Russia-Ukraine war: Putin says he'll meet Zelensky — but only at ‘final phase' of talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (June 19) that he is willing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — but only at the 'final phase' of any negotiations.
'So as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it,' Putin told international journalists during a media briefing in St. Petersburg.
The comment came amid intensified Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and growing global concerns that diplomatic efforts are losing momentum. However, Putin's broader tone remained defiant, casting doubt on the sincerity of any peace overtures.
Putin reiterated that Russian forces were focusing attacks on Ukrainian defense infrastructure.
'The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters,' he claimed.
The statement comes just days after a missile strike collapsed a residential building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, killing 23 people.
Putin also warned Germany against delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying it would risk dragging Berlin into direct confrontation with Moscow.
'Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,' he said. 'If [Ukraine] fail[s] to agree [to Russia's terms], the situation could change for the worse.'
Echoing previous statements, Putin questioned President Zelensky's legitimacy. He also endorsed Donald Trump's approach to the conflict, saying:
'If Trump had been the president, the conflict indeed might not have erupted.'
A devastating Russian missile strike on a Kyiv apartment building that killed 28 people and injured 142 has prompted renewed calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the international community to increase pressure on Moscow.
The strike, which occurred early Tuesday, hit multiple locations across Ukraine's capital, with the deadliest damage concentrated in the Solomianskyi district, where a missile collapsed a nine-story residential building, killing 23 people at that site alone.
'This attack is a reminder to the world that Russia rejects a ceasefire and chooses killing,' Zelenskyy said during a visit to the wreckage on Thursday, where he was joined by top officials, including presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The strike was part of a broader wave of aerial assaults. Overnight on Wednesday, Russia launched 104 Shahed and decoy drones across Ukraine. According to Ukraine's air force, 88 were intercepted, jammed, or disappeared from radar, while others reached their targets.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia launched over 440 drones and 32 missiles in what President Zelensky called 'one of the biggest bombardments of the war.' The attack overwhelmed Ukraine's air defenses, causing widespread destruction and casualties.
Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko confirmed the toll on Thursday, calling it the capital's deadliest attack in 2025.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded sharply to Russia's claims of openness to peace, calling them 'manipulations.' In a post on X, Sybiha wrote: 'It has been exactly 100 days since Ukraine unconditionally accepted the US peace proposal to completely cease fire... 100 days of Russia escalating terror against Ukraine rather than ending it.'
He added: 'Ukraine remains committed to peace. Unfortunately, Russia continues to choose war, disregarding US efforts to end the killing.'
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News18
35 minutes ago
- News18
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Israel officially started with the goal to dismantle key components of Iran's nuclear and ballistic-missile capabilities. On June 13, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, called it a 'decisive moment in Israel's history" and vowed the strikes would continue 'as long as needed" to dismantle Iran's nuclear threat. He emphasised the war is against Iran's regime, not its people, and thanked Trump for support. Billions & Counting: How Much Are Gaza, Iran Wars Costing Israel? Explained However, Defense Minister Israel Katz later publicly said that Iran's Supreme Leader 'cannot continue to exist", which went beyond nuclear deterrence. Soon, Netanyahu went a step further to suggest that a regime change in Iran could be an unintended 'byproduct" of military action. He also said that Israel can strike Iran's fortified Fordow nuclear site without U.S. assistance. On June 19, Netanyahu warned that Israel was 'close to the final result", asserting 'nobody in Iran has immunity" and commending U.S. support while criticizing the Biden administration's hesitation. Analysts say Israel's political and military messaging signal a possible strategic escalation, from sabotage to systemic regime weakening. Moreover, if the US, which has sought a two-week diplomatic window, opts in, Israel's limited air campaign could expand dramatically. IRAN'S POSTURE OF DEFIANCE Despite the pressure, Khamenei has emphatically refused to back down or negotiate surrender. Following Israeli airstrikes, Khamenei condemned them as criminal, warning the 'Zionist regime" faces a 'bitter and painful fate". In a televised address on June 18, Khamenei rejected Trump's call for 'unconditional surrender," declaring Iran will not yield and warned U.S. action would have 'irreparable consequences". 