Have to cross that bridge: Jaishankar on US plan to tax top Russian oil buyers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
37 minutes ago
- India Today
Kremlin says its monitoring Trump's remarks after 'disappointing' call with Putin
The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia closely follows all of Donald Trump's statements after the US President said he was "very disappointed" with his latest conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in who had confidently stated last week that Putin was "looking to settle" the conflict, said after Thursday's phone call that he did not think the Russian leader was looking to stop about the comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Of course, we are paying very close attention to all of President Trump's statements." He did not address Trump's implied criticism of who returned to the White House in January with a promise to swiftly end the "bloodbath" in Ukraine, said after Thursday's call: "I didn't make any progress with him at all."Peskov said Putin had told Trump that Russia would prefer to achieve its goals in Ukraine by political and diplomatic means, but in the meantime would continue what it calls its "special military operation".He said the Kremlin leader had told Trump that Russia expects to agree a date for a third round of peace talks with Ukraine, following earlier talks in May and June. - EndsTune InMust Watch
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Russia-Ukraine war: Kremlin says it cannot achieve goals through 'diplomatic means'; vows to continue special operation
The Kremlin on Friday said that it is currently unable to meet its goals in Ukraine through diplomacy, just as Russia launched its largest drone and missile assault on Ukrainian cities overnight. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with US President Donald Trump on Thursday. Hours later, explosions echoed across Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions as hundreds of drones and missiles targeted the country. 'We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. 'But until that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation.' The overnight barrage, according to Ukraine, involved 550 weapons in total. The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 539 drones and 11 missiles, calling it the largest aerial strike since the invasion began. Air defences shot down 268 drones and two missiles, the military added. AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing drones buzzing above and loud blasts throughout the night as defence systems intercepted the attacks. The capital's skies were lit with flashes, with many residents forced into shelters. Tymur, a Kyiv resident who has lived through past strikes, said this one felt different. 'Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions,' he said. 'Peaceful people live here. That's all.'
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Russia normalising chemical attacks in Ukraine, posing new threat to Europe: Dutch minister
In May 2024, US accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical substance more poisonous than riot control chemicals that was first used by Germany during World War 1 read more Servicemen of the 148th Separate Artillery Zhytomyr Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare to fire a M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in the front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine. File image/ Reuters Dutch and German intelligence services said Friday they had obtained proof of widespread Russian deployment of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the dropping of a choking agent from drones to push soldiers out of trenches so they could be shot. Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans has advocated for tougher sanctions against Moscow. 'The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons,' Brekelmans told Reuters. 'This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia's use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency corroborated the findings, stating that it got the evidence alondside its Dutch counterparts. Reuters was the first to report on the intelligence. The chief of the Dutch Military information Agency (MIVD), Peter Reesink, stated that the conclusions were based on 'our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations.' Reuters has been unable to independently verify the use of prohibited chemical agents by any side in the Ukraine conflict. In May 2024, US accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical substance more poisonous than riot control chemicals that was first used by Germany during World War 1. Ukraine claims that Russia has used chemical weapons dozens of times. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. Russia has denied using illegal munitions and it has accused Ukraine of doing so. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Wednesday that the Federal Security Service discovered a Ukrainian cache of explosive devices in the east of the country containing chloropicrin. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine has consistently denied such accusations. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a disarmament agency in The Hague with 193 member states, said last year that initial accusations levelled by both countries at each other were 'insufficiently substantiated'. It has not been asked to conduct a full investigation, which must be initiated by member states. At least three Ukrainian deaths have been tied to chemical weapons use, Brekelmans said, while more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield reported chemical weapons-related symptoms to Ukrainian health authorities. Increased use of chemical weapons by Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine but to other countries, Brekelmans added. 'We must further increase the pressure. This means looking at more sanctions and specifically not allowing them (Russia) to participate in international bodies like the Executive Council of the OPCW,' he said. Reesink spoke of 'thousands of instances' of chemical weapons use, while also citing a Ukrainian figure of 9,000. Rotating two-year seats on the OPCW council will be up for negotiation in the coming months. The intelligence findings were presented in a letter to the Dutch parliament on Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Large-scale program Russia is a member of the OPCW and, like the United States, has destroyed its declared chemical weapons stockpiles. Increased sanctions could happen in conjunction with the European Commission, which has proposed listing 15 additional new entities and individuals to its sanctions framework, including for suspected use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. The Dutch military and general intelligence agencies, working with foreign partners, say they have uncovered concrete evidence of intensified Russian chemical weapons production. This includes heightened research capabilities and the recruitment of scientists for chemical weapons development, Reesink said. He added that Russian officials have given instructions to soldiers on the use of poisonous warfare agents. 'This isn't just some ad-hoc tinkering at the frontline; it is truly part of a large-scale program. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don't clarify and publicize what Russia is doing, it's highly likely these trends will continue,' Reesink said. He called the use of chemical weapons by Russian armed forces 'almost standing operating procedure.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We specifically linked the use of chloropicrin to improvised munitions, such as filled light bulbs and empty bottles that are hung from a drone. When it comes to teargas, we see that they are also misusing and converting existing munitions to act as the carrier for the gas,' he said. Chloropicrin is listed as a banned choking agent by OPCW, which was created to implement and monitor compliance with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If ingested, it can cause burns in the mouth and stomach, nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
