28 days ago
Ukrainian forces fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, including hundreds that were launched toward Moscow, officials said Sunday as the Kremlin was wrapping up the third and last day of its parliamentary elections.
Moscow's mayor described the wave of drones as the "largest ever" attack on the Russian capital and said there had been damage to a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building.
Across the wider Moscow region, the attack killed two people and wounded 20, local Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said. The dead were a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, he said.
Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv had used a range of missiles and drones in the attack — including Ukraine's domestically made Flamingo and Pelican missiles — to hit oil and logistics facilities.
"These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine," Zelenskyy said, referring to the financial pressure that Kyiv hopes to put on Russia's economy.
#Russia
Moscow's mayor described the wave of drones as the "largest ever" attack on the Russian capital and said there had been damage to a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building.
Across the wider Moscow region, the attack killed two people and wounded 20, local Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said. The dead were a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, he said.
Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv had used a range of missiles and drones in the attack — including Ukraine's domestically made Flamingo and Pelican missiles — to hit oil and logistics facilities.
"These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine," Zelenskyy said, referring to the financial pressure that Kyiv hopes to put on Russia's economy.
#Russia
1 month ago
By Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine to raise army morale in the Russian Orthodox Church's latest show of support for President Vladimir Putin's war.
The sarcophagus of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1389 and is revered by Russian nationalists for defeating the Mongol Golden Horde at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, was uncovered this summer during restoration work at Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin.
Putin personally inspected what experts said were the prince's well-preserved remains in August, hailing them as "an absolutely unique and marvellous discovery" which reinforced the foundations of Russian history.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which has backed Putin throughout the conflict, said it had dispatched a fragment of Donskoy's right hand to Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions Putin said he had incorporated into Russia in 2022, a move Kyiv rejected as an illegal land grab.
#prince #andrew #osborn #reuters
MOSCOW, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine to raise army morale in the Russian Orthodox Church's latest show of support for President Vladimir Putin's war.
The sarcophagus of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1389 and is revered by Russian nationalists for defeating the Mongol Golden Horde at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, was uncovered this summer during restoration work at Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin.
Putin personally inspected what experts said were the prince's well-preserved remains in August, hailing them as "an absolutely unique and marvellous discovery" which reinforced the foundations of Russian history.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which has backed Putin throughout the conflict, said it had dispatched a fragment of Donskoy's right hand to Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions Putin said he had incorporated into Russia in 2022, a move Kyiv rejected as an illegal land grab.
#prince #andrew #osborn #reuters
1 month ago
By Dmitry Antonov and Gleb Bryanski
MOSCOW, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of "highly useful" talks on Saturday with two U.S. envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough.
The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Americans Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner "outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement". Ushakov did not say what these ideas were.
He said Putin had told the pair that Russia was making "real progress" on the battlefield and was confident of achieving its goals, while stressing the necessity of addressing "all the root causes of the conflict".
These are statements that Moscow has made repeatedly since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour in February 2022. Both sides have intensified long-range air strikes in recent weeks while the front lines remain largely static.
#putin #aide #antonov #gleb
MOSCOW, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of "highly useful" talks on Saturday with two U.S. envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough.
The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Americans Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner "outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement". Ushakov did not say what these ideas were.
He said Putin had told the pair that Russia was making "real progress" on the battlefield and was confident of achieving its goals, while stressing the necessity of addressing "all the root causes of the conflict".
These are statements that Moscow has made repeatedly since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour in February 2022. Both sides have intensified long-range air strikes in recent weeks while the front lines remain largely static.
#putin #aide #antonov #gleb
1 month ago
Sept 3 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that an investigation would determine what caused a dispute between two of Ukraine's security agencies to escalate into a shootout in Kyiv this week that left three members of the Defence Ministry's HUR Military Intelligence Directorate injured.
The dispute centres on the disappearance for nine days of a Russian nationalist activist fighting alongside Ukrainian troops in the 4-1/2-year-old war pitting Moscow against Kyiv.
The nationalist said he was detained by the SBU Security Service and obliged to sign a confession that he collaborated with Russian intelligence. He later retracted the statement.
The street clash occurred in central Kyiv on Tuesday after the activist's Kyiv home was searched. SBU officers fired on members of the HUR unit. The SBU has said it was acting to prevent a Moscow-inspired plot to ****** assinate Russian anti-Kremlin activists in Kyiv.
"It is important that the truth come out. And that situations like this do not recur," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
#russian #zelenskiy #dispute #members
The dispute centres on the disappearance for nine days of a Russian nationalist activist fighting alongside Ukrainian troops in the 4-1/2-year-old war pitting Moscow against Kyiv.
The nationalist said he was detained by the SBU Security Service and obliged to sign a confession that he collaborated with Russian intelligence. He later retracted the statement.
The street clash occurred in central Kyiv on Tuesday after the activist's Kyiv home was searched. SBU officers fired on members of the HUR unit. The SBU has said it was acting to prevent a Moscow-inspired plot to ****** assinate Russian anti-Kremlin activists in Kyiv.
