Latest news with #RussiaUkraineConflict
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia, Ukraine confirm prisoner swap after Turkiye talks
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war as the two countries continue to trade attacks, despite diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Officials in Moscow and Kyiv confirmed the swap on Thursday but did not disclose the number of prisoners released. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that the 'warriors of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service' were returning home. 'Most of them had been in captivity since 2022. We are doing everything possible to find each person, to verify the information on every name,' he said. 'We must bring all our people home. I thank everyone who is helping us in this effort.' At the same time, Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Telegram that another group of Russian soldiers had returned from Ukraine. 'Currently, Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance,' the ministry said. The soldiers will then be taken to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation, the ministry added. During their direct meeting in Turkiye on June 2, Russia and Ukraine pledged to swap at least 1,000 soldiers in one of the few points that both sides have agreed upon and shown cooperation since the war began in 2022. But future talks to discuss a path to end the war have stalled as the gulf between Moscow and Kyiv has remained unchanged. Russia has repeatedly said any territory it has taken during the war must be retained to achieve a ceasefire. However, Kyiv has rejected giving up its land. Amid the latest prisoner exchange, Russian air strikes on Ukraine killed at least one person and wounded two others in the southern region of Kherson, according to the regional mayor. Moreover, Russia announced that its forces had captured two Ukrainian villages in the Donetsk region as Ukraine's army chief, Oleksandr Syrskii, ordered defensive lines to be built faster as Russian forces take more ground towards the Dnipropetrovsk region. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy signed an accord on Thursday with the Council of Europe to put top Russian officials on trial for the invasion of Ukraine.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Meeting Trump, Turkiye's Erdogan hails Iran-Israel truce
THE HAGUE: Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit late Tuesday, hailing the Iran-Israel ceasefire and urging 'close dialogue' to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Turkish president 'expressed his satisfaction with the ceasefire achieved between Israel and Iran through President Trump's efforts, hoping it would be permanent, and emphasized the importance of close dialogue... in peacefully resolving the Russia-Ukraine war,' a statement from his office said.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump believes only negotiated agreement can resolve Russia-Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump believes a negotiated agreement between Russia and Ukraine is the only viable path to ending the conflict between the two countries, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Trump's efforts to mediate a truce between Russia and Ukraine contributed to the countries restarting direct negotiations in Türkiye last month – talks that Kiev abandoned in 2022 to focus on its military efforts. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that while Moscow is not seeking an unconditional surrender, Kiev must acknowledge the 'realities on the ground,' and that its negotiating position worsens with each passing day. In a press briefing on Friday, Bruce was asked whether those remarks mean that Moscow is not serious about the talks, and how Washington would respond. 'As I've mentioned before, during negotiations, things sometimes progress, things change. That's the whole point of negotiations and conversations: You signal how long you're generally willing to wait, but you also know if someone is serious,' she said, noting, 'At the same time, we've heard some very blunt comments by President Trump about President Putin.' That's where we've landed at this point in comments from both the president and secretary of state – that the only way this is going to end is for the two parties to meet and come to a conclusion and a decision, and some kind of an agreement. She added that while the US remains Ukraine's 'biggest supporter,' the process of peace negotiations is complex and constantly evolving. 'We are clearly making our presence and our care about the situation known... but this is not about reacting to a single quote or online statement,' she said. Asked about Putin's assertion that Russia now holds a 'strategic advantage' in the conflict, Bruce declined to comment on potential punitive measures or sanctions, reiterating: 'We're not going to listen to what [Russia] says – we're going to watch what they do.' 'Only the president can make the decision about how to proceed. Only he knows all the elements about what's important and how we're going to make a difference,' she said. 'As I term it… there is one guiding hand to the choices that we make. And that would include Russia, Ukraine, and every conflict he's trying to stop.' The spokeswoman added that direct engagement between Moscow and Washington continues behind the scenes, involving 'months now of dealing with the parties directly,' and argued that Trump, as 'the most powerful leader in the world right now,' is better positioned than the public or press to assess the situation.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,213
