Latest news with #KyivIndependent
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Russia's main condition to end war: Ukraine should destroy all Western weapons
Russia says Ukraine must destroy all Western weapons it has before any peace deal can happen. This was said by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in an interview with Russian state newspaper Izvestia on June 16. Grushko said all these weapons must be "reduced, disposed of, and guaranteed," but did not explain how exactly, as per reports. This demand is one of many hard conditions Russia gave to Ukraine in a "peace plan" during talks in Istanbul on June 2. Russia wants Ukraine to agree that Crimea and four other regions, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk, are now part of Russia. They also want all Ukrainian troops to leave these areas and stop fighting, according to the report by Kyiv Independent. Grushko warned that Western weapons sent to Ukraine are dangerous not just for Russia but also for Europe, saying these weapons might end up in illegal black markets. He called it "crazy" that politicians still send so many weapons. However, there is no real proof that Ukraine has sold or lost these weapons. Independent checks show Ukraine uses the weapons only to defend against Russia's invasion. This idea of weapons going to black markets is part of Russian propaganda. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like MD: Lotions Won't Tighten Crepe Skin! You Only Need This 1 Drugstore Item Miami MD Learn More Undo Ukraine's response Russia's plan would also stop Ukraine from joining NATO or any other military groups. It would also ban Ukraine's army from moving its troops and stop all Western help and intelligence sharing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russia's demands. He said Russia told Ukraine in Istanbul that their "peace memorandum" is really an ultimatum and Ukraine would not agree to it, as per an interview with Valasz Online. According to the report by Kyiv Independent, Ukraine wants peace too, but their plan focuses on helping people, like swapping prisoners, returning kidnapped children, and keeping the right to join the EU and NATO. Ukraine also wants to use frozen Russian money to rebuild their country and wants any easing of sanctions to happen only after a real, confirmed ceasefire. Live Events Two talks took place in May and June, but nothing important was agreed on. Russia won't stop fighting unless its demands are met, but Ukraine wants the fighting to stop right away. Even former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly frustrated with Russia for not compromising but has not added new sanctions against Russia, as stated by Kyiv Independent. FAQs Q1. Why does Russia want Ukraine to destroy Western weapons? Russia says these weapons threaten its security and might end up on illegal black markets. Q2. Has Ukraine accepted Russia's peace demands? No, Ukraine rejected the demands, calling them an ultimatum they cannot accept.
UPI
6 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Ukraine repatriates 1,200 civilian, military remains
A Ukrainian prisoner of war reacts following a prisoner swap at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Saturday. Photo by Stringer/EPA-EFE June 14 (UPI) -- Russia and Ukraine exchanged an unreported number of prisoners of war on Saturday during the fourth such exchange during the week. Ukraine also received the bodies of 1,200 dead civilians and military personnel from Russia. The bodies are in addition to 2,412 that were sent to Ukraine on Wednesday and Friday and are being released per agreements reached during recent negotiations in Istanbul, the Kyiv Independent reported. "The remains will now undergo forensic examination and identification procedures conducted by law enforcement investigators in cooperation with expert institutions under the [Ukrainian] Interior Ministry," officials for the Coordination Headquarters Prisoners of War said in a prepared statement. Identifying the bodies enables respective Ukrainian families to recover them for burial. Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers and civilians for each side for a total exchange of 12,000 bodies. Although the two nations agreed to exchange bodies, Russian officials said Ukraine did not return 1,200 bodies during Saturday's exchange. Russia and Ukraine are also exchanging prisoners of war who need medical care. Ukraine has transferred wounded Russian soldiers who have been captured, including many who were transferred directly from the frontlines. As cease-fire negotiations continue to end the war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has continued to strike Ukraine with drone attacks. Russia is on pace to strike Ukraine with nearly 7,000 drones, which would exceed the record number of 4,198 drones launched against Ukrainian military and civilian targets in March. "This is terrorism against the civilian population aimed to create a series of doom, war-weariness and to put pressure on the [Ukrainian] authorities," Liveuamap co-founder Rodion Rozhkovskiy told the Kyiv Independent. While the war in Ukraine and related negotiations continue in Istanbul, Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Donald Trump on Saturday to wish him a happy birthday and discuss matters in Iran during the one-hour call. "We talked at length," Trump said in a White House statement issued after the phone call ended. "Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week," Trump said. He said Putin knows Iran "very well" and agreed the war between Israel and Iran should end. Trump said he told Putin, "his war should also end" in Ukraine. The president did not offer more details on his conversation with Putin. Russian forces on Friday captured the Ukrainian village of Yablunivka, which is located in northeastern Ukraine and about 5 miles from the border between the two nations, Russian officials announced on Saturday. Russian forces also reportedly captured the villages of Koptevo and Komar in the eastern Donetsk region in Ukraine and six in total over the past week.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nine Ukrainian students hospitalized after deadly bus crash in France
Nine Ukrainian students remain hospitalized following a deadly bus accident in France that killed three Ukrainian nationals and injured dozens more, Ukrainian officials confirmed on June 14. The group, made up of students and teachers from Chernivtsi Oblast, was returning from an academic exchange when their bus veered off the road in the Sarthe department of France on June 13. While en route to Paris, the bus veered off the road for reasons still under investigation and flipped into a ditch. In addition to the four fatalities, French media reported nine people were seriously injured and 18 sustained minor injuries. According to Ruslan Zaparaniuk, governor of Chernivtsi Oblast, nine Ukrainian students remain hospitalized, though their conditions are stable. "All other people have received the necessary support, food, and temporary shelter and are now in safe locations," he wrote on Facebook. Zaparaniuk noted that Ukraine's Embassy in France is organizing the logistics to help the children return home and is assisting parents wishing to travel to France to visit their hospitalized children. Ukraine's Embassy in France said that a diplomatic team, led by Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko, traveled to the crash site and remains in Sarthe to support victims and coordinate with French authorities. According to the embassy, two people injured in the crash remain in critical condition. All other victims are receiving medical treatment and support from Ukrainian and French teams. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences in a June 13 statement, calling the accident "terrible news" and thanking French authorities for their solidarity and rapid response. Read also: Three Ukrainians killed in bus accident in France, Zelensky confirms We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump gave Putin a ‘two-week' deadline to consider peace in Ukraine. Instead, Russia just launched more drones.
