Tag: Vladimir Putin

Trump’s Russian Oil Sanctions Disrupt Imports to India and China
A view shows the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft’s Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow, Russia on April 28, 2022. © Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
Trump has unleashed a barrage of sanctions on Russia’s oil behemoths, Rosneft and Lukoil, sending shockwaves through global energy markets and forcing America’s key Asian trading partners—China and India—to rethink their cozy deals with Vladimir Putin’s war machine. The move, announced Wednesday amid a fresh Russian missile barrage on Kyiv that claimed seven lives including children, marks Trump’s first direct punch at Moscow’s energy lifeline since reclaiming the White House. It’s a clear signal: Enough with the empty summits and fruitless phone calls. Time for America to squeeze Putin until he sues for peace in Ukraine.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rocketed 5% Thursday to $65 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate surged over 5% to nearly $60—reflecting traders’ bets on tighter supplies as Russia’s two largest producers, which pump out 3.1 million barrels per day and account for nearly half of Moscow’s crude exports, face isolation from Western finance. That’s a potential $100 billion annual hit to Russia’s coffers, per Bloomberg estimates, at a moment when the Kremlin’s war chest is already strained by three years of battlefield stalemates and a stumbling economy.
Trump, speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, didn’t mince words: “Every time I speak to Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere.” The president scrapped a planned Budapest summit with Putin just days ago, opting instead for the sanction hammer after Moscow rebuffed his ceasefire overtures. “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” echoed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who framed the penalties as a direct assault on the “Kremlin’s war machine.” With Rosneft—headed by Putin’s crony Igor Sechin—and the private giant Lukoil now blacklisted by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), plus 36 subsidiaries frozen out of U.S. markets, Trump is betting big that choking off oil revenues will drag Putin to the table.
This isn’t just tough talk; it’s targeted leverage. Russia’s oil and gas sector props up a quarter of its federal budget, fueling tanks, drones, and troops in Donbas. By design, the sanctions include a grace period until November 21 for global buyers to wind down deals, but the real teeth lie in secondary penalties: Any foreign bank, trader, or refinery touching Rosneft or Lukoil risks U.S. wrath, from asset freezes to SWIFT exclusions. “Engaging in certain transactions… may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions,” the Treasury warned pointedly. For Trump, it’s classic Art of the Deal—turning economic pain into diplomatic gain, much like his Gaza ceasefire triumph earlier this year.
India Feels the Squeeze: A Trade Deal Lifeline?
Nowhere is the ripple more immediate than in India, where refiners are scrambling to slash Russian imports that ballooned to 1.7 million barrels per day in the first nine months of 2025—up from a negligible 0.42 million tons pre-war. “There will be a massive cut,” one industry source told Reuters Thursday, as state-run giants like Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petroleum pore over shipping manifests to purge any Rosneft- or Lukoil-sourced crude. Reliance Industries, India’s top private buyer and locked into long-term contracts for nearly 500,000 barrels daily from Rosneft, is “recalibrating” imports to align with New Delhi’s guidelines, a company spokesman confirmed.
Over the past month, India, along with China and Brazil, has been at the centre of criticism from the West, mainly the US, for its purchase of Russian oil. © PTI
This pullback couldn’t come at a better time for U.S.-India relations, strained by Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian exports—half explicitly tied to Moscow’s oil fire sale. In a Tuesday call, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Trump that Delhi “was not going to buy much oil from Russia” and shares his goal of ending the Ukraine bloodbath, per White House readouts. Sources close to the talks say the sanctions could shatter a diplomatic logjam, paving the way for a bilateral trade pact that levels the playing field for American farmers and manufacturers. “We’re talking about bringing India’s tariffs in line with Asian peers,” one U.S. trade official told The Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal on background. “Wind down the Russian crude, and we wind down the duties. It’s a win-win: India saves on overpriced alternatives, and we get fair trade.”
Senior Indian refinery execs, speaking anonymously to Bloomberg, called the sanctions a “game-changer,” rendering direct Russian buys “impossible” amid fears of U.S. blacklisting. Exports to India hit $140 billion since 2022, but at what cost? Discounted Urals crude shielded New Delhi from energy inflation, yet it undercut Trump’s peace push and emboldened Putin. Now, with global prices spiking, Indian consumers may pay more at the pump—but the strategic upside is huge: Stronger ties with Washington, access to U.S. LNG, and a seat at the table in Trump’s post-war reconstruction bonanza for Ukraine.
Critics in the Beltway whisper that this pressures Modi too hard, but let’s be real: India’s neutrality has been a fig leaf for profiteering off Putin’s aggression. Trump’s move forces accountability, reminding allies that America’s security umbrella isn’t free. As former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst put it to the BBC, these sanctions “will certainly hurt the Russian economy… It’s a good start” toward genuine negotiations.
China’s Reluctant Retreat: Xi’s Putin Problem
Across the border, Beijing’s state behemoths—PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Zhenhua Oil—are hitting pause on seaborne Russian crude, Reuters reported Thursday, citing trade insiders. China, which snapped up a record 109 million tons last year (20% of its energy imports), has been Putin’s economic lifeline, laundering sanctions via “shadow fleets” of ghost tankers. No longer. The quartet’s suspension, if it sticks, signals a seismic shift: Even Xi Jinping, Putin’s “no-limits” partner, can’t ignore the U.S. financial guillotine.