Here is how things stand on Saturday, June 21: Fighting Drones and missiles launched by Russia overnight have damaged energy infrastructure in central Ukraine's Kremenchuk district in Poltava, said local military authorities. One person was injured in the attack, according to Volodymyr Kohut, the region's military governor, who did not provide further details on the extent of the damage. Russia had targeted the district's refinery, according to a report by online news outlet Politics and diplomacy Ukraine and Russia exchange more prisoners of war, officials from both countries said, the second swap in two days under an agreement struck in Turkiye earlier this month. All the captured soldiers were wounded, ill or under 25 years old. Neither side said how many soldiers had been freed. At Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin said he did not 'rule out' his forces taking control of Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy as part of efforts to create a buffer zone along the border. The Sumy region is not one of the regions Moscow has formally annexed, although Russian forces have recently made inroads there for the first time in three years, with Putin claiming his troops had advanced up to 12km (7 miles) in the region. In a string of hawkish remarks, Putin also appeared to repeat his denial of Ukrainian statehood. Ukraine said Putin's comments showed 'disdain' for the peace process. The German military considers Russia to be an 'existential risk' to the country and Europe, according to a Spiegel news magazine report that cites a new Bundeswehr strategy paper. Russia is verifiably preparing for a conflict with NATO, particularly by strengthening forces in western Russia 'at the borders with NATO,' the report cites the strategy paper as saying. Germany can only counter this threat 'with a consistent development of military and society-wide capabilities,' the document concludes. Putin has reaffirmed Moscow's opposition to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, including any potential acquisition by Iran. Putin told Sky News Arabia that Russia supports Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, emphasising that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence suggesting Tehran seeks to build nuclear weapons. Putin also stated that Russia is prepared to assist Iran in the development of its civilian nuclear programme. Economy At the economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin also urged officials not to let Russia fall into recession 'under any circumstances', as some in his own government warned of a hit to economic growth. Economists have warned for months of a slowdown in the Russian economy, with the country posting just 1.4 percent year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2025, the weakest pace in two years. A decision by the OPEC+ group of leading global oil producers to speed up production now looks far-sighted and justified amid the Middle East conflict, said Igor Sechin, head of Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft, at the forum. Sechin also said that there will be no oil glut in the long term despite the production rise, and that the European Union seeks to reduce Russia's oil cap to $45 to improve the profitability of its purchases, not to cut Russia's budget revenues.
Russia Today
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump believes only ‘agreement' can solve Russia–Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump views a negotiated agreement between Russia and Ukraine as the only viable path to ending the ongoing conflict, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Trump's efforts to mediate a truce between Russia and Ukraine contributed to the countries restarting direct negotiations in Türkiye last month – talks that Kiev had abandoned in 2022 to focus on its military campaign. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that while Moscow is not seeking an 'unconditional surrender,' Kiev must acknowledge the 'realities on the ground' and that its negotiating position worsens with each passing day. In a press briefing on Friday, Bruce was asked whether those remarks meant Moscow was not serious about the talks, and how Washington would respond. 'As I've mentioned before, during negotiations, things sometimes progress, things change. That's the whole point of negotiations and conversations: you signal how long you're generally willing to wait, but you also know if someone is serious,' she said, noting, 'At the same time, we've heard some very blunt comments by President Trump about President Putin.' That's where we've landed at this point in comments from both the president and secretary of state – that the only way this is going to end is for the two parties to meet and come to a conclusion and a decision, and some kind of an agreement. She added that while the US remains Ukraine's 'biggest supporter,' the process of peace negotiations is complex and constantly evolving. 'We are clearly making our presence and our care about the situation known... but this is not about reacting to a single quote or online statement,' she said. When asked about Putin's assertion that Russia now holds a 'strategic advantage' in the conflict, Bruce declined to comment on potential punitive measures or new sanctions, reiterating: 'We're not going to listen to what [Russia] says – we're going to watch what they do.' 'Only the president can make the decision about how to proceed. Only he knows all the elements about what's important and how we're going to make a difference,' she said. 'As I term it… there is one guiding hand to the choices that we make. And that would include Russia, Ukraine, and every conflict he's trying to stop.' The spokeswoman added that direct engagement between Moscow and Washington continues behind the scenes, involving 'months now of dealing with the parties directly,' and argued that Trump, as 'the most powerful leader in the world right now,' is better positioned than the public or press to assess the situation.