A "two week" deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to see if Russia is serious about peace in Ukraine has been and gone, with Moscow's escalation of attacks on civilians during this period failing to draw the slightest condemnation from the White House. "We're going to find out very soon. It'll take about two weeks, or a week and a half,' Trump told reporters on May 28, responding to a question on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war. His comments came two days after Russia carried out the biggest drone attack of the full-scale war, which reportedly involved 355 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys. Since the deadline was imposed, this record has been broken twice — Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on June 1 with 472 Shahed-type attack drones, and on June 9, 479 drones and 20 missiles were launched against Ukrainian cities. The figures are stark. In March 2025, Russia launched 4,198 drones at Ukraine, which is so far the largest monthly number of drones launched during the full-scale invasion. But if the intensity of attacks so far in June continues, that figure could reach nearly 7,000. "This is terrorism against the civilian population aimed to create a sense of doom, war-weariness, and to put pressure on the (Ukrainian) authorities," Rodion Rozhkovskiy, co-founder of Liveuamap, told the Kyiv Independent. Despite previously hinting at the imposition of new sanctions against Russia if the Kremlin doesn't show a desire to end the war, Trump has so far taken no action against the ongoing escalation of violence by Moscow's forces. "Lately, every attack instills a huge fear that does not disappear until the air alarm is over." Instead, Trump on June 6 excused Russia's escalating attacks, saying Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, an attack on Russian bomber aircraft, "gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them." Operation Spiderweb was a clinical strike against legitimate military targets. Russia's drone strikes indiscriminately target civilians, illegal under international law. On June 12, for the first time since the launch of the full-scale invasion, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement to mark Russia Day. "On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day," Rubio said. "The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future." Meanwhile in Ukraine, a brighter future for those living in cities under near-nightly bombardment by the Russian people seems far out of reach. "Lately, every attack instills a huge fear that does not disappear until the air alarm is over," Kyiv resident Oleksandra Pshenychna, 20, told the Kyiv Independent. "The worst feeling that comes is despair accompanied by a sense of emptiness, inevitability, and hatred for those people who are behind the launch of Russian drones and missiles into residential buildings, cultural monuments, and crowds of people," she added. Russia's disregard for Trump's statements and threats long predates his two week deadline — data on Russian drone strikes clearly indicate that despite the U.S.-led peace process initiated after Trump took office, Moscow has launched larger drone attacks on civilians than it did during the presidency of Joe Biden. This is despite Trump's multiple promises to end the war in 24 hours, which then turned into 100 days. Trump has now been in office for 144 days. His search for a peace deal has seen a flurry of diplomatic meetings around the globe, severe and sustained pressure on Ukraine, and a reluctance to force any concessions from Russia. During this time, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine on a daily basis. Ahead of the second round of direct peace talks held in Istanbul on June 2, Russia killed 9 civilians and injured 49 others. "They [russians] are using all they can use — if they could use more, they would use more." Kharkiv resident Mykola Zhydkov told the Kyiv Independent that he has noticed that particularly heavy bombardments often actually coincide with peace process-related events that the White House portrays as positive steps towards a potential ceasefire. "On June 10, POWs were swapped. On the same night, Kharkiv suffered a major attack," Zhydkov said. With Trump so far failing to respond to Russia's escalating drone strikes, the Kremlin has little incentive to stop. All signs point to Moscow's defense industry only increasing its ability to launch ever-larger mass attacks. According to Rozhkovskiy, the only limiting factor in how many drones Russian can launch in any given attack is how many its factories can produce. "They are using all they can use — if they could use more, they would use more," he said. The Russian production surge is being facilitated by imports of components from China and the recruitment of low-skilled labor from foreign countries, including from those in Africa. Russia is also building new launch sites and will soon be able to deploy more than 500 long-range drones a night to attack Ukraine, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent last week. Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky plans to meet Trump at G7 summit — key takeaways from closed-door briefing