"It is important that the truth come out. And that situations like this do not recur," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
#russian #zelenskiy #dispute #members
1 month ago
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian economy runs a risk of going "berserk" if it is run to focus entirely on the needs of the military-industrial complex, President Vladimir Putin's international development envoy was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The comments by Boris ****** ov to business news outlet RBC were a rare sign of concern in Kremlin circles about the increasing pressure on the slowing economy to secure a victory in the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Titov, appointed in 2024 as Putin's special representative to international organizations for achieving sustainable development goals, is a wealthy businessman who used to own Russia's leading producer of sparkling wine. He led an influential business lobby and ran for president in 2018.
"Military and civilian economies have always existed in symbiosis everywhere. Many technical inventions that are useful for all originated within the military-industrial complex. The key lies in maintaining balance," ****** ov told RBC.
US pauses new strikes, Iran comments
#development
The comments by Boris ****** ov to business news outlet RBC were a rare sign of concern in Kremlin circles about the increasing pressure on the slowing economy to secure a victory in the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Titov, appointed in 2024 as Putin's special representative to international organizations for achieving sustainable development goals, is a wealthy businessman who used to own Russia's leading producer of sparkling wine. He led an influential business lobby and ran for president in 2018.
"Military and civilian economies have always existed in symbiosis everywhere. Many technical inventions that are useful for all originated within the military-industrial complex. The key lies in maintaining balance," ****** ov told RBC.
US pauses new strikes, Iran comments
#development
1 month ago
MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may hold a trilateral meeting at the next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.
Asked on state TV about the possibility of such a meeting, Ushakov said: "This issue was discussed, yes."
He said all three leaders were expected to attend the summit, adding: "And if it turns out as has been said, then the three of them will be able to have a meeting."
Ushakov was speaking from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, where Putin and Xi had attended a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Russia, China and the United States are part of the 21-member APEC. Shenzhen, China, will host the next leaders' summit November 18-19.
#next
Asked on state TV about the possibility of such a meeting, Ushakov said: "This issue was discussed, yes."
He said all three leaders were expected to attend the summit, adding: "And if it turns out as has been said, then the three of them will be able to have a meeting."
Ushakov was speaking from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, where Putin and Xi had attended a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Russia, China and the United States are part of the 21-member APEC. Shenzhen, China, will host the next leaders' summit November 18-19.
#next
2 months ago
MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the war in Ukraine needed to end for humanity's sake and that New Delhi would support every peace effort to stop the fighting.
Modi, who made his comments at the start of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, called Putin "my friend" and hailed growing economic ties between the two countries which he said were guided by the need to put the interests of both nations above all else.
India, along with China, is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which has helped Moscow replenish its budget since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions.
"As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future," Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to a Kremlin transcript of their exchange.
"Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction," said Modi who has said before that he wants a peace settlement for Ukraine.
#modi #moscow #russian
Modi, who made his comments at the start of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, called Putin "my friend" and hailed growing economic ties between the two countries which he said were guided by the need to put the interests of both nations above all else.
India, along with China, is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which has helped Moscow replenish its budget since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions.
"As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future," Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to a Kremlin transcript of their exchange.
"Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction," said Modi who has said before that he wants a peace settlement for Ukraine.
#modi #moscow #russian
2 months ago
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe spoke with Russian intelligence officials during a visit to Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Wednesday of a trip that U.S. President Donald Trump described as "semi-routine."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Tuesday's visit, which came as the war in Ukraine drags on and as efforts to reach a lasting peace between the United States and Iran have stalled.
Peskov declined to say what had been discussed or to provide any further details.
"All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services. I can tell you that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay," said Peskov.
Trump, in a radio interview on Wednesday, did not say specifically why Ratcliffe had travelled to Moscow but said it could prove useful.
#president #putin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Tuesday's visit, which came as the war in Ukraine drags on and as efforts to reach a lasting peace between the United States and Iran have stalled.
Peskov declined to say what had been discussed or to provide any further details.
"All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services. I can tell you that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay," said Peskov.
Trump, in a radio interview on Wednesday, did not say specifically why Ratcliffe had travelled to Moscow but said it could prove useful.
#president #putin
2 months ago
MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that remarks by Finnish President Alexander Stubb approving of Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory showed that he, along with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, belonged to the "party of war."
Stubb has backed Ukraine's long-range strikes deep inside Russia, saying that such attacks, including on civilian logistics centres, increase the cost of Moscow's war effort and could help bring it to the negotiating table.
Asked about Stubb's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they had come as a surprise and showed that the Finnish leader, like Britain's Burnham, wanted the war in Ukraine to continue.
Peskov also accused Stubb and other Western leaders of misleading their own voters by claiming that it was possible for Russia to be strategically defeated.