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This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. —— Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 13, 2025 CAN NETANYAHU CAUSE AN UPRISING IN IRAN? Netanyahu did make an appeal to the Iranian people to provoke public backlash, but experts feel it could backfire, instead unifying Iranians against foreign aggression. BREAKING: Iran's foreign minister says that the country's ballistic missile program is not negotiable— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 20, 2025 ISRAEL'S OCTOPUS LOGIC Former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett introduced the idea: Israel had been fighting only the tentacles, but now aims to suffocate the head— Iran —by weakening its central power and disrupting its regional network. Netanyahu echoed this metaphor, stating: 'Iran is the head of the octopus, and you see its tentacles all around—from the Houthis to Hezbollah to Hamas." What the tentacles represent, according to Israel: Hezbollah in Lebanon Hamas in Gaza Houthis in Yemen Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria These groups are viewed as extensions of Iranian influence—armed, financed, and strategically coordinated from Tehran. Israel has engaged in direct operations targeting Iranian proxies (tentacles) and covert internal strikes inside Iran. The overarching goal: Force Tehran to refocus inward, drain its resources and weaken its ability to project power regionally. CAN ISRAEL OUST THE REGIME? In several media reports, military and intelligence circles in Israel have privately acknowledged that removing Iran's regime would be 'very hard", entailing ground invasion or U.S. boots on the ground, which Israel lacks. Eliminating senior IRGC figures has shaken Iran's establishment, but it remains institutionally strong. The IRGC is enshrined as the cornerstone of the regime, and losing top leaders doesn't equate to regime collapse. 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The Weapon Explained Analysts say while Israel is publicly calling for regime destabilisation now, it might not be the preferred endgame. Some like Maryam Alemzadeh argue that Israel actually wants a hardliner government that tries to retaliate yet fails, preserving the 'straw-man enemy" essential to its security narrative . top videos View all Israel is clear on one thing — a weakened Iran would mean weakened proxies, less Hamas, less Hezbollah, fewer threats on Israel's borders. With inputs from agencies About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : israel iran Israel Iran tension news18 specials Location : Mumbai, India, India First Published: June 20, 2025, 14:47 IST News explainers Iran's Nuclear Programme, Regime Change, Or Both? Decoding What Israel Is Really After
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
There's Something 26/11 Mumbai Attack Can Tell Us About Trump-Munir Lunch
So the Pakistan Field Marshal had his lunch with the President of the United States. Whether the mercurial US President planned to also get Prime Minister Modi to Washington to 'share a meal' with his dangerous neighbour, as he had said earlier, is unclear. But while Pakistan may celebrate the 'historic' culinary bonding in Washington, the bottom line is that there are no free lunches, particularly not with a self-proclaimed transactional president. Gen Asim Munir knows that very well, and is expected to use America's inevitable demands for his own ends, some of which may result in unknown effects on the declared continuance of 'Operation Sindoor'. Copy-Pasting From History First, look at the lessons of history, in terms of how Pakistan has used US presence and vice versa. On December 8, 1959, a soon-to-be Field Marshal awaited the pleasure of a President of the United States. President Ayub Khan, a dictator who had seized power a year earlier, hailed Dwight D. Eisenhower as a leader of the 'free world', bringing to his attention the threat from India, the Kashmir question, the yet-to-be-signed Indus Water treaty, its complete dependence on those waters, and the threat from 'communism'. Replace the Russian threat with China, and the whole read-out can be almost copy-pasted into current Pakistani files, especially as Eisenhower, who said he was "delighted that President Ayub had taken the initiative ..to improve relations with India", had got Ayub to agree to set up a military base in Peshawar, to spy on the Russians. There are free lunches in Washington. Munir Has The Levers Munir, however, knows his man in America. He came prepared with a proposal to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping a nuclear war - which, Trump would know, is a non-starter. A 'nomination' can't even be announced, let alone making it to the top when Trump is cordially disliked by his own treaty partners. But PM Modi was forced to do the opposite - deny the position of 'peacemaker' to the President in his telephone conversation, while his Foreign Secretary did so publicly. Pakistan scored on that one, but that just might be a false score on one level. That Munir was the first serving chief to meet with the US President was hailed back home. More notable was the fact that the meeting took place - unusually so - with just Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witcoff, and, on the Pakistani side, the ISI Chief General, Asim Malik. No civilian aides whatsoever. Apart from the presence of Witkoff, Trump's presser later made it clear that the discussion was on Iran. Even as all this was going on, another aircraft carrier group, the USS Nimitz, arrived to join up with the existing carrier group in the Persian Gulf. If war is on the table, Pakistan will certainly be asked to assist with bases, from where multiple platforms can take off. You can't launch ground operations into Iran, especially Special Forces, from the sea. Alternatively, though Trump is determined to finish off Iran's nuclear programme, he would much prefer a covert operation that delivers the same, rather than an open war. For that, too, Pakistan is the master player. It's