Trump, fresh off Gaza, sees this as his opening. “Xi holds influence over Putin,” he said Wednesday, vowing to press the issue at next week’s APEC summit in South Korea. No secondary tariffs on China yet—unlike India’s 25% slap in August—but the threat looms. “Will the U.S. actively threaten secondary sanctions on Chinese banks?” mused ex-State Department sanctions guru Edward Fishman on X. Short answer: Expect pullback, at minimum. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry blasted the measures as “unilateral bullying,” but actions speak louder: With Rosneft and Lukoil cut off, Chinese traders face pricier middlemen or a pivot to Saudi or U.S. barrels.
For Russia, it’s a gut punch. China and India gobble 70% of its energy exports; losing even 20-30% could slash GDP growth from its anemic 1.5% forecast (per IMF) and force trade-offs between bombs and breadlines. “As profit margins shrink, Russia will face difficult… financing a protracted war,” notes Michael Raska of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Dr. Stuart Rollo at Sydney’s Centre for International Security adds that while the sanctions won’t cripple Russia’s industrial base overnight, they “may coerce [it] into accepting peace terms” if paired with Trump’s deal-making flair.
Putin’s Bluster Meets Economic Reality
Vladimir Putin, ever the tsar, struck defiant Thursday: “No self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure,” he told Russian reporters, dismissing the sanctions as an “unfriendly act” that won’t dent Moscow’s resolve. Yet cracks show. He conceded “some losses are expected,” and warned of “overwhelming” retaliation if Ukraine gets U.S. Tomahawks—though that’s more theater than threat. Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s hawkish ex-president, raged on Telegram: “The U.S. is our enemy… Trump has fully sided with mad Europe.” But even Kremlin-linked analysts like Igor Yushkov admit Asian buyers will shy away, hiking costs via shadowy intermediaries.
Russia’s shadow fleet—aging hulls under UAE flags—has dodged G7 caps before, sustaining flows despite EU embargoes. “New sales schemes will simply appear,” boasts military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk. Fine, but at what price? Logistics snarls could add $5-10 per barrel, eroding the discounts that hooked India and China. With the EU mulling its 19th sanctions package—including an LNG import ban—and the UK already aboard on Rosneft/Lukoil, isolation is setting in. The Guardian reports Putin floated delaying the Budapest talks for “proper preparation,” but that’s code for stalling.
Will this end the war? Analysts like Bill Taylor, another ex-U.S. envoy to Kyiv, call it an “indication to Putin that he has to come to the table.” It’s no silver bullet—Russia’s pivoted before, and military momentum in Donbas favors Moscow. But Trump’s calculus is sound: Freeze lines, cede nothing more, and let sanctions do the talking. “If we want Putin to negotiate in good faith, we have to maintain major pressure,” Herbst urges. Under Biden, dithering let Putin dig in; Trump’s resolve is restoring deterrence.
Stock Widget
Wall Street cheered the news, with energy stocks like ExxonMobil XOM +3.00% ▲ and Chevron CVX +2.50% ▲ on prospects of higher prices and U.S. export booms. Yet Felipe Pohlmann Gonzaga, a Geneva-based trader, cautions the 5% Brent spike “will correct” amid global slowdown fears—China’s property bust, Europe’s recession. Still, for American producers, it’s manna: Permian Basin output hits 6 million barrels/day, and Trump’s LNG push could flood Asia, undercutting Russia’s Urals at $55-60.

The EU’s frozen Russian assets—$300 billion—now fund a fresh Ukraine loan, per Brussels talks. And as Trump eyes a “cut the way it is” armistice, preserving Zelenskyy’s gains without endless aid, taxpayers win too. No more blank checks; just smart pressure.
In this high-stakes energy chess game, Trump’s sanctions aren’t just hurting Russia—they’re realigning alliances, punishing enablers, and clearing the board for peace. Putin may bluster, but with India and China peeling away, his war of attrition is cracking. As Trump heads to APEC, the message to Xi and Modi is clear: Join the winning side, or pay the premium. America’s back in the driver’s seat, and the pump prices? A small price for freedom.
October 23, 2025
U.S. Military Observes Russia-Belarus Drills as Trump Nears Minsk
A Belarusian Mi-35 attack helicopter flies during the joint Russia-Belarus “Zapad-2025” military drills near Borisov, Belarus September 15, 2025. © REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
U.S. military officers observed joint war games between Russia and Belarus on Monday for the first time since Moscow used Belarus as a launchpad to enter Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump deepens ties with Moscow’s closest ally.
The presence of the U.S. officers, less than a week after neighbouring Poland shot down Russian drones that crossed into its airspace, is the latest sign that Washington is seeking to warm ties with Belarus.
Last week, Trump’s representative John Coale visited Minsk and said Trump wanted to reopen the U.S. embassy there soon, normalise ties and revive trade.
The U.S. military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Western foreign policy analysts speculate that Trump may be trying to peel Belarus away from Russia, a strategy widely viewed as unlikely to succeed, or to exploit its close ties with Moscow to promote a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryan Shoupe observes the joint Russia-Belarus “Zapad-2025” military drills near Borisov, Belarus September 15, 2025. © REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
At least two U.S. military officers – Air Force Lt. Col. Bryan Shoupe and another unidentified officer – were in Belarus to observe the “Zapad-2025” war games, which were also being watched by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.
