Page 21 - Ukraine

European leaders to meet in Albania on Russia-Ukraine security concerns

The leaders of 47 European countries and organisations will gather Friday for a one-day summit in the Albania's capital to discuss security and defense challenges across the continent, with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the top of the agenda. The theme of the European Political Community, or EPC, summit in Tirana is New Europe in a new world: unity cooperation joint action. The gathering will also address ways to improve the continent's competitiveness and tackle unauthorised migration. But the EPC will also be a setting for leaders to meet bilaterally, or in small groups, to weigh in on major security issues. The inaugural summit in Prague in 2022 saw the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia holding rare talks in an effort to ease tensions between the longtime adversaries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is among the leaders invited to the event in Tirana. On the eve of the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Zelenskyy to meet face-to-fa

Zelenskyy names delegation for talks in Turkey, says ceasefire top priority

The Istanbul delegation will be led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and will include military and intelligence officials

Ukraine-Russia historic peace talks: No Trump or Putin involved?

For the first time since 2022, Ukraine and Russia are set to hold direct peace talks, but without Trump and Putin. Will this meeting be successful or end in failure? Watch for updates.

Trump says he's not surprised Putin will skip Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

Trump had earlier suggested that he might attend the talks himself but said Thursday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already in Turkiye meeting with NATO officials

Only face-to-face meeting with Putin can deliver peace, says Zelenskiy

President Putin, who has questioned Zelenskiy's legitimacy, has not said whether he will take part

UN aviation body indicts Russia for 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17

The International Civil Aviation Organization held Russia accountable for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, confirming its role in the tragic incident that killed 298 passengers

Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks: Zelenskyy urges Trump to visit Turkey

In the message which was posted on X, Zelenskyy also alleged "Russian shelling and assaults continue"

Russian drones attack Ukraine after Kremlin turns down ceasefire proposal

Russia launched more than 100 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, after the Kremlin rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the more than three-year war. There was no response from the Kremlin, meanwhile, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's challenge for Russia's President Vladimir Putin to meet him for face-to-face peace talks in Turkey this week. The US and European governments have made a concerted push to stop the fighting, which has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides as well as more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's invading forces have taken around one-fifth of Ukraine. In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend, Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the US and European leaders but offered direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept a ceasefire starting Monday before holding peace talks. Moscow ...

Did Macron hide cocaine on train to Ukraine? French media fact-checks claim

A viral video sparked claims that French President Emmanuel Macron hid a cocaine pouch during the Ukraine visit. The French media debunked the rumour, calling it an 'absurd conspiracy'

Trump's Ukraine peace push coming to a head as Zelenskyy challenges Putin

Following a weekend of hectic diplomacy, Zelenskyy said he will travel to Istanbul on May 15 where Putin has proposed direct negotiations between the two countries

Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire, says he'll be 'waiting for Putin' in Turkey

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said he is hoping for a full and temporary ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, adding he would be in Turkiye to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin personally. His comments came after US President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia's latest offer of holding direct talks in Turkiye on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead. It was not clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Turkiye on the Monday ceasefire holding. We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Trkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses, he wrote on X. Trump

Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine, Gaza; extends Mother's Day wishes

Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff that featured some symbolic gestures suggesting a message of unity in a polarized Catholic Church. I, too, address the world's great powers by repeating the ever-present call never again war,' Leo said from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica to an estimated 100,000 people below. It was the first time that Leo had returned to the loggia since he first appeared to the world on Thursday evening following his remarkable election as pope, the first from the United States. Then, too, he delivered a message of peace. Leo was picking up the papal tradition of offering a Sunday blessing at noon, but with some twists. Whereas his predecessors delivered the greeting from the studio window of the Apostolic Palace, off to the side of the piazza, Leo went to the very centre of the square and the heart of the church. He also offered a novelty by singing the .

Zelenskyy welcomes Russian overtures, insists ceasefire before peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is pleased to see that Russia is finally engaging with finding an end to the war, but there must be a ceasefire before peace talks can start. Calling it a positive sign, he said that the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire. Russian President Vladimir Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected the ceasefire proposal and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 instead.

