Latest news with #pro-Ukraine
Budapest Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Menczer: Von der Leyen prepared budget for Ukraine
Tamás Menczer, the communications director of ruling Fidesz, said on Facebook on Saturday that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen 'has made a budget for Ukraine and she would send them your money, too.' 'This is not a budget for the European Union, this is Ukraine's budget,' Menczer said in a video, adding that the draft was 'so pro-Ukraine that you could tie a blue and yellow ribbon around it.' He said it was clear from the planned allocations that 'they want to transfer 20 percent to Ukraine immediately'. In addition, he said, 'they want to spend another 10 percent on interest payments on earlier loans … they keep making us indebted.' He insisted that '30 percent of the total EU budget amount would be thrown to the wind, with European citizens, Hungarians included, not seeing a single euro from those funds.' 'We have indicated that this will not do,' Menczer said.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Italy cancels concert with pro-Putin conductor Valery Gergiev
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A demonstrator at a July 19 protest in Milan, Italy, against the now cancelled performance by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who is said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. ROME - Italian authorities have cancelled a classical concert scheduled for July 27 following criticism over the attendance of a top Russian conductor shunned in the West since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Mr Valery Gergiev, who is widely regarded as close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been expected to lead an Italian orchestra and soloists from St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, which he heads, on July 27. The Reggia di Caserta, a grand 18th-century palace near Naples which had been due to host the concert, said in a short statement on July 21 that the event had been called off. It gave no reason. The performance had drawn criticism last week from Italian politicians and international activists, including the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who called Mr Gergiev an 'accomplice' of Mr Putin. The cancellation is 'good news. Not joyful, but good. No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcomed in Europe,' Ms Yulia Navalnaya wrote on X. Mr Gergiev, 72, received 'no information' about the cancellation, Russian state-run news agency Tass quoted him as saying. The conductor did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The Russian ambassador to Italy, Mr Alexei Paramonov, lamented on Facebook that Italy had caved in to the pro-Ukraine 'lobby', adding: 'Those who think that the cancellation of Gergiev's concert will harm Russia are deeply mistaken.' 'Common sense' The concert was part of a festival organised by the Campania region, which includes Naples. Regional leader Vincenzo De Luca had defended it, saying artists should not be held responsible for the actions of their national governments. Mr De Luca, a critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, had also pointed to a festival concert led by Israeli conductor Daniel Oren, to highlight efforts to keep 'channels of communication open even with those who do not think like us'. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, who last week said the concert risked turning into 'a sounding board for Russian propaganda', welcomed the organisers' 'free and undisputable' decision to call it off. 'While respecting the exceptional artistic quality of the event, the cancellation... obeys a logic of common sense and moral commitment aimed at protecting the values of the free world,' Mr Giuli said. In 2022, several Western cultural institutions, including Milan's La Scala, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and New York's Carnegie Hall severed ties with Mr Gergiev over his refusal to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. REUTERS
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump deadline prompts call for big push to back Ukraine against Russia
Britain announces need for major push by NATO and its allies to back Ukraine in smashing Russian military advance before US -imposed '50 day deadline' for a ceasefire deal is reached NATO and its allies must launch a major push to help Ukraine smash a Russian advance before Kremlin war-chiefs reach a US 50 day ceasefire deadline, the UK says. The dramatic statement came hours after Kremlin war-chiefs unleashed 450 deadly bombs and drones on Ukraine, smashing buildings in at least five of the city's districts. British defence secretary John Healey said the coalition must seize the moment of 'maximum opportunity' to get deadly weapons and defence systems into Ukraine. He was speaking at the 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a 52-strong coalition of NATO countries and their pro-Ukraine allies. Soon after the statement German confirmed arms deliveries to Ukraine were being made as a matter of urgency. Mr Healey declared: "This is a moment of maximum opportunity. Last week, President Trump announced a new plan for large scale Nato weapons transfers, and committed to getting these, he said, quickly distributed to the battlefield. 'The UK backs this policy. We will play our full part in its success.' Mr Healey added: "Alongside this new agreement to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, President Trump also started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or to face crippling economic sanctions. 'And as members of this UDCG, we need to step up, in turn, a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table." It comes after Ukraine came under massive attack overnight including deadly onslaughts on Kyiv, in which the city's metro system was hit. According to Ukraine air force Russia launched a total of 450 aerial weapons in the attack, including 426 Shahed drones and decoys, five Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 14 Kh-101 cruise missiles, four Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea, and one Iskander-K missile. The launches came from multiple directions, including Russian territory and the Black Sea. One person died in Kyiv, choked to death from smoke, as the capital was hit in one of the most intense onslaughts of missiles and drones in months. The attack happened just before midnight, sparking explosions thundering across Kyiv for hours and setting off fires in several districts. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the wave of Russian missiles. The capital's Solomyanskyi district heard continuous blasts from Shahed drones targeting a nearby industrial zone from around 1:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed one person was killed and at least two others injured. A fire broke out in a supermarket, and multiple residential buildings suffered rooftop fires. In Dniprovskyi, flames tore through kiosks, a kindergarten, and a non-residential building. In Shevchenkivskyi, fires erupted on two floors of an apartment block, and one person was rescued. The entrance to the Lukianivska metro station was damaged. Emergency officials said smoke spread underground, briefly filling the sheltering area with acrid fumes. The attack happened just before midnight, sparking explosions thundering across Kyiv for hours and setting off fires in several districts. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the wave of Russian missiles. The capital's Solomyanskyi district heard continuous blasts from Shahed drones targeting a nearby industrial zone from around 1:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed one person was killed and at least two others injured. A fire broke out in a supermarket, and multiple residential buildings suffered rooftop fires. In Dniprovskyi, flames tore through kiosks, a kindergarten, and a non-residential building. In Shevchenkivskyi, fires erupted on two floors of an apartment block, and one person was rescued. The entrance to the Lukianivska metro station was damaged. Emergency officials said smoke spread underground, briefly filling the sheltering area with acrid fumes. Ukraine has beciome desperately short of key air defence systems after Washington under Trump halted vital arms supplies to Kyiv
Budapest Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
Gergely Gulyás: Whoever supports this budget, finds Ukraine more important than Hungary
At today's Government Info press briefing, Minister Gergely Gulyás described the draft as a 'pro-Ukraine budget' and emphasized that Hungary cannot support it in its current form. According to the minister, the leaked proposal allocates a quarter of the EU's entire budget—€190 billion for Ukraine and €88 billion for enlargement purposes—while cutting funding for cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. 'They're taking money away from farmers and cohesion and sending it to Ukraine. Anyone who supports this is placing Ukraine ahead of Hungary,' Gulyás declared. The government expressed full solidarity with Hungarian farmers protesting the cuts. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had earlier warned that the proposal would make European farmers the biggest losers while positioning Ukraine as the primary beneficiary. 'This draft cannot even serve as a basis for negotiations,' Gulyás asserted, adding that the Commission also aims to expand EU bureaucracy by hiring 2,500 new employees and increasing their salaries—moves the Hungarian government considers unjustifiable. In response, Hungary is calling on all political actors to reject the Commission's proposal and reaffirm their support for a cohesive agricultural policy that benefits all EU citizens. The government also urged a return to an objective cohesion policy, free from political conditionality. Beyond budget issues, the government introduced the 'Home Start' loan program. Starting September 1, working Hungarians without their own home will be eligible for a 3% mortgage loan of up to HUF 50 million. The loan—available for a maximum of 25 years—can be used for flats priced up to HUF 100 million or houses up to HUF 150 million, with a price cap of HUF 1.5 million per square meter. The regulatory framework will be finalized by early August. The briefing also addressed growing concerns about Ukraine's internal practices. Minister Gulyás condemned the recent death of Sebestyén József, a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen who died from injuries sustained during violent forced conscription. He stated that any country where such practices occur is unfit for EU membership. 'He was not only Ukrainian, but a European Union citizen,' Gulyás said, calling the lack of response from other EU member states 'shocking.' Hungary has proposed adding three Ukrainian military officials involved in the case to the EU sanctions list.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'They just bombed a nursing home': Trump claims Melania's remarks pushed for stronger action on Russia; US president pledges billions for Ukraine
US President Donald Trump on Monday said that his wife and first lady, Melania, played a key role in pushing him to take a harder stance against Vladimir Putin over the Russia-Ukraine war. During a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said Melania had questioned his optimistic view after his phone calls with Putin, who often promised peace talks. 'I go home, I tell the first lady, 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.' She said, 'Oh, really? Another city was just hit,' Trump was quoted as saying to reporters. He added that her reaction contributed to his decision to ramp up military support for Ukraine and put pressure on Moscow, reports the New York Post. 'We thought we had a deal numerous times,' Trump was quoted as saying to the Daily Beast. 'I get home, I'd say, 'First Lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we're finished.' And then I'd turn on the television or she'll say to me one time, 'Well that's strange because they just bombed a nursing home.'' Trump announced that he would commit 'billions of dollars' in weapons to Ukraine and warned that his administration would impose harsh tariffs on Russia if there was no ceasefire agreement within 50 days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 무지티만 입어도 빛날 수 있는 기부반지 유어턴 링 굿네이버스 더 알아보기 Undo 'We're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days,' Trump said, adding, 'I use trade for a lot of things. But it's great for settling wars.' The MAGA chief also said, 'We're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple. And they'll be at 100 percent, and that's the way it is.' Trump's recent announcement signals a possible change in the administration's approach to the conflict, which has lasted over three years. His special envoy to Ukraine and Russia met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday, as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts. Melania Trump had not previously spoken publicly about the war. However, her native country, Slovenia, has distanced itself from Russia since the 2022 invasion. A month into the war, a Russian airstrike destroyed Slovenia's consulate in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Trump's comments about Melania's involvement were welcomed by pro-Ukraine voices online, who hailed her as a quiet but influential ally against Russian aggression. The first lady was recently seen attending the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with the president.