Fighter jets, attack drones and helicopters flew over a training ground hemmed in by trees as infantry practised firing automatic weapons, mortars and missile systems and riding into combat on motorcycles.
The exercise, being held at training grounds in both countries, is a show of force that Russia and Belarus say is designed to test combat readiness.
But it has unnerved some neighbouring countries after the drone incursion into Poland as Moscow’s war in Ukraine grinds towards its fourth year. Warsaw has temporarily closed its border with Belarus as a precaution.
Long a staunch Russian ally, President Alexander Lukashenko allowed Moscow to use Belarus to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and has since allowed Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Trump, who has suggested that the drone incursion may have been the result of a mistake, last week lifted sanctions on Belarus’s national airline Belavia, allowing it to service and buy components for its fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft.
Russian and Belarusian flags fly at a training ground during the joint Russia-Belarus “Zapad-2025” military drills near Borisov, Belarus September 15, 2025. © REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
He did so after Lukashenko – who regularly talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was given a friendly hand-signed letter from Trump by Coale – agreed to free 52 prisoners, including journalists and political opponents.
Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenikov personally greeted the two U.S. officers, who shook his hand and, speaking in Russian, thanked him for inviting them.
“We will show whatever is of interest for you. Whatever you want. You can go there and see, talk to people,” the minister told the Americans, who declined to speak to reporters afterwards.
Their attendance was presented by the Belarusian defence ministry as a surprise.
“Who would have thought how the morning of another day of the Zapad-2025 exercise would begin?” it said in a statement, noting their presence among representatives from 23 countries including fellow NATO member states Turkey and Hungary as well as China, Ethiopia and Indonesia.
The last time the Zapad (“West”) drills were held, in 2021, a U.S. military official based in Ukraine travelled to Belarus to watch them.
September 15, 2025
India Draws Criticism for Joining Russia-Belarus War Games
A helicopter gunship participates in joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near Barysaw, Belarus, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. © Pavel Bednyakov/AP
In a bold move that has hawkish conservatives in Washington raising alarms, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dispatched troops to participate in Russia and Belarus’s Zapad-2025 military exercises—drills widely seen as a rehearsal for conflict with NATO neighbors. This “red line” crossing comes amid unraveling relations between New Delhi and the Trump administration, fueled by trade tariffs and perceived slights, signaling Modi’s willingness to cozy up to Vladimir Putin at a time when the free world needs reliable allies against Moscow’s aggression.
The Zapad maneuvers, kicking off last Friday and wrapping up Tuesday, showcase Russia’s military might with around 30,000 troops from Russia and Belarus spread across Belarus, Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, the Baltic and Barents seas, and training grounds east of Moscow. At the Borisovsky Training Ground in central Belarus, journalists witnessed a spectacle of firepower: Su-34 fighter bombers dropping bombs, tanks and artillery unleashing barrages, and drones—reconnaissance, kamikaze FPV, and bomber variants—swarming the mock battlefield. Ground-based robots even simulated recovering wounded troops, a nod to lessons from the grinding war in Ukraine.
These exercises, meaning “West” in Russian, simulate defending against a Western assault on Belarus, with special emphasis on countering Poland’s troop buildup along the border. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin stressed the drills’ defensive nature, pointing to NATO’s “militarization” on their western flank. “We are demonstrating our openness, our peace-loving nature, but we must always keep our powder dry,” he told reporters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed this, insisting the games are about “continuing military cooperation” between allies, not targeting any third country—though he bluntly accused NATO of being “de facto engaged” in the Ukraine war through aid to Kyiv.
Servicemen attend joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near Barysaw, Belarus, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. © Pavel Bednyakov/AP
Tensions are sky-high after nearly two dozen Russian long-range drones breached Polish airspace last week—the largest such incursion ever into NATO territory. Warsaw shot down at least three with F-16s and Dutch F-35s, calling it intentional escalation. Poland responded by closing its Belarus border and airspace, deploying 40,000 troops. Lithuania and Latvia followed suit, shuttering their Belarusian borders. The drills are expected to feature nuclear demonstrations, Zircon hypersonic missile launches, and operations with the nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile—already used against Ukraine.
Enter India: Modi’s government has sent a 65-strong contingent, including elite troops from the storied Kumaon Regiment, to the Mulino training ground near Nizhny Novgorod, Russia—safely away from NATO’s edges. Comprising 57 army personnel, seven from the air force, and one from the navy, the Indian team is engaging in joint training, tactical drills, and special arms skills. New Delhi’s defense ministry framed it as a way to “further strengthen defence co-operation and foster camaraderie between India and Russia, thereby reinforcing the spirit of collaboration and mutual trust.”
From a conservative viewpoint, this is less about “camaraderie” and more about Modi hedging his bets in a multipolar world, prioritizing cheap Russian arms over strategic alignment with the West. India, long Moscow’s top weapons buyer, has joined Zapad before—even pre-Ukraine invasion—but this year’s participation feels particularly tone-deaf. It follows Modi’s schmoozing with Putin and Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where he hailed India’s “special and privileged” ties with Russia. With the exercises moved deeper into Belarus to avoid provoking the West, and even U.S. military observers in attendance (alongside Turkey and Hungary), the optics are terrible: a nuclear-armed democracy training with aggressors while America foots the bill for Ukraine’s defense.