been spying on Iran for years. That just before leaving, Sharif promised 'steadfast' support means little. Sharif himself means little then, and even less so now. But the time for slow operations is long past. Netanyahu's Israel is in full throttle. Stopping now is not an option. Any pause, and Iran will pursue its nuclear deterrent to the full. It does seem war is the only answer. And that brings in Pakistan. America Is Munir's Insurance All this suits Munir right down to the ground. The present Field Marshal couldn't be more unlike Ayub Khan, who, despite beginning the cycle of military interventions, was at least known to be a capable and shrewd leader. Munir is a patient, self-seeking personality, who jailed a Prime Minister and the former ISI chief for opposing him. That also indicates a vengeful spirit. Munir also seems to know his history. The only time Pakistan could actually pay its debts was when the US was pouring money into it for the Afghan war. The Pakistani media had noted that the US sanctioned $33.4 billion for reimbursements to Pakistan during the Afghan war, 44% of which was on account of services that Islamabad rendered to support Washington's anti-terror operations in Afghanistan. Here's another statistic. Claims of reimbursement were vastly inflated, until the assessment was that a full 70% of military aid was misspent, which meant that some $3.8 billion was diverted to fund not just the defence budget but luxurious villas for generals. Apart from that, the Bank of Pakistan inadvertently let out the fact that US reimbursements were vital to repaying Chinese loans. Once Trump pulled out his troops, that tap slowly switched off. By 2024, aid for Pakistan was a paltry $173 mn. Munir needs that to change. Especially after the expenses incurred by fighting an Indian attack. PM Modi has now been quoted as saying clearly that terrorism is an act of war. And Pakistan likes its terrorists to be reasonably active. What Happened After 26/11 Consider another history lesson. When the Mumbai attacks hit India in November 2008, US contractors, intelligence folks, and logistics personnel were thick on the ground, apart from US aircraft flying over Pakistan's airspace as they carried out the 'war on terror'. The Central Command was in charge, and its officers were in and out of the country. Furious decision-makers in India, contemplating punishment, would have had to contend with that, among other things. Now, as India threatens that 'Operation Sindoor' is far from over, US troops are a nice bit of insurance against Indian fury. But that also means more terrorism, not less. It's not the easiest play, but Pakistan has been there, done that, to its best advantage. Recall also that US operations had got Beijing, too, to open up its purse. After all, Chinese interest in the Gwadar port came only in the aftermath of the US invasion of Afghanistan. Prior to that, it had long turned a deaf ear to Pakistani sales talk. China Can Queer The Pitch There's only one thorn in this whole plan. This time around, it's not a Soviet-US fight, but a cold war with China. That brings the whole saga much closer to Asia, especially as Chinese cargo planes fly in aid for Iran. Things may get very ugly. But then, the Soviets had also gotten furious in the past, targeting Pakistani border posts and air incursions. There was another fallout that was rarely noticed: during this entire period, the grip of the military on Pakistan steadily increased. Nothing like war to sustain a security state. All in all, this could be a win for a Field Marshal bent on staying on for life. Shahbaz Sharif may as well put a cutout of himself in the Prime Minister's office and go home, and watch his favourite Turkish serials. He's been retired entirely.
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
Russia closely monitoring billionaire Samvel Karapetyan's arrest in Armenia, says Kremlin
Moscow/Yerevan, June 20 (UNI) Russia is closely monitoring the situation around Russian billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan's arrest in Armenia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "Of course, we are following it. For us, he is a Russian citizen. We do not want to interfere in Armenia's internal affairs, but naturally, we closely monitor everything related to a Russian citizen," Peskov told reporters on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), reports TASS. On Wednesday, a court in Yerevan arrested Karapetyan for two months on charges of public calls to seize power in Armenia, his lawyer Liana Gasparyan said. Karapetyan, a Russian citizen of Armenian origin, has drawn scrutiny after expressing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church amid its tensions with the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Condemning the arrest, Moscow Patriarchate (another name for Russian Orthodox Church) representative, Vachtang Kipshidze told Sputnik 'The Armenian Apostolic Church is the most authoritative social force in Armenian life. Its freedom, independence, and internal autonomy are non-negotiable. Any attempt to undermine them is unacceptable.' When defenders of faith and tradition like businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan are targeted, society risks trading stability for persecution, the Patriarchate warned. The detention of Karapetyan – a vocal supporter of the Armenian church – is part of a broader campaign to silence voices standing with Armenia's spiritual foundations, claimed Kipshidze. The Armenian Church in Moscow has also slammed the arrest, calling it shameful, and claimed that it was part of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's war with the Church, using fear tactics and repression to silence voices.