(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Andrew Osborn)
#stubb #burnham #showed #moscow
Stubb has backed Ukraine's long-range strikes deep inside Russia, saying that such attacks, including on civilian logistics centres, increase the cost of Moscow's war effort and could help bring it to the negotiating table.
Asked about Stubb's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they had come as a surprise and showed that the Finnish leader, like Britain's Burnham, wanted the war in Ukraine to continue.
Peskov also accused Stubb and other Western leaders of misleading their own voters by claiming that it was possible for Russia to be strategically defeated.
(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Andrew Osborn)
#stubb #burnham #showed #moscow
2 months ago
MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that measures were being taken to minimise the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russia's grain exports as global wheat importers brace for tighter supplies amid attacks on Black Sea grain infrastructure.
Tit-for-tat attacks by Russia and Ukraine, both major grain exporters, on ports and vessels in recent weeks have shuttered grain terminals and forced shippers to delay or cancel loadings for dozens of cargoes during the peak export season.
"Measures have been identified and will be further developed, ensuring that all grain intended for export is shipped on time and in full," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged last week that Russia was experiencing problems with its agricultural exports, but said it would resolve them. The Kremlin chief also pledged that there would be no shortages on global markets.
Russia would have about 60 million tons of grain for export in the current season, Putin estimated. Russian grain exports are expected to pick up to 2.2 million metric tons in August from 1.95 million in July, the Sovecon consultancy said.
#kremlin #Russia
Tit-for-tat attacks by Russia and Ukraine, both major grain exporters, on ports and vessels in recent weeks have shuttered grain terminals and forced shippers to delay or cancel loadings for dozens of cargoes during the peak export season.
"Measures have been identified and will be further developed, ensuring that all grain intended for export is shipped on time and in full," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged last week that Russia was experiencing problems with its agricultural exports, but said it would resolve them. The Kremlin chief also pledged that there would be no shortages on global markets.
Russia would have about 60 million tons of grain for export in the current season, Putin estimated. Russian grain exports are expected to pick up to 2.2 million metric tons in August from 1.95 million in July, the Sovecon consultancy said.
#kremlin #Russia
2 months ago
A financial crisis that has long been predicted by Russia experts and Kremlin insiders appears to have finally arrived as banks see depositors scramble to pull out their money amid fears it may be seized.
In the first half of August, Russians withdrew $3.4 billion (286.4 billion rubles), according to central bank data cited by the Washington Post. That's after $7.3 billion was withdrawn in July and $4.5 billion in June.
"Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing. And people's everyday wisdom may be kicking in that they need to have cash under their pillow and not somewhere in banks where it may never be returned," a former finance official told the Post, adding that banks have much of their capital tied in loans elsewhere.
The situation echoes the iconic scene from the movie It's a Wonderful Life, when panicked depositors show up at the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan demanding their cash, only to learn that it's not all there.
The bank run in Russia may not be as dramatic or precipitous. But the stampede out of lenders this year is on track to nearly double the $24.7 billion pace that was seen in 2022, when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
#kremlin
In the first half of August, Russians withdrew $3.4 billion (286.4 billion rubles), according to central bank data cited by the Washington Post. That's after $7.3 billion was withdrawn in July and $4.5 billion in June.
"Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing. And people's everyday wisdom may be kicking in that they need to have cash under their pillow and not somewhere in banks where it may never be returned," a former finance official told the Post, adding that banks have much of their capital tied in loans elsewhere.
The situation echoes the iconic scene from the movie It's a Wonderful Life, when panicked depositors show up at the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan demanding their cash, only to learn that it's not all there.
The bank run in Russia may not be as dramatic or precipitous. But the stampede out of lenders this year is on track to nearly double the $24.7 billion pace that was seen in 2022, when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
#kremlin
2 months ago
MOSCOW, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet News.ru published on Friday that the U.S. demonstrated a readiness for "constructive dialogue" and an "understanding of Russia's position".
"At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' of Russia," he told the outlet.
Negotiations between Russia and the U.S. to bring about an end to the conflict in Ukraine have largely stalled amid the war in Iran.
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it had no information yet on a possible next visit to Moscow by U.S. presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who have led negotiations with Russia in the past.
#conflict #reuters
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet News.ru published on Friday that the U.S. demonstrated a readiness for "constructive dialogue" and an "understanding of Russia's position".
"At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' of Russia," he told the outlet.
Negotiations between Russia and the U.S. to bring about an end to the conflict in Ukraine have largely stalled amid the war in Iran.
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it had no information yet on a possible next visit to Moscow by U.S. presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who have led negotiations with Russia in the past.
#conflict #reuters
2 months ago
A Russian court on Monday convicted a prominent opposition politician for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to 11 years and one month in prison in the latest crackdown leading up to next month's parliamentary election.
The verdict against Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko party, was another step by the Kremlin to stifle dissent since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. Yabloko is the only official political party overtly opposing the war.
