Putin says Moscow is ready for new peace talks with Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks with Ukraine, even as both warring countries trade long-range drone attacks.
Speaking to reporters in Minsk, Putin said Russian and Ukrainian officials are discussing the timing of a potential new meeting.
The Russian leader said that the terms of a potential ceasefire, which the Kremlin has so far rejected, are expected to be on the agenda.
The war shows no signs of abating, as US-led international peace efforts have so far produced no breakthrough. Two recent rounds of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and yielded no progress on a peace deal.
Ukraine wants the next step in peace talks to be a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said.
However, the suggestion appears likely to be a non-starter, given Putin's recent comments. The Russian leader has said a summit meeting should take place only after the main provisions of a peace deal have been agreed, something that could take months or years.
Putin has also repeated his claim that Zelenskyy lost his legitimacy after his presidential term expired last year, an allegation rejected by Kyiv and its allies.
Russia and Ukraine trade long-range drone attacks
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Friday, claiming that air defences stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles.
Russia's Defence Ministry said 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine.
Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry
Ukrainian drones have pulled off some stunning feats. At the start of June, nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged in a covert Ukrainian operation using cheaply made drones snuck into Russian territory.
According to the Ukrainian air force, around 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed.
Ukraine halts Russian advance in Sumy
On Thursday, Ukraine's top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed Ukrainian forces halted Russia's recent advance into the north-eastern Sumy region and stabilised the front line near the Russian border.
General Syrskyi said the successful defence in Sumy has prevented Russia from redeploying around 50,000 troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other parts of the front line.
Ukraine is employing new countermeasures against Russia's escalation of combined missile and drone attacks, officials say. Instead of relying on ground-based mobile teams to shoot down Shaheds, Ukraine is deploying interceptor drones it has developed.
Moscow has not yet commented on his claim. Before this, Russian forces had made slow, costly advances along parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, shelling the Sumy region in several attacks that killed civilians and destroyed buildings.
Ukrainian authorities say their outnumbered forces relied heavily on drones to hold back Russian troops, just as US-led international efforts to broker a ceasefire went on.
Those months-long talks have failed, with the only tangible result being the agreement to carry out a series of prisoner-of-war exchanges.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
A placated Trump and an EU-Canada love fest
The leaders of the NATO countries met in The Hague for their annual summit. In view of the latent Russian threat, they agreed on a drastic increase in collective defense spending. But it was also about satisfying the unpredictable man in the White House. Does this solve all the problems now? For decades, Europe has been the most loyal ally of the United States. That's what most political and military leaders on both sides of the Atlantic understood Europe's role on the world stage to be. That today is insufficient, as US president Trump treats his faithful allies as if they were devious freeloaders. That's why the prospect of being abandoned by the US produces existential angst among Europeans. Who would lead the western defense in case of a Russian attack? In The Hague, European NATO allies agreed to invest more in the defense of their own continent: the target is now 5% of GDP over the next few years. Is this realistic for everyone? Is it enough? Does it come with a new strategic role for Europe? And most important: will it placate Washington in the years to come? Questions our guests discussed this week: Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian member of the European Parliament from the Social Democrats, Matthew Robinson, director of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre, and Karel Lannoo, chief executive of the Centre for European Policy Studies. The NATO summit was overshadowed by the Middle East conflict. After all, the largest and most important member of the alliance became a party to the war there. The US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities came in support of Israel and ultimately brought about a ceasefire - but this was broken just hours later. Does diplomacy still have a real chance after all? The problem: there are still too few answers to too many questions. Is Trump's decision like kicking a hornet's nest? What real damage have the bombings caused? Is the Iranian nuclear program now history? And what about regime change in Tehran? Does Trump want one or does he not? And how could this be achieved without a military invasion? And finally: what about the ceasefire? Finally: Thank you Donald Trump! The US president's behavior has practically turned his neighbor Canada and the European Union into political lovers. Trump's threat of the 51st federal state was echoed in this country by talk of the 28th member state of the EU. This week, the leaders of the EU and Canada met in Brussels for a summit - which also focused on defence. But that's not all: the bilateral security and defence pact, that was signed here, is the most far-reaching agreement that Europe has ever entered into with a third country. This will open up new avenues for joint work on crisis management, military mobility, maritime security, cyber and cyber threats, and defence industrial co-operation. Is Canada replacing the US as a favorite partner in North America?
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated deal aimed at ending conflict
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday aimed at ending decades of deadly conflict in eastern Congo and facilitating American access to critical minerals in the region. 'Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity, harmony, prosperity and peace,' US President Donald Trump said at a White House meeting with the foreign ministers of both countries. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Eastern Congo has been plagued by conflict since the 1990s, with more than 100 armed groups operating in the region. Many are believed to be supported by neighbouring Rwanda. The violence has claimed millions of lives and displaced countless civilians. The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Although the peace deal is seen as a diplomatic milestone, experts remain cautious. A prominent rebel group has said the agreement does not apply to it, raising concerns about its immediate impact on the ground. Asked in the Oval Office about violations of the agreement, Trump said he didn't think that would happen but also warned of 'very severe penalties, financial and otherwise' if it did. Some Congolese see the agreement as an opportunity by the US to acquire critical minerals needed for technology after their government reached out to Trump for support in fighting the rebels. Trump has prioritized securing critical minerals amid growing competition with China for economic and strategic influence across Africa.
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Euronews
Putin says Moscow is ready for new peace talks with Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks with Ukraine, even as both warring countries trade long-range drone attacks. Speaking to reporters in Minsk, Putin said Russian and Ukrainian officials are discussing the timing of a potential new meeting. The Russian leader said that the terms of a potential ceasefire, which the Kremlin has so far rejected, are expected to be on the agenda. The war shows no signs of abating, as US-led international peace efforts have so far produced no breakthrough. Two recent rounds of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and yielded no progress on a peace deal. Ukraine wants the next step in peace talks to be a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said. However, the suggestion appears likely to be a non-starter, given Putin's recent comments. The Russian leader has said a summit meeting should take place only after the main provisions of a peace deal have been agreed, something that could take months or years. Putin has also repeated his claim that Zelenskyy lost his legitimacy after his presidential term expired last year, an allegation rejected by Kyiv and its allies. Russia and Ukraine trade long-range drone attacks Meanwhile, Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Friday, claiming that air defences stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Russia's Defence Ministry said 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry Ukrainian drones have pulled off some stunning feats. At the start of June, nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged in a covert Ukrainian operation using cheaply made drones snuck into Russian territory. According to the Ukrainian air force, around 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed. Ukraine halts Russian advance in Sumy On Thursday, Ukraine's top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed Ukrainian forces halted Russia's recent advance into the north-eastern Sumy region and stabilised the front line near the Russian border. General Syrskyi said the successful defence in Sumy has prevented Russia from redeploying around 50,000 troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other parts of the front line. Ukraine is employing new countermeasures against Russia's escalation of combined missile and drone attacks, officials say. Instead of relying on ground-based mobile teams to shoot down Shaheds, Ukraine is deploying interceptor drones it has developed. Moscow has not yet commented on his claim. Before this, Russian forces had made slow, costly advances along parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, shelling the Sumy region in several attacks that killed civilians and destroyed buildings. Ukrainian authorities say their outnumbered forces relied heavily on drones to hold back Russian troops, just as US-led international efforts to broker a ceasefire went on. Those months-long talks have failed, with the only tangible result being the agreement to carry out a series of prisoner-of-war exchanges.