President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed plans for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit on June 17, according to the Kyiv Independent journalist who attended a closed-door briefing with Zelensky on June 13. "Both teams are working to ensure we meet," Zelensky said. The meeting would mark the third in-person encounter between the two leaders during Trump's second term in the White House. Their most recent meeting took place on April 26 at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where they spoke privately on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral. Both sides described the meeting as productive and constructive, though details remained sparse. Earlier in February, Zelensky met Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House when the infamous tense Oval Office exchange erupted, with Trump criticizing Kyiv's perceived lack of gratitude for U.S. support Zelensky said his priority is to discuss with Trump sanctions against Russia, peace talks, weapons purchase, and U.S.-Ukraine economic cooperation. "The United States communicates with the EU on sanctions at the level of senators and congressmen. But I want to raise this issue personally with President Trump," Zelensky said. "There are steps forward we can take — but we need the political will of the U.S. president, if he wants." He added that Ukraine has long prepared a "strong" weapons package to purchase from Washington. "Only at the presidential level can we finalize it," Zelensky said ahead of the G7 summit. Zelensky said that heavy fighting is ongoing along Ukraine's northeastern border. Russian forces have concentrated around 53,000 troops in the Sumy sector, pushing into multiple settlements such as Andriivka, Kindrativka, and Oleksiivka. According to the open-source monitoring group DeepState, Russian troops have been advancing along the border in Sumy Oblast, with the current front line lying just about 20 kilometers away from the regional capital of Sumy. According to media reports, Russia exploited a thinning of Ukraine's front-line forces, which were later replaced by newer, under-equipped formations. Zelensky said that Russia only pushed seven kilometers deep into Sumy, adding that the Russian army "has been stopped there." Zelensky added that Ukrainian forces had successfully struck Russian positions in the neighboring Russian Kursk Oblast, near Tyotkino, to stall Russian momentum and split their offensive groups. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky confirmed that small Russian reconnaissance groups had briefly crossed into Ukrainian territory — likely for propaganda purposes. One six-man unit was reportedly eliminated one kilometer from the administrative border. "For them (Russia), it's an important story, to take a photo, video," Zelensky said. "That's why they are launching small working groups to do just that." Earlier, the Kremlin has claimed the operations in Dnipropetrovsk are part of an effort to create a so-called "buffer zone." Ukrainian officials have rejected these claims as disinformation. Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 1 million, Putin's war economy heads toward breaking point When speaking about the recent escalation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, Zelensky said that the subsequent regional tension had driven up oil prices, enhancing Russia's war financing through energy exports. "This factor clearly doesn't help us," he said, adding that Ukraine will urge Washington to implement stricter price caps on Russian oil at the G7. He further revealed that U.S. weapons previously allocated to Ukraine, including 20,000 air-defense interceptors used to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones, were redirected to support Israel ahead of its recent strikes on Iran. "That was a serious blow... We were counting on these missiles," Zelensky said. Zelensky warned that Ukraine must not become "a bargaining chip" in larger geopolitical negotiations involving the U.S., Russia, and the Middle East. Russia and Iran have deepened their cooperation since 2022, with Iran supplying weapons and technology to boost Moscow's war machine. "I was constantly afraid that we could become a bargaining chip, just one factor in the negotiations between the United States and the Russians. So, along with the situation with Iran, the situation with Ukraine was also a factor. They are really dependent on each other," he said. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Zelensky voiced concerns about a slowdown in Western diplomatic momentum, particularly around the "coalition of the willing" initiative led by France and the UK. Earlier, media reported that the "coalition of the willing," aimed at offering post-ceasefire security guarantees to Ukraine, has faced delays due to the absence of U.S. commitment. "Europe hasn't yet decided what to do if America steps back," he said. "Their energy depended on U.S. resolve. Without it, things slow down." Still, Zelensky made clear that Ukraine would not accept any ultimatums from Moscow amid the uncertainty of Western support. He described the latest Russian ceasefire proposals as capitulation. "They pretend to be ready for talks, but all they offer is an ultimatum," Zelensky said. "We won't go along with that. Not now, not ever." Zelesnky also expressed optimism that the European Union's 18th sanctions package would pass later this month and said he would personally push for closer U.S.-EU coordination at the G7. Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine Zelensky confirmed that prisoner exchanges with Russia are continuing and that another round of direct peace talks with Moscow may take place soon after. "We expect that they (prisoner swaps) can be completed on the 20th or 21st (of June)," he said. Over the week, Ukraine and Russia held a series of exchanges under an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul. Most recently, on June 12, Ukraine brought home another group of severely wounded and seriously ill service members. The June 12 operation followed a similar swap two days earlier, both conducted without immediate disclosure of the number of released prisoners. The June exchanges are part of a phased prisoner swap arrangement agreed during the second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on June 2. While no political breakthroughs emerged from the discussions, both sides agreed to continue exchanging POWs and repatriating the remains of fallen soldiers. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
