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Recent Appearances...

Economy

London follows EU in lowering Russian oil price ceiling to $47.6 per barrel

2025-07-19

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Following the European Union (EU), Great Britain lowered the price ceiling for Russian oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. This was reported on July 18 by Reuters.

“The eighteenth package of EU sanctions against Russia includes a reduction in the price ceiling for crude oil to approximately $47.6 per barrel,” the publication says.

Earlier, the EU Council announced that, as part of the new package of anti-Russian sanctions, Brussels is introducing an automatic mechanism to change the ceiling on the price of Russian oil and reducing its maximum price from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. In addition, the EU has imposed a complete ban on operations with the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, including the supply of goods and services.

On July 18, the permanent representatives of the EU countries agreed on the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions. It will include restrictions on banks, as well as 105 vessels allegedly involved in the transportation of Russian oil. An oil refinery from India was also added to the list.

State Duma deputy Alexey Chepa said that Russia could take a number of steps in response to the 18th package of sanctions, which could significantly affect the economy of the European Union. The deputy also allowed for the possibility of new strikes on military facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine, emphasizing that in this case the effect of the new package of sanctions would be the opposite of what was expected.

Political scientist and specialist in interethnic conflicts Evgeny Mikhailov, in a conversation with the Regnum news agency, previously stated that for Russia this sanctions package will not change anything in a global sense, but Europe is thus driving itself even further into a corner.

More from regnum.ru
The West has revealed how Trump's sanctions will affect oil prices

The introduction of 100% duties on goods from the Russian Federation, the possibility of which was previously admitted by US President Donald Trump, would lead to a sharp increase in world oil prices. This was reported on July 17 by the CNN television channel, citing sources.

"World oil prices could rise sharply if Russia suddenly stops exporting more than 7 million barrels of oil a day," the article says.

The authors noted that the introduction of duties would have a negative impact on the situation in the two largest Asian markets - India and China, where they would begin to look for alternative supplies to avoid paying duties.

Using such restrictions to prevent other countries from buying Russian oil would be a "crude instrument of pressure" and could provoke "even greater chaos in the rest of the world," the report added.

On July 14, Trump said he was "very unhappy with Russia's actions" and threatened to impose secondary sanctions of 100% on goods from Russia if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Kiev within the next 50 days. He also expressed confidence that the arms supplies to Ukraine agreed upon with the EU would speed up the process of concluding a peace agreement.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated: Moscow wants to understand what is behind the US President's statement about "50 days". Russian President Vladimir Putin called for not being afraid of new sanctions and preparing for any developments. He repeatedly noted that the West wanted to weaken Russia with sanctions, but the restrictive measures had the opposite effect. The Russian leader emphasized the important stimulating role of Western sanctions for the development of the Russian economy.

Link

Afghanistan

'More effective than NATO': SCO welcomes Taliban and is not afraid of Trump

2025-07-16

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Gevorg Mirzayan

[TEGNUM] On Tuesday, July 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov concluded his major Asian tour. In the Chinese city of Tianjin, he took part in a meeting of colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and before the meeting he was received by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The success story at the meeting was unexpectedly Afghanistan, the same one that used to be the main threat to the SCO. They managed to find a common language with the Taliban. But Russia's relations with the US are not so cloudless - at the summit, Lavrov, taking advantage of the opportunity, spoke about the pressure that the United States is exerting on Moscow and other members of the organization.

The SCO itself has long been a model structure for a multipolar world. Firstly, it has no vertical leadership: everyone, from China to Kyrgyzstan, has an equal voice and veto power. Secondly, because the SCO includes rivals at odds with each other (for example, India and Pakistan) and thus encourages them to cooperate.

THE PILLAR OF EURASIAN SECURITY
This is primarily about cooperation in the area of collective defense. “ The SCO was initially created as an organization focused on economic cooperation. Now the economy has gone to BRICS, and the SCO is primarily concerned with security,” Nikita Mendkovich, head of the Eurasian Analytical Club, explains to Regnum.

It just so happens that all members of the organization are interested in stability, progressive development and the preservation of the secular nature of power in Central Asia. That is, simply put, it is necessary to protect the region from radical Islam and the influence of third overseas countries - those that are located far away, but still try to turn Central Asia into a source of unrest.

"It was decided to create a Universal SCO Center for Combating New Challenges and Threats in Tashkent on the basis of the current Regional Anti-Terrorism Center. At the same time, an SCO Anti-Drug Center is being created in Dushanbe, which will be linked by a special agreement and interaction procedures with the Center for Combating New Challenges and Threats, and a structure aimed at combating organized crime will be formed in Bishkek," Sergey Lavrov said following the meeting.

At the same time, some threats that have poisoned the atmosphere in Central Asia for decades have now been neutralized. For example, Afghanistan, with whose authorities Moscow has managed to reach an agreement. And not only Moscow. “Almost all SCO members are stepping up work with Kabul on a bilateral basis, and we are all united in the importance of effectively assisting in the restoration of this country and its sustainable development as an independent, neutral, peaceful state free of terrorism and drugs,” the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

This means that it is possible that Afghanistan will soon transform from a source of problems into a transit region for North-South transport corridors, and will also conclude agreements with Russia, China and other countries – “deals,” as US President Donald Trump would say – to develop its mineral wealth. Such equal agreements could also contribute to the growth of prosperity for ordinary Afghans.

Possible, yes. Have the Taliban given up their idea of an expansive Caliphate — Al Qaeda’s, if not their own?

"We can safely say that in the case of Afghanistan, the SCO succeeded more than NATO," Nikita Mendkovich sums up. It is not surprising, because when you respect other people's choice and sovereignty, and do not bomb weddings and do not teach other people how to live, these people are drawn to you.

THE BACKGROUND OF THE ULTIMATUM
The agenda of the meeting also included a topic that is outside the jurisdiction of the SCO – Ukraine. Lavrov spoke about the Kyiv regime’s refusal to negotiate, about the participation of Europeans in the SVO – but many were primarily interested in Trump’s fresh threat to introduce 100% tariffs against Moscow and its trade partners if an agreement that would end the armed struggle is not reached within 50 days.

