All posts tagged: Vladimir Putin

Russias Delays On Ukraine Ceasefire Amid Verbal Attacks On Europe

Russias Delays On Ukraine Ceasefire Amid Verbal Attacks On Europe

Published by Sam

Russia is yet to formally respond to America’s plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but Vladimir Putin’s top team seems to be playing for time by insulting Europe. After hours of negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to Washington’s proposal to pause its conflict with Russia after three years of war. The US secretary of state Marco Rubio made it clear last night that the “ball is in Russia’s court” – even though the conflict started with Putin’s 2022 invasion, and would end if Moscow withdrew its troops. Rubio – representing a White House which is particularly sympathetic to Moscow’s cause – added on Wednesday: “If [the Kremlin] say no, then obviously we’ll have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are.” Although they have insisted they want peace too, Moscow has been particularly coy about responding. Speaking to Russian state news agency TASS about when Russia may reply to the ceasefire plan, the Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “You tend to …

Our Chamberlain?

Our Chamberlain?

Published by skeptic

It is probably not fair to the British prime minister of the late 1930s, Neville Chamberlain, to compare him to President Donald Trump. When he tried to appease Hitler at Munich in September 1938, Chamberlain had an urgent reason: he was hoping to avert British involvement in a war for which the country was not […] Source link

Trump ‘Frustrated’ With Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, US Official Says

Trump ‘Frustrated’ With Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, US Official Says

Published by Sam

Donald Trump is “obviously very frustrated” with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the US national security adviser. The US president has been attempting to negotiate a peace deal with Russia to end its war against Ukraine – and trying to pressure Kyiv into making serious concessions, like ceding occupied territory to Moscow, in the process. After Trump shocked the west by arranging early negotiations with Russia – and by not inviting Ukraine or Europe to the table – the president then falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war earlier this week. Zelenskyy hit back by telling Trump he lives in a Russian-created “disinformation space”. The US president responded by calling him a “dictator” after Kyiv postponed its 2024 presidential elections due to Russia’s invasion. Asked about this war of words on Thursday, Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz said: “President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelenskyy.” He added: “Some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, and frankly, insults to President Trump were unacceptable.” He then slammed Zelenskyy for rejecting a …

Why are American evangelicals not backing their counterparts in Ukraine?

Why are American evangelicals not backing their counterparts in Ukraine?

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — Though evangelical Christians make up just 2% of its population, Ukraine, a stronghold of Protestantism in Eastern Europe, is often referred to as the region’s “Bible Belt.” But since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago, Ukraine’s evangelical communities have made repeated appeals for American support, only to receive tepid backing from American conservatives generally and American evangelicals in particular. A decade ago it was unthinkable that American evangelical leaders would not consider the fate of local evangelicals when staking out a position on American foreign policy, which evangelicals have long bent to their ends. As the Trump administration transforms U.S. foreign policy, it is becoming increasingly clear that the old guard of the religious right has lost its influence in Washington and in the hearts of those who attend their churches on Sunday, and a new Christian right is on the rise. This phenomenon has been noticed for nearly a decade. The capture of the traditional evangelical vote by Donald Trump in 2016, the movement of many young conservatives away from Protestantism …

Ukraine can be part of peace talks — but main players will be US and Russia – POLITICO

Ukraine can be part of peace talks — but main players will be US and Russia – POLITICO

Published by Sam

Later in the day, Trump declined to directly answer a reporter’s question about Ukraine’s role in the coming talks. “It’s an interesting question,” Trump replied, before suggesting that Ukraine chose to enter into a war with Russia after its invasion. “I think they have to make peace. That was not a good war to go into.” The Trump administration’s decision to downplay Ukraine’s role in negotiations with Russia — and to reopen communication channels with the Russian leader — rattled European leaders and prompted an outpouring of criticism for Trump’s methods.  “Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity are unconditional,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday night. “Our priority must now be strengthening Ukraine and providing robust security guarantees.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put on a brave face after his conversation with Trump on Wednesday, saying the two leaders had a “meaningful conversation” about peace. But the Ukrainian leader was more forceful in his language on Thursday, saying he and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had agreed on a call that “no negotiations with Putin …

Putin ally Schröder avoids Nord Stream 2 inquiry after burnout diagnosis – POLITICO

Putin ally Schröder avoids Nord Stream 2 inquiry after burnout diagnosis – POLITICO