A tank rolls during joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near Barysaw, Belarus, on Sept. 15, 2025. © Pavel Bednyakov/AP
U.S. relations with India are hitting turbulence under President Trump. Just a month after Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin, his proposed Putin-Zelenskyy meeting remains in limbo, and he’s balked at new Russia sanctions unless NATO allies curb Russian oil buys and slap tariffs on China. Trump dismissed the Polish drone incursions as possibly “a mistake”—a claim Polish PM Donald Tusk shot down: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.” Adding insult, Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on most Indian goods, hosted Pakistan’s army chief, and boasted of “ending” an India-Pakistan clash.
David Merkel, a former U.S. State Department Europe and Eurasia chief turned geostrategy consultant, didn’t mince words: “India’s active participation in the Zapad exercise, following the drone incursion on Poland and chilling relations between Washington and New Delhi, raises concerns about the future extent of the US-India security relationship.” He added that it shows Modi “leaning on” Moscow amid “uncertainty” with Trump. German analyst Ulrich Speck called it a “red line” crossed, while Finnish expert Sari Arho Havren labeled the involvement “unnecessary and terrible optics.”
This thaw in U.S.-Belarus ties—evidenced by envoy John Cole’s visit lifting sanctions on Belavia airline, plans to reopen the Minsk embassy, and the release of political prisoners—only heightens the irony. Two U.S. officers observed Monday’s drills, shaking hands with Khrenin, who welcomed them warmly. Yet India’s deeper dive underscores a broader conservative worry: as Russia grinds on in Ukraine (where manpower shortages have shrunk Zapad to a fraction of past scales—the 2023 edition was canceled outright), allies like India are playing footsie with the bear, emboldening Putin while straining the transatlantic alliance.
Modi’s gamble might secure short-term arms deals, but it risks long-term isolation from the West. With Zelenskyy pressing for sanctions and NATO on edge, Trump’s “America First” doctrine demands partners who pick sides—not straddle the line. If India keeps this up, the Quad’s anti-China pivot could falter, leaving the Indo-Pacific vulnerable just as Beijing eyes Taiwan.
September 15, 2025
Trump Abandons Tariff Threats on China Following Summit with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk on the tarmac after they arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug.15, 2025. © Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump said after his Aug. 15 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that progress made in the talks means that he will not immediately consider imposing additional tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil—but hinted that he might have to “in two or three weeks.”
Trump has warned that if Russia does not move toward ending the war in Ukraine, the United States will impose sanctions directly on Moscow. He has also threatened secondary sanctions—penalties on countries such as China and India that continue to buy Russian oil despite U.S. pressure.
China and India are the largest buyers of Russian oil, providing Putin and his military with revenue that allows the Kremlin to keep the war against Ukraine going. Trump already hit India with an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods—bringing the total to 50 percent—explicitly citing its ongoing purchases of Russian oil as the reason.
Even though China is the biggest single buyer of Russian oil, Trump has not imposed similar tariffs or penalties on Beijing. Were he to ramp up Russia-related sanctions and tariffs, China and its slowing economy would suffer a sharp blow. Such a move would risk breaking a fragile U.S.–China trade truce, agreed to in order to give the two sides time to negotiate a broader deal.
Trump was asked by Fox News’s Sean Hannity, in an interview on Aug. 15, for his thoughts on the secondary tariffs against China and other buyers of Russian oil.
“Well, because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that,” Trump replied.
“Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well.”
At the height of their trade fight earlier this year, the United States hit Chinese imports with 145 percent tariffs, prompting Beijing to retaliate with 125 percent duties. The two sides have since scaled back, with current rates down to 10 percent on the United States and 30 percent on China.
After a two-day meeting in Sweden in late July, the world’s two largest economies signaled that they may extend the temporary trade truce to keep talks going. With the agreement set to expire on Aug. 12, Trump signed an executive order granting a 90-day extension of the tariff pause on China to permit further negotiations.
At their Alaska summit, Trump and Putin said they agreed on numerous points but fell short of securing a deal that would bring about a cease-fire in Ukraine, something Trump has been pushing for.
Trump said on Aug. 16 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Washington early next week for a meeting in the Oval Office.
“If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The meeting, set for Aug. 18, has been confirmed by Zelenskyy, who said in a post on X that “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace.”
We had a long and substantive conversation with @POTUS. We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump.

Ukraine reaffirms… pic.twitter.com/64IPVhtFaB
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025

Both Trump and Putin said the Aug. 15 meeting set the stage for continued dialogue and stronger prospects for a peace deal.
In his interview with Hannity, the U.S. president said that there was agreement on many points, but that there were “one or two pretty significant items” left to settle, with the president expressing confidence that they can be resolved.
“Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done, and I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit,” Trump said.
August 18, 2025
European Leaders to Convene at White House for Meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a coalition of European leaders at the White House on Monday, August 18, 2025, to advance negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. The meetings, which include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, follow an inconclusive summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.
