Page 29 - Vladimir Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Moscow's Victory Day on May 9

The Kremlin said in December that it had invited "many countries" to attend the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, which Russians call the Great Patriotic War

Zelenskyy confirms new Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a new Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region and said that North Korean troops were fighting alongside Russian forces there. In the areas of the Kursk operation, new assaults have taken place, Zelenskyy said during his Friday address, adding, Russia has once again deployed North Korean soldiers alongside its troops. According to Zelenskyy, a significant number of enemy troops were destroyed. He gave no details but said the losses were in the hundreds. Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that it had repelled a Ukrainian counterattack in the Kursk region. Russia said Friday its forces had captured the mining town of Toretsk in their latest breakthrough in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defences are creaking. Ukrainian officials did not confirm the report. South Korea's military said last month that it suspected North Korea was preparing to send additional troops to Russia after its soldiers suffered

Trump wants to negotiate about Ukraine, Putin's stance remains unclear

Nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, his troops are making steady progress on the battlefield. Kyiv is grappling with shortages of men and weapons. And the new US president could soon halt Ukraine's massive supply of military aid. Putin is closer than ever to achieving his objectives in the battle-weary country, with little incentive to come to the negotiating table, no matter how much US President Donald Trump might cajole or threaten him, according to Russian and Western experts interviewed by The Associated Press. Both are signalling discussions on Ukraine - by phone or in person - using flattery and threats. Putin said Trump was clever and pragmatic, and even parroted his false claims of having won the 2020 election. Trump's opening gambit was to call Putin smart and to threaten Russia with tariffs and oil price cuts, which the Kremlin brushed off. Trump boasted during the campaign he could end the war in 24 hours, which later became six months. He

Too early to discuss Zelenskyy's four-way peace talks format: Kremlin

Moscow has long said the fact that Zelenskiy was not re-elected last year when his 5-yr term expired - due to martial law being in force - means he would not have legal authority to sign a peace deal

Saudi Arabia, UAE expected venues for Trump-Putin meet: Russian sources

However, senior Russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to the Russian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of situation

President Putin allows Goldman Sachs to sell its business in Russia

Putin permitted Balchug Capital to buy the division, according to a decree he signed

Oil falls as Donald Trump reiterates call for Opec to reduce prices

Opec and its allies including Russia have yet to react to Trump's call, with Opec+ delegates pointing to a plan already in place to start raising oil output from April

Republic Day: Putin hails Russian-Indian ties as 'special partnership'

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that Russian-Indian relations are based on "special and privileged strategic partnership" and hoped that the two countries will use joint efforts to continue to consistently build up productive bilateral cooperation across all areas. President Putin sent heartfelt congratulations to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of India's 76th Republic Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said. "Russian-Indian relations are based on special and privileged strategic partnership. I am confident that we will use joint efforts to continue to consistently build up productive bilateral cooperation across all areas, as well as constructive interaction in international affairs," he said. Without a doubt, this meets the fundamental interests of our friendly peoples and is in line with the efforts to form a fair multipolar international order, Putin added. In his message, Putin said that the Indian Constitution tha

Will soon speak to Putin and help in settling war in Ukraine, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that he would soon speak to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and help in settling the war in Ukraine. Trump's comments came a day after Putin said Russia is ready for talks with the US on a broad range of issues. He wants to speak and will be speaking soon. I've spoken to (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky numerous times, and they'd like to see peace. They would like to see an end to the war. I think President Putin would like to see an end to the war too, Trump told reporters on Saturday. So, we'll see if we can help it along. I think it's a shame it's a war that would have never happened, he said. Trump has repeatedly said he wouldn't have allowed the conflict to start if he had been in office. Putin on Friday said he was ready to discuss the war in Ukraine with Trump and suggested it would be a good idea for them to meet. Putin told a Russian state TV journalist: We believe the current president's statements about his readiness

Putin claims Ukraine war could have been avoided under Trump presidency

Putin claims Ukraine war could've been avoided if Trump won in 2020, praising him as 'smart' and 'pragmatic'

