Macron Briefed Zelenskiy on His Call With Putin, People Say
Macron and his Russian counterpart agreed to coordinate their approach on Iran in their first phone call since 2022.
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CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Ukraine kills Russian navy's No. 2 commander in strike, but officials worry about Trump's military aid cuts
Behind U.S. decision to hold back some weapons shipments to Ukraine Why U.S. held back some weapons for Ukraine Why U.S. held back some weapons for Ukraine The deputy commander of Russia's navy, Major General Mikhail Gudkov, was killed by a Ukrainian missile strike in the far-western Russian city of Kursk, a state-linked Russian news outlet said on Thursday. Gudkov, who previously commanded a Russian marine unit involved in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, died of injuries sustained in the strike on a military administration building, according to the AiF website. Russia's Ministry of Defense provided no details, but confirmed that Gudkov died "during combat operations in one of the border areas of the Kursk region." An image shared by Russia's Ministry of Defense shows Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander of the Russian navy, whom the ministry said was killed during combat with Ukraine on July 2, 2025, in the western Russian city of Kursk. Telegram/Russian Ministry of Defense Ukrainians saw it as a boost to morale at the end of a difficult week. The Trump administration said Tuesday that it had paused some weapons deliveries to Ukraine, prompting alarm in Kyiv, uncertainty among America's NATO allies, and some crowing from Moscow. The White House did not confirm which weapons were being pulled from delivery, or the scale of the reduction in U.S. military support for Ukraine. The announcement came about a week after President Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a NATO summit in the Netherlands. Speaking after their meeting, Mr. Trump said he was considering sending additional Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine to help strengthen the country's air defenses against Russia's bombardment. "They do want to have the anti-missile missiles … the Patriots," Mr. Trump told reporters after his meeting with Zelenskyy, "and we're going to see if we can make some available." He added that the Patriots were, "hard to get." Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it invited U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Kyiv John Ginkel to the ministry on Wednesday to stress that "any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities would only encourage" Russia to continue its war, rather than to seek the peace that Mr. Trump has said many times he wants to help usher. President Trump said in a Thursday morning post on his Truth Social media platform that he would speak later in the day with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone. "Ukraine has not received any official notifications about the suspension or revision of the delivery schedules of the agreed defense assistance, so we proceed from the actual data and check the details of each element in the delivery," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Zelenskyy said in a video statement that Ukraine was seeking to clarify details of any change in defense support from the U.S. CBS News' Margaret Brennan reported Thursday that Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy were to hold a phone call on Friday to discuss the war after the announcement of the reduction in U.S. weapons deliveries. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized the urgency of sustained military backing in a social media post, saying "the only way to force Russia to end the war is to increase pressure on Moscow and strengthen Ukraine." Moscow's reaction was also swift, and decidedly more optimistic. Chief Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the news from the White House, "a logical and overdue step," suggesting that Western fatigue with the war in Ukraine would only grow. "The less weapons are supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the Special Military Operation is," Peskov said, according to TASS, using the Kremlin's term for the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Severely damaged residential buildings are seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, after a direct strike by a Russian missile, June 17, 2025. ORI AVIRAM/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged during the summit last week that the Trump administration needed to prioritize U.S. weapons inventories, but he stressed that Ukraine depends heavily on American hardware — especially ammunition and air defense systems — and he urged Washington to remain flexible, and called on Europe's NATO members to increase contributions for Ukraine. "It's a clear message to step up our own support," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters this week, "ramping up our European defense capacities, not only at the level of the European Union, but at the continental level." Kyiv and several other major Ukrainian cities have faced an escalating barrage of missile and drone attacks over the last month, sometimes overwhelming the country's air defense systems and causing significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. Over the weekend, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials called the biggest aerial attack of the war, hitting energy facilities, residential areas and military infrastructure in a coordinated strike involving dozens of missiles and Iranian-made attack drones. Ukrainians say the surge in airstrikes has underscored their need for strengthened air defenses.
