Page 8 - Us Russia

China to EU: Russian defeat in Ukraine may push US to target Beijing next

China's Wang Yi told the EU that a Russian defeat would shift US pressure to China, denied aiding Moscow, and hinted at cutting trade dialogue in protest

New CIA report slams investigation into Russia's support for Trump in 2016

A declassified CIA memo released Wednesday challenges the work intelligence agencies did to conclude that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election because it wanted Republican Donald Trump to win. The memo was written on the orders of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who spoke out against the Russia investigation as a member of Congress. It finds fault with a 2017 intelligence assessment that concluded the Russian government, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, waged a covert influence campaign to help Trump win. It does not address that multiple investigations since then, including from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020, reached the same conclusion about Russia's influence and motives. The eight-page document is part of an ongoing effort by Trump and close allies who now lead key government agencies to revisit the history of a long-concluded Russia investigation, which resulted in criminal indictments and shadowed most of hi

India, China to face 500% US tariff? Trump backs Russia sanctions bill

The Senate bill, backed by Trump, seeks to penalise nations buying Russian oil; it could reshape US trade ties with India and China amid Ukraine conflict

Russia not delaying Ukraine peace talks, says Kremlin after US claims

Asked about the remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was grateful to Trump's team for helping to facilitate talks but that Moscow was not stalling the talks

Trump thanks Iran for 'early notice' before bombing US base in Qatar

President Donald Trump thanked Iran for giving the US and allies early notice of Monday's retaliatory missile strike aimed at a major US military installation in the Gulf nation of Qatar. The president expressed hope that Tehran with its reprisal for the US bombardment of three key Iranian nuclear facilities had "gotten it all out of their system' and that the moment would lead to a de-escalation in the Israel-Iran war. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done, Trump said on social media. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." The Iranian attack on US forces at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base marked Tehran's first act of direct retaliation against the US since Trump ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Leon Panetta, who served

Putin calls Israel a 'Russian-speaking country', explains stance on Iran

President Vladimir Putin says Russia's neutrality in the Iran-Israel conflict is shaped by deep ties with both nations, citing Israel's large Russian diaspora and Muslim population at home

Russia warns US strikes risk nuclear disaster, endanger global security

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities that the US has opened a Pandora's box and no one knows what new catastrophes and suffering it will bring. He said Russia offered its mediation to the US to find a peaceful and mutually agreeable solution to Iran's nuclear programme, but the United States, especially its leaders, are clearly not interested in diplomacy today. Unless we stop the escalation, Nebenzia warned, the Middle East will find itself on the verge of a large scale conflict with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security system, plus the entire world might end up on the verge of a nuclear disaster.

Trump seeks Russia's helping hand in thawing frozen US-Iran nuclear talks

Putin and Trump's telephonic conversation was an extensive one and the corresponding memorandums will be analysed in Moscow and Kyiv

Trump, Putin hint at trade revival, but biz environment remains hostile

Hundreds of foreign companies left Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including major US firms like Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks, ExxonMobil and Ford Motor Co. But after more than three years of war, President Donald Trump has held out the prospect of restoring US-Russia trade if there's ever a peace settlement. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has said foreign companies could come back under some circumstances. Russia wants to do large scale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic bloodbath' is over, and I agree, Trump said in a statement after a phone call with Putin. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED. The president then shifted his tone toward Putin after heavy drone and missile attacks on Kyiv, saying Putin has gone absolutely crazy and threatening new sanctions. Recent comments from Putin warning Western companies against reclaiming their former stakes seemed to reflect ..

'Microsoft & Zoom should be throttled': Putin bats for 'Atmanirbhar Russia'

Putin says Microsoft and Zoom should be restricted in Russia as part of a push to develop domestic software, amid ongoing sanctions and tensions with the West over Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine complete largest prisoner exchange of war, says Trump

The prisoner swap involving 1,000 captives from each side follows direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, their first face-to-face peace negotiations since 2022

Putin heads into Trump call confident Russia has upper hand against Ukraine

Putin is confident that his forces can break through Ukraine's defenses by the end of the year to take full control of four regions that he has claimed for Russia

Rubio, Lavrov discuss Ukraine ceasefire talks, prisoner exchange deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss the outcome of Friday's direct negotiations between delegations of Kiev and Moscow in Istanbul. In the first ever direct talks in three years, Russian and Ukrainian delegation at their meeting lasting less than two hours agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war from each side and draft their respective proposals for a ceasefire to end the fighting which has entered into its fourth year. At Friday's talks, Ukraine demanded a direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin. Marco Rubio welcomed the agreements reached on the exchange of prisoners of war and the intention of each side to prepare its own proposals outlining the conditions necessary for a ceasefire. "He reaffirmed Washington's readiness to continue supporting efforts towards a negotiated settlement, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement posted on its web portal said. From his side, Minister Lavrov ..

Ukraine-Russia political drama masks on ground realities as war continues

Since US-brokered talks began in March, Ukraine's strategy has been to convince the Trump administration that Vladimir Putin is unreliable and that Kyiv is serious about peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has few options, analysts and officials say, but to draw US President Donald Trump's ire against Putin, while depending on Europe's united and stalwart support. In the latest round, Zelenskyy not only accepted Putin's offer to hold direct talks in Turkiye, after the US endorsed the idea, but raised the stakes and challenged the Russian leader to a face-to-face. The gesture failed to move Putin and the Istanbul talks were demoted to a technical meeting Friday that failed to yield substantial results on ending the war. The US has expressed frustration with the stalled talks and threatened to withdraw if results aren't achieved. On Friday, Trump told reporters after boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Abu Dhabi that he may call Putin soon. He and I will me

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

Russia, China reaffirm comprehensive partnership against US moves

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their resolve to jointly counter US plans for a "Golden Dome" missile shield and NATO's eastward expansion, which they said are aimed at containing Moscow and Beijing. Xi arrived here on Wednesday for a four-day official visit and will take part in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, including the Victory Parade at Red Square on Friday. After over seven-hour-long talks, Putin and Xi signed a joint statement and a package of bilateral intergovernmental and interagency documents. According to the Kremlin, the documents signed include joint statements on global strategic stability, and strengthening cooperation to maintain the authority of international law. In the joint statement on global strategic stability, the two countries said they are convinced that the Golden Dome programme of the US is "deeply destabilising". The recently announced large-scale pro

1 killed as Russia strikes Ukraine on first day of self-declared ceasefire

One person was killed early Thursday in Russian attacks in northeast Ukraine, in the opening hours of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another two people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided air bombs in the northeast Sumy region. The bombs were dropped on residential areas near the border, the regional prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Ukraine's Air Force alerted launches of glide bombs and at least one missile in the Sumy region starting at 02:39 am and until early morning on Thursday. Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, were not recorded since 8:30 pm the previous night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The ceasefire came into force at midnight on Thursday Moscow time. But smaller-scale Russian attacks persisted elsewhere in the country closer to the frontline, causing civilian casualties. A 55-year-old woman was killed in her home in Mykolaivka community

How Putin uses USSR's victory in WWII to rally support for war in Ukraine

Hardly any other country marks the end of World War II with the same fanfare and fervour as Russia, for which the victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago remains a source of immense pride and a defining moment of history. Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia's most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it's also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 of those 80 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his 3-year-old invasion of Ukraine. He has also sought to underline the failure of Western efforts to isolate Moscow by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders to the festivities, which this year have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targetting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital's airports, as well as cellphone

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 ...