Lavrov said that Russia responded to this statement calmly, making it clear that it would wait. "We want to understand what is behind this statement of '50 days'. There were 24 hours and 100 days before. We have been through all of this, and we really want to understand what motivates the President of the United States," the minister explained.

And the issue here is not so much about the motives for the threats - they are quite clear. Trump was, of course, driven by the desire to force the Kremlin to accept his scheme (which only assumed a deep freeze and did not take into account the goals of the SVO).

"Without the ability to convince Moscow within the framework of bilateral relations, the President of the United States, apparently, decided to do this through Russia's partners - members of the SCO. To put pressure on them so that they, in turn, put pressure on Moscow," Dmitry Suslov, deputy head of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, suggests in a conversation with the Regnum news agency.

The question is what the White House owner will do next. In Moscow, they believe that his new strategy is doomed to failure. "Our trade partners hear what has been said, but they can hardly predict their actions now. They have obligations, international obligations. And knowing these partners of ours, I do not see how they can abandon their independent policy," says Lavrov.

BENEFITS FROM PARTNERSHIP
The addressees of Trump's ultimatum are obviously such SCO members as India and China - the main buyers of our energy resources. It is highly likely that they will not refuse to purchase. Not only because of their independent policy, but also because of their unwillingness to lose the benefits of partnership.

China, which understands that Russia's importance as a major supplier of resources is only growing on the eve of an inevitable conflict with the United States, will not refuse. India, which, after the start of the NWO, sharply increased its purchases of Russian oil for processing at its refineries and subsequent sale as fuel and other oil products, is unlikely to refuse.

Last month, purchases reached an 11-month high of about 2.08 million barrels per day, according to Indian media.

"And on each barrel they save about 10 dollars. In general, Russia now accounts for 40 to 50% of all Indian crude oil imports," explains Igor Yushkov, a lecturer at the Financial University and an expert at the National Energy Security Fund, to Regnum.

Delhi does not want to lose this income, especially because of empty threats. “India has not yet responded to Trump’s threats. So far, he has only made words. When these words become actions, then there will be some kind of reaction,” Alexey Kupriyanov, head of the Indian Ocean Region Center at IMEMO RAS, explains to Regnum.

THE GENERAL LINE IS UNCHANGED
Moscow is betting on patient waiting, which has its own logic. Trump has made loud promises and threats on trade, security, and relations with allies more than once or twice. His threats rarely develop into specific systemic actions. Including because these steps, as it turns out, can often harm the United States itself more.

This was the case with the sharp increase in import tariffs for China – and this will most likely be the case with the threats of tariffs against the same India. If not Trump himself, then at least his advisers should remember how the story ended with Delhi, which was threatened for cooperation with Tehran several years ago.

At that time, these threats provoked the anger of Indian politicians, scientists and civil society in general. The attack on sovereignty had the opposite effect to what was desired. As a result, Washington, not wanting to lose a promising partner in South Asia, backed down.

We have stated that our common line on strengthening the SCO as one of the supporting pillars of a more just multipolar world order remains unchanged," Lavrov said following the meeting in Tianjin. According to him, this common vision is supposed to be reflected in the SCO development strategy until 2035.

Link

Home Front: Politix

White House Denies Reports Trump Calls to Attack Moscow and St. Petersburg

2025-07-16

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] US President Donald Trump did not call on the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg with American weapons. This was stated by White House press secretary Caroline Levitt on July 15.

Earlier, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, the American leader allegedly called on him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia.

"The Financial Times is notorious for taking words out of context to get more views as their paper dies. President Trump was simply asking a question, not encouraging more murder," Levitt told Fox News in response to the story.

She also clarified that Trump is currently “working tirelessly” to achieve a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

Earlier, the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the FT publication, also suggested that the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, according to the Kremlin spokesman, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media.

More from regnum.ru
Trump says Zelensky shouldn't target Moscow
US President Donald Trump said that the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, should not “take aim at Moscow.” This was reported on July 15 by Reuters.

“No, Zelensky should not attack Moscow,” Trump responded to a question from reporters about whether Kiev would be able to strike the Russian capital if the US supplied long-range weapons.

In addition, the head of the White House emphasized that he is not on anyone’s side.

As reported by Regnum, on July 15, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, Trump allegedly urged him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia. According to the article, the American leader views such strikes as part of a strategy that should "make the Russians feel pain" and "force them to sit down at the negotiating table."

That same day, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt denied reports that Trump had called for attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Levitt said the Financial Times had taken the words out of context to boost viewership as their paper was dying. Trump had simply asked a question, not encouraged further killing, she said.

According to the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media, the Kremlin spokesman added.

Even more from regnum.ru
Lavrov: Moscow wants to understand what is behind Trump's 50-day ultimatum
Moscow wants to understand what is behind the statement by US President Donald Trump about the need to resolve the Ukrainian conflict in 50 days. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 15.

"We want to understand what is behind this statement. 50 days. It used to be 24 hours. And 100 days. We have been through all this, and we really want to understand what motivates the US President," Lavrov said at a press conference following the SCO Foreign Ministers' Council.

According to the minister, European leaders for the most part “unceremoniously support” the requests of the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, and agree to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine to the detriment of taxpayers in their countries.

Earlier, columnists for the American newspaper The Washington Post noted in their article that Trump's ultimatum to introduce new trade tariffs within 50 days had caused concern among Western analysts. According to the authors, such actions could play into Russia's hands, giving it a strategic advantage.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on July 14, Trump said that he was "very unhappy with Russia's actions" and threatened to impose secondary sanctions of 100% on goods from the Russian Federation if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Kiev within the next 50 days. He also expressed confidence that the arms supplies to Ukraine agreed upon with the EU would speed up the process of concluding a peace agreement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, commenting on the words of the head of the White House, stressed that any actions that contribute to a ceasefire are important, but they must comply with international law.

President Vladimir Putin has previously called for not being afraid of new sanctions and preparing for any developments. He has repeatedly noted that the West wanted to weaken Russia with anti-Russian sanctions, but the restrictive measures have had the opposite effect.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

The Climax Ahead? 'New' Offensive of the Russian Army

2025-07-15

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Kremlin is allegedly planning a new offensive within the next two months, Western media write. What they say about this in Ukraine – read in the story.