1 mn Ukrainian refugees in Poland, yet candidates vow to put poles first

In the early months of 2022, as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, millions of Ukrainians mostly women and children fled to Poland, where they were met with an extraordinary outpouring of sympathy. Ukrainian flags appeared in windows. Polish volunteers rushed to the border with food, diapers, SIM cards. Some opened their homes to complete strangers. In the face of calamity, Poland became not just a logistical lifeline for Ukraine, but a paragon of human solidarity. Three years later, Poland remains one of Ukraine's staunchest allies a hub for Western arms deliveries and a vocal defender of Kyiv's interests. But at home, the tone toward Ukrainians has shifted. Nearly a million Ukrainian refugees remain in Poland, with roughly 2 million Ukrainian citizens overall in the nation of 38 million people. Many of them arrived before the war as economic migrants. As Poland heads into a presidential election on May 18, with a second round expected June 1, the growing fatigue w

Long-range Russian strikes kill civilians amid ceasefire deadlock

Two months ago, following high-level talks between Ukrainian and American delegations in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the United States proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced on that same day that Ukraine was ready to accept the proposal, provided Russia did the same. The Russian leader balked, saying a temporary break in hostilities would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals. Since then, Russia has continued its military campaign, maintaining attacks along the roughly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) front line and targeting civilian infrastructure. In some cases, it has stepped up its attacks on residential areas with no obvious military targets. An Associated Press tally based on reports from Ukrainian authorities found at least 117 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in Russian aerial attacks since Ukraine announced on March 11 it

European leaders visit Kyiv to show support amid calls for 30-day ceasefire

The leaders of four European countries arrived in Kyiv Saturday in a joint show of support as calls intensify for Russia to agree to a monthlong cease-fire in the war. The leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom arrived together at the train station in Kyiv, where they are expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The visit marked the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled together to Ukraine, while Friedrich Merz is making a first visit to Ukraine as Germany's new Chancellor. Along with President Donald Trump, the European leaders are pushing for Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire to allow for peace talks on ending the conflict. We reiterate our backing for the President Trump's calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace, the leaders said in a joint statement.

Ukraine says Russia violating its own 3-day ceasefire, calls it a 'farce'

There was, though, a drop-off in combat activity after the ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin came into force in the early hours of Thursday

Ukrainian drones hit Moscow as foreign leaders gather for Red Square parade

Attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones caused flight disruption at Moscow's main airports for a third straight day on Wednesday as Russia prepared to receive the Chinese president and other foreign leaders for the annual Victory Day military parade in Red Square. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning cancelled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow. More than 140 Aeroflot flights also were delayed because of what officials described as the Ukrainian drone threat and amid heightened security measures around the Victory Day events. Russian air defenses repelled an attack by nine drones close to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours of Wednesday. In the evening, Sobyanin reported thwarting 15 more drones targeting Moscow, as flights were restricted in Moscow's airports once again. Though Ukrainian drones have targeted Moscow in the past, the sustained attacks appeared designed to disrupt preparations for the 80th anniversary celebratio

Russian missile-and-drones attack kills 2 people in Ukraine's capital

Russia launched a missile and a barrage of drones targeting the Ukrainian capital before dawn on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead, Ukrainian officials said. Eight people were also wounded in the attack, including four children, the Kyiv City Military Administration said in a post on Telegram. The attack came ahead of a planned unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in the more than three-year war announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with celebrations in Moscow marking Victory Day in World War II. Ukraine has unsuccessfully sought a longer and immediate truce. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on humanitarian grounds, would start on Thursday and last through Saturday to mark Moscow's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. At least one ballistic missile and 28 Russian drones were recorded in the airspace of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the administration said. Air Defence forces shot down the missile and 11 drones. A five-story residential building in the ...

Best of BS Opinion: Of arbitration, agreements, and artificial intelligence

Our opinion page today makes a strong argument for better management of the arbitration process, as well as the precedent that the Supreme Court's judgement sets