logo
Vladimir Putin stages ‘belligerent' show of force in Moscow Victory Day parade

Vladimir Putin stages ‘belligerent' show of force in Moscow Victory Day parade

China's Xi Jinping was among 27 foreign leaders joining the Russian president to commemorate the end of World War II and the 27 million Soviet casualties
Vladimir Putin presided over a massive show of tanks, missiles and troops in Moscow yesterday in a 'belligerent' show of force alongside Chinese president Xi Jinping, to bolster Russia's global image as the Ukraine war grinds on.
Putin was joined by 27 foreign leaders, who witnessed more than 11,000 troops on display in Red Square, in Russia's World War II Victory Day parade that involved soldiers from 13 other countries, and included 200 tanks among the presentation of military power.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Negotiators discuss possible Zelensky-Putin meeting
Negotiators discuss possible Zelensky-Putin meeting

RTÉ News​

time2 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Negotiators discuss possible Zelensky-Putin meeting

Negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv discussed the possibility of a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The discussions took place during their meeting in Istanbul this week, Mr Zelensky said. Ukraine has been pushing for a meeting between the two leaders and has expressed hope that US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for the warring parties to strike a deal, could also take part. Mr Putin has said he is ready to meet Mr Zelensky but only during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the three-year war. "We need an end to the war, which probably begins with a meeting of leaders," Mr Zelensky said in comments released to journalists including AFP. "In talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress toward some kind of meeting format," he added. At a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian lead negotiator Rustem Umerov proposed to hold the talks before the end of August. Trump deadline for peace in Ukraine The timing would roughly align with a deadline set by US President Trump, who earlier this month gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or face sweeping sanctions. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, however, downplayed the likelihood of an imminent meeting. "The meeting must be properly prepared. Only then will it make sense," Mr Medinsky was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency TASS. Talks to end the conflict have so far yielded few results as the two sides have radically different positions. Russia is still attempting to advance on several parts of the front, Mr Zelensky said.

Brussels and Beijing talk trade and Ukraine, but deliver few concrete results
Brussels and Beijing talk trade and Ukraine, but deliver few concrete results

Irish Times

time6 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Brussels and Beijing talk trade and Ukraine, but deliver few concrete results

The expectations in advance of Thursday's EU - China summit in Beijing on Thursday were so low that it would have been almost impossible to fall below them. A joint statement on climate change was short on detail and empty of measurable commitments but it was enough of a 'deliverable' to save face on both sides. The summit's primary value lay in the fact that it happened at all and although it was scaled down from a planned two days to one, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa spent a few hours first with Xi Jinping and then with premier Li Qiang. This was a rare opportunity to talk face to face about everything from their trade relationship to Russia's war in Ukraine . As a former Portuguese prime minister, Costas brings valuable experience of dealing with China that helped to oil the diplomatic wheels on Thursday. Speaking about Ukraine, he zoned in on areas of agreement as he urged China to help persuade Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire and enter meaningful peace talks. READ MORE The EU's hapless foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has a tin ear on China, took part in the summit but was given a low profile and did not appear at the press conference afterwards. And von der Leyen, who has been sharply critical of Beijing in recent weeks, tempered her tough approach with a willingness to seek common ground where possible. [ 'Dominance, dependency and blackmail': EU and China talks overshadowed by deep divisions Opens in new window ] Among the most interesting exchanges between the two sides came in a discussion of China's industrial overcapacity; it produces too many goods for its own market and has to export them at low prices. Beijing rejects the concept of overcapacity but it is worried about involution in its domestic market – competition so fierce that it is depressing profits and wages and fuelling deflation. If China tames competition among its manufacturers, domestic prices will rise, making the domestic market more profitable and easing pressure to export. Beijing and Brussels agreed a deal earlier this month to set minimum prices for European brandy in the Chinese market and China is hoping for a similar agreement that would spare its electric vehicles from EU tariffs in return for minimum pricing.

Thailand, Cambodia exchange fire as fighting rages for a second day
Thailand, Cambodia exchange fire as fighting rages for a second day

RTÉ News​

time7 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Thailand, Cambodia exchange fire as fighting rages for a second day

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire as their worstfighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day,despite calls from the region and beyond for an immediateceasefire in an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 16 people. Thailand's military reported clashes from before dawn in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces and said Cambodia had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems. Authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on the Thai side. "Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocketsystems," the Thai military said in a statement. "Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation." Both sides blamed each other for starting the conflict at a disputed border area, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209km apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Reuters journalists in Surin province reported hearing intermittent bursts of explosions, amid a heavy presence of armed Thai soldiers along roads and gas stations in the largely agrarian area. A Thai military convoy, including around a dozen trucks,armoured vehicles and tanks, cut across provincial roads ringed by paddy fields and moved toward the border. The fighting erupted yesterday just hours after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh the previous night and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. Cambodia has dismissed that as baseless. Death toll rises The Thai death toll rose to 15, 14 of them civilians, according to the health ministry. It said 46 people were wounded, including 15 soldiers. Cambodia's national government has not provided details of any casualties or evacuations of civilians. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest clashes. Meth Meas Pheakdey, spokesperson for the provincial administration of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, said one civilian had been killed and five were wounded, with 1,500 families evacuated. Thailand had positioned six F-16 fighter jets in a rare combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike Cambodian military targets, among measures Cambodia called "reckless and brutal military aggression". The United States, a long-time treaty ally of Thailand, called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution." Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he had spoken to leaders of both countries and urged them to find a peaceful way out. "I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward. Malaysia stands ready to assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility," he said in a social media post. Don't travel to border zone, Irish citizens told The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Irish citizens "against all travel to the entirety of the border region between Thailand and Cambodia". It said that "border crossings are subject to restrictions and closures and there may be a possibility of disruption to air travel between the two countries. "We strongly advise citizens against any attempt to approach or cross the border.

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