Western publications have begun writing about a new offensive by the Russian army. The Kremlin is allegedly preparing a large-scale attack before the end of summer. This information appeared against the backdrop of increased enemy offensives in the Donetsk region and attempts to break through to the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region.

At the same time, the Center for Countering Disinformation warns that such headlines in the media are Russian propaganda; why this is so, read the story.

WHAT JOURNALISTS WRITE AND WHO THEY REFER TO
Yesterday, the German newspaper BILD published an article stating that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is ignoring calls for peace by intensifying shelling of cities in all regions of Ukraine. Moreover, the Kremlin is preparing a new offensive before the end of the summer.

As journalists write, Putin allegedly takes advantage of the fact that in the fourth year of the war, interest in Ukraine in the world has diminished, so Ukrainians are subjected to constant shelling, day and night.

The publication also reports, citing one of the propaganda Telegram channels, that the commander-in-chief of the Russian army personally reported to Putin on readiness for a new phase of the war. He allegedly also presented a plan for an offensive "in the second half of the summer."

According to BILD, the offensive will allegedly spread not only to the occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, but also beyond their borders.

At the same time, Moscow is already seeking support for possible further waves of attacks. Thus, the article cites the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who "highly appreciated the heroic support of North Korean soldiers" during his visit to North Korea.

In particular, in order to free Russian troops from border service, it is planned to transfer their functions to the North Korean military. We are talking about 30 thousand soldiers, whose training was agreed upon by the Kim Jong-un regime.

Sources from Ukraine confirm in a comment to the publication: Putin is not interested in real negotiations, otherwise the conditions would be different.

Today, the American publication Axios continued this topic.

The media outlet, citing unnamed sources familiar with the conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump, said the Russian dictator told the head of the White House that he intends to intensify military operations in eastern Ukraine over the next 60 days.

As stated in the article, during their conversation on July 3, Putin stated that Moscow intends to continue offensive operations until it secures full control over the administrative borders of the occupied Ukrainian regions.

"He wants to take everything," Trump reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron afterward.

WARNING FROM THE CPD
The head of the National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, initially criticized BILD for its information about Russia's new offensive.

"'The Kremlin is planning a new offensive' - it is always hard to find more senseless material than in BILD. There is a complete lack of understanding of either the front or the events. They read telegrams, often Russian ones, and write articles that are quoted here. By the way, they say they received this information from the 'Russian General Staff'. Well, you get the idea," he wrote.

Later, Kovalenko added that Putin still plans to introduce new reserves to continue the meat assaults in the East. However, this should not be perceived as a new offensive.

According to him, Russian propaganda will try to present the continuation of the summer campaign as a new stage of the military operation.

"Because Putin set the task of capturing Ukrainian cities in the East back in 2024, but the Defense Forces thwarted these plans. All that Russia has done since then is introduce more and more new reserves. They have not come up with anything new now either. Changing the intensity of one offensive that has been going on for more than a year," Kovalenko explained.

EVALUATION OF THE RUSSIAN SUMMER CAMPAIGN
The President of Ukraine also stated the day before that the Russian army had significantly lagged behind its command’s expectations regarding the summer offensive.

During a meeting with the military command, Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation in key defense areas: Pokrovsk, Novopavlovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv and Sumy.

"We see the enemy's intentions and attempts to develop offensive actions, and it is important that each such attempt is choked thanks to the resilience of our units and active defense. The Russian army has significantly lagged behind the expectations of its command for this summer," the president wrote.

Zelensky also announced new strikes against the enemy, which will be "focused on destroying the occupier and transferring the war to Russian territory."

Link

The Grand Turk

On the side of a historical rival. Why Erdogan supported Iran

2025-06-16

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kamran Gasanov

[REGNUM] Israel's attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on the night of June 12-13 came as a shock to many countries in the Middle East.

It cannot be said that it was unexpected, since Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia had asked Donald Trump the day before not to use force against Iran, since a retaliatory strike could hit American bases on their territory.

Did they mean it, or was that merely face-saving posturing?

But the escalation that began, which was very difficult to control, especially given Trump’s own compliments to the Israeli army (IDF), seriously frayed the nerves of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his colleagues in the GCC and one of Israel’s main antagonists in the region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The poor darlings, all of whom — except, in the medium term, Turkey — are considerably safer now than they were before. Turkey needs to hope that President Trump will protect them from Israel’s ire, given how awful they’ve been in that direction, but after seeing how Iran was not protected, perhaps ought not be as smugly sanguine as they were…

The first official reaction from Ankara began to come closer to midday on June 13. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of violating international law, destabilizing the region and provoking the US-Iran talks.

Because America needs to be white knighted like that…

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz announced that Turkey "strongly condemns the Netanyahu administration's aggression," which has no legitimate justification and is aimed at undermining regional stability.

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Israel's actions were plunging "the region and the world into flames."

Hystarical much? Given how carefully Israel has targetted her hits, even Iran in general is not plunged into flames — exactly as was observed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.

The head of the Turkish presidential administration's communications department, Fahrettin Altun, said the strikes on Iran showed "how dangerous the genocidal Netanyahu administration has become for the region and world peace."

Speaking via social media that evening, Erdogan summarized the positions of his comrades, repeating the theses about Israel’s intention to disrupt the negotiations between Iran and the United States, violating international law and destabilizing the region, but adding emotional assessments.

The attacks, he said, demonstrate "the Israeli mentality of breaking all rules" and that the international community needs to stop "Israeli banditry."

You going to bell the Israeli cat, perhaps? No? Then we know what to think about you.

The Turkish president's words, bordering on insult, are in fact resonating with millions of Muslims, and especially Arabs, who have been watching the extermination of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza for almost two years.

Either in their heart of hearts they don’t believe what they say, or they are cowards, all. Either is acceptable.

Israel uses force not only in Palestine, but also in neighboring Lebanon and Syria. After the change of power in Syria to the pro-Turkish Ahmed al-Sharaa, Ankara has another point of conflict with Netanyahu.

The IDF has been shelling Turkish military base construction sites in Syria. In May, Turkey and Israel, brokered by Trump, launched de-escalation talks in Baku, but the prospects for normalization have become even more dim after Israel’s attack on Iran.

Israel has had normalization with Turkey. Several times, as Erdogan’s mood and calculations wax and wane. It no longer seems a goal worth striving for, given how quickly President Erdogan turns negative.

