Page 89 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Russia waging shadow war on West that needs collective response: Estonia PM

Perched on the open ramp at the rear of a British Chinook helicopter, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas flew home from the annual Spring Storm military exercises, pleased to see NATO allies cooperating. But she later said that other types of warfare were on her mind. Her nation, which borders Russia, has seen a rise in sabotage, electronic warfare and spying all blamed on Moscow. As the war in Ukraine turns in Russia's favor, defenses are being bolstered in the front-line nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as in Finland and Poland. Kallas says Russia is carrying out a shadow war against the West. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urged vigilance, saying Tuesday he had information that acts of sabotage can happen again. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at least nine people were recently arrested on suspicion of beatings and arson, allegedly directed by Russia's secret services, and described them as Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish nationals, some from th

Russia starts nuclear drills amid West's deepening role in Ukraine

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it began a round of drills involving tactical nuclear weapons. The exercises were announced by Russian authorities this month in response to remarks by senior Western officials about the possibility of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises. According to the ministry's statement, the first stage of the new drills envisioned practical training in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, including nuclear-capable Kinzhal and Iskander missiles. The maneuvers are taking place in the Southern Military District, which consists of Russian regions in the south, including on the border with Ukraine; Crimea, illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014; and four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed in 2022 and partially occupies. The drills were announced on May 6, with the

India's Russian oil imports rise to 9-mth high in April as shipments resume

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, is the top client for Russian seaborne oil

Storm brewing, vital to have safe pair of hands to take India through: EAM

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and other geopolitical tensions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said a "storm" is brewing and it is going to get worse while asserting that it is absolutely vital to have a "safe pair of hands" to take India through this very difficult period. He was speaking during an interaction held at a Delhi Tamil Education Association-run school in the national capital, days ahead of the polling for the ongoing Lok Sabha election here. The audience included many first-time voters. Jaishankar urged them to exercise their franchise and underlined that it is important that "the world should be in your mind" while making choices. Responding to a query on a narrative being used by some politicians on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during poll campaigning, the minister said, "I do not think people are saying PoK will be part of India, PoK was always part of India." "What has happened, PoK, for reasons we all know, is ...

Ukraine, Russia exchange drone attacks while Russia advances in east

Russia reported some 60 drones and several missiles shot down over its territory overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine in turn saying it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. Russia's renewed offensive continues to play out in Ukraine's war-ravaged northeast. Russian air defences shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over its southern Krasnodar region overnight Saturday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Sunday morning. Local military officials said drone debris hit an oil refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but there was no fire or damage. Local news outlet Astra published videos appearing to show an explosion at the refinery as it was hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified. Nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, following Friday morning's massive Ukrainian drone attack that cut off power in the city of Sevastopol. A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukrai

India friend of world, expect it to bring peace to Ukraine: Switzerland

India is a friend of the world and the global community expects it to contribute significantly in bringing peace to war-torn Ukraine, Swiss State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alexandre Fasel said on Friday as Switzerland prepares to host a major summit next month to end the conflict in Ukraine. Fasel held wide-ranging talks with his Indian interlocutors and extended an invitation to the Indian prime minister for participating at the summit that is aimed at charting a course for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Switzerland has extended invitations to over 160 countries for the summit to be held on June 15 and 16. "India is a friend of the world. There is really an expectation from the international community that India can contribute to this (peace) process," Fasel told PTI in an interview. "India is a friend of peace. India has a great experience in conflict transformation and peace promotion. The expectation really is that we can work together and count on India's support," he

'Sent envoy to Israel to stop bombing at least during Ramzan': PM Modi

'I sent my special envoy to Israel and asked him to convey and explain to the Prime Minister that at least do not carry out bombings in Gaza during Ramzan,' said PM Modi