Shlosberg, 63, is Yabloko's deputy chairman and served in the regional legislature of Pskov from 2016-21. He stood trial in the city of Pskov, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of Moscow, on charges of "discrediting" and spreading "false information" about the Russian military.
The charges stemmed from a debate in which he called for ending the war and from posting on his Telegram channel a British tabloid front page featuring an image of a bloodied woman next to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the headline: "Her blood ... his hands." Shlosberg has rejected the charges as unfounded.
It was the second trial for Shlosberg in the last two years. He has also been designated a "foreign agent," a label that carries strong pejorative connotations in Russia and brings additional government scrutiny. He was convicted of violating the foreign agent regulations.
#russian #Russia #next #party
The verdict against Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko party, was another step by the Kremlin to stifle dissent since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. Yabloko is the only official political party overtly opposing the war.
Shlosberg, 63, is Yabloko's deputy chairman and served in the regional legislature of Pskov from 2016-21. He stood trial in the city of Pskov, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of Moscow, on charges of "discrediting" and spreading "false information" about the Russian military.
The charges stemmed from a debate in which he called for ending the war and from posting on his Telegram channel a British tabloid front page featuring an image of a bloodied woman next to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the headline: "Her blood ... his hands." Shlosberg has rejected the charges as unfounded.
It was the second trial for Shlosberg in the last two years. He has also been designated a "foreign agent," a label that carries strong pejorative connotations in Russia and brings additional government scrutiny. He was convicted of violating the foreign agent regulations.
#russian #Russia #next #party
2 months ago
Ukrainian long-range drones hit a warehouse of Russia's biggest online retailer in the Ural Mountains, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the two countries' border, local officials and the company said Friday.
Ukraine has regularly hit targets in the distant Urals this year and has even struck a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia, nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from the border. The attacks are examples of how Kyiv has used drone innovation as a key part of its response to the invasion by its much bigger enemy more than four years ago.
Its successes have drawn international interest and drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with further deals being negotiated with 15 other countries, according to Kyiv officials.
Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, was set ablaze by the attack. Most merchandise wasn't damaged, the company said, unlike at some of the more than a dozen other Wildberries depots struck by Ukraine in recent weeks that have burned down.
The regional governor, Denis Pasler, said three drones hit the warehouse's roof. Artyom Zhoga, the Kremlin's representative in the region, said that 800 people were evacuated from the warehouse and ****** ody was hurt.
#drones #officials
Ukraine has regularly hit targets in the distant Urals this year and has even struck a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia, nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from the border. The attacks are examples of how Kyiv has used drone innovation as a key part of its response to the invasion by its much bigger enemy more than four years ago.
Its successes have drawn international interest and drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with further deals being negotiated with 15 other countries, according to Kyiv officials.
Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, was set ablaze by the attack. Most merchandise wasn't damaged, the company said, unlike at some of the more than a dozen other Wildberries depots struck by Ukraine in recent weeks that have burned down.
The regional governor, Denis Pasler, said three drones hit the warehouse's roof. Artyom Zhoga, the Kremlin's representative in the region, said that 800 people were evacuated from the warehouse and ****** ody was hurt.
#drones #officials
2 months ago
Courts have blocked President Donald Trump's earlier attempts to use existing laws for his trade war, but Congress is advancing a new law that would provide broad discretion to impose steep tariffs.
In an 86-to-11 vote, the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 on Friday, with the House expected to approve the bill with similar bipartisan support next month.
It sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Kremlin officials while also targeting the country's energy sector to cripple the economy amid its war on Ukraine.
The bill would let Trump impose fresh tariffs as high as 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil and gas. While that could include U.S. allies like the European Union, South Korea, ******* an as well as top trading partners like China and India, the president also has the ability to issue waivers if he deems it "in the national interest of the United States."
Despite the overwhelming support, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., tried to remove the bill's tariff authority, but failed.
#russian #bill #like #courts
In an 86-to-11 vote, the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 on Friday, with the House expected to approve the bill with similar bipartisan support next month.
It sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Kremlin officials while also targeting the country's energy sector to cripple the economy amid its war on Ukraine.
The bill would let Trump impose fresh tariffs as high as 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil and gas. While that could include U.S. allies like the European Union, South Korea, ******* an as well as top trading partners like China and India, the president also has the ability to issue waivers if he deems it "in the national interest of the United States."
Despite the overwhelming support, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., tried to remove the bill's tariff authority, but failed.
#russian #bill #like #courts
3 months ago
The Senate took its first major step in fulfilling one of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's biggest desires: levying bone-crushing sanctions against Russia.
A bipartisan swell carried the sanctions package through its first hurdle on an 86-12 vote, which has gone through several iterations in the time since it was first formulated by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. He explained that at its core, the package was designed to stop purchases of Russian oil and gas that was "fueling Putin's war machine."
"Ukraine's fight is our fight," Blumenthal said. "Nobody believed that more deeply and passionately than Lindsey Graham. He lived it, and this vote is a step forward."
Lindsey Graham's Final Mission Nears Finish Line As World Leaders Gather To Honor Him
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Policy on the Promotion of the Russian Language and the Languages of the Peoples of Russia via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 2, 2026.
#state
A bipartisan swell carried the sanctions package through its first hurdle on an 86-12 vote, which has gone through several iterations in the time since it was first formulated by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. He explained that at its core, the package was designed to stop purchases of Russian oil and gas that was "fueling Putin's war machine."
"Ukraine's fight is our fight," Blumenthal said. "Nobody believed that more deeply and passionately than Lindsey Graham. He lived it, and this vote is a step forward."
Lindsey Graham's Final Mission Nears Finish Line As World Leaders Gather To Honor Him
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Policy on the Promotion of the Russian Language and the Languages of the Peoples of Russia via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 2, 2026.
#state
3 months ago
MOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - Online retailer Wildberries, Russia's answer to Amazon, and the merchants who trade through it are grappling with losses in the wake of Ukrainian attacks on warehouses operated by the retailer, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
Drones targeted two large logistics hubs in the cities of Kotovsk and Elektrostal on Saturday. The strikes killed eight workers, sparked fires and disrupted operations at Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, which can handle over 20 million orders per day.
While the extent of the damage remains unclear, the attacks on a company so central to the consumer economy appear to mark a widening of Kyiv's strategy of using long-range drones to disrupt Russia's war effort and pressure the Kremlin to make peace.
Asked about the attacks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "The situation is indeed difficult because of the losses suffered both by the company itself and by representatives of small and medium-sized businesses."
He denied accusations from Ukraine that Wildberries handles military supplies.
#drones #company
Drones targeted two large logistics hubs in the cities of Kotovsk and Elektrostal on Saturday. The strikes killed eight workers, sparked fires and disrupted operations at Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, which can handle over 20 million orders per day.
While the extent of the damage remains unclear, the attacks on a company so central to the consumer economy appear to mark a widening of Kyiv's strategy of using long-range drones to disrupt Russia's war effort and pressure the Kremlin to make peace.
Asked about the attacks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "The situation is indeed difficult because of the losses suffered both by the company itself and by representatives of small and medium-sized businesses."
He denied accusations from Ukraine that Wildberries handles military supplies.
#drones #company
3 months ago
MOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia was in touch with Turkey about the fate of Russian S-400 missile systems which Ankara owns after a news outlet reported that Turkey was poised to transfer the air defence missiles to an unnamed Gulf country.
Turkish news outlet Hurriyet reported earlier on Friday that Turkey could announce it would resell the S-400s to one of the Gulf nations as soon as today in order to persuade the United States to lift sanctions on Ankara.
In 2020, the U.S. sanctioned fellow NATO member Turkey over the purchase of the S-400s and removed it from a procurement and manufacturing programme for F-35 fighter jets which Ankara wanted to be involved in.
Asked on Friday about the media report and if Turkey had sought Russia's permission to go ahead with the alleged deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
"I can say one thing here: this is an extremely sensitive issue. However, we have been in contact with the Turkish side on this matter, and we will continue to maintain contact with them on this issue."
Turkish news outlet Hurriyet reported earlier on Friday that Turkey could announce it would resell the S-400s to one of the Gulf nations as soon as today in order to persuade the United States to lift sanctions on Ankara.
In 2020, the U.S. sanctioned fellow NATO member Turkey over the purchase of the S-400s and removed it from a procurement and manufacturing programme for F-35 fighter jets which Ankara wanted to be involved in.
Asked on Friday about the media report and if Turkey had sought Russia's permission to go ahead with the alleged deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
"I can say one thing here: this is an extremely sensitive issue. However, we have been in contact with the Turkish side on this matter, and we will continue to maintain contact with them on this issue."
3 months ago
NORTH KARELIA, Finland — Bears, wolves and moose still cross the frontier freely, but for the border guards patrolling this stretch of fields and forest, this is where NATO ends.
A line of wooden poles and painted markers cuts through the light green grass, separating Finland from Russia along the alliance's longest border with Moscow — 1,343 kilometers (835 miles) of increasingly militarized territory. The crossing has been closed since 2023, the year after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On the other side lies land Finland lost to the Soviet Union when it was left to fight largely on its own in the early months of World War II.
Reporters from Axel Springer's Global Reporters Network traveled to three exposed stretches of Europe's eastern frontier — Finland's forested border with Russia, Poland's fortified line with Kaliningrad and Belarus and Lithuania's vulnerable edge near the Suwałki Gap — to see how ready NATO's frontline states are for the possibility that Moscow will attack the alliance.
What we observed was a continent racing to harden its eastern edge against a threat it can no longer ******* ume Washington will handle. As US President Donald Trump questions old security guarantees and looks to reduce America's military footprint in Europe, the countries closest to Russia are building fortifications, expanding reserves, buying tanks and drones and preparing for the possibility that the first days of any conflict may be theirs to fight largely alone.
Since his reelection in 2024, Trump has repeatedly called into question Washington's commitment to NATO's Article 5, the foundational clause under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The uncertainty only deepened after the war in Iran, when the president and his team threatened to reassess US membership in NATO in response to European allies' refusal to join the conflict.
A line of wooden poles and painted markers cuts through the light green grass, separating Finland from Russia along the alliance's longest border with Moscow — 1,343 kilometers (835 miles) of increasingly militarized territory. The crossing has been closed since 2023, the year after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On the other side lies land Finland lost to the Soviet Union when it was left to fight largely on its own in the early months of World War II.
Reporters from Axel Springer's Global Reporters Network traveled to three exposed stretches of Europe's eastern frontier — Finland's forested border with Russia, Poland's fortified line with Kaliningrad and Belarus and Lithuania's vulnerable edge near the Suwałki Gap — to see how ready NATO's frontline states are for the possibility that Moscow will attack the alliance.
What we observed was a continent racing to harden its eastern edge against a threat it can no longer ******* ume Washington will handle. As US President Donald Trump questions old security guarantees and looks to reduce America's military footprint in Europe, the countries closest to Russia are building fortifications, expanding reserves, buying tanks and drones and preparing for the possibility that the first days of any conflict may be theirs to fight largely alone.
Since his reelection in 2024, Trump has repeatedly called into question Washington's commitment to NATO's Article 5, the foundational clause under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The uncertainty only deepened after the war in Iran, when the president and his team threatened to reassess US membership in NATO in response to European allies' refusal to join the conflict.
3 months ago
A Ukrainian drone attack struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Russian officials said, as Kyiv presses on with bombardment of Russia's oil infrastructure.
Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
Gov. Alexander Beglov said the city's Kirovsky district on the Baltic Sea was hit. He also said that air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones across Russia's second-largest city and the surrounding region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as part of Ukraine's "long-range sanctions" against Russia. He said that Ukrainian forces also hit a military target on the island of Kronstadt, just off the coast of St. Petersburg.
"The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war, and there were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target," he said in a post on Telegram.
Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
Gov. Alexander Beglov said the city's Kirovsky district on the Baltic Sea was hit. He also said that air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones across Russia's second-largest city and the surrounding region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as part of Ukraine's "long-range sanctions" against Russia. He said that Ukrainian forces also hit a military target on the island of Kronstadt, just off the coast of St. Petersburg.
"The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war, and there were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target," he said in a post on Telegram.
4 months ago
July 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone for nearly 90 minutes, offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public early on Sunday.
Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he also spoke to Trump.
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call with the Russian president.
Ushakov, who described the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive," said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."
Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he also spoke to Trump.
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call with the Russian president.
Ushakov, who described the conversation as "business-like and quite constructive," said Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."
4 months ago
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces struck Russia's major Ufa oil refinery for the second time in a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.
Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
The Ufa refinery is one of Russia's largest producers of lubricants and is located more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on social media.
Ukraine also struck a plant producing missile components in Russia's Penza region southeast of Moscow, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.
Russian officials did not confirm the strikes, which could not be independently verified. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 179 Ukrainian drones over 16 Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and waters of the Azov and the Black Sea.
Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
The Ufa refinery is one of Russia's largest producers of lubricants and is located more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on social media.
Ukraine also struck a plant producing missile components in Russia's Penza region southeast of Moscow, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.
Russian officials did not confirm the strikes, which could not be independently verified. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 179 Ukrainian drones over 16 Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and waters of the Azov and the Black Sea.
4 months ago
Overnight, Victoria Bonya went from being a Russian influencer known for exercise routines and cosmetic endorsements into a catalyst for widespread public discontent about the state of her home country's society and economy.
Bonya, a former television presenter in Russia who now makes a living as an influencer in Monaco, enjoyed the sort of virality most activists and politicians can only dream of in April, when she uploaded a screed critiquing Vladimir Putin's handling of the Russian economy. The 18-minute video, posted to Instagram, has received around 32 million views and 1.7 million likes.
Bonya's laundry list of grievances attacked everything from the government's failed response to extreme flooding in southern Russia earlier this year, to rising inflation and taxes hurting households. The widely viewed and reshared video included a direct message to Putin: "You know what the risk is?" Bonya asked in the video. "That people will stop being afraid, and they're being squeezed into a coiled spring, and that one day that coiled spring will shoot out."
While Russians have yet to air their disapproval of the status quo in a Bolshevik-style rebellion (which some Kremlin leaders cautioned to be a real possibility in the turbulent weeks after Bonya's video went viral), the country's economy is starting to show strain at the most basic level: its people.
Russians might be famous for their pessimism. Long a middling country in world happiness rankings, cross-cultural studies have shown the archetype of the brooding and gloomy Russian as described by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy might actually be a learned concept. But years into a war that has left Russians excluded from the world and saddled with broken promises from the government, official readings of economic pessimism have recently hit record highs, threatening the Kremlin's tenuous hold on its society.
Bonya, a former television presenter in Russia who now makes a living as an influencer in Monaco, enjoyed the sort of virality most activists and politicians can only dream of in April, when she uploaded a screed critiquing Vladimir Putin's handling of the Russian economy. The 18-minute video, posted to Instagram, has received around 32 million views and 1.7 million likes.
Bonya's laundry list of grievances attacked everything from the government's failed response to extreme flooding in southern Russia earlier this year, to rising inflation and taxes hurting households. The widely viewed and reshared video included a direct message to Putin: "You know what the risk is?" Bonya asked in the video. "That people will stop being afraid, and they're being squeezed into a coiled spring, and that one day that coiled spring will shoot out."
While Russians have yet to air their disapproval of the status quo in a Bolshevik-style rebellion (which some Kremlin leaders cautioned to be a real possibility in the turbulent weeks after Bonya's video went viral), the country's economy is starting to show strain at the most basic level: its people.
Russians might be famous for their pessimism. Long a middling country in world happiness rankings, cross-cultural studies have shown the archetype of the brooding and gloomy Russian as described by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy might actually be a learned concept. But years into a war that has left Russians excluded from the world and saddled with broken promises from the government, official readings of economic pessimism have recently hit record highs, threatening the Kremlin's tenuous hold on its society.
4 months ago
June 29 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mocked Russia's military drive on Monday, saying the Kremlin over the course of more than four years had set and put off 15 deadlines to capture the eastern Donbas region.
Zelenskiy's comments amounted to a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rejection a day earlier of what the Kremlin leader said was a Ukrainian proposal to abandon long-range strikes and scale down the fighting.
He said Putin's comments showed he was out of touch with the feelings of Russians who faced queues at petrol stations, linked to a Ukrainian campaign of strikes on oil industry targets.
"Even an oil-producing state, a 'gas station' as Russia has often been called, is now facing fuel shortages," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
"This is a direct consequence of the war. One of many consequences. It is also one example of how Ukraine responds — with precision, not through terrorism."
Zelenskiy's comments amounted to a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rejection a day earlier of what the Kremlin leader said was a Ukrainian proposal to abandon long-range strikes and scale down the fighting.
He said Putin's comments showed he was out of touch with the feelings of Russians who faced queues at petrol stations, linked to a Ukrainian campaign of strikes on oil industry targets.
"Even an oil-producing state, a 'gas station' as Russia has often been called, is now facing fuel shortages," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
"This is a direct consequence of the war. One of many consequences. It is also one example of how Ukraine responds — with precision, not through terrorism."
4 months ago
MOSCOW (AP) — Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defense minister once seen as a possible successor to President Vladimir Putin, has died. He was 73.
The Kremlin said Ivanov died on Friday without providing the cause of death or giving other details. Putin sent his condolences to Ivanov's family.
Putin and Ivanov knew each other since the 1970s when they both worked as young KGB officers in their hometown of Leningrad, as St. Petersburg was called during the Soviet times.
When Putin was first elected in 2000, Ivanov served as secretary of Russia's Security Council. In 2001, Putin made Ivanov his defense minister, the job he held until 2007, overseeing the second war in Chechnya that crushed the region's separatist bid.
When Putin decided to step down due to term limits and shift into the prime minister's seat in 2008, Ivanov was widely viewed as his most likely successor. However, Putin picked another longtime **** ociate, Dmitry Medvedev, to serve as his placeholder until reclaiming the presidency in 2012. Some observers argued that Putin ditched Ivanov's candidacy because he saw Ivanov as overly ambitious and feared that he could try to hold onto the presidential seat.
The Kremlin said Ivanov died on Friday without providing the cause of death or giving other details. Putin sent his condolences to Ivanov's family.
Putin and Ivanov knew each other since the 1970s when they both worked as young KGB officers in their hometown of Leningrad, as St. Petersburg was called during the Soviet times.
When Putin was first elected in 2000, Ivanov served as secretary of Russia's Security Council. In 2001, Putin made Ivanov his defense minister, the job he held until 2007, overseeing the second war in Chechnya that crushed the region's separatist bid.
When Putin decided to step down due to term limits and shift into the prime minister's seat in 2008, Ivanov was widely viewed as his most likely successor. However, Putin picked another longtime **** ociate, Dmitry Medvedev, to serve as his placeholder until reclaiming the presidency in 2012. Some observers argued that Putin ditched Ivanov's candidacy because he saw Ivanov as overly ambitious and feared that he could try to hold onto the presidential seat.
4 months ago
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine said Tuesday its forces struck a railway bridge, a power plant and other key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv's military seeks to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the 4-year-old war.
The drone attacks added to the woes on the Black Sea peninsula, where Russian authorities have had to suspend gasoline sales to civilians as Ukraine has intensified its recent campaign to disrupt supply lines and the electrical grid at the height of the summer tourist season.