At the same time, Erdogan has no sympathy for Iran or its “axis of resistance,” to put it mildly. Turkey has been butting heads with pro-Iranian Bashar al-Assad in Syria for many years. In December 2024, Ankara effectively drove the Iranians out of Damascus.

Against this background, Europe has another argument to stop isolating Ankara and move towards rapprochement with it. For the EU and Britain, Turkey has become a window of access to Syria - the first visits of European foreign ministers were organized by the Turkish side.

When Trump began to question America’s participation in ensuring European security and gradually “withdrew” from support for Ukraine, Turkey’s importance for the Old World increased to the skies.

However, they will still not be able to become allies: there are too many contradictions.

Europe is trying to split the Turkic world - Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan disowned Northern Cyprus at the EU summit. Erdogan's activity in the Mediterranean with attempts to divide maritime borders with Libya and Syria worries Cyprus, Greece, France and other EU members.

The Iranian issue, although not the main point of divergence between Turkey and the EU, does not add sugar to the tea of the Turkish-European partnership.

While Erdogan accused Netanyahu of banditry, European countries quickly changed their tune. If yesterday they threatened to impose sanctions on Israel for its new operation "Gideon's Chariots", now Germany, France and Great Britain are talking about its "right to self-defense".

Erdogan did not quarrel with the Europeans because of their hypocrisy. Firstly, because investments, trade and defense projects with Europe are important and necessary for him. And secondly, despite all the hatred for the "murderer Netanyahu", Iran is not the topic for which it is worth taking such a principled position.

As in the previous year, when Iran and Israel also exchanged blows and sabotage, Turkey is again formally on Iran’s side. Erdogan needs to show solidarity with the Islamic world and its protector in the face of Israeli expansion. Last summer, he even proposed creating an “Islamic army” in response to the killings in Gaza and attacks on Lebanon.

It is worth remembering that Iran and Turkey have historically been competitors in the region. In the first half of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire waged grueling wars with the Safavid Empire for control over eastern Anatolia, Kurdistan, and the South Caucasus. And at the present stage of history, Türkiye and Iran are still competing for influence in the Middle East and the South Caucasus.

Iran was very unhappy with the plans to create the "Zangezur Corridor" between Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan and Turkey. Erdogan took over one of Iran's proxies, Syria, and is forcing competition on Iran in Shiite Iraq, implementing the "Development Road" project there, connecting Istanbul with the Persian Gulf.

Despite the objective competition, the situational interests of Turkey and Iran in relation to Israel coincide. Both Erdogan and Ayatollah Khamenei want to stop the war in Gaza and oppose further Israeli expansion in Lebanon and Syria.

Turkey is not happy with the breakdown of the “nuclear negotiations” because Ankara is interested in lifting sanctions against Iran.

Under the Obama administration, Turkey's Halkbank was indicted in the U.S. for circumventing these restrictions in the Zarrab affair, a scheme that involved several members of Erdogan's cabinet.

Tehran and Ankara, despite all their problems, manage to keep competition within reasonable limits. That is why Erdogan unilaterally expressed condolences to the “friendly and brotherly people of Iran,” ignoring the losses on the Israeli side.

International crises involving Muslim countries are always an opportunity to strengthen relations with the Islamic world, in which Türkiye is extremely interested.

Erdogan's first call was to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, whose rhetoric toward Israel has hardened, and the King of Jordan. Calls were also made to two other allied states that are extremely sensitive to relations with Israel.

The Turkish president tried to convince Syrian leader Al-Sharaa not to get involved in the confrontation between Iran and Israel, since such a situation would require Turkey to declare war on Israel, and in fact, on the US and NATO.

Consultations were also held with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is allied with Israel, and it was important for Erdogan to hear from Baku that it would not provide its territory for an attack on Iran. After all, in that case, Tehran could strike Azerbaijan, which would force Turkey to act within the framework of the "Shushin Declaration."

In the context of the Iranian-Israeli standoff, another point has been identified from the point of view of Turkey's interests. The fact is that Russia and the United States are working to put an end to the conflict. After a conversation with Vladimir Putin, the American leader announced that they both believe that the war must end.

On the same day, June 14, Erdogan called Trump and said that Ankara was ready to make every effort to prevent uncontrolled escalation. On June 15, Fidan discussed de-escalation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Erdogan, judging by Trump's compliments, Turkey's mediation in the dialogue between Al-Sharaa and the head of the White House and the Istanbul talks with Marco Rubio, enjoys the US President's great respect. Russia still counts on the "Istanbul format" of negotiations with Ukraine and appreciates Erdogan's efforts to resolve the conflict.

Inspired by relative successes in Ukraine and support from the Kremlin and the White House, Erdogan may try on the role of peacemaker in the Iran-Israel conflict.

Unlike Eastern Europe, where Ankara manages to maintain “equally close” contacts with Kiev and Moscow, in the Middle East conflict, Erdogan’s candidacy as a mediator will clearly not be approved by Israel. However, Türkiye can become a mediator between the US and Iran.

In October 2024, before Iran launched strikes on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, the Turkish Foreign Ministry, at the request of the State Department, tried to dissuade Tehran from attacking, calling on the US and Iran to make reasonable decisions.

Ankara may make a new attempt at mediation, but its success will depend on Trump's ability to stop new Israeli attacks.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russia and the US have tentatively agreed to move talks from Istanbul

2025-06-11

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian and American sides have preliminarily agreed to move negotiations on diplomatic irritants from Istanbul to their capitals. This was reported on June 10 by Moscow's Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev.

“It is important, however, that there is movement forward, although it is entirely reversible, and it is measured by such a tangible result as the preliminary decision taken during the last round of consultations on April 10 of this year in Istanbul to move them to [their] capitals,” he said in an interview with TASS.

Darchiev was also asked whether the current US administration is taking concrete steps after declaring its readiness to normalize relations with the Russian Federation. The diplomat noted that relations between the countries are still far from being restored, since this process is not easy. Its progress is being slowed down, in particular, not only by opponents of the White House in the person of the "deep state", but also by "hawks" in Congress, where there is a stable anti-Russian lobby, the ambassador said.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, earlier on June 10, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov reported that Moscow and Washington are planning to hold a third round of consultations to discuss bilateral irritants in the near future. At the same time, he noted that it is too early to talk about a specific date for the discussions.

