. Lukashenko recently met with Keith Kellogg, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump. The meeting marked a rare diplomatic engagement between Washington and Minsk after years of limited contact. The Belarusian leader said he shared his views with Kellogg on how the Ukraine conflict could be resolved, which he said were based on conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Lukashenko, Putin wants an end to Ukrainian drones and Western-supplied cruise missiles being launched at Russian cities. 'Let them tell their client [Vladimir] Zelensky to stop strikes against Russia. Then we could agree,' Lukashenko stressed, characterizing Moscow's stance. 'That's the position I relayed to the American and asked him, 'Is there something wrong with it?' He said, 'We are working in that direction.' You do that. That would be a good first step toward stopping this fratricidal war,' he added. 'But I don't believe they want to end this war.' Kellogg later said on X that 'at no point did I make comments related to Ukraine's prosecution of the war outside of a total ceasefire.' Kiev has pushed for more US sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow for rejecting its calls for a comprehensive truce. Russia has accused Kiev of trying to stall and regroup its forces, and has stated its own conditions for ending hostilities. It has said Kiev can either withdraw troops from disputed territories or suspend mobilization and Western arms shipments. Zelensky has rejected both proposals. Moscow has proposed several temporary de-escalation measures this year, including a one-month pause in attacks on energy infrastructure, a three-day ceasefire for Easter, and a ceasefire in commemoration of the end of World War II. Kiev refused some of the proposals and failed to fully honor the terms of others, according to Russia. Belarus remains a key ally of Russia and a target of Western sanctions, which Lukashenko describes as a form of economic warfare aimed at a sovereign nation resisting long-standing external pressure.
Russia Today
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine can strike deep inside Russia using German weapons
Germany will no longer restrict Ukraine's ability to launch long-range strikes deep inside Russia, including using German-made weapons, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated. Moscow has repeatedly warned Berlin that such a move would make Germany a direct participant in the conflict. Kiev should be able to 'effectively' defend itself against Russia, the chancellor told the EuropaForum event on Monday. The ability to only strike targets on its own territory is insufficient, Merz argued. 'We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine militarily,' the chancellor said. 'There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither from the British nor the French, nor from us, nor from the Americans.' He did not elaborate on whether long-range Taurus missiles would be provided, which was a contentious topic under the previous government of Olaf Scholz. The former chancellor consistently opposed the idea, arguing that it would lead to a dangerous escalation of the conflict. Taurus missiles have an operational range of 500km, meaning they could be used to attack targets deep inside Russian territory, potentially even reaching the nation's capital. Russia has repeatedly warned Germany that deliveries to Ukraine would make Berlin a direct participant in the conflict. On Monday, Merz stated that Berlin is 'actively discussing' potential deliveries with London and Paris. The Kremlin has called the German chancellor's latest statements 'dangerous.' Berlin's actions go against the attempts to settle the Ukraine conflict peacefully, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned. 'If such decisions have been made, they are contrary to our desire to find a political settlement, to all the efforts to resolve [the conflict],' he said. The chancellor's statements come as Russia and Ukraine have engaged in direct peace talks for the first time in over three years after Kiev unilaterally withdrew from the negotiations in 2022. Merz remains skeptical about a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin 'obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness,' he claimed on Monday, adding that 'we must prepare ourselves for this war to last longer than any of us could wish or imagine.' Moscow has repeatedly stated it is open for peace talks but would prefer a lasting solution to the conflict to a temporary truce. The Istanbul talks took place after Putin suggested resuming peace process without preconditions.