Putin focuses on trade, cultural exchanges after reaffirming ties with Xi

Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges on Friday on his state visit to China that started with bonhomie in Beijing and a summit with China's leader Xi Jinping that deepened their no-limits partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West. Putin will attend the China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin and meet with students at Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang province, was once home to many Russian expatriates and retains some of these historical ties in the city's architecture, such as the central Saint Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church. Though Putin's visit is more symbolic and short on concrete proposals, the two countries, which both face rising tensions with the West, nonetheless are sending a clear message. At this moment, they're reminding the West that they can be defiant when they want to, said Joseph Torigian, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoove

Use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine must align with law, says Japan

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven major democracies will meet in Italy next week and will discuss the question of how revenues from the frozen Russian assets should be used

Kim Jong Un's sister denies North Korea supplied weapons to Russia

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again denied Friday that her country has exported any weapons to Russia, as she labeled outside speculation on North Korea-Russian arms dealings as the most absurd paradox. The US, South Korea and others have steadfastly accused North Korea of supplying artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid. Both North Korea and Russia have repeatedly dismissed that. Foreign experts believe North Korea's recent series of artillery and short-range missile tests were meant to examine or advertise the weapons it was planning to sell to Russia. Kim Yo Jong called outside assessments on the North Korean-Russian dealings the most absurd paradox which is not worth making any evaluation or interpretation. We have no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country or open them to the public, she said in a statement carrie

China, Russia reaffirm close ties as Moscow presses offensive in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their no-limits partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and they criticized US military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region. At their summit in Beijing, Putin thanked Xi for China's proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as largely following the Kremlin's line. Putin's two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies and trading partners comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed the Kremlin's contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and it continues to supply key components needed by Moscow for weapons production. China, which hasn't

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping pledge new era, cast US as Cold War hegemon

Xi and Putin believe the post-Cold War era of extraordinary U.S. dominance is crumbling after perceived humiliations of the 1991 Soviet collapse and centuries of European colonial dominance of China

Ukraine risks dragging West into major war with Russia, says Putin ally

President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

China, Russia ties stabilising factor, conducive to peace, says Putin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing on Thursday for a two-day state visit to China, in a show of unity between the authoritarian allies as Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine. Putin's visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. On the eve of the visit, Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours, Putin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency. The Russian leader's two-day trip comes as his country's forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee thei

Switzerland conference on Ukraine futile without Russia, says Kremlin

Russia has previously said it saw no point in a conference being planned by Switzerland to discuss how to end the Ukraine conflict

Ukrainian troops retreat, Zelenskyy postpones trips amid Russian offensive

Ukrainian forces withdrew from some parts of the country's northeast and battled Russian troops in other areas Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to postpone all his upcoming foreign trips underscored the seriousness of the threat his soldiers face. Against that grim backdrop, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure Ukraine of continuing American support, announcing a $2 billion arms deal. Most of the money comes from a package approved last month. The top diplomat's trip comes as Russian troops press a new offensive in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. It began last week, marking the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began in 2022 and forcing thousands to flee their homes. In recent weeks, Moscow's forces have also sought to build on gains in the eastern region of Donetsk. Taken together, the developments mean the war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine's depleted army. Ukraine's General Staff reported late .

Zelenskyy postpones foreign visits as Ukraine faces new Russian offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said Wednesday that he has postponed all his upcoming foreign visits amid a new Russian offensive. Zelenskyy cancelled all foreign visits that were planned for the coming days, his office said Wednesday on Telegram. The head of state instructed his team to reschedule the visits. We are grateful to our partners for understanding, the announcement said. Zelenskyy had been expected to visit Spain, and perhaps Portugal, later this week.

Russia warns EU of strong response if restrictions imposed on Russian media

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Western correspondents in Moscow would feel response if the European Union took action against Russian media

Ukraine plans electricity imports after Russian attacks on energy system

Ukraine consumes up to 19,000 Mwh at peak of consumption in winter

Russian air destroys 10 Ukraine-launched ATACMS missiles over Crimea

The war has killed thousands, displaced millions and turned Ukrainian cities into rubble