Ukraine war could have been averted if Trump's win was not 'stolen': Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin also affirmed that Moscow has always been ready for negotiations on the Ukraine problem

Putin suggests a meeting with Trump to discuss Ukraine war, energy issues

It was the strongest indication yet from the Kremlin that it is keen for an early summit with Trump after three years of virtually no high-level contact with Western leaders because of the war

Putin ready to speak to Trump, wants to start nuclear cuts talks: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also made clear he wants to restart nuclear arms cuts talks as soon as possible

Putin must make a deal, Zelenskyy ready for talks: Trump on Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin "should make a deal" with Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has said and asserted that they would meet as soon as they can. Earlier, he warned his Russian counterpart to end the 'ridiculous war' in Ukraine or face high tariffs and further sanctions. Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, said this on Truth Social on Wednesday, a social media platform owned by him. Talking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, the president said, "I think he (Putin) should make a deal." When asked if he thinks that sanctions on Russia will force Putin to negotiate, he said, "I don't know." "Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think, from what I hear, Putin would like to see me. And we'll meet as soon as we can. I'd meet immediately. Soldiers are being killed on the battlefield," he said. "That battlefield is like no battlefield since World War II... and I have pictures that you don't

Trump threatens Russia with sanctions if 'ridiculous' war does not end

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement isn't reached to end the war in Ukraine, a warning that is likely to fall on deaf ears in the Kremlin. The United States already prohibits the import of virtually all Russian products, and Russia has faced a multitude of US and European sanctions since the invasion began almost three years ago. In a post on his Truth Social site on Wednesday, Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "settle now and stop this ridiculous war". Trump said he had no desire to hurt Russia -- which he noted had played a major role in securing victory for the Allies against Nazi Germany in World War II -- and has a good relationship with Putin, but warned of the penalties if the war isn't stopped soon. "If we don't make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and variou

Sanctions on Russia likely if Putin doesn't come for negotiation: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Puti anytime, but at the same time warned that he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if the latter does not come to the negotiations table on the issue of Ukraine. "It sounds likely," Trump told reporters when asked if the US will impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin doesn't come to the negotiation table. "The war should have never started. If you had a competent President, which you didn't, the war wouldn't have happened. The war in Ukraine would have never happened if I were the president," Trump said. "Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin. That would have never, ever happened. He disrespected Biden. Very simple. He disrespects people. He's smart. He understands. He disrespected Biden," Trump said. "Also, the Middle East would have never happened because Iran was broke," he added. Responding to a query, Trump said he is

Jinping, Putin pledge to boost China-Russia ties in 2025 as Trump returns

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin 'shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead'

Putin, Xi discuss 'multipolar global order' hours after Trump inauguration

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasising the two countries' close ties, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president. The two leaders have developed strong personal links that helped bring relations between Moscow and Beijing, growing even closer after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. China has become a major customer of Russian oil and gas and a source of key technologies amid sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow. In Tuesday's call with Xi, Putin emphasised that Russia-China relations are based on shared interests, equality and mutual benefits, noting that they don't depend on internal political factors and the current international environment. We jointly support the development of a more just multipolar global order and work to ensure indivisible security in Eurasia and the world as a whole, Putin told Xi in remarks carried by the Russian state TV. Joint efforts by Russia and China play an importan

Russian court convicts Navalny's lawyers for belonging to 'extremist group'

Prosecutors accused the lawyers of 'using their status' to give letters written by Navalny during his time in prison to his associates, enabling him to continue to lead an 'extremist organisation'

Russia, Iran have troubled history despite their current alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Iranian counterpart Friday for the signing of a broad pact between Moscow and Tehran. The Kremlin says the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will take their cooperation to a new level. The signing comes ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker peace in Ukraine and take a tougher stance on Iran. What to know about the Russian-Iranian relationship: Historic rivals become allies Russia and Iran fought wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the Russian Empire capturing broad territories in the Caucasus and the Caspian region previously controlled by Persian rulers. In the early 20th century, Russian troops occupied large parts of northern Iran, but the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution ended their presence. In World War II, the Soviet Union and Britain invaded Iran, which still evokes painful memories in Tehran. Tensions ran