Ryabkov also added that Russia still expects a clear response from Washington to its proposals, including the return of Russian diplomatic property.

The first meeting of the Russian and US delegations took place on February 27 in Istanbul and was devoted to the work of the diplomatic missions of the two countries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that Moscow sees progress in the issue of normalizing the work of the embassies.

Link

International-UN-NGOs

Lavrov recall Stalin's proposal to move the UN to Sochi

2025-06-10

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

My suggestion would have been Gay Paree, but Sochi seems to be the better idea.
[Regnum] When the UN was founded, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin proposed to locate the organization in Sochi, and this option would have been better. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on June 9.

"It would be best to move the UN to Sochi. Stalin, by the way, proposed this - and seriously proposed it. But then he went to meet [US President Franklin] Roosevelt. First Long Island, then New York, Manhattan," the minister said, speaking at the "Forum of the Future - 2050."

Now, according to Lavrov, it is impossible to move the UN to another location, since all its structures are firmly established in New York. This applies not only to the buildings, but also to the employees of the organization who bought apartments there.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, US President Donald Trump proposed suspending most mandatory and all voluntary contributions to UN agencies, including the World Health Organization and UNESCO, in his draft federal budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The document will be considered by Congress.

On June 4, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, reported that the United States is the largest debtor to the UN. As of the beginning of 2025, the country's debt amounted to $2 billion.

Political scientist, director of the Institute of Modern State Development Dmitry Solonnikov in a conversation with the Regnum news agency noted that the US has repeatedly criticized the activities of the UN. Trump and members of the American administration directly say that the US is pursuing its agenda through this international structure. If some organizations do not agree with this, then Washington does not see the need to finance them and provide preferences.

Link

-Short Attention Span Theater-

Explosion rocks US Air Force base in Japan, casualties reported

2025-06-10

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] An explosion occurred at the US Air Force base "Kadena" in Japan. Four servicemen were injured. This was reported on June 9 by the Kyodo news agency, citing the country's Defense Ministry.

It is specified that the emergency occurred at a facility on the territory of an American base, controlled by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

The explosion occurred as Japanese troops were preparing to dispose of unexploded ordnance.

The agency wrote that all four victims were soldiers from the Naha Garrison of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. They suffered lacerations to their hands and were stunned.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on October 11 that Russia is concerned about the new militarization of Japan. He noted that the country is increasingly taking part in naval exercises with NATO members, and also supports the United States' initiatives to create a global missile defense system (MD).

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jihadists Launch Deadly Attack On Russian Airbase On Syria's Coast

2025-05-24

(ZeroHedge] In another clear indicator of just how drastically everything has changed in Syria in the wake of Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December last year, a militant group attempted to storm Russia's Hmeimim air base on Syria’s coast on Wednesday. Already the future of the base is uncertain, but Russia has still been maintaining it - given also Hmeimim is Moscow's only airbase on the Mediterranean.

"Militants attacked a Russian air base in Syria, killing two soldiers, a Syrian government official and a local activist said Wednesday," according to The Associated Press. Russian statements, which offered little detail, did not indicate if the slain were Russian soldiers or possibly foreign nationals who were contractors.

At least two militants were killed during their assault on the airbase. They are being widely reported as foreign Islamist fighters affiliated with the new Syrian government's military under President Sharaa (Jolani).

The Jolani/HTS government has tried to distance itself from the attack, as it is still seeking diplomatic normalization with Russia and a reset in relations:

The government official said the two militants who were killed were foreign nationals who had worked as military trainers at a naval college that was training members of the new government’s military. He said they had acted on their own in attacking the base and were not officially affiliated with any faction.

Damascus has on Thursday deployed additional forces in an effort to stabilize the security situation in villages near the airbase.

"The city of Jableh and the villages surrounding the Russian Hmeimim air base in the Jableh countryside are witnessing a security alert. Heavy deployment of public security forces has been observed in the villages of Al-Sharashir and Al-Qubaisa, both close to the base," the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says.

SOHR had further described "clashes in which medium and heavy machine guns were used, coinciding with the sounding of alarm sirens inside the base" - when the incident unfolded.

One regional outlet has said Russian soldiers were killed, and that it was Uzbek terrorists behind the assault:

According to a report by the Erem outlet, the 20 May attack resulted in the killing of three Russian soldiers and the injury of at least six others. The report says the attack was carried out by an Uzbek-led faction, which afterwards began to mobilize in the village of Al-Sharashir, just two kilometers from the base.

Erem also said the Uzbek armed group, responsible for past atrocities including the killing of children, have displaced and intimidated scores of residents and have seized homes in in the nearby town.

#BREAKING | Islamist militants reportedly affiliated with ruling HTS attacked Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria around 4–5 AM. Russian forces returned fire, reportedly killing four militants. https://t.co/UQGcfjWqt0 pic.twitter.com/JorasQW3My
— The Global Eye (@TGEThGlobalEye) May 21, 2025

This coastal area near Latakia has for months seen attacks and massacres conducted by Islamic militant factions against the minority Alawite community of Syria. Christians and Druze have also been targeted.

Thousands of Alawites have been reported killed, and while the Jolani government has formally condemned the killings, eyewitnesses have consistently said the attacks had the involvement of HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) fighters, which remains the ruling faction in Damascus.

During the height of the sectarian killings, Alawite families sought refuge at Hmeimim air base in large numbers. Many thousands have been camped out on the base tarmac, with at times Russian troops seen handing out food and water and necessities of survival.

Back in March, Alawites expressed their distrust of HTS provided "security"...

HTS AlQaeda reps try to convince Syrian Alawi refugees to leave the Russian Hmeimim air base and go home. "Trust us now, mistakes happen, things got out of control". pic.twitter.com/JIpzSHpAB0

— tim anderson (@timand2037) March 18, 2025

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week expressed particular concern about the chaotic situation in Syria, where he said extremist militant groups are carrying out "real ethnic cleansing and mass killings based on ethnic and sectarian identity". He blasted what he called the West’s "stunning" indifference to mass killings acts of terrorism.