“Big day at the White House tomorrow,” Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday evening. “Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” The schedule includes a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy at 1 p.m. EST, followed by a welcome for European leaders at 2:15 p.m., a family photo at 2:30 p.m., and a multilateral discussion. The talks aim to address Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire, Putin’s territorial demands, and potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Alaska summit, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, failed to secure a ceasefire, a key demand of Ukraine and its allies. Trump had warned Putin of “very severe consequences” if he rejected a ceasefire, but post-summit, the U.S. president shifted his stance, advocating for a direct peace agreement. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on August 16, announcing Zelenskyy’s visit.

Territorial Demands and the Donbas Question
A major sticking point in negotiations is Putin’s demand for control over Ukraine’s Donbas region, comprising Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, where Moscow currently holds nearly all of Luhansk and about 70 percent of Donetsk. Two European sources told NYBudgets that Putin offered to freeze the frontline in Ukraine’s southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in exchange for Donbas control, a proposal Zelenskyy has firmly rejected. Putin, post-summit, emphasized addressing “root causes,” citing the protection of Russian-speaking populations in Crimea and southeast Ukraine as a justification for Russia’s invasion, a claim widely disputed internationally.
In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump urged Zelenskyy to “make a deal,” suggesting in a Truth Social post that the Ukrainian leader could end the war “almost immediately” but referenced contentious issues like Crimea’s annexation in 2014 under President Barack Obama and Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. “No getting back Obama given Crimea … and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE,” Trump wrote, reflecting Putin’s opposition to NATO expansion.
Security Guarantees on the Table
A critical focus of Monday’s meetings will be security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump told reporters before the Alaska summit that the U.S. and Europe could offer guarantees short of NATO membership, a goal Ukraine has long pursued but Russia opposes. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union on August 17, revealed a significant concession: Putin agreed to allow the U.S. and European nations to provide Ukraine with “Article 5–like protection,” akin to NATO’s collective defense clause, where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. “It was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that,” Witkoff said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) meets with U.S. President Donald Trump during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025. © Piroschka Van De Wouw/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Brussels on August 17, welcomed Trump’s openness to such guarantees, though Zelenskyy noted that specifics remain undefined. These guarantees, and the roles of the U.S. and Europe, will likely dominate discussions.
Diplomatic Dynamics and Past Tensions
The meeting comes after a strained February encounter between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, which ended abruptly due to a heated exchange. This time, Zelenskyy is joined by European allies, including two leaders with recent ties to Trump. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who bonded with Trump over golf at Mar-a-Lago in March, discussed Ukraine and offered Finnish icebreakers, leveraging Finland’s expertise in their production. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who praised Trump’s leadership at a June NATO summit in The Hague, has also built rapport, though his description of Trump as a “daddy” resolving disputes drew criticism for being overly deferential.
The urgency of the talks is underscored by prior engagements. A virtual meeting before the Alaska summit, involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy, Merz, and other leaders, reaffirmed that peace talks require a ceasefire and respect for international borders, per a Ukrainian government statement. Posts on X, including one by Zelenskyy on August 16, emphasized Ukraine’s stance against ceding territory, highlighting the need for “reliable security guarantees.”
As Trump hosts this critical summit, the absence of a breakthrough in Alaska raises the stakes. The outcome could shape the trajectory of the deadliest European conflict since World War II, with millions of lives and global stability hanging in the balance.
August 18, 2025
Putin Accepts US, European Security Offer for Ukraine, Claims Trump Associate
WASHINGTON — In a significant development in efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff revealed on August 17, 2025, that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow the United States and European allies to provide Ukraine with NATO-style security assurances during the August 15 Alaska peace summit. The concession, described as a potential breakthrough, could pave the way for a peace deal to halt the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Witkoff detailed the agreement, stating, “We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO.” He emphasized the unprecedented nature of Russia’s stance, noting it was “the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.” Article 5 of the NATO Charter mandates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, obligating collective defense.
The announcement follows the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Putin, which, while failing to secure an immediate ceasefire, made strides toward broader peace negotiations. Witkoff called the agreed-upon “robust security guarantees” a “game-changing” step, highlighting that the U.S. and Russia discussed legislative protections within Russia to prevent further territorial incursions in Ukraine. “We didn’t think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article 5 protection from the United States,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on August 17, welcomed Trump’s commitment to such guarantees. “We welcome President Trump’s willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine,” she said, adding that the European Union and a “coalition of the willing” are prepared to contribute. Zelenskyy, however, cautioned that details remain unclear, stating, “There are no details how it will work, and what America’s role will be, Europe’s role will be and what the EU can do.” He stressed that security guarantees must function practically, akin to NATO’s Article 5, and include Ukraine’s path to EU accession.
Challenges in Securing a Ceasefire
The Alaska summit did not yield a ceasefire, a key demand from Ukraine and its allies. Trump had previously warned Putin of “very severe consequences” for rejecting a truce, but Witkoff explained that the administration pivoted toward a comprehensive peace deal after significant progress in Alaska. “We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal,” Witkoff said, noting “moderation” in Russia’s approach to negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also Trump’s national security adviser, echoed this sentiment on ABC’s This Week, warning of “additional consequences” if no peace agreement is reached. However, he acknowledged that a truce is unlikely without Ukraine’s direct involvement. “The minute you issue new sanctions, your ability to get them to the table will be severely diminished,” Rubio said on NBC’s Meet the Press, advocating for a full peace deal over new sanctions. He cautioned that both sides must compromise, as “if one side gets everything they want, that’s not a peace deal. It’s called surrender.”
