Page 73 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

NSA Doval meets Putin, conveys Modi's Russia-Ukraine peace plan: Top points

NSA Ajit Doval also held talks with the Chinese foreign minister to discuss disengagement in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh and border issues

Strikes deep inside Russia will mean US, Europe at war, says Putin

Putin warned that the West will have direct involvement in the conflict if they allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles

35 Indians discharged from Russian army since PM raised issue in July: MEA

Forty-five Indians have been discharged from the Russian military and efforts are on to secure release of around 50 more soon, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Out of 45 Indian nationals, 35 were discharged after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. The issue of Indians recruited in the Russian Army has emerged as an irritant in India-Russia ties. Modi had strongly raised the issue of early discharge of Indian nationals working in the Russian Army during his talks with Putin in Moscow in July. Jaiswal said six Indians returned two days ago and several others would be coming back home shortly. "In July when the prime minister travelled to Russia, he took up the matter with President Putin and since the prime minister's visit, 35 Indian nationals have been discharged," Jaiswal said. "Prior to his visit, 10 Indian nationals had been discharged. .

Ukraine faces dramatic health crisis ahead of its third winter at war: WHO

The World Health Organisation issued a stark warning on Thursday about a potential health crisis in Ukraine as the country faces its third winter of war since Russia's full-scale invasion. Ongoing Russian airstrikes have severely damaged the nation's energy and health care infrastructure, leaving millions vulnerable as temperatures drop, officials from the United Nations agency said. Ukraine is approaching its third winter amid a full-scale war likely its most challenging yet. The renewed focus on health is more critical than ever, Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, told reporters in Kyiv. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN agency has recorded nearly 2,000 attacks on Ukraine's health care infrastructure, which it said is having a severe impact on the largely public health system. Targeted attacks have damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Frequent power outages are already taking a toll with danger signs for the winter, Klu

Peace talks can't happen without Russia, Ukraine both on board: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India is among the few countries that have the ability to talk to both Russia and Ukraine to find a solution outside the battlefield but asserted that negotiations cannot happen without the two parties on board. Jaishankar, who was in conversation with Ambassador Jean-David Levitte at Global Centre for Security Policy, a think tank, here was answering a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and to Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he reiterated India's stated position of finding a solution outside the battlefield. After elaborating on how Modi's visit took place over the last two months, Jaishankar said, We're not going to get a military solution; there has to be a diplomatic one, and negotiated one and added that it is for the parties to decide the terms of negotiation. In a veiled reference to the West's unilateral efforts to discuss the end of

Ukraine businesses hire more women, teens as labour shortages bite

Male-dominated industries are more affected by staff shortages, the central bank said

NSA Doval holds talks with Russian counterpart Shoigu in Petersburg

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has held wide-ranging talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in St Petersburg and discussed important issues of "mutual interests" amid fresh calls for India's possible role in finding a solution to the Ukraine conflict. The Doval-Shoigu meeting on Wednesday evening took place on the margins of a conclave of national security advisors of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) nations. It is understood that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on August 23 figured in the talks between the two NSAs. "Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed important issues of mutual interest," the Indian embassy in Russia said on the talks between Doval and Shoigu. Doval's visit to Russia comes two-and-half weeks after Prime Minister Modi paid a high-profile trip to Ukrainian capital Kyiv. In his talks with Zelenskyy, Modi said both Ukraine and Russia should sit

US announces over $700 mn in aid for Ukraine's energy grid, other projects

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than $700 million in aid for Ukraine Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv, aiming to bolster the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter. At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Blinken said the assistance also would provide humanitarian support and pay for demining operations. The $325 million in energy support in the package will help repair and restore Ukraine's power generation facilities, provide emergency backup power and strengthen the physical security of energy infrastructure. Some $290 million will fund food, water, shelter, health care and education programs for Ukrainians in need in the country and refugees outside the country. The remaining $102 million will be used for mine-removal activities. Late last week, the US announced it was sending $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air defence missi

Could combine potential with China if face threat from US, says Russia

"I would like to remind you that Moscow and Beijing will respond to 'double containment' by the United States with 'double counteraction'," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

