Page 66 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Zelenskyy urges unity of strength, diplomacy for lasting peace in Ukraine

Zelenskiy, who has unrelentingly called for a "fair" end to the war, has lobbied the United States and its NATO allies to arm Kyiv and help force Russian President Vladimir Putin to peace

Trump, Putin speak over phone, discuss ending war in Ukraine: Report

US President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone and discussed ending the war in Ukraine amongst many other important topics, a media report said Sunday. After winning the recent presidential elections, Trump has spoken to over 70 world leaders. Among the firsts were Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. "The two men discussed the goal of peace on the European continent and Trump expressed an interest in follow-up conversations to discuss 'the resolution of Ukraine's war soon, one of the people said, The Washington Post said in an exclusive report. One former U.S official who was familiar with the Putin call said that Trump likely does not want to enter office with a fresh crisis in Ukraine prompted by Russian escalation, giving him the incentive to want to keep the war from worsening, the daily said. Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 20

Russian oil finds way to Europe; India now biggest exporter of fuel to EU

India's export of fuels like diesel to the European Union jumped 58 per cent in the first three quarters of 2024, with a bulk of them likely coming from refining discounted Russian oil, according to a monthly tracker report. The EU/G7 countries in December 2022 introduced a price cap and an embargo on the imports of Russian crude oil in a bid to cripple Kremlin's revenue and create a vacuum in its funding for the invasion of Ukraine. However, a lack of a policy on refined oil produced from Russian crude meant that countries not imposing sanctions could import large volumes of Russian crude, refine them into oil products and legally export them to the price-cap coalition countries. India has become the second biggest buyer of Russian crude oil since the invasion, with purchases rising from less than one per cent of the total oil imported in the pre-Ukraine war period to almost 40 per cent of the country's total oil purchases. The rise was primarily because Russian crude oil was ...

Russia open to hearing Trump's proposals for ending war, says official

Russia is open to hearing President-elect Donald Trump's proposals on ending the war, an official said, as a Russian drone killed one person and wounded 13 in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and the European Union foreign policy chief held talks in Kyiv on support for Ukraine after the change in US leadership. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington were exchanging signals on Ukraine via closed channels. He did not specify whether the communication was with the current administration or Trump and members of his incoming administration. Russia is ready to listen to Trump's proposals on Ukraine provided these were ideas on how to move forward in the area of settlement, and not in the area of further pumping the Kyiv regime with all kinds of aid, Ryabkov said on Saturday in an interview with Russian state news agency Interfax. Odesa regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said high-rise residential buildings, private houses and warehouses in the Black Sea port city

Here's what Trump's victory means for Ukraine, Middle East, and China

On the war in Ukraine, Trump is likely to try to force Kyiv and Moscow into at least a ceasefire along the current front lines

US elections: What Trump's win means for Israel-Hamas, Russia-Ukraine wars?

Donald Trump's return to the presidency introduces a shift in US foreign policy, favouring Israel's military objectives and proposing negotiation-focused approaches to the Ukraine conflict

Russia suspected of plotting to send incendiary devices to US on planes

Governments across Europe have been raising alarm over a growing threat of Russia-sponsored acts of sabotage and destabilization since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

South Korea, EU condemn North Korea's reported troop dispatch to Russia

Top South Korean and European Union officials on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's reported troop dispatch to aid Russia's war against Ukraine and agreed to work together to try to block deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. North Korea's alleged troop deployment threatens to expand the almost 3-year-long war and is causing security jitters in South Korea, where many worry Russia might reward the North by giving it sophisticated weapons technology or offering a defense commitment in the event of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula. In a meeting in Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun and the EU's visiting foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed serious concerns about North Korea's reported troop dispatch and strongly condemned it, according to a statement from the South Korean Defense Ministry. The two agreed to work together with the international community to try to obstruct Russian-North Korean security cooperation, the statement .

Russia sends 100 drones into Ukraine, as Zelenskyy urges more sanctions

Moscow sent 96 drones and a guided air missile into Ukraine overnight into Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. According to Ukraine's Air Force, 66 drones were destroyed during the overnight barrage, along with the missile. A further 27 drones were lost over various areas, it said, likely having been electronically jammed, while one drone flew into Belarusian airspace. No casualties were reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia had launched around 900 guided aerial bombs, 500 drones and 30 missiles against Ukraine over the past week. Zelenskyy appealed Sunday on X to Ukraine's allies to provide long-range capabilities for our security, saying that these attacks would have been impossible if we had sufficient support from the world". Kyiv is still awaiting word from its Western partners on its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil, including for preemptive Ukrainian strikes on camps where North Korea

Zelenskyy urges export controls, says Russian drones use western components

Zelenskyy further emphasised the importance of enhanced export controls on specialised components and resources, which is crucial to prevent Russia from evading the sanctions imposed

Zelenskyy urges allies to take steps before N Korean troops reach the front

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged its allies to stop watching and take steps before North Koreans troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield. Zelenskyy raised the prospect of a preemptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained, and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can't do it without permission from allies to use Western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia. But instead America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians as well, Zelenskyy said in a post late Friday on the Telegram messaging app. The Biden administration said Thursday that some 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in Russia's Kursk region near Ukraine's border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days. Western leaders have described the North Korean troop deployment as a significant ..

