Latest news with #Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia and Ukraine to hold first peace talks in seven weeks
MOSCOW, July 23 (Reuters) - Russian negotiators flew to Turkey to hold peace talks with Ukraine on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, before what will be the first direct discussions between the warring sides in more than seven weeks. Russia played down expectations of any breakthrough at the meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Previous talks in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days. But three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin, unfazed by Trump's ultimatum, would keep on fighting in Ukraine until the West engaged on his terms for peace, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Kyiv of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength.
Bloomberg
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Zelenskiy Moves to Rein In Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Agencies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy approved legislation to strip the nation's anti-corruption agencies of their independence, potentially hamstringing efforts to tackle high-level graft and shore up the rule of law. Zelenskiy signed a bill backed earlier by Ukrainian lawmakers on Tuesday, dismissing protests by the opposition and anti-graft groups and allies that such a move would set back the war-battered nation's efforts to fight corruption.
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Volodymyr Zelenskiy orders officials to prepare for new peace talks with Russia
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ordered officials to prepare for a new round of peace talks with Russia that could start on Wednesday, as critics accused him of trying to assert de facto control over his country's top anti-corruption agencies. Mr Zelenskiy on Tuesday appointed Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defence council, to lead a delegation that he said would also include officials from the foreign ministry, intelligence services and his own office. Kyiv officials have said their first peace talks with Russia since early June are scheduled to start in Istanbul on Wednesday. The Kremlin has said it hopes talks could resume this week, without confirming a date or location. 'Let's be honest: the issue of a Ukrainian settlement is so complicated that even reaching agreements on prisoner exchanges or the return of bodies is already a success,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. 'So ... we have no reason to expect any magical breakthroughs – such outcomes are hardly likely in the current situation.' READ MORE Talks in Istanbul on May 16th and June 2nd resulted in the exchange of thousands of prisoners and the remains of dead soldiers, but made no headway on US-led calls for a full ceasefire – which Ukraine supports – and top-level talks on a possible peace deal. The US has expressed growing impatience with Moscow and last week agreed to send more arms to Ukraine via Nato and threatened to impose 'severe' tariffs on Russian trade if the Kremlin failed to seek peace within 50 days. Russia responded by saying it rejected ultimatums and by reiterating that peace was possible only if Ukraine accepted the permanent occupation of five of its regions and formally agreed never to join Nato – terms that Kyiv says amount to capitulation. 'Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible for the release of our people from captivity and the return of abducted children, as well as to stop the killings and prepare for a meeting of leaders to achieve the real end of this war,' Mr Zelenskiy said. 'Our position is as transparent as possible. Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that it started.' As he focused publicly on potential peace talks, critics accused Mr Zelenskiy of aiming to crush the independence of the national anti-corruption bureau (Nabu) and specialised anti-corruption prosecutor's office (Sapo), which are central to western-backed efforts to root out the high-level graft that has plagued Ukraine for decades. Deputies rushed through a Bill on Tuesday that would dramatically restrict the two agencies' freedom of operation and effectively subordinate them to Ukraine's prosecutor general, who is appointed directly by the country's president. Opponents of the move urged Mr Zelenskiy not to sign the Bill into law, amid widespread anger among civil society activists over a spate of raids and arrests that they regard as attempts to intimidate and sideline anti-corruption investigators and campaigners. Nabu director Semen Kryvonos urged Mr Zelenskiy to veto a Bill that he said had been supported by deputies who face anti-corruption investigations, and which 'threatened' Ukraine's bid to join the European Union and Nato. 'The European Union is concerned about Ukraine's recent actions with regard to ... Nabu and Sapo. These institutions are crucial to Ukraine's reform agenda and must operate independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust,' said European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier. 'The EU provides significant financial assistance to Ukraine, conditional on progress in transparency, judicial reform, and democratic governance. Ukraine's EU accession will require a strong capacity to combat corruption and to ensure institutional resilience.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine's Zelenskiy says new peace talks in Turkey on Wednesday
July 21 (Reuters) - The next set of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia - the first meeting in seven weeks - is planned for Wednesday in Turkey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy quoted the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council as saying on Monday. Zelenskiy's statement followed his fresh appeal earlier in the day for greater momentum in negotiations. The Kremlin said it was waiting for an understanding on the date of the talks, but acknowledged that the two sides were "diametrically opposed" in their positions on how to end the war. "Today I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation for a prisoner exchange and another meeting with the Russian side in Turkey," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. More details will follow tomorrow." Umerov, previously defence minister and appointed Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council last week, headed the first two rounds of talks with Russia. An unidentified source had earlier told Russian state news agency TASS that negotiators may meet in Turkey on Thursday and Friday. Zelenskiy earlier told a gathering of his diplomats in Kyiv: "We need greater momentum in negotiations to end the war." He added: "The agenda from our side is clear: the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders' meeting." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is under increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to show progress towards ending the conflict, turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person. Putin has repeatedly said he does not see Zelenskiy as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when his five-year mandate expired last year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that has been handed over by the Ukrainian side. There is to be an exchange of views and talks on these two drafts, which are diametrically opposed so far." Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul, on May 16 and June 2, that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war. Trump said last week he would impose new sanctions in 50 days on Russia and countries that buy its exports if there is no deal before then to end the conflict.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia and Ukraine edge closer to first talks in seven weeks
MOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine appear close to agreeing to hold a new round of peace talks in Turkey this week, although the Kremlin said on Monday that the two sides held "diametrically opposed" positions on how to end the war. Two days after Ukraine called for new talks in Istanbul this week, Russian state news agency TASS quoted an unidentified source as saying that negotiators - who have not sat down together for seven weeks - may meet there on Thursday and Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a gathering of his diplomats in Kyiv: "We need greater momentum in negotiations to end the war." He added: "The agenda from our side is clear: the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders' meeting." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is under increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to show progress towards ending the conflict, turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person. Putin has repeatedly said he does not see Zelenskiy as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when his five-year mandate expired last year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that as soon as there was a definitive understanding of the date for the next round of talks, then Moscow would announce it. "There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that has been handed over by the Ukrainian side. There is to be an exchange of views and talks on these two drafts, which are diametrically opposed so far," Peskov said. Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul, on May 16 and June 2, that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war. Trump said last week he would impose new sanctions in 50 days on Russia and countries that buy its exports if there is no deal before then to end the conflict.