The strong comments followed in the wake of President Trump meeting with Syria's Sharaa while in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. This stunned even some Washington officials, given that Sharaa/Jolani has long been a US-designated terrorist. Trump has said he wants to give Syria a fresh start, and also announced the US will drop sanctions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week told a Senate hearing that Syria could collapse within just weeks; however, he didn't acknowledge in the testimony that it was the CIA's Operation Timber Sycamore which served to weaken and destabilize the country in the first place.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russia will not agree to a ceasefire without stopping arms supplies to Ukraine

2025-05-11

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:

Therefore, the war continues...
[ColonelCassad] Russia will not agree to a ceasefire without stopping arms supplies to Ukraine

Russia needs to see “certain dynamics” on the battlefield before agreeing to a long-term ceasefire, Peskov told ABC.

He also stressed that arms supplies from Ukraine’s backers must cease before there can be a pause in the fighting.

“Otherwise, it will be to Ukraine’s advantage. Ukraine will continue its total mobilization, transferring new troops to the front lines. Ukraine will use this period to train new troops and give those it already has a rest,” Peskov stressed. “

Putin is doing everything possible to solve the problem, to achieve a settlement by peaceful and diplomatic means. But without peaceful and democratic means at hand, we are forced to continue the military operation,” he added.

Quite logical. A ceasefire with continued mobilization and arms supplies is simply another version of Minsk-2 with a predetermined outcome. So, of course, such a ceasefire is not beneficial to Russia. And those who propose it, of course, know this. That is why they are proposing it.

P.S. Today, on the night of May 11, the "festive" truce ends and the fighting will continue as usual. In fact, it has not stopped in most areas. The enemy claims that Russia is going to launch a powerful missile strike on Kiev in the near future

PS2. The "coalition of the willing" (Macron, Merz, Tusk and Starmer) showed up in Kiev today on the last day of the "truce" to discuss a strategy for putting pressure on Russia. Of course, they will not stop arms supplies.

More from regnum.ru
Kremlin: Armistice Should Not Be Accompanied by Arms Supplies — 1171st Day of the SVO
The temporary ceasefire declared by the Russian side should not be accompanied by arms supplies to Ukraine, said the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov in an interview with the American television channel ABC News. A fragment of the statement was broadcast on May 9.

The Kremlin representative explained that the ammunition arriving daily from the United States and European countries, together with the total mobilization and transfer of new troops to the combat zone, give the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) an advantage. The discussion of this topic, among other things, marked the new, 1171st day of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

The ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory came into force at 00:00 Moscow time on May 8 and will end at 00:00 Moscow time on May 11. The Russian side expected that the Kiev authorities would follow suit. However, there was no ceasefire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On May 9, the Ministry of Defense reported that Kiev militants had made four attempts to break through the Russian state border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as 15 attacks and one reconnaissance in force.

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin noted that if the United States stops supplying weapons to Ukraine, the Ukrainian conflict will end in two to three months.

Details are in the broadcast by IA Regnum.

Even more from regnum.ru
Peskov said Russia would consider a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire
Russia will consider the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict zone. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov.

"Russia will consider the proposal for a 30-day truce, but it has its own position on the introduction of a ceasefire," the Kremlin spokesman said in an interview with CNN.

Peskov also clarified that Russia is open to peaceful dialogue, but attempts to put pressure on it on this issue will not be successful.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on May 10, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that the republic was ready for a complete ceasefire in the conflict zone for 30 days. According to him, during the meeting in Kiev, the participants of the "coalition of the willing" (France, Germany, Poland and Britain) also called US President Donald Trump - and they all supported the initiative for a ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have demanded that Russia agree to a 30-day ceasefire and threatened new sanctions and increased military aid to Ukraine in case of refusal.

Peskov previously emphasized that without taking into account the nuances, it is impossible to meaningfully discuss a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. In particular, Western arms supplies to Ukraine must be stopped.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained earlier: Moscow is in favor of negotiations without preconditions, and the demand for a 30-day truce is precisely one of these preconditions. Lavrov also recalled that Kiev had previously consistently violated all agreements.

President Vladimir Putin previously indicated that in order to resolve the situation in Ukraine, it is necessary to withdraw the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions and officially recognize the return of these regions to the Russian Federation. In addition, Kiev must refuse to join NATO, the rights of Russian-speaking citizens in the territory it controls must be ensured, and Western sanctions against the Russian Federation must be lifted. The President emphasized that it is necessary to eradicate the root causes of the conflict and achieve peace, not a truce.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 27, 2025

2025-04-28

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.01 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the issue of Crimea's status is not part of the negotiations with the United States to end the war in Ukraine. He said this in an interview with CBS News.

Lavrov emphasized that this issue has supposedly already been resolved, and Russia, they say, is not negotiating the integrity of its territory.

21.39 Intense fighting continues in the Pokrovsky direction – Russian troops have stepped up their assaults, but continue to suffer significant losses. This was reported by DeepState analysts.

The most difficult situation remains in the areas of Elizavetovka, Tarasovka, Staraya Nikolaevka, Lisovka, Uspenovka, as well as in the areas of Shevchenko-Peschanoe and Kotlino-Udachnoye.

19.44 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would agree to a ceasefire only if Western support for Ukraine ceased. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said this in an interview with the CBS News television channel.

The presenter recalled that Kyiv accepted the US proposal for a complete ceasefire on March 11, but Moscow put forward additional conditions.

"No, these are not preconditions," Lavrov replied. "These are lessons we have learned at least three times when we concluded agreements similar to the one we are discussing now," he added, referring to the preliminary ceasefire agreements in Minsk.

Lavrov again stated that in order to achieve a new ceasefire, the West must stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

18:56 EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius is convinced that the ban on Ukraine's accession to NATO makes it easier for Russia to plan its next aggression. He stated this at Platform X.

"Russia demands "no NATO" for Ukraine not because it fears a NATO offensive against Russia from Ukrainian territory, but because it fears that NATO will defend Ukraine during the next Russian aggression. The demand for "no NATO" for Ukraine makes it easier for Russia to plan new aggression," the European Commissioner explained.

18:36 Fighters of the 12th special forces brigade of the Azov NGU captured three Russian soldiers in the Toretsk direction. This was reported by the press service of the unit.

Russian attack aircraft from the Toretsk direction "drove" into the defenders' captivity on scooters.