The peninsula was seized by force and illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukraine's increasing use of long-range strikes has highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and put added pressure on the Kremlin while Moscow's advances recently have ground to a near halt, Western ****** ysts and officials say.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last week that his forces are "isolating Crimea with drones."
"It looks like in the nearest time, Crimea will become an island. This could lead to some very unexpected consequences for Russians," Fedorov said on a blogger's YouTube channel.
The drone attacks added to the woes on the Black Sea peninsula, where Russian authorities have had to suspend gasoline sales to civilians as Ukraine has intensified its recent campaign to disrupt supply lines and the electrical grid at the height of the summer tourist season.
The peninsula was seized by force and illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukraine's increasing use of long-range strikes has highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and put added pressure on the Kremlin while Moscow's advances recently have ground to a near halt, Western ****** ysts and officials say.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last week that his forces are "isolating Crimea with drones."
"It looks like in the nearest time, Crimea will become an island. This could lead to some very unexpected consequences for Russians," Fedorov said on a blogger's YouTube channel.
4 months ago
MOSCOW, June 22 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Monday accused Ukraine of threatening the sovereignty of close Russian ally Belarus after Kyiv gave Minsk a week to remove signal relay stations it said were being used to help guide Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that a week should be enough for Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to remove the equipment, which he said was being used by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine, adding a threat of Ukrainian action if Lukashenko did not do so.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were expected to discuss Zelenskiy's remarks "in the foreseeable future".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that a week should be enough for Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to remove the equipment, which he said was being used by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine, adding a threat of Ukrainian action if Lukashenko did not do so.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were expected to discuss Zelenskiy's remarks "in the foreseeable future".
4 months ago
Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.
Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head o Crimea, said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others. He did not specify the target of the attack.
He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
"Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea," Aksyonov said. "I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information."
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head o Crimea, said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others. He did not specify the target of the attack.
He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
"Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea," Aksyonov said. "I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information."
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
4 months ago
What would you do with an $80,000 bonus, more than quadruple the amount of an average annual salary? Or with $140,000 in debt relief?
Those are the questions being posed to men in Russia, as the military advertises multi-million-ruble incentives to fight in Ukraine. Ads plastered on roadside billboards and embedded in young men's social media feeds are offering eye-watering sums – more than many people earn in years – alongside promises to become a "hero" or be fast-tracked to Russian citizenship.
And yet military recruitment was down by 20% in the first quarter of this year compared to 2025, and there are signs it's still faltering, according to Russian economy expert Janis Kluge.
The Kremlin's strategy has long been to outlast Ukraine in an attritional war profiting from its immense population and large military industry that can sustain a slow, grinding campaign. And now, with the Ukraine war in its fifth year, President Vladimir Putin's war coffers are getting a much-needed boost thanks to the Iran war increasing oil prices.
The problem?
Those are the questions being posed to men in Russia, as the military advertises multi-million-ruble incentives to fight in Ukraine. Ads plastered on roadside billboards and embedded in young men's social media feeds are offering eye-watering sums – more than many people earn in years – alongside promises to become a "hero" or be fast-tracked to Russian citizenship.
And yet military recruitment was down by 20% in the first quarter of this year compared to 2025, and there are signs it's still faltering, according to Russian economy expert Janis Kluge.
The Kremlin's strategy has long been to outlast Ukraine in an attritional war profiting from its immense population and large military industry that can sustain a slow, grinding campaign. And now, with the Ukraine war in its fifth year, President Vladimir Putin's war coffers are getting a much-needed boost thanks to the Iran war increasing oil prices.
The problem?
4 months ago
By Andrius Sytas and Jekaterina Golubkova
TALLINN, June 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine has signed a drone deal with Latvia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday as he met with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs on the sidelines of a summit between Ukraine and Nordic and Baltic states in the Estonian capital Tallinn.
Zelenskiy was meeting with prime ministers from the Nordic-Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway, shortly after returning from a meeting in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany who said they were ready to support ceasefire talks.
Europe was likely far from ready to act as a mediator in the Ukraine peace process, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. The U.S. was leading the talks to end the more than four-year-long war before the recent Iran conflict switched its focus.
"These are concrete things to strengthen our joint defense and co-production, and, importantly, this also means Ukraine's expertise and experience helping to strengthen our partners," Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
TALLINN, June 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine has signed a drone deal with Latvia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday as he met with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs on the sidelines of a summit between Ukraine and Nordic and Baltic states in the Estonian capital Tallinn.
Zelenskiy was meeting with prime ministers from the Nordic-Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway, shortly after returning from a meeting in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany who said they were ready to support ceasefire talks.
Europe was likely far from ready to act as a mediator in the Ukraine peace process, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. The U.S. was leading the talks to end the more than four-year-long war before the recent Iran conflict switched its focus.
"These are concrete things to strengthen our joint defense and co-production, and, importantly, this also means Ukraine's expertise and experience helping to strengthen our partners," Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