Rubio, speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, described the security guarantees as a “very big move” by Trump, reflecting his commitment to peace. “It tells you how badly he wants peace, how much he values peace, that he would be willing to make a concession like that,” he said. Rubio noted that administration officials consulted with European national security advisers on August 16 to refine negotiation points for future talks with Russia.
Land Swaps and Ongoing Negotiations
A major hurdle remains the issue of territorial concessions, particularly Russia’s demand for control over Ukraine’s Donbas region. Witkoff clarified that any “land swap” is a decision for Ukraine, not the U.S., saying, “The president is respectful of it, but that’s why we’re moving so quickly to a meeting on Monday.” The White House meeting on August 18 will include Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, aiming to clarify security guarantees and address territorial disputes.
Witkoff expressed cautious optimism, stating, “Everybody agreed that progress was made. Maybe not enough for a peace deal, but we are on the path for the first time.” Rubio, however, tempered expectations on CNN, noting, “We’re still a long ways off” due to significant areas of disagreement, including borders and military alliances.
The Alaska summit and upcoming talks reflect intensified U.S. efforts to broker peace, building on Trump’s virtual meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders before the Putin summit. Posts on X, such as one by Christopher Miller on August 17, highlighted Witkoff’s announcement as a potential turning point, though unverified claims about Russia’s territorial demands underscore the complexity of the negotiations.
As Trump prepares to host Zelenskyy and European leaders, the focus on NATO-style assurances signals a potential shift in the conflict’s trajectory, though unresolved issues like territorial control and ceasefire terms remain critical challenges.
August 17, 2025
Trump, Putin Convene in Alaska for Crucial Peace Talks
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin convened at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday, August 15, 2025, in a high-stakes summit aimed at ending more than three years of war in Ukraine. The meeting, held at Alaska’s largest military facility, marks the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and carries significant implications for global stability.
The choice of Alaska, once part of the Russian Empire before its sale to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million, added historical resonance to the summit. A blue backdrop emblazoned with “Pursuing Peace” framed the leaders as they shook hands on the tarmac, accompanied by a fighter jet flyover. Trump and Putin then rode together in The Beast, the president’s armored limousine, before appearing alongside key advisers. Trump was flanked by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin was joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The White House described the summit as a “listening exercise” for Trump to gauge Moscow’s terms for peace. The leaders held a one-on-one session at 11:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. Eastern), attended only by their translators, following a three-on-three meeting with advisers. Reporters briefly questioned Putin before the talks began, with the Russian leader praising the Trump administration’s “energetic and sincere” efforts to resolve the conflict, according to a Kremlin statement on August 14. Putin also suggested that broader negotiations could lead to a nuclear arms control agreement and hinted at “huge untapped potential” for U.S.-Russia economic ties, per Ushakov’s remarks to reporters.
Trump expressed cautious optimism about the summit, telling reporters in the Oval Office on August 14, “I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting,” referring to a potential follow-up involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. He suggested Alaska could host subsequent talks for logistical ease, adding, “I’d like to see it happen very quickly.” However, in an August 14 interview with Fox News radio host Brian Kilmeade, Trump acknowledged a “25 percent chance” the meeting could fail to produce results.
The summit follows months of diplomatic maneuvering. Last month, Trump set an August 8 deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire, threatening new U.S. sanctions and economic penalties if unmet. While direct sanctions on Russia were not imposed, the U.S. levied a 50 percent tariff on India for purchasing sanctioned Russian oil, a move Trump suggested influenced Putin’s decision to attend the summit. “Certainly, when you lose your second-largest customer and you’re probably going to lose your first-largest customer, I think that probably has a role,” Trump told Kilmeade.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam, on Nov. 11, 2017. © Jorge Silva/Reuters
Economic pressure on Russia could intensify, according to Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In a recent note, Jones wrote, “Energy sanctions could be combined with sanctions against other Russian exports, such as minerals, metals, agricultural goods, and fertilizers,” noting Russia’s struggles with inflation, labor shortages, and limited economic growth.
The summit builds on a virtual meeting Trump and Vice President JD Vance held with Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and other European and NATO leaders prior to the Alaska talks. A Ukrainian government statement emphasized that peace negotiations must involve Ukraine, occur under a ceasefire, and respect international borders. “Ukraine, together with other European countries, must have reliable security guarantees,” the statement read.
Trump has warned of “very severe consequences” if Putin refuses to end the war, a stance that underscores the urgency of the talks. The conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War II, has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. However, posts on X, including one by @The_Real_ITDUDE on August 9, suggest earlier misunderstandings in pre-summit talks, with Russia reportedly demanding control of five Ukrainian regions, a claim that remains unverified and inconclusive.
As the leaders negotiate, the world watches closely. The outcome of the Anchorage summit could shape the trajectory of the Ukraine conflict and U.S.-Russia relations, with potential ripple effects for global security and economic stability.
August 15, 2025
Ukraine Reports 15 Injured in ‘Massive’ Russian Strike on the Capital
Russia launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight in one of the biggest combined aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital of the three-year war, damaging several apartment buildings and injuring 15 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a social media post it had been a “tough night” for Ukraine, and called for new international sanctions to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a ceasefire.
