logo
Zelensky offers Trump Ukrainian-made drones for weapons ‘mega-deal' — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Zelensky offers Trump Ukrainian-made drones for weapons ‘mega-deal' — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is negotiating a 'mega-deal' with US President Donald Trump in which Kyiv and Washington will start buying weapons from each other, Zelensky told The New York Post on Thursday.
As part of the proposed deal, the United States would buy 'battle-tested' drones from Ukraine, including those capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 1,300 km, and in exchange Ukraine would buy American weapons.
As The New York Post pointed out, Ukrainian drones capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia territory far outstrip US technology in the area, with US drones also lagging far behind developments in both Russia and China.
'The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,' Zelensky told The New York Post. 'I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say.'
Zelensky said that Ukraine was willing to share the expertise it had accumulated in drone warfare over three years of war with Russia with Washington, adding that Ukraine was also conducting similar negotiations with Denmark, Norway and Germany.
The deal is a further sign of warming relations between Kyiv and Washington and of increased cooperation when it comes to arms. On Sunday, Trump said that Washington would provide Kyiv with additional Patriot air defence systems, having become increasingly exasperated with Putin amid continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and Moscow's resistance to a US-brokered ceasefire, according to Axios.
Earlier this month, the US temporarily suspended deliveries of weapons and munitions to Ukraine as it reviewed its own stockpiles. Washington has not publicly commented on Zelensky's proposal.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

First wartime protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs law weakening anti-corruption bodies — Novaya Gazeta Europe
First wartime protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs law weakening anti-corruption bodies — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Novaya Gazeta Europe

time4 hours ago

  • Novaya Gazeta Europe

First wartime protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs law weakening anti-corruption bodies — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Thousands of people gathered in cities across Ukraine on Tuesday to protest a controversial law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky that weakens the independence of the country's two key anti-corruption agencies. In Kyiv, crowds of demonstrators assembled near the Ivan Franko Drama Theatre, close to the presidential office, following the passing of the bill by Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Ukrainian news outlets reported that many demonstrators came with flags and handmade signs, and chanted slogans including 'Veto the law' and 'No corruption in government'. Estimates of the crowd ranged from several hundred to around 3,000, with Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko also reportedly in attendance. Hundreds more gathered in the cities of Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa, marking the largest anti-government protests in Ukraine — which is still under martial law — since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. As the protests continued on Tuesday evening, Zelensky signed the bill, which strips the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of their autonomy and grants Ukraine's prosecutor general sweeping powers over both bodies, including the authority to reassign and close ongoing corruption cases. As the prosecutor general is appointed by the president, critics say the new law centralises power in Zelensky's hands and gives him unprecedented control over which cases are pursued or dropped. The swift passing of the bill on Tuesday drew condemnation not only from civil society groups and opposition figures within Ukraine, but also from Western officials, with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos calling it a 'serious step back'. In his nightly address to Ukrainians, Zelensky made no direct mention of the protests, but said Tuesday had been a 'long, emotional day'. He defended the legislation, saying it would ensure Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure was 'cleared of … Russian influence' and allow Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko to guarantee the 'inevitability of punishment' for those who broke the law. 'Cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated', Zelensky said. 'There is no rational explanation for why criminal proceedings worth billions have been 'hanging' for years', he added, stressing that the new law would bring 'more justice'. Established in the wake of Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity at the insistence of Kyiv's Western partners to tackle high-level corruption, the NABU and SAPO have both operated independently of the Ukrainian government since 2015. Both agencies expressed their gratitude for the protests in statements on Tuesday evening, with NABU calling them a 'sign of trust' in the institutions and SAPO pledging both bodies would 'continue to fight for justice, integrity, and dignity'.

Russia moves to enable year-round conscription for men under 30 — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russia moves to enable year-round conscription for men under 30 — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Novaya Gazeta Europe

time4 hours ago

  • Novaya Gazeta Europe

Russia moves to enable year-round conscription for men under 30 — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Young Russian marine recruits attend a departure ceremony to join the army in front of the Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, 23 May 2023. Photo: EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV A new piece of legislation has been proposed by the Russian lower house of parliament that, if passed, would expand the country's military conscription period to a year-round basis, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported on Tuesday. All men in Russia aged 18–30 are required to perform a year-long period of military service, with call-ups currently taking place during two periods spanning approximately half the year: from 1 April to 15 July, and from 1 October to 31 December. According to the legislation proposed by the Russian State Duma, those periods would remain the only times when conscripts could be 'sent' to military service, but supplementary conscription processes, such as appearing for medical examinations and psychological evaluation, would be held year-round. Despite Vladimir Putin vowing that inexperienced conscripts would not take part in combat operations, there have been numerous reports of conscripts being sent into combat or coerced into signing contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry. Human rights groups argue the bill would effectively codify what has already become standard practice: authorities routinely summon non-reservists to enlistment offices outside the official draft periods, citing the need to 'clarify personal data' before sending them for medical examinations. The changes are designed to distribute the workload at military recruitment stations more evenly, the bill's sponsor Andrey Kartapolov, chair of the State Duma Defence Committee, told RBC, a state-affiliated business outlet. If passed, the legislation would ensure that draft offices no longer have 'such storming and rushing every six months' and can work more 'calmly' year-round, Kartapolov said. Kartapolov proposed the legislation with the Defence Committee's deputy chairman, Andrey Krasov. Due to the seniority of these two lawmakers, the legislation is very likely to be adopted, according to Faridaily, a Telegram news channel founded by ex-BBC Russian journalist Farida Rustamova. As the State Duma begins its summer recess on Thursday, the bill will not be considered until the autumn. If approved, the law would come into force on 1 January 2026.

Zelensky announces fresh Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Zelensky announces fresh Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Novaya Gazeta Europe

timea day ago

  • Novaya Gazeta Europe

Zelensky announces fresh Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Russia and Ukraine will hold a new round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday. Zelensky said in his nightly address that he and National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov had discussed a prisoner exchange with Russia and another meeting in Türkiye with the Russian delegation. Umerov, who served as Ukraine's defence minister until a government reshuffle last week, headed Kyiv's delegation in the previous two rounds of negotiations with Russia in Istanbul in May and June. At a meeting with the heads of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions earlier on Monday, Zelensky said that Kyiv's priorities in the fresh talks would be 'the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, as well as the preparation for a meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, as 'truly effective talks can only take place at the level of national leaders'. Zelensky has previously voiced his frustration at the 'low level' of the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, during the first two rounds of negotiations, arguing that 'none of them are people who actually make decisions in Russia' and calling on Putin to meet with him personally. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russia's delegation would be unchanged for the upcoming talks, which Russian state news agency TASS reported would take place on Thursday and Friday. He also played down the chances of a breakthrough on any peace deal with Ukraine, stressing that Moscow and Kyiv's positions on a settlement were 'diametrically opposed' and that 'a lot of diplomatic work' would be required to make progress. Following the last round of talks, Russia presented a draft memorandum demanding Ukraine agree to punishing peace terms, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian-occupied regions and their international recognition as part of Russia, limits on the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a commitment from Kyiv to remain 'neutral' by renouncing its bid to join NATO. Ukraine, meanwhile, seeks an immediate ceasefire and the return of all prisoners of war and children forcibly removed by Russia, as well as 'no restrictions on its military strength after any peace deal, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations' as terms for ending the war.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store