Russia-Azerbaijan Tensions Soar, Threatening Moscow's Influence
The two men, Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, died after Russian investigators detained them last week as part of an inquiry into a series of cold case mafia-style assassinations in the industrial city of Yekaterinburg that occurred over the past 25 years.
One of the brothers died of heart failure, while the cause of death of the other one was being determined, Russian investigators said on Monday. On Wednesday, Russian investigators said they had charged six other detained Azerbaijanis, all Russian citizens, with murder.
Authorities in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, quickly denied the Russian version of events.
On Tuesday, the state prosecutor's office of Azerbaijan said in a statement that the brothers had been subjected to 'torture and murder with extreme cruelty' and that it had opened an investigation into the incident. And pro-government media outlets accused Moscow of deliberately targeting ethnic minorities as part of 'chauvinist policies' used to 'suppress internal dissent and strengthen totalitarian control.'
Azerbaijan's sharp reaction laid bare Moscow's shrinking sway over a country that only a few years ago was considered one of its closest partners among former Soviet states. In 2022, just two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow and Baku signed a 'declaration on allied interaction.'
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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Ukraine's European backers mull over their options after the U.S. pauses weapons shipments
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Russia's new push to capture more territory has put Ukraine's defenses under severe strain, with the war now in its fourth year. Russian missiles and drones are battering Ukrainian cities. U.S.-led efforts to find a peace settlement have stalled. It's still unclear even to Zelensky what the White House intends for the weapons shipments. 'I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump,' he said. Many in the European Union are keen to step up. They see Russia's invasion as a threat to their own security. Officials have warned that President Vladimir Putin could try to test Europe's defenses in three to five years. 'All of us hope that the U.S. will continue the support for Ukraine,' Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, flanking Zelensky. 'But if there are any gaps, then I personally believe that we should be willing to fill in.' Denmark — a key Ukraine backer — has just taken over the EU presidency for six months. 'The war in Ukraine has never only been about Ukraine. This is a war about the future of Europe,' she said. Most EU countries are members of NATO, which has just agreed that allies should invest 5% of the gross domestic product in defense. Russia is the chief threat that warrants such spending, although Trump did cajole the Europeans and Canada into agreeing on the figure, which will require them to spend tens of billions of dollars more over the next decade. Since the Trump administration warned that its security priorities lie elsewhere and that Europe must fend for itself, the European Commission's priority has been to find extra money. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the EU's big funding gun with $176 billion that countries, including Ukraine, can use to make joint purchases of priority weapons. The EU's executive branch also has loosened the rules on countries running up debt if they use the money for defense purposes. It hopes that hundreds of billions of extra euros could be made available, if members use the opportunity to spend more. Then there are sanctions against Russia. EU nations are working on yet another raft of measures, but they are getting harder to agree on. It now falls to Denmark to try to chaperone the latest sanctions through. 'Russia is on the brink of recession,' noted von der Leyen, standing next to Zelensky. 'Russia's overheated war economy is coming to its limits. So for us, it is important to increase the pressure so that [Putin] comes to the negotiation table.' Frederiksen's government has led the way in investing in Ukraine's defense industry, which can produce arms and ammunition more quickly and cheaply than elsewhere in Europe. She believes it's the most effective way to help. She also recently invited Ukrainian companies to set up shop on safer ground in Denmark, and the first companies could start production there in September. 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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump said he made ‘no progress' in latest call with Putin
President Trump said Thursday he made 'no progress' during his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on attempts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. 'We had a call. It was a pretty long call. Talked about a lot of things, including Iran,' Trump told reporters on Thursday as he departed for Iowa. 'And we also talked about, as you know, the war with Ukraine, and I'm not happy about that. Asked if he had made any progress in brokering an end to the fighting in Ukraine, Trump responded, 'No. I didn't make any progress with him today at all.' The two leaders spoke on Thursday morning. The call took place a day after the Pentagon confirmed a decision to halt the delivery of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns about U.S. military stockpiles being depleted. Trump downplayed the impact when asked about the pause on Thursday evening. 'We're giving weapons…and we're working with them and trying to help them,' Trump said. 'But we have – you know Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons. And we have to make sure we have enough for ourselves.' The U.S. has given tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, though many Trump allies have expressed skepticism about continued American support for Kyiv. Democrats, and a small number of Republicans and European allies, have warned that abandoning Ukraine would be a major victory for Putin and Russia. Trump campaigned on a pledge to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, a timeline he has since described as sarcastic. Still, he has struggled to make progress in bringing the fighting to an end, lashing out at various points at Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Reveals Details of Vladimir Putin Call
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. President Donald Trump revealed the details of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday Trump told reporters before he boarded Air Force One for an "America 250" rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, "We had a call, it was a pretty long call, we talked about a lot of things, including Iran. We also talked about the war with Ukraine. I'm not happy about that. "No, I didn't make any progress with him today," Trump said when asked about a potential deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Trump on his call with Putin: "We also talked about the war with Ukraine, and I'm not happy about that ... I didn't make any progress with him today at all." — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2025 Putin and Trump talk Ukraine, Iran and other issues, Kremlin says During Thursday's call, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of resolving issues with Iran through political and diplomatic means, according to his foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov. On the topic of Ukraine, Ushakov said President Trump reiterated his desire for a swift end to the fighting, while Putin expressed Moscow's willingness to engage in negotiations. However, Putin also made clear that Russia remains committed to achieving its objectives in Ukraine and addressing what he described as the "root causes" of the conflict. Ushakov added that the recent pause in U.S. military assistance to Ukraine was not discussed during the conversation. Left: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, May 23, 2025, in Washington. Right: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the 5th annual forum... Left: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, May 23, 2025, in Washington. Right: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the 5th annual forum Strong Ideas for a New Time hosted by the autonomous non-profit organization Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects (ASI) in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 3, 2025. More Associated Press Trump and Putin's Call History The call marked the sixth publicly acknowledged conversation between the two leaders since Trump returned to office earlier this year. Their last confirmed call took place on June 14, just one day after Israel launched an attack on Iran. The renewed contact between Trump and Putin appears to reflect a mutual interest in restoring U.S.-Russia relations, which have sharply deteriorated during the ongoing war in Ukraine — now entering its fourth year. The Trump-Putin conversation comes just two days after Russian President Putin held his first direct phone call in nearly three years with French President Emmanuel Macron. U.S. and Russian Leader Talk After Major Pentagon Announcement Thursday's call also follows the Pentagon's announcement that it is temporarily halting shipments of certain weapons to Ukraine. The pause, part of a global reassessment of U.S. military stockpiles, affects deliveries of air defense systems, precision-guided artillery, and other critical equipment. A U.S. official and a former national security official, both speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the types of weapons being withheld, as the Defense Department has not yet disclosed specifics. Russia has intensified its military offensive in Ukraine, making significant territorial gains, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region and the northeastern Sumy Oblast. Russian forces have captured key towns such as Kostiantynivka in Sumy, bringing them within artillery range of the city of Sumy itself. In Donetsk, heavy fighting continues around Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, with Russian troops aiming to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and advance toward the Dnipropetrovsk region. These advances have been facilitated by Russia's deployment of approximately 50,000 troops near Sumy and the use of small assault groups, drones, and light vehicles to exploit gaps in Ukrainian defenses. The situation is further complicated by a recent pause in U.S. military aid to Ukraine, including critical air defense systems and precision-guided munitions, which has raised concerns about Ukraine's ability to repel ongoing Russian offensives. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