18:17 Since the beginning of the day, 69 combat clashes have already occurred on the front; fighting is still ongoing in three directions of the front, most of all in Pokrovsky.

17.32 On April 27, President Volodymyr Zelensky heard a report from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky on the situation in specific areas of the front.

"Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky reported on the situation at the front. The situation remains difficult in many areas. By the middle of this day alone, there have been almost 70 Russian assaults on our positions. The fighting continues. The occupier continues to attempt offensives. I am grateful to each brigade, to all our soldiers who are defending Ukrainian positions and demonstrating the resilience that Ukraine needs. Most of the fighting is in the Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, Limansk and Kursk areas. Our military continues active defensive actions in certain areas of the Kursk and Belgorod regions," Zelensky noted.

15.19 Three people were killed in Konstantinovka as a result of another shelling by the Russian army on April 27. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk OVA Vadim Filashkin.

"New victims in Konstantinovka: three killed, four wounded," he noted.

14.00 Russia continues to recruit foreign mercenaries for the war against Ukraine. From April 2023 to the end of May 2024, more than 1,500 foreigners were recruited in Moscow. This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence.

According to British intelligence, the largest number of volunteers came from South and East Asia (771 people), followed by the former Soviet republics (523 people) and African countries (72 people).

Analysts believe that recruitment of foreigners in Russia is unsystematic. Most volunteers agree to sign contracts for money and the prospect of receiving Russian citizenship.

13:43 The meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US leader Donald Trump at the funeral of Pope Francis had a special spirit that will inspire new ideas to end the war, Polish President Andrzej Duda said.

"It is in the interests of Poland and the Poles that this war ends with a just peace, which will also give us a guarantee of peace, so that we can truly develop peacefully, without fear of being attacked," he stressed.

13.05 Air defense destroyed 48 Russian missiles and almost 800 drones in a week. Among the downed targets were ballistic and cruise missiles. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Over the past week, Ukrainian air defense destroyed 841 targets:

31 Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles;

7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles;

6 Kalibr cruise missiles;

4 guided aircraft missiles Kh-59/69;

442 Shahed-type attack UAVs;

114 reconnaissance drones;

237 UAVs of other types

11:46 The Russian army is preparing to integrate the use of motorcycles during offensive operations in Ukraine in the summer and fall, according to a report by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts say Russia is likely preparing to systematically integrate the use of motorcycles into offensive operations in Ukraine this summer and fall to neutralize the capabilities of Ukrainian drones.

10.20 At night, as a result of Russian shelling, fires broke out at different addresses in Zhitomir. A warehouse building and dry grass were burning. Residential buildings, utility buildings and cars were also damaged. One person was injured.

09.44 At night, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 149 attack UAVs. Damages to 57 UAVs have been confirmed in the east, north, south and center of the country. 67 enemy drone imitators have been lost.

The enemy attack damaged Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Donetsk, Sumy and Cherkasy regions.

09.16 At night, Russian troops attacked Odessa region with attack drones. A three-story residential building and cars were damaged in Odessa district. A 35-year-old local resident was injured.

08.57 A man was killed and a 14-year-old girl was injured in an enemy drone attack in Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region. This was reported by the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.

"At night, the enemy once again sent drones to the region. 13 of them were destroyed by the defenders of the sky. But, unfortunately, there are also consequences. A man was killed in one of the attacks in Pavlograd. A 14-year-old girl was also injured. She is under medical supervision," he wrote on Telegram.

Two apartment buildings were damaged in the city. A fire broke out in one of the buildings.

08.36 Over the past 24 hours, 174 combat clashes have been recorded on the frontline. The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the Kursk direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

07.45 As of April 27, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 948,640 people (+1030 per day).

4.20 The DeepState analytical project has refuted the statement of the Russian military leadership about the alleged complete "liberation" of the Kursk region and the expulsion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units.

The enemy has advanced in the Kursk region, but the Kursk operation is still ongoing. The Ukrainian military is tracking and striking Russian logistics, troop concentration areas and other objects.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 25, 2025

2025-04-26

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:45 US President Donald Trump commented on the talks between his special representative Steve Witkoff and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

The American leader called the meeting "good." "US Ambassador Whitkoff had a good meeting," Trump said.

The US President did not provide any details regarding the conversation between Whitkoff and Putin.

22.18 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must immediately sign the rare earth metals agreement. This was stated by American leader Donald Trump in Truth Social.

"Ukraine, led by Volodymyr Zelensky, has still not signed the final documents regarding a very important agreement with the United States on rare earth metals. The delay is at least three weeks. It remains to be hoped that it will be signed immediately," the US President wrote.

21:50 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a series of diplomatic meetings that should bring the ceasefire closer.

"In the coming days, very important meetings may take place that should bring peace closer to Ukraine. An unconditional ceasefire is needed. Real pressure is needed on Russia so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal - any proposal that can really work and guarantee a reliable, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and then a decent peace and security guarantees," Zelensky said in an evening video address.

21.37 Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control over the temporarily occupied Crimea, but the world has various ways to put pressure on Russia to discuss territorial issues. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

21.20 Ukraine and the European Union responded to US President Donald Trump's "peace plan" by conveying to the States their ideas for ending the war with Russia.

According to Reuters, during a meeting in London on April 23, Ukrainian and European officials conveyed to the Americans their ideas for ending Russia's war against Ukraine. The agency has learned what the common peace plan between Ukraine and the European Union looks like.

20.05 The Ukrainian delegation handed over to the American delegation in London a response to the peace proposals of the Donald Trump administration, including on security guarantees. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the head of state, Ukraine, together with its European partners, during a working meeting in London on April 23, proposed "our vision of the proposals made by the United States."

The proposals touch on issues of security guarantees, in particular, alternatives to Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

"There are absolutely constructive proposals there, as I said, both the contingent and the format of the fifth amendment (Article 5 of the NATO Treaty on Collective Defense – ed.). Not the fifth amendment itself, but specifically those forces and the kind of protection that the fifth amendment provides for in NATO countries," the president explained.

19.00 Kremlin Chief Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff held three-hour talks. The Russian dictator's aide Yuri Ushakov spoke about the details of the meeting.

19.00 Kremlin Chief Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff held three-hour talks. The Russian dictator's aide Yuri Ushakov spoke about the details of the meeting.

