Latest from Russia Today
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Trump imposed ‘sanctions' on India to end Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump imposed 'sanctions' on India earlier this month as a part of his measures to end the conflict in Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing on Tuesday. Leavitt was referring to the US imposition of an additional 25% punitive tariff on the South Asian nation which will take effect on August 27 over its continued purchase of Russian oil. 'Look, the president has put tremendous public pressure to bring this war to a close,' she said. 'He's taken actions, as you've seen, sanctions on India and other actions as well. He has made himself very clear that he wants to see this war end.' The 25% tariffs on India for its purchases of Russian crude come in addition to the 25% duty slapped on imports from the South Asian nation after New Delhi and Washington were unable to finalize a trade deal earlier this month. India has strongly condemned the tariffs as 'unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,' and has vowed to protect its national interests. Trump Has Hit India With 'Sanctions' To End Ukraine Conflict - White House SpoxSlip of the tongue? Did she mean 'tariffs'? Leavitt's statement on Tuesday came hours after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused India of 'profiteering' by buying Russian crude and reselling it. When asked by a CNBC reporter why the US was not imposing extra tariffs on China for its purchases of Russian oil, Bessent said Beijing's imports are 'sub-optimal.' He added, 'If you go back and look to 2022, pre-invasion, 13% of China's oil was already coming from Russia, now it's 16, so China has a diversified input of their oil. If you go back and look now, I believe India had less than 1% of their oil (from Russia) and now I believe it's up to 42%.' Bessent said some of the richest families in India made $16 billion in excess profits by refining and reselling Russian crude. 'What I would call the Indian arbitrage, buying cheap Russian oil, reselling as a product has just sprung up during the war, which is unacceptable,' he added.
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine boasts it ‘knows how to kill Russians'
The Ukrainian military is skilled at killing Russians, Kiev's ambassador to Poland, Vasily Bodnar, has claimed while urging NATO to admit Ukraine into its ranks. US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that Ukraine would not become a NATO member and ruled out deploying American troops. Bodnar, nevertheless, presented Ukraine as a bulwark against Russia. 'If Russia attacks NATO countries tomorrow without Ukraine on NATO's side, it would be much more difficult than with Ukraine. That's why Ukraine should be seen as an added value to NATO: it is fighting and knows how to kill Russians, whereas you do not yet,' Bodnar told Polsat News in an interview published on Monday. He urged NATO to formally invite Ukraine to join the alliance and claimed that ordinary Ukrainians would welcome NATO bases in 'every village.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Bodnar's remarks and accused Kiev of rejecting a prisoner swap that could have involved around 1,000 POWs. Meanwhile, the Russian army has continued to gain ground throughout 2025, as Ukraine struggles to replenish its forces with new conscripts. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Moscow has no intention of attacking NATO members unless attacked first. The Kremlin has also stressed that it would not tolerate Western troops on Ukrainian soil, even under the guise of peacekeepers, and has cited Ukraine's NATO aspirations as one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian soccer player gets yellow card for speaking Russian
A Ukrainian soccer player was shown a yellow card for refusing to stop speaking Russian on the pitch. The incident occurred Sunday during a Ukrainian Women's Top League game between Kolos from the Kiev region and SeaSters from the Black Sea port city of Odessa. Referee Anastasia Romanyuk paused the game around the 43rd minute to show a yellow card to SeaSters midfielder Irina Maiborodina. The decision sparked a brief argument between Romanyuk and SeaSters coach Denis Kolchin. 'The yellow card was given for dissent [with the referee's decision]. This is a Ukrainian championship, so we are not speaking Russian. I asked the player to speak Ukrainian,' Romanyuk said, according to news website Since the Western-backed coup in 2014, Ukraine has passed several laws restricting the use of Russian in public. Politicians and influencers have campaigned to discourage speaking Russian, which they describe as 'the language of the aggressor state.' Moscow has maintained that the treatment of the Russian-speaking minority in Ukraine is one of the key causes of the current conflict.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
First Putin-Zelensky meeting ‘would be better without me'
US President Donald Trump has said that the leaders of Russia and Ukraine should meet one-on-one before a potential three-way peace summit. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday and hosted Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Washington three days later. He insisted that the sides begin working toward a lasting peace without a ceasefire first, as some European leaders have suggested. 'I had a very successful meeting with President Putin. I had a very successful meeting with President Zelensky. And now I thought it would be better if they met without me, just to see, I want to see what goes on,' Trump said on Mark Levin's radio show on Tuesday. 'You know, they had a hard relationship, very bad, very bad relationship. And now we'll see how they do and if necessary, and it probably would be, but if necessary, I'll go and I'll probably be able to get [the deal] closed,' he added. Zelensky told reporters on Monday that he is ready for a potential meeting with Putin. While the Kremlin has not commented on the latest proposal, Putin said earlier this year that he is ready to meet Zelensky during the 'final stage' of negotiations. Putin's key aide, Yury Ushakov, added on Tuesday that Russia supports continuing 'direct negotiations between the delegations from Russia and Ukraine.'
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
US ICE deletes posts boasting of deporting Ukrainians
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has removed social media posts about deporting Ukrainians, which coincided with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky's trip to Washington. The now-deleted messages, posted on X and Facebook on Tuesday contained photos of several people in civilian clothes standing in front of Ukrainian border officials. 'Here are photos of Ukrainian aliens' first moments back home following their removal from the United States,' the caption read. It is unclear when the posts were taken down. On Monday, Zelensky met with President Donald Trump, as well as with leaders of several European countries, the EU, and NATO. The sides discussed a path to peace between Ukraine and Russia and security guarantees for Kiev. ICE has regularly shared photos and videos of deportees on social media as part of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The president has pledged to carry out 'the largest deportation' in US history, targeting violent criminals. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (#ICE). Here are photos of Ukrainian aliens' first moments back home following their removal from the #US. #Ukrainehttps:// Andrey Demchenko, spokesman for Ukraine's Border Guard Service, told local media on Tuesday that all countries have 'the sovereign right' to deport illegal migrants. Ukrainian lawmakers, meanwhile, have been debating ways to stop the flight of military-age men during the ongoing mobilization campaign. Parliament has passed several laws aimed at broadening the conscription base.