Published by Sam

According to his doctor’s statement, sent to the dpa news agency Tuesday, Schröder is suffering from severe exhaustion, lack of energy, concentration and memory problems, and he’s also been diagnosed with sleep disorders and reduced emotional resilience. Although his hearing has been rescheduled for March, his doctor’s statement said that Schröder is “neither currently nor in the foreseeable future able to cope with the physical and psychological stress of a prolonged — especially public — questioning by an investigative committee,” as such a hearing could further cause his health to deteriorate. Schröder, a Social Democrat who governed Germany in coalition with the Greens from 1998 to 2005, is well known for his ties to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s regime, having served as a board member of Russian state energy companies after his tenure as chancellor.  As chancellor, Schröder promoted Nord Stream 1, and as chairman of the board of Nord Stream 2 AG — a direct subsidiary of the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom — he promoted the construction of the new pipeline. Source link

Putin’s youngest daughter ‘living in Paris under a pseudonym’

Putin’s youngest daughter ‘living in Paris under a pseudonym’

Published by Sam

Vladimir Putin has an illegitimate daughter living under a pseudonym in Paris, where she works as a DJ, Ukrainian media has reported. The 21-year-old, who goes by the name of either Luiza Rozova or Elizaveta Olegovna Rudnova, was tracked down by a Ukrainian TV channel using leaked airline manifests. She is said to be a love child from a brief affair between Putin and Svetlana Krivonogikh, a former cleaner who is now one of Russia’s richest women. Ms Krivonogikh has previously been referred to in the media as “Putin’s acquaintance”. Reporters said that they had tracked down the birth certificate of Ms Rozova, who was born on March 3 2003. The father’s name was not given on the birth certificate, but her patronymic name was indicated as Vladimirovna. Under Russian naming convention, Putin’s daughters would take this patronymic. Luiza Rozova also goes under the name Elizaveta Krivonogikh – East 2 West The journalists explained that her alleged false names are also linked to Putin. Oleg Rudnov, who died in 2015, had been a close friend …

Russia’s Ballistic Missile Attack on Ukraine Is an Alarming First

Russia’s Ballistic Missile Attack on Ukraine Is an Alarming First

Published by skeptic

The Oreshnik missile launched Tuesday apparently took off from Russia’s Kapustin Yar rocket base roughly 800 kilometers from Dnipro, well away from intense fighting. This is the first time any IRBM has been used in combat. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, ratified by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1988, banned ground-launched IRBMs. The US pulled out of the treaty in 2019 under the first Trump administration, citing noncompliance from Russia. At the time, US officials noted that China, which was not a signatory to the treaty, possessed more than 1,000 IRBMs in its arsenal. Putin said Western air defenses are not capable of destroying the Oreshnik missile in flight, although this claim can’t be verified. He said Russia would provide warnings to Ukraine in advance of similar missile attacks in the future to allow civilians to escape danger zones. The Oreshnik missiles strike their targets at speeds of up to Mach 10, or 2.5 to 3 kilometers per second, Putin said. “The existing air defense systems around the world, including those being …

Romanian hard-right chief pitches himself as Europe’s next Meloni – POLITICO

Romanian hard-right chief pitches himself as Europe’s next Meloni – POLITICO

Published by Sam

“Even if we are conservative, which is not to the liking of the establishment in Brussels, even if we believe in many of the values President Trump believes in,” Simion said, “we also believe that we need a strong, united Europe.” The politician insisted he would “work together” with the EU’s mainstream parties if elected, with Romania’s full accession to the visa-free Schengen zone, pushing for a directly elected EU executive and boosting industrial production in the bloc at the top of his list of priorities. But unlike Meloni, Simion has openly vowed he would push back against Brussels even if that means breaking EU rules in a move more reminiscent of the populist leaders of Hungary and Slovakia, Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico. “I would be a liar to say we would respect EU law,” he said. “If tomorrow [there is] a new law that we didn’t vote for … or laws that are not good for Romania,” he said, “I will try to use all my powers to stop what is doing harm …

Senior European officials facepalm over Scholz’s Putin call   – POLITICO

Senior European officials facepalm over Scholz’s Putin call   – POLITICO

Published by Sam

“We need to act unified, we need to coordinate, this call was not coordinated between allies, even [though] we got a very deep brief later on,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. Scholz said that during his phone call with Putin, he urged the Russian president “to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to withdraw its troops.” According to a German government spokesperson, Scholz had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the call beforehand. “The Federal Chancellor urged Russia to be prepared to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Asked whether he would speak to Putin, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said: “I don’t think so.” He added: “It doesn’t look like he [Putin] is willing to negotiate, to the contrary.” “What I see in general is that Putin only listens to facts on the ground,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp about the call. Source link