Page 18 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Ukraine's independence-era voices say Russia's control effort spans decades

Oleksandr Donii was one of the leaders of student-led protests for sovereignty and political reform in 1990 that preceded Ukraine's declaration of independence. He remembers thinking the fight for autonomy would take decades. Instead, it came much sooner than he ever imagined. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine quickly declared independence in 1991 and later conducted a referendum backed by more than 90 per cent of voters. I was preparing myself for prisons and labour camps, and I thought the struggle would last about 2030 years, Donii told The Associated Press. Moscow's grip endured after independence As the country marks 34 years since that monumental event Sunday, Donii and others from Ukraine's first generation of lawmakers and activists describe how despite separation from the Soviet Union, Moscow's grip endured. Russia used political pressure, social division and the sidelining of pro-Western voices. That eventually paved the way for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine .

Ukraine drone attack causes fire at Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant

A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defence systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

Baltic states seek to fight back against Russian 'electronic warfare'

Lithuania last month accused Russia of orchestrating a spike in GPS jamming, causing a 22-fold increase in such incidents since the previous year

Putin sees 'light at the end of the tunnel' in strained Russia-US ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday voiced optimism about Russia-US ties, saying there was light at the end of the tunnel in relations that have hit their lowest point in years, as the two sides explore cooperation on projects in the Arctic and Alaska. "As for our relations with the United States, they are at an extremely low level. I have said this many times. "However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel now that President (Donald) Trump has come to power, Putin said in televised remarks during a meeting with nuclear industry workers in the town of Sarov, the birthplace of the Soviet atomic programme. Relations between Moscow and Washington have sharply deteriorated over issues ranging from the Ukraine conflict, NATO's eastward expansion, and sanctions against Russia. Putin said Russia and the US are discussing the possibility of working together in the Arctic and Alaska. We are discussing with our American partners the possibility of working together in this field,

Trump hints at major decision on Russia-Ukraine war within two weeks

Trump said that his decision is dependent on what happens in the next two weeks and pushed for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy

That Oval Office frame & India: Lessons from Trump's deal with Europe

Putin sees this as a victory. Europeans have decided to deal with Trump on his terms for the sake of the larger Western alliance. We look at the lessons for us in India

Russia says no Putin-Zelenskyy summit planned, cites lack of agenda

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement comes almost a week after Putin's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss measures to end the long-running Russia-Ukraine war

Leave Donbas, forget Nato ambitions: Putin's new demand to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to quit Donbas, drop Nato plans and bar Western troops; in June 2024, he demanded Kyiv give up four regions, terms Ukraine called surrender

Rupee extends losses for third straight day; opens lower at 87.35/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency opened 8 lower at 87.35 against the dollar on Friday, according to Bloomberg.

Trump suggests Ukraine 'play offense' against Russia to pressure Putin

Trump met zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday. After that, he directed administration officials to work with Ukraine and Russia to set up a meeting between the two leaders

Putin prepared to meet Zelenskyy but legitimacy an issue, says Lavrov

Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelenskyy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskyy's term had technically expired

Putin demands Donbas, no NATO or Western troops in Ukraine: Report

Speaking afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed

Ukraine seeks clarity on US, ally security guarantees amid Russian strike

Russia launched one of its biggest aerial attacks this year at Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday. The attack mostly targeted western regions of the country, it said. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15 others, according to officials. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia struck a major American electronics manufacturer in western Ukraine. He provided no further details. Western parts of Ukraine are far from the battlefield's front line in the east and south of the country. Much of the military aid provided by Ukraine's Western allies is believed to be transported and stored there. It was Russia's third largest aerial attack this year in terms of the number of drones fired and the eighth-largest in terms of missiles, according to official figures. The strikes occurred during a renewed US-led effort to reach a peace settlement in the three-year war following Russia's invasion of its ...

Europe will have to take lion's share of burden for Ukraine security: Vance

European countries have formed a coalition of the willing that would commit forces to guarantee Ukraine's security

Rupee rises after India, US policy minutes; opens higher at 87.03/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency opened 4 higher at 87.03 against the dollar on Thursday, according to Bloomberg

NATO defence chiefs discuss Ukraine security guarantees in virtual meet

NATO defence chiefs were due to hold a virtual meeting Wednesday, a senior alliance official said, as countries pushing for an end to Russia's war on Ukraine devise possible future security guarantees for Kyiv that could help forge a peace agreement. Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that 32 defence chiefs from across the alliance would hold a video conference as a US-led diplomatic push seeks to end the fighting. US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, will take part in the talks, Dragone said on social platform X. US President Donald Trump met last Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and on Monday hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders at the White House. Neither meeting delivered concrete progress. Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy toward a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbour, but there are major obstacles.

Rupee weakens on US Treasury Secretary's tariff comments; ends at 87.07/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency closed 12 lower at 87.07 against the dollar on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg

US rules out putting troops in Ukraine on ground; may give air support

Trump's remark comes a day after he pledged security guarantees to Ukraine at the White House during a meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven European leaders

Rupee rally pauses after best session in 6 weeks; opens weaker at 87.16/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency opened 21 lower at 87.16 against the dollar on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg

Trump imposed tariffs on India to deter Russia's war in Ukraine: Leavitt

Trump doubled India's tariff rate to 50 per cent for its continuous purchase of Russian energy at a time when the US President has been trying to broker a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine