Latest news with #Eastern Europe
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Russia may hope to use Trump's 50-day window to wear down Ukraine, but quick gains seem unlikely
President Donald Trump's ultimatum to Russia to accept a peace deal in Ukraine within 50 days or face bruising sanctions on its energy exports has given the Kremlin extra time to pursue its summer offensive. The dogged Ukrainian resistance , however, makes it unlikely that the Russian military will make any quick gains.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Zelenskyy shakes up Ukrainian government, with US weapons on the way
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reshuffling the government as his country's war with Russia rages more than three years after it began. First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has been tapped to lead the next government as prime minister. Meanwhile, current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is set to serve as the country's next defense minister. Zelenskyy named Svyrydenko as his pick for prime minister in a post on X saying the two met to discuss goals for the country. "We also discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production. In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine. I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work. I look forward to the presentation of the new government's action plan in the near future," Zelenskyy wrote on Monday. Svyrydenko thanked Zelenskyy in her own post on X, and laid out the "priority tasks" defined by the president, including strengthening the economy, increasing domestic weapons production and expanding government support programs. "These tasks can be achieved through tangible deregulation, the elimination of bureaucratic obstacles, the reduction of non-critical state expenditures and duplication of functions within state institutions, the protection of entrepreneurship, and the full concentration of state resources for the defense of Ukraine and recovery after hostilities," Svyrydenko wrote. In Ukraine, the president nominates the country's prime minister, but the appointment must be approved by the Verkhovna Rada, the country's parliament, to become official. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he held a meeting with Svyrydenko and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science and Technologies Mykhailo Fedorov to discuss "key priorities" for the next government. These include what he laid out for Svyrydenko as well as "fully contracting the required volumes of all types of drones" Ukranian forces need. Outgoing prime minister Shmyhal, who has served in the role since 2020, is set to replace current Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, whom Zelenskyy reportedly suggested would become the country's next ambassador to the U.S., according to Reuters. Zelenskyy praised Shmyhal — the country's longest-serving head of government since it gained independence in 1991— for his "vast experience," according to reports.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia's population crisis is so dire, it's staring down a labor shortage of 11 million people by 2030, a minister told Putin
Russia could face a labor shortage of nearly 11 million people by 2030, its labor minister said. Birth rates have plummeted, and labor shortages have worsened because of the war in Ukraine. The demographic crisis is threatening the country's long-term economic stability. Russia is staring down a long-term economic threat that could outlast both the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions: a deepening demographic crisis. On Tuesday, Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov underscored the scale of the problem during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. "Today, according to our estimates, by 2030 we need to involve 10.9 million people in the economy," Kotyakov told Putin, according to a post from the Kremlin. Kotyakov said the number is required to replace 10.1 million people who will reach retirement age, and 800,000 new jobs. Kotyakov warned that if productivity growth falls short of the assumptions built into the current forecast, there could be "an additional shortage of personnel." The remarks came during a Kremlin meeting focused on demographics and healthcare. Members of Putin's cabinet discussed efforts to boost birth rates, including financial incentives like cash payouts and tax breaks for large families. Putin has made population growth a national priority, calling it a matter of "ethnic survival" and encouraging women to have as many as eight children. In 2024, births in Russia fell to 1.22 million — the lowest level since 1999 — while deaths increased by 3.3% to 1.82 million, according to official data. The country's population was about 146 million last year. But boosting birth rates isn't Russia's only challenge. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated labor shortages, with battlefield injuries and deaths cutting into the working-age population and a brain drain pulling younger, educated professionals out of the country. The demographic outlook is so bleak that the country's population could halve by the end of this century, per a report from the Atlantic Council, a think tank, in August. Businesses are already feeling the heat. Employers are increasingly turning to retirees and even teenagers to fill roles. The labor shortage has driven up wages and fueled inflation, adding strain to an economy already distorted by wartime spending. By the end of 2023, Russia's economy was running so hot that the central bank warned of overheating. The momentum may be fading. Just last month, Russia's economy minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, warned that the country was "on the brink" of a recession. Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky replaces defense minister
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has named the country's longest-serving prime minister, Denis Shmigal, as the next minister of defense, as part of a sweeping government reshuffle expected to be finalized by parliament this week. Shmigal, 49, has served as prime minister since 2020, navigating the Kiev government through the Covid-19 pandemic and the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. In a video address on Monday evening, Zelensky praised Shmigal's experience in managing the country's limited resources, saying it would be valuable in his new role. 'Denis Shmigal's extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine's defense minister – it is precisely in this area that the country's resources are currently concentrated, the number of tasks is at its peak, and the responsibility is immense,' Zelensky said. Zelensky has also proposed Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko as Shmigal's replacement as prime minister. Sviridenko, 39, who gained prominence for brokering a deal that granted the US preferential access to Ukrainian mineral resources, has said she will soon present her proposed cabinet and government action plan. The reshuffle will require parliamentary approval once Shmigal formally submits his resignation. A vote on dismissing the current cabinet is reportedly expected as early as July 16. Outgoing defense minister Rustem Umerov, who also led Kiev's delegation in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, is the main candidate to become Ukraine's new ambassador to the United States, according to Zelensky. 'We need a person to be strong and to be in the context of the most important thing, in the context of strengthening Ukraine – through weapons, first of all,' Zelensky said after meeting with Umerov over the weekend. Ukraine's Defense Ministry has faced multiple corruption scandals in recent years, with former defense chief Aleksey Reznikov stepping down in 2023 amid a scandal involving overpriced food contracts for the military. Four months later, his successor, Umerov, stated that an internal ministry audit had uncovered approximately $262 million in losses related to theft. Umerov himself was also reportedly under investigation by anti-corruption authorities for alleged abuse of power in connection with defense procurement.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Zelensky names new prime minister, taps official who spearheaded US minerals deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Monday to lead a new government, setting the stage for a political reshuffle as Ukraine's war with Russia raged on. Zelensky also proposed that Ukraine's current prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, take over as defence minister, describing him as holding the right qualifications for a very important job. The nominations, which require parliamentary approval, came as diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. 'We … discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programmes for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production,' Zelensky wrote on social media. 'In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine ,' he said, adding that he had proposed that Svyrydenko lead the government and 'significantly renew its work'. Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist and has served as first deputy prime minister since 2021. She played a key role in recent negotiations for a minerals deal with the United States In his nightly video address, Zelensky praised Shmyhal's 'vast experience' as very 'valuable in the position of minister of defence of Ukraine'.
