German foreign minister arrives in Kyiv to discuss support for Ukraine
'We will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine's side so that it can continue to defend itself successfully - with modern air defence and other weapons, with humanitarian and economic aid,' Wadephul said in a statement.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy called for help from Washington and Western allies to bolster Ukraine's air defences after a Russian attack on Sunday that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles.
Russia says its air defences destroy 15 Ukrainian drones overnight
Germany is Ukraine's second-biggest military backer after the United States, whose commitment to Kyiv has been called into question, putting pressure on Europe to step up.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Taliban name envoy to Moscow
A Taliban diplomat will on Tuesday assume the role as Afghanistan's ambassador to Russia, the group's first top envoy to Moscow since seizing power in 2021, Russian state media reported. Gul Hassan, a former consul in Pakistan, arrived in the capital earlier on Tuesday and will soon "take up his duties", Russia's TASS news agency said. An official at the Afghan embassy told AFP that Hassan "was due to arrive today". Moscow has expanded its economic and diplomatic ties with the Islamist group since it returned to power in Afghanistan following a 20-year insurgency against the US-backed government in Kabul. Several other countries including China and the United Arab Emirates have also accepted a Taliban-appointed envoy, though no state has yet officially recognised them as Afghanistan's lawful government.
Business Recorder
14 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Taliban diplomat to take role as Moscow ambassador
MOSCOW: A Taliban diplomat will on Tuesday assume the role as Afghanistan's ambassador to Russia, the Islamist group's first top envoy to Moscow since seizing power in 2021, Russian state media reported. Gul Hassan, a former consul in Pakistan, arrived in the capital earlier on Tuesday and will soon 'take up his duties', Russia's TASS news agency said. An official at the Afghan embassy told AFP that Hassan 'was due to arrive today'. Moscow has expanded its economic and diplomatic ties with the Islamist group since it returned to power in Afghanistan following a 20-year insurgency against the US-backed government in Kabul. Russia accepts Taliban's nominated ambassador to Moscow Several other countries including China and the United Arab Emirates have also accepted a Taliban-appointed envoy, though no state has yet officially recognised them as Afghanistan's lawful government. The group seized power after American forces supporting the country's internationally recognised government pulled out in 2021. Moscow has taken steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities since then, removing their designation as a 'terrorist organisation' in April and inviting them to official events. Russia had already accepted a Taliban-appointed charge d'affaires in 2022. Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia. In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban 'allies in the fight against terrorism'.
Business Recorder
17 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Ukraine hits Russian city deep behind front line, leaves three dead
MOSCOW: Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian city of Izhevsk on Tuesday, killing three people and wounding dozens in one of the deepest strikes inside Russia of the three-year conflict, authorities said. Izhevsk, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the front line, has arms production facilities including factories that make attack drones and the world-famous Kalashnikov rifle. A Ukraine security services source said Kyiv had targeted an Izhevsk-based drone manufacturer and that the attack had disrupted Moscow's 'offensive potential'. Unverified videos posted on social media showed at least one drone buzzing over the city, while another showed a ball of flames erupt from the roof of a building. The region's head said the drones hit an industrial 'enterprise', without giving detail. 'Unfortunately, we have three fatalities. We extend our deepest condolences to their families,' Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurt Republic, where Izhevsk is located, wrote on Telegram. 'I visited the victims in the hospital. At the moment, 35 people have been hospitalized, 10 of whom are in serious condition.' Zelenskyy signs decree for Ukraine's withdrawal from anti-landmine treaty Russian forces in turn struck the town of Guliaipole in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, causing 'casualties and fatalities', Ukraine's southern defence forces said, without specifying numbers. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stalled in recent weeks. The two sides held direct talks almost a month ago but Moscow has since stepped up deadly strikes on Ukraine. Moscow ramps up advance Kyiv's military chief vowed in June to increase the 'scale and depth' of strikes on Russia, warning Ukraine would not sit back while Moscow prolonged its offensive. Moscow's army has ravaged parts of east and south Ukraine while seizing large swathes of territory. An AFP analysis published Tuesday found that Russia dramatically ramped up aerial attacks in June, firing thousands of drones to pressure the war-torn country's stretched air defence systems and exhausted civilian population. Moreover, in June, Moscow made its biggest territorial gain since November while accelerating advances for a third consecutive month, according to another AFP analysis based on data from US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). In another sign of an intensifying offensive, a top Kremlin-installed official claimed on Monday that Russia was now in full control of Ukraine's eastern Lugansk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accused Russia of dragging out the peace process – something that Moscow denies. 'We are certainly grateful for the efforts being made by Washington and members of Trump's administration to facilitate negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump has pressed both sides to reach a ceasefire but has failed to extract major concessions from the Kremlin.