18:36 In less than four months of the current year, the Russian occupation army has lost more than 1,000 tanks. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.

18:25 China is "seriously concerned" that its citizens are participating in the war against Ukraine on Russia's side, so Kiev remains open to dialogue with Beijing to resolve this issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhy said.

"We believe that between countries that have an established dialogue, all problematic issues should be resolved only through dialogue. We remain open to dialogue with China," he said.

18.07 American President Donald Trump does not have a single deadline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He told reporters this before flying to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. However, on April 24, Trump announced such a deadline for an agreement - "his own deadline" by which peace must be achieved.

17:36 The North Korean ballistic missile that Russia used to strike Kiev on April 24 contained at least 116 components from around the world. Most of them were produced by American companies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

17.18 Russian troops attacked the territory of the Kherson Parks CP in the afternoon of April 25, four utility workers were injured, vehicles were damaged. This was reported by the Kherson GVA. It is noted that three drivers and a cleaner were injured. The injured are in satisfactory condition and all are receiving the necessary medical care.

16:53 The 8th Airborne Assault Corps has been created in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It includes six combat brigades that fought during the ATO/JFO, as well as those formed after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was reported on the Facebook page of the new unit. The corps commander is Hero of Ukraine, Colonel Dmytro Voloshin, who has led the 82nd Bukovina Airborne Assault Brigade since 2024.

16.50 Any foreign military personnel who intend to participate in the parade in Moscow on May 9 must realize that they will be marching side by side with people who committed war crimes in Ukraine, said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi.

"I will repeat our general attitude towards the event that Moscow will call the "victory parade" on May 9. We believe that the Russian military who will march on Red Square on May 9 not only have nothing to do with the victory over Nazism, but are also, in all likelihood, participants in war crimes against Ukrainians," he said.

15.49 Ukraine does not change its key positions on the end of the war. While the "peace plans" spread in the media do not correspond to reality. This was stated by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Georgy Tykhy during a briefing.

15.33 Ukrainian law enforcement officers detained and arrested a foreign vessel that was part of Russia's "shadow fleet". The dry cargo ship was transporting agricultural products from the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine, the SBU reported.

15.10 A meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff is taking place in Moscow. This was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

14.13 Currently, a number of contacts with the US at various levels are in progress. This was stated by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Georgiy Tykhyi, at a briefing in Kiev. He assured that Ukraine had not received official signals from the US about their withdrawal from the peace process.

13:59 The car of a leading Russian designer exploded in the Russian city of Bryansk. The liquidation occurred at the very moment when the Russian got into the car together with his colleague.

13.42 Today's "arrival" in Saki, Crimea, hit the building of the deputy chairman of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. This was reported by the Atesh partisan movement on its Telegram channel.

12:54 The son of CIA Deputy Director Julian Gloss, 21-year-old Michael Gloss, died at the front in Ukraine, fighting for Russia. He was liquidated on April 4, 2024.

11:30 US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff has arrived in Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. This was reported by Russian media. The Bombardier Global 7500 business jet was flying direct from Miami Airport and landed at Moscow's Vnukovo.

11.06 Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have killed 622 children in Ukraine. More than 1,924 children have been injured to varying degrees of severity. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General. It is noted that the largest number of children were injured in the Donetsk region - 640, Kharkiv - 490, Kherson - 208, Dnipropetrovsk - 235, Kiev - 136, Zaporizhia - 177, Mykolaiv - 118, Sumy - 134.

10:53 On Friday morning, Russian invaders dropped a FAB-250 guided air bomb on a house in the village of Yarovaya in the Liman community - a father and son were killed. This was reported by the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office.

10.40 A Romanian citizen has been detained in Sochi (Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation) on suspicion of collecting data on the region's air defense. This was reported by Russian media with reference to the FSB.

10.23 An FSB informant has been detained in Donetsk region. He turned out to be a 55-year-old unemployed man from Slavyansk who was adjusting the attacks of the Russian Federation on the Defense Forces in the Slavyansk and Kramatorsk areas. This was reported by the SBU on April 25.

9.48 Shooting took place at the Zaporizhzhya NPP on April 24. Over the course of a week, constant explosions and shots have been recorded in the area of the facility. This was stated on the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi.

9.29 The Russian army most intensively attacked the Pokrovskoe, Limanskoe, Toretskoe and Kursk directions. Over the past 24 hours, 175 combat clashes occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

9.23 Since the evening of April 24, Russians have attacked Ukraine with 103 attack UAVs and other types of drone imitators, 41 drones were shot down, and another 40 did not reach their target. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.

8.59 The rescue operation at the site of the Russian strike on a residential building in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kyiv has been completed. The search lasted more than a day. This was reported by the State Emergency Service on Telegram.

8.46 The Russian army attacked Pavlograd with drones. As a result of the incident, three people died. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak on his Telegram channel.

7.58 Russians have lost 1,170 soldiers at the front over the past 24 hours. This is evidenced by the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

7.27 The Russian Federation has deployed a missile carrier to the Black Sea, so Ukraine continues to be under threat of shelling from the south. This is evidenced by the morning report of the Ukrainian Navy.

04.25 Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has criticized US peace proposals after the April 24 attack on Kiev, saying Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is being rewarded for killing Ukrainians. He says that despite the many casualties, recent peace proposals offer Putin the chance to keep the occupied territories, control Ukraine's future by banning it from joining NATO, avoid sanctions, gain an economic partnership with America, and time to rebuild his military strength before further aggression.

03.44 A container train recently arrived in Russian-occupied Crimea for the first time after passing through other occupied territories of Ukraine. The train came from the Sverdlovsk Railway of the Russian Federation and traveled more than 3,000 km in less than five days.

02.22 President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that over the past 24 hours, almost 150 Russian attacks against Ukrainian positions and more than 4,500 shellings, including with the use of heavy weapons, have been recorded. The most tense situation, according to the president, has developed in the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians were trying to develop assault actions "under the cover" of their massive strike.

01.14 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Kremlin is ready to reach an agreement with the United States on Ukraine. However, he noted that some elements need to be "reworked." Lavrov also spoke about US President Donald Trump and his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

"The President of the United States believes, and I think it is fair, that we are moving in the right direction," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Link

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