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Russia Today
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU must rethink Russia policy
The EU should engage in talks with Russia on European security and restoring business ties once the Ukraine conflict ends, Czech President Petr Pavel has said. The comments mark a notable shift from his previously hardline stance toward Moscow. Pavel has been a harsh critic of Russia during the Ukraine conflict and a strong advocate of more Western military aid to Kiev. He also spearheaded a plan to supply Ukraine with 1.8 million artillery shells, although the scheme has faced funding issues. Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western arms deliveries, warning they only prolong the conflict. Speaking to BBC News Ukraine on Tuesday, Pavel said the EU should rethink its approach to Russia and try to find a 'compromise' with Moscow. 'It is very difficult to agree to that. But we also live in reality. What alternatives do we have, both us and Ukraine? To fight Russia endlessly? Such an approach will probably lead to great human losses for all of us and serious damage to our economies,' he argued. If a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev is reached, Western Europe 'will be able to start rebuilding Ukraine and, perhaps, depending on how Russia reacts to this, to bring Russia back to the negotiating table on security in Europe, to discuss cooperation and business that we had before,' Pavel said. 'A significant part of our population would prefer good relations with Russia. These people do not want to submit to its interests, but believe that negotiations are always better than conflict,' he added. The Czech president, who previously served as chairman of NATO's Military Committee, said Kiev must seek peace with Moscow because even 'with all the support of the West' it would be unable to recapture territory lost to Russia 'in a short time without significant human casualties.' However, he insisted that the EU would never legally recognize regions which have voted to join Russia from Ukraine. In an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Moscow's key demand in settling the Ukraine conflict is international recognition of Crimea, as well as the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia. Crimea joined Russia after a 2014 referendum, with similar votes held in the other four regions in 2022. Lavrov also criticized what he described as the EU's transformation into a 'military-political bloc' and 'an appendix to NATO,' warning that this 'dangerous trend… could have far-reaching consequences for all Europeans.'
Russia Today
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky is ‘politically dead' – Russia's top UN diplomat
Ukraine's 'expired' leader Vladimir Zelensky is 'politically dead' and refuses to step down to avoid accountability for his actions, Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia has told RT's Rick Sanchez. In an interview on Sanchez Effect aired on Friday, Nebenzia accused Zelensky of betraying the promises that brought him to power and dragging Ukraine into a wider conflict. He referenced Zelensky's campaign pledge to end the fighting in Donbass, which the Kiev regime and its Western backers derailed by violating the 2014-15 Minsk agreements. 'Zelensky came to power on the promise to end the war in Donbass... He promised one thing, but he turned 180 degrees… Politically, Zelensky is already dead,' Nebenzia stated. Nebenzia said Zelensky is holding on to power to avoid the consequences of prolonging the conflict with Russia and misusing Western funds provided as aid. 'The end of his presidency may entail something for him that he is trying to avoid at all costs: Reporting on the money stolen and the loss of the people whom he failed miserably,' Nebenzia stated. 'So he has all the reasons... to cling to power and not to hold elections.' Ukrainians are our brothers, no doubt about it. But the clique that came to rule them – it is a regime, it is not a government. 'They stole billions of dollars out of the aid they were receiving. That's an open secret,' he said, adding that Kiev has already been asked to report on the aid but has failed to do so. 'I think that when finally it comes to it, the revelations will be very dire.' Zelensky has remained in office since his term expired in May, suspending elections due to martial law. He insists that he has the right to remain in office, though the constitution stipulates that presidential duties should pass to the parliament speaker. Russia has said it is open to talks with Ukraine but questions the legality of any deals made with the current government in Kiev. President Vladimir Putin recently said he would meet with Zelensky but called into question his authority to sign a treaty, as 'the signature must come from legitimate authorities, otherwise, whoever comes after [Zelensky] will toss it to the dumpster.'
Russia Today
26-06-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Ukraine's economy on brink of collapse
Ukraine's economy is teetering on the edge of a complete collapse as it faces the possibility of a drastic decrease in Western aid and fading chances of a ceasefire anytime soon, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Many Ukrainians had hoped for a swift end to the conflict after US President Donald Trump took office. However, those expectations have crumbled as his push for a settlement has stalled, threatening to pull down Ukraine's already fragile economy, the article says. The Ukrainian economy remains afloat largely due to extensive Western financial backing. However, officials and analysts interviewed by the paper warn that current aid levels may not be enough to sustain the state in the near future. According to the Post, the only significant investment initiative in sight is a deal that gives the US priority access to Ukrainian natural resources, but it is still years away from implementation. Encouraged by Trump's pledges, private investors initially positioned themselves for a post-conflict reconstruction boom, but the optimism soon soured due to the slow progress towards peace. 'The ceasefire was at the heart of all economic forecasts, that it could come somewhere in mid-2025,' a senior Ukrainian official told WaPo. 'A positive impact on the economy this year is no longer being considered,' he added, noting, though, that 2026 remains a potential turning point. Last week, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky appealed to Western donors for $40 billion annually in budgetary support. Western aid is predominantly being used to cover education and social welfare expenses. However, Ukrainian officials told the outlet that next year the mechanism will only cover about half of Kiev's most urgent needs. Moreover, Finance Minister Sergey Marchenko warned that even if the conflict ends soon, the government would likely have to cut billions in expenditures, although experts warn that Kiev has little scope to reduce costs in healthcare or education. In May, Marchenko warned that Ukraine would be unable to repay its foreign creditors in the next 30 years. He added, however, that Kiev intends to continue borrowing. Ukraine's public debt is approaching 100% of GDP. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukraine would collapse within weeks without continued Western military and financial support.