In touch with US to clarify issues: MEA on sanctions on Indian entities

In the wake of the US imposing sanctions on several individuals and entities, including from India, for allegedly supporting Russia's military-industrial base, the MEA Saturday said New Delhi is in touch with Washington to clarify issues. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in response to a query during his weekly briefing, also said India has a "robust legal and regulatory framework" on strategic trade and non-proliferation controls. "We are also a member of three key multilateral non-proliferation export control regimes," he added. "In keeping with India's established non-proliferation credentials, we are working with all relevant departments and agencies to sensitise Indian companies on applicable export control provisions as also inform them on new measures being implemented that could impact Indian companies in certain circumstances," Jaiswal said. The US has imposed sanctions on 275 individuals and entities, including 15 from India, for allegedly supporting Russia's ...

Former Russian president Medvedev warns US, asks to avoid World War 3

The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what Russian officials say is its most dangerous phase as Russian forces are advancing in eastern Ukraine

US is sending USD 425 million in military assistance to Ukraine

The Pentagon announced Friday it was sending an additional $425 million in military assistance to Ukraine as Kyiv prepares to face Russian forces augmented by more than 10,000 North Korean troops. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had said more aid was coming, and soon, during his visit to Kyiv last week. This aid package includes weapons that will be pulled from existing US stockpiles, including air defence interceptors for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and 155 mm artillery, and armoured vehicles and anti-tank weapons. Ukraine's eastern cities continue to face an onslaught of Russian missile strikes, including one on Kharkiv by a 500-kg (1,100-pound) glide bomb. The attack Thursday hit an apartment complex, killing three and injuring scores. In addition, Ukraine is facing new uncertainty as waves of North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have arrived near Ukraine's border and are preparing to join the fight ...

US sanctions 15 Indian cos for supporting Russia's military-industrial base

The US has imposed sanctions on 275 individuals and entities, including 15 from India, for allegedly supporting Russia's military-industrial base. Companies from China, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkiye have also been slapped with sanctions for supplying Russia with advanced technology and equipment that it desperately needs to support its war machine, the Department of Treasury said in a statement on Thursday. In addition to disrupting global evasion networks, this action also targets domestic Russian importers and producers of key inputs and other material for Russia's military-industrial base, the statement said. The United States and our allies will continue to take decisive action across the globe to stop the flow of critical tools and technologies that Russia needs to wage its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said. As evidenced by today's action, we are unyielding in our resolve to diminish and degrade Russia's ability t

North Korea sends troops to Russia to help war as diplomat meets in Moscow

Russia's top diplomat on Friday hosted his North Korean counterpart for talks amid reports that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its military in the war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui's visit to Moscow and her meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came on the heels of the Pentagon's statement that North Korea has deployed about 10,000 troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine within the next several weeks. Western leaders have described the North Korean troop deployment as a significant escalation that could also jolt relations in the Indo-Pacific region. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have specified the agenda for Choe's talks in Moscow, but in a closed-door hearing at South Korea's parliament, the South's spy agency said Choe may be involved in high-level discussions on sending additional troops to Russia and negotiating what the North would get in return. South Korean and Western officials have voiced concern that Russia may off

Russian torture of Ukrainians, prisoners is crime against humanity: Experts

Russia's torture of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war is a crime against humanity, U.N.-backed human rights experts said Thursday. Erik Mse, chair of the independent commission investigating human rights violations in Ukraine, told reporters that the panel previously described Russia's widespread and systematic use of torture in Ukraine and Russia against civilians and prisoners, both men and women, as a war crime. Our recent findings demonstrate that Russian authorities have committed torture in all provinces of Ukraine that came under their control, as well as in the detention facilities that the commission has investigated in the Russian Federation, he said. Russia's U.N. Mission said it had no comment on the press conference or the report by the commission, which is appointed by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. Mse said the commission is an investigative body. He noted that Ukraine's prosecutor general and the International Criminal Court are investigating ...

China's silence striking, says Zelenskyy on deployment of N Korean troops

Zelenskyy strongly condemned Russia's decision to involve North Korean troops in the ongoing war against Ukraine

About 8K N Korean troops at Ukraine's border, expected in combat soon: US

Some 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in Russia near Ukraine's border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days, the Biden administration said Thursday. The new figure is a dramatic increase from a day earlier, when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would only say some of the troops had moved toward Ukraine's border in the Kursk region, where Moscow's forces have struggled to push back a Ukrainian incursion That also would mean most of the North Korean troops that the US and its allies say have been sent to Russia are now on the Russia-Ukraine border. The US has estimated there are about 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia. Seoul and its allies assess that the number has increased to 11,000, while Ukraine has put the figure higher, at up to 12,000. Of the 8,000 in Kursk, we've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces but we would expect that to happen in the coming days, Blinken said at a news conference wi

Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes as N Korea's top diplomat visits Moscow

Russia and Ukraine exchanged scores of drone strikes Wednesday as North Korea's top diplomat arrived in Russia for talks after his country reportedly deployed thousands of soldiers to help Moscow's war efforts. Ukraine's air force said that Russia launched 62 drones and one missile overnight, adding that 33 of them were intercepted and 25 were jammed. The drones struck a residential building and a kindergarten in Kyiv, injuring nine people, including a child, according to the city administration. "Russian drones did not change their constant tactics they approached the capital from different directions, at different heights, it said. Russian attacks also targeted other regions of Ukraine, killing at least four and injuring about 30 others over the past 24 hours, authorities said. At the same time, Russian forces have pressed their slow-moving offensive in eastern Ukraine. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry announced the capture of the village of Kruhlyakivka in the Kharkiv region. T