By John Geddie and Tim Kelly TOKYO, May 1 (Reuters) – Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-exports rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan told Reuters. “This allows us to talk,” Yurii Lutovinov said in an interview…
April 30 (Reuters) – Residents of the Russian port city of Tuapse were ordered not to drink tap water and schools remained closed on Thursday, as authorities grappled with the aftermath of the third Ukrainian drone strike on its oil refinery this month. The area has been subject to a state of emergency since Tuesday,…
By Humeyra Pamuk and Tala Ramadan WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Reuters) – Iran said on Thursday that if Washington renewed attacks it would respond with “long and painful strikes” on U.S. positions, complicating U.S. plans for an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz. Two months into the war that started with U.S.-Israeli strikes on…
VILNIUS, April 30 (Reuters) – Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda said he was supportive of his country joining the U.S. freedom of navigation mission in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that he would present the proposal to the Baltic state’s defence council. The United States is pushing for other countries to help restore freedom of navigation…
April 30 (Reuters) – The United States is unlikely to serve as an effective mediator in international conflicts, given its actions on the global stage, senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. The comments by Medvedev, a former president of Russia, appeared to contrast with the Kremlin’s official line that the U.S. is…
KYIV, April 30 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s top general on Thursday ordered a mandatory two-month time limit for front-line troops serving in forward positions, aiming to address a key challenge for Kyiv’s outmanned military in the fifth year of war with Moscow. Oleksandr Syrskyi’s decree comes amid frequent and often harrowing reports of Ukrainian soldiers serving…
LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) – Russia will hold a slimmed-down version of its annual parade to celebrate victory in World War Two, without the usual display of weaponry, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, citing an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks. The May 9 parade on Moscow’s Red Square is a highlight of the Russian calendar,…
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to ‘get smart soon’ and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict and a media report that the U.S. would extend its blockade of Iran’s ports. In a post on Truth Social, Trump, who has said…
April 29 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Ukraine would keep increasing the range of its strikes in Russia, posting footage of what he said was an attack on a target at a distance of more than 1,500 km (930 miles). Ukraine has stepped up its attacks inside Russia in recent weeks,…
April 29 (Reuters) – Ukraine is rolling out a new line of defence to protect businesses and critical infrastructure from hundreds of Russian drones darkening its skies night after night: private air defence companies. Ukraine launched a pilot programme last year allowing industrial firms to establish their own air defence groups to guard their facilities….