In the early hours of the morning, Reuters witnesses saw and heard successive waves of drones flying over Kyiv, and a series of explosions jolted the city. The capital also reverberated with the sound of anti-aircraft batteries trying to bring down the drones.
Pictures from Reuters photographers showed an orange-red glow lighting up the city as plumes of smoke blew across the horizon. On the top floor of one apartment building, smoke and flames billowed out of a balcony window as firefighters tried to approach.
By daybreak, government officials reported damage in six districts of the Ukrainian capital, and a total so far of 15 people wounded. Three required hospitalisation. Two of the injured were children, the officials said.
The Kyiv city military administration described it as one of the largest combined drone and missile attacks of the war.
The attacks come as U.S. President Donald Trump is encouraging Russia and Ukraine to sit down for ceasefire talks to end the war, but has pushed back against a European plan to impose new sanctions on Russia.
Halyna Tatarchuk, a 63-year-old pensioner, was in her apartment when a drone hit the building. She and her husband were in the corridor, away from the windows. “That saved us,” she said.
She fled to a bomb shelter at a nearby school, then at daylight returned to inspect the damage. All the windows of her apartment were smashed, and the floor was covered in fragments of glass.
“I’d like Trump to see this,” she said, standing in her kitchen. “What’s he doing? Can he really not see this? …It’s the destruction of a people, they are just destroying us,” she said, referring to the Russian military.
In the street below her third-floor windows, trees had been splintered by the blast and car windows were smashed. Municipal workers were using a mini-excavator to clear up debris from the ground.
Ceasefire talks
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia had fired 14 ballistic missiles at targets across Ukraine overnight and launched 250 long-range drones, with Kyiv the main target.
The strikes followed several days of Ukrainian drone strikes — some 800 attacks — on targets inside Russia, including the capital Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had vowed on Friday to respond to those attacks.
Hours before the drones and missiles reached Kyiv, Russia and Ukraine had exchanged several hundred prisoners, in a move that Trump suggested could be a prelude to progress on peace talks.
Russian negotiators said they were preparing a memorandum that would serve as the starting point for the next round of peace talks. No date or venue has been agreed.
“Russia still has not sent its ‘peace memorandum.’ Instead, it is sending deadly drones and missiles at civilians,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote in a post on the Telegram social media platform.
In his own post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said the Russian attacks were evidence to the rest of the world that Russia is the obstacle to peace.
“Only additional sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.”
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the overnight attacks.
Russia has said it is committed to seeking a peaceful settlement to the conflict. But it says Kyiv needs to accept the reality that Russia controls part of its territory, and it must not be used as a bridgehead for Western states to threaten Russia.
On Saturday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its troops had captured the settlements of Stupochki, Otradne and Loknia in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Sumy regions.
May 24, 2025
Russian Soldiers Are Tired of War, but Still Aim to Seize More of Ukraine
In the diplomatic maneuvering over the war in Ukraine, many Ukrainians and their European allies have accused President Trump of offering the Kremlin too many concessions to secure a quick peace deal.
Things look very different from Russia’s bunkers and military hospitals. To many Russian soldiers and their nationalist supporters, the peace proposals from Washington amount to far too little.
In interviews, 11 Russian soldiers who are fighting or have fought in Ukraine expressed deep skepticism of diplomatic efforts that on Friday produced the first direct peace talks in three years, but were brief and yielded little. Speaking by telephone, the soldiers said they rejected an unconditional cease-fire proposed by Ukraine, adding that Russian forces should keep fighting at least until they conquer all of the four southern and eastern Ukrainian regions claimed, but only partly controlled, by the Kremlin.
“We’re all tired, we want to go home. But we want to take all of the regions, so that we don’t have to struggle for them in the future,” said Sergei, a drafted Russian soldier fighting in the eastern Donetsk region, referring to the annexed territory. “Otherwise, have all the guys died in vain?”
In the diplomatic maneuvering over the war in Ukraine, many Ukrainians and their European allies have accused President Trump of offering the Kremlin too many concessions to secure a quick peace deal.
Things look very different from Russia’s bunkers and military hospitals. To many Russian soldiers and their nationalist supporters, the peace proposals from Washington amount to far too little.
In interviews, 11 Russian soldiers who are fighting or have fought in Ukraine expressed deep skepticism of diplomatic efforts that on Friday produced the first direct peace talks in three years, but were brief and yielded little. Speaking by telephone, the soldiers said they rejected an unconditional cease-fire proposed by Ukraine, adding that Russian forces should keep fighting at least until they conquer all of the four southern and eastern Ukrainian regions claimed, but only partly controlled, by the Kremlin.
“We’re all tired, we want to go home. But we want to take all of the regions, so that we don’t have to struggle for them in the future,” said Sergei, a drafted Russian soldier fighting in the eastern Donetsk region, referring to the annexed territory. “Otherwise, have all the guys died in vain?”
A Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian forces during a battle to retake the town of Sviatohirsk, in eastern Ukraine, in 2023. (Mauricio LimaThe New York Times)
The NewYorkBudgets verified identities of the soldiers through social media and personal documents, but is withholding their last names to protect them against retribution.
The soldiers, who have fought in different units and different areas, spoke with deep bitterness about their country’s officials and civilians, whom they accuse of benefiting from the war while ignoring frontline hardships. Their comments point to the difficulties Russia would face after any peace deal in integrating servicemen back into civilian life, and in moving the wartime economy back onto a civilian footing.