Newsweek
31 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Putin Faces Coal Crisis in Russia
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One of Russia's top mining companies has become the first coal producer to get government aid in a deepening crisis for an industry hit hard by plummeting global demand and sanctions due to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Mechel announced the government reprieve, although has warned the industry faces significant difficulties as producers brace for a slump in sales. Russia is the world's sixth biggest producer of coal, but the industry in the country faces what has been described as the worst crisis since the 1990s. Issac Levi from the Centre of Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) told Newsweek that state support is one of the only ways for Russian coal firms to avoid bankruptcy. Newsweek has contacted Mechel for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, on June 30, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, on June 30, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. Getty Images Why It Matters While a smaller contributor to GDP than oil and gas, Russia's coal industry is still a critical sector for dozens of single-industry towns where it employs hundreds of thousands of workers. European sanctions for Putin's aggression included a ban on Russian coal imports in 2022, and other markets like China and India have not made up the shortfall. Dwindling coal exports could be a political headache for Putin, especially amid other bad news for the wartime economy, such as a downturn in manufacturing and warnings by Russian officials about inflation and high interest rates. What To Know Mechel's deputy finance director, Nelli Galeeva, said it had received a three-year deferral on tax and social security payments worth 13 billion rubles ($166 million). The government support will also include saving an extra 500 million rubles ($6 million) per month through industry-wide assistance measures like deferred mineral extraction tax and social insurance payments, according to the agency Interfax, as cited by The Moscow Times. Mechel chief executive Oleg Korzhov said the coal industry was in a "very difficult situation" and despite the government's help, his firm would cut shipments in 2025 by about a quarter compared with last year. A view of the coal terminal of the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on September 5, 2022. A view of the coal terminal of the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on September 5, 2022. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV//Getty Images Levi, CREA's Europe-Russia policy and energy analysis team lead, told Newsweek Russia's coal industry problems partially stem from a sharp drop in global demand—especially from China, where steel production and coal prices had plunged. Amplifying these problems are a strong ruble, low domestic and global coal prices and sanctions which have restricted market access, raised logistics costs, and limited financing, he said. As the Russian coal sector continues to struggle, state support seems to be one of the few reasons many companies can survive and avoid bankruptcy, he added. The Spiridonovskaya mine in Siberia's Kemerovo region suspended operations last month due to a lack of financing, according to the regional coal industry ministry. It comes as business activity in Russia's manufacturing sector had its biggest drop since the start of the war, according to S&P Global. It said the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Russian manufacturing dropping from 50.2 in May to 47.5, where a reading below 50 indicates a contraction. Meanwhile, Russian officials have warned about Russia's economy, such as German Gref, CEO of the country's biggest bank Sberbank, who said high inflation and the high key interest rate could not be solved quickly. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina and economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov also issued warnings— the former that the conditions for growth were "exhausted", with the latter saying the country was on the "brink of recession." What People Are Saying Mechel's deputy finance director Nelli Galeeva, per Interfax: "We received an installment plan for the payment of taxes, fees, insurance payments of more than 13 billion will use the released cash flow to support our operating activities." Mechel chief executive Oleg Korzhov: "Nearly all coal producers are facing extremely difficult the current exchange rate, selling coal is unprofitable." Isaac Levi, CREA's Europe-Russia policy and energy analysis team lead, to Newsweek: "Industry-wide, the Russian coal sector is struggling, and state support seems to be one of the few reasons many companies can survive and avoid bankruptcy." What Happens Next Levi said if coal production in Russia is curtailed further and interest rates decline—raising the dollar exchange rate—the financial burden on coal firms may ease. This may potentially stabilize coal prices, but the country's export prospects will largely hinge on demand from China, he added. "Any fluctuation in Chinese import activity could significantly impact the industry's recovery and pricing stability."
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Denmark takes rare step of adding women to draft amid Russia war fears
Denmark has become one of the few countries in the world to conscript women for military service, as the country seeks to bolster its defense capabilities against the backdrop of rising tensions with Russia and increasing pressure from Washington for European nations to invest more in their own defense. The new rules, which came into effect this week, mean women who turn 18 after July 1 will be eligible for potential military conscription as part of a lottery system — the same rules that apply to young men. The duration of mandatory military service will also be extended from four months to 11 months starting in 2026.