Trump insists Russia war must end, no response if he wants Ukraine to win

Former President Donald Trump spoke heatedly in Tuesday's presidential debate about wanting Russia's war in Ukraine to be over - but twice refused to directly answer a question about whether he wanted US ally Ukraine to win. Trump also falsely claimed that the war had killed millions since Russia invaded Ukraine 2 1/2 years ago, while the UN says 11,700 civilian deaths have been verified. And he claimed without evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, had bungled a diplomatic mission just days before Russia launched the invasion. Trump's comments are likely to heighten concern among Ukraine and its supporters that his return to the White House could push Ukraine into a losing peace deal with its stronger neighbour, Russia. Western-allied Ukraine depends on US military and financial aid to keep up its fight against Russian forces, and it would have grave difficulty withstanding their attacks if the US were to pull that support. It's "a very simple question

Blinken, Lammy arrive in Kyiv as Ukraine pushes for strikes against Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia. The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train hours after the US presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine. Blinken travelled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a dramatic escalation of the war. For months, Ukraine has been requesting approval to use long-range weapons from the United States and Western allies to strike targets in Russia, and is expected to press harder given Russia's latest reported weapons acquisition. If we are allowed to destroy military targets or weapons prepared by the enemy for attacks on Ukraine, it would certainly bring more safety for our civilians, our people, and our ..

US Presidential debate: Trump vows to end Russia-Ukraine war if elected

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he will end the Russia-Ukraine war if he wins the November presidential elections, an assertion dismissed by his Democratic rival Kamala Harris who said the former US president would "just give up". Trading barbs with Vice President Harris on Tuesday at their first presidential debate in Pennsylvania ahead of the US general elections on November 5, Trump said the war would have never started had he been the president. I'll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended. If I'm president-elect, I'll get it done before even becoming president, Trump, 78, said in response to a question during the debate. Asserting there was no threat of war in the four years he was president from 2017 to 2021, Trump said, "I know (Russian President Vladimir) Putin very well. He would have never -- and there was no threat of it either, by the way, for four years -- gone into Ukraine and killed millions of people when you add it up... Trump blamed the .

IMF, Ukraine reach deal that would give access to $1.1 bn in financial aid

The IMF is a key international lender to Kyiv and its four-year $15.6 billion programme is a crucial part of a bigger global economic support package to Ukraine

Ukraine attacks Russia with 144 drones; one dead, major airports shut

The drone attacks damaged at least two high-rise apartment buildings in the Ramenskoye district of the Moscow region

IMF pushes Kyiv on transparency after Ukrenergo chief Kudrytskyi's ouster

Kudrytskyi, who had worked closely with Ukraine's Western donors in efforts to shore up a power system decimated by Russian attacks, was ousted from the top job Sept. 2 by the supervisory board

US accuses Iran of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia

The United States formally accused Iran on Tuesday of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine and will take measures to punish those involved. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said that sanctions would be announced later Tuesday. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians, Blinken said. His comments came as he and Lammy prepare to make a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday. Word of the alleged transfers began to emerge over the weekend with reports that intelligence indicated they were underway, according to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Blinken said Tuesday that the transfers appear to have been completed. Iran, as it has with previous US intelligence findings, has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.

Tehran a partner: Kremlin on report of missile supplies from Iran to Russia

The Journal cited unidentified US and European officials as saying that Iran had sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia

From the Moon to peace talks: Is India teaming up with Russia?

Amid talks of India's role as a crucial intermediary between Russia and Ukraine, reports suggest India is also exploring a groundbreaking deal with Russia in pursuit of its space aspirations.

Maybe by year end: Ukraine envoy on President Zelenskyy's visit to India

The Ukrainian envoy mentioned that Prime Minister Modi's visit to Ukraine was relatively short due to security concerns, however, in India, both leaders would have more time for discussions

Sanctioned tanker with Arctic LNG 2 cargo moving east along Northern Sea

Washington has recently imposed additional sanctions against Russia for its war with Ukraine