1. Picking up the phone: Almost three years after Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump decided it was time to re-establish direct contact between the president of the United States and Putin, a leader facing U.S. and EU sanctions, as well as an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for crimes against humanity…
Roth, a member of the center-left Social Democrats, who are running behind the conservative Christian Democrats in polls ahead of Sunday’s national election, also described the new U.S. government’s tone as a “worst-case scenario.” “The transatlantic relations are over,” Roth added, as he emphasized that Trump’s increasing alignment with Putin left Europe “home alone” and…
Across Ukraine, local politicians were candid in their opinions of Trump’s attacks. “We may like Zelenskyy, or we may not, we may scold him, or we may praise him, we may condemn his actions, or we may applaud them … because he is OUR President,” Borys Filatov, mayor of the industrial city of Dnipro, wrote…
On Monday, Ukraine and the UAE signed an economic cooperation partnership, opening free trade, Zelenskyy said. He added that he will be traveling to Turkey on Tuesday, when Russia and the U.S. are expected to meet in Riyadh, and only arrive in Saudi Arabia the following day. “So, once again, my visits have nothing in…
A date for the meeting “hasn’t been set” but it will happen in the “not too distant future,” Trump added. He suggested the meeting would involve Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “We know the crown prince, and I think it’d be a very good place to meet.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said Wednesday…
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday spoke to Syria’s new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such top-level contact since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Kremlin said the “constructive and business-like” conversation touched upon “acute issues of practical cooperation in trade and economic, education and other spheres,” adding that…
Next, Trump must exercise restraint when considering summit encounters with Putin: An early summit would be a completely undeserved reward for the Russian leader. It should only be considered toward the end of a promising negotiation process. Moreover, the Russian side may well be planning a surprise military attack or major offensive in order to…
Wounded Russian troops are being sent to North Korean medical facilities, per a Russian official. Moscow’s ambassador to Pyongyang, Alexander Matsegora, said the deal involved “hundreds” of troops. War analysts said it could give North Korea an opportunity to learn even more from the Ukraine war. Russia is sending soldiers who were wounded in the…
Moscow, Russia: The Kremlin on Sunday declined to confirm or deny a US report of a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Washington and Moscow have not officially confirmed any communication between the leaders since Trump took office on a pledge to swiftly end the Ukraine fighting. The New…
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have yet to discuss a possible meeting, CNN quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. It cited Peskov as saying there had been no initial contacts between the two leaders about whether such a meeting was needed or where and how it might…