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Hungary's pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine on Monday of seeking to meddle in his country's upcoming elections and ordered Kyiv's ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry. The step was the latest in Orban's long-running anti-Ukraine campaign as he seeks to convince voters that the neighbouring country, embroiled in a war with Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, poses an existential threat to Hungary's security and sovereignty. Orban, who has maintained close ties with Russia, faces what is expected to be the biggest challenge of his 16 years in power during elections scheduled for April 12. With his right-wing nationalist Fidesz party trailing by double digits in most polls, Orban has campaigned on the unsubstantiated premise that Hungarians would be forcibly conscripted to fight and die on the front lines in Ukraine if his party loses the election. In a video posted to social media on Monday, Orban said Ukraine's political ..
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that a US security guarantees document for Ukraine is "100% ready" after two days of talks involving representatives from Ukraine, the US and Russia. Speaking to journalists in Vilnius during a visit to Lithuania, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is waiting for its partners to set a signing date, after which the document would go to the U.S. Congress and Ukrainian parliament for ratification. Zelenskyy also emphasized Ukraine's push for European Union membership by 2027, calling it an "economic security guarantee." The Ukrainian leader described the talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as likely the first trilateral format in "quite a long while" that included not only diplomats but military representatives from all three sides. The talks, which began on Friday and continued Saturday, were the latest aiming to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy acknowledged fundamental differences between Ukrainian an
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had a good meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is that "war has to end". Replying to media queries before leaving Davos, Trump said a US delegation will be meeting Putin today or tomorrow. "I met President Zelenskyy here; the meeting was good. We (US delegation) are meeting President Putin today or tomorrow," he said. Asked what would be his message to Putin, Trump said, "The war has to end. A lot of people have been killed".
Ukraine's allies are meeting on Tuesday in Paris for key talks that could help determine the country's security after a potential ceasefire with Russia. But prospects for progress are uncertain with the Trump administration's focus shifting to Venezuela. Before the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed optimism about the latest gathering of so-called coalition of the willing nations. For months, they have been exploring how to deter any future Russian aggression should it agree to stop fighting Ukraine. In a December 31 address, Macron said that allies would make concrete commitments at the summit to protect Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace." Macron's office said on Tuesday's meeting will gather an unprecedented number of officials attending in person, with 35 participants, including 27 heads of state and government. The US will be represented by President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared ...
President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that US national security officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin's state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defence systems were able to defeat. Lavrov also criticised Kyiv for launching the attack at a moment of intensive negotiations to end the war. The allegation came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had travelled to Florida for talks with Trump on the US administration's still-evolving 20-point plan aimed at ending the war, and had Zelenskyy quickly denied it. I don't believe that strike happened," Trump told reporters as he travelled back to Washington on Sunday after spending two weeks at his home in ...
Two people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes in Russian border regions, local officials said Sunday, ahead of peace talks to end the nearly 4-year-old war in Paris this week. Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said one person died and two others, including a young child, were wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a car. Another person was killed in a drone strike on a village in the Kursk region, regional Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said Sunday. In Ukraine, three people were wounded in the Kharkiv region in drone strikes overnight into Sunday, the country's State Emergency Service said. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on Friday increased to five when body parts were found under the rubble of a building, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Sunday. The latest attacks came after national security advisers from Europe and other allies visited Kyiv on Saturday to discuss security guarantees and economic support, as a US-led diplomat
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has chosen General Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, as his new chief of staff, a move that comes at an especially critical moment in Russia's nearly 4-year-old invasion. Budanov replaces Andrii Yermak, Zelenskyy's longtime right-hand man who resigned in November after anti-corruption officials raided his apartment in an investigation into alleged graft in Ukraine's energy sector. The move against the powerful aide was a blow to the president that risked disrupting his negotiating strategy amid a US peace effort. What to know about Budanov: Rising through the ranks --------------------------- Budanov has led the military intelligence agency, known by its acronym GUR, since 2020. At 39, he is one of Ukraine's most recognizable and popular wartime figures, known for being the architect of many successful operations targeting Russian military assets, as well as for his independent and enigmatic personality. A career military ...
Several key issues remain unresolved in ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and the United States over a potential framework to end Russia's war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week. Speaking about a 20-point plan under discussion, Zelenskyy outlined the most difficult points, noting that Ukraine has already conveyed its position to Washington, which is expected to communicate it to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the Kremlin had already been in contact with US representatives since Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently met with US envoys in Florida. However, he did not reveal any details, saying only: It was agreed upon to continue the dialogue. The unresolved issues include: Security guarantees ----------------------- Zelenskyy said talks continue over the nature and scope of security guarantees that would be provided to Ukraine under any agreement. He said several technical issues remain, including how ..
A meeting with US President Donald Trump will happen in the near future, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, signalling progress in talks to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level with President Trump in the near future, Zelenskyy wrote on X. A lot can be decided before the New Year, he added. Zelenskyy's announcement came after he said Thursday he had a good conversation with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end the war, but his efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy said Tuesday he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country's eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end the war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces. Though Russian Foreign Ministry spokes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country's eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia's war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarised zone monitored by international forces. The proposal offered another potential compromise on control of the Donbas region, which has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations. Zelenskyy said the US proposed the creation of a free economic zone," which he said should be demilitarised. But it was unclear what that idea would mean for governance or development of the region. A similar arrangement could be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, Zelenskyy said. He said any peace plan would need to be put to a referendum. Zelenskyy spoke to reporters Tuesday to describe an overarching 20-point plan that negotiators from Ukraine and the US hammered out in Florida in recent days, th