“Do you understand what it means for a country to have a million people who have been trained to kill without fear of blood?” said Dmitri, who fought in Ukraine for a Russian paramilitary unit until October. “A million angry killers is a pretty serious problem if they will view our rulers as men who are not on their side.”
Some of the interviewed soldiers have struggled to reconcile their personal desire for peace, and exhaustion with the war, with a need to make sense of their personal sacrifices through a victorious outcome for Russia. Although both militaries closely guard their casualty figures, independent researchers estimate that a total of more than a million Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have died or been seriously injured.
“I’m in the middle of all this mess, and, honestly speaking, I am tired of it,” said a drafted Russian soldier, also named Dmitri, who remains in uniform. “I have no more desire to keep stewing in this soup.”
He and Sergei were among the 300,000 Russian men who were hastily called up by Mr. Putin in late 2022 to halt a surprise Ukrainian counteroffensive that year. The drafted men helped the Russian Army stabilize the front and regain the initiative.
Those who have survived have been kept indefinitely on the front lines. The Russian military has also indefinitely extended all service contracts signed by volunteers to boost its ranks.
This means that a peace deal, and eventual demobilization, offers the vast majority of Russian frontline soldiers the only realistic chance of returning home soon, alive and in one piece.
In interviews, the soldiers complained of lack of leave, corruption among superiors and the indifference of their compatriots. Some of the soldiers accused their country’s military command and businessmen of opposing a peace deal because they are benefiting from the wartime public spending boom.
“Someone sent me a video recently: girls, boys are dancing, hanging out in bars, partying until the morning. Meanwhile, there’s a war going on,” said Andrei, a volunteer Russian soldier in Donetsk. “Everyone has forgotten about us. We have long ago stopped being heroes to anyone.”
Russian soldiers marching in Moscow’s 80th anniversary Victory Day parade. (Russian Defense Ministry)
Such resentment has made control of the contested territories, long considered by analysts a bargaining chip amid Russia and Ukraine’s deeper disagreements, a nonnegotiable war aim for many Russian servicemen and their supporters.
“We have shown our strength. The whole world is fighting against us, and they are not getting very far,” said Yevgeniy, a Russian contract soldier who fought in Ukraine until December 2023. “I don’t want to see any concessions because I have seen the price of every fistful of land.”
Soon after invading Ukraine, the Kremlin conducted sham referendums in the four Ukrainian provinces where the bulk of the fighting took place, purportedly showing overwhelming support for joining Russia, and annexed them soon after. After three years of fighting, however, Russian forces have almost complete control of only one of them, Luhansk. In the other three regions — Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — Russia controls 65 to 75 percent of the territory.
Through much of the war, the Ukrainian government categorically rejected ceding land to Russia, demanding a return to the country’s internationally recognized borders, and insisting on security guarantees before agreeing to a truce. In recent months, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has softened his position, accepting a proposed cease-fire without security guarantees, suggesting he would accept at least a temporary loss of the territory already under Russian occupation.
This proposal to effectively freeze the conflict along the current frontline is seen by many in Ukraine and the West as a major concession to the Kremlin, abandoning millions of Ukrainian citizens to life under occupation and, they fear, legitimizing and rewarding Russian aggression.
Interviews with the soldiers and Russian opinion surveys show that such a truce would also fail to satisfy a large part of Russian society. Years of war propaganda and steady, if slow, battlefield gains, have convinced many Russians that their country is fighting an existential conflict against the West, which will not end until Ukrainian capitulation.
“If there’s no cease-fire now, we need to keep going until the end,” said Nikolai, a Russian soldier in Ukraine. “Because if we don’t, sooner or later — in five years or in 10 — there will be a war again.”
Kyiv and its supporters have voiced the same fear, claiming that a peace deal without Western security guarantees for Ukraine would lead to a new Russian invasion in the future.
President Vladimir V. Putin celebrating Victory Day this month in Moscow. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
From the outset, Mr. Putin has said his invasion aims were to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, which implies removing the democratically elected government in Kyiv; preventing Ukraine from ever joining the NATO alliance; and protecting Ukraine’s Russian speakers, who the Kremlin says, falsely, faced genocide.
A survey conducted in Russia in mid-April by an independent polling company, Chronicles, found that nearly half the respondents said they would not support a peace deal that falls short of those initial goals. Such polls show the difficulty that Mr. Putin would face in presenting to Russian society the current status quo in Ukraine as a victory.
Few in Russia expect Mr. Putin, who wields absolute power, to pay an immediate political cost for any peace deal. His control of the country’s media would allow him to present any outcome as a success, at least at first. But an unconvincing victory could eventually bubble up into the kind of discontent that fueled the Wagner paramilitary force mutiny in 2023.
Kremlin officials will most likely remember the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 after an inconclusive war, which angered many veterans and contributed to the collapse of the Communist state. An underwhelming Russian military victory in the breakaway region of Chechnya bred public discontent that helped bring Mr. Putin to power in 1999.
“Of course I want a cease-fire because even a bad peace is better than a good war,” said Dmitri, the former paramilitary soldier. “But we have also taken such a large step forward, that we cannot stop now.”
“Otherwise, is it all a game? Has Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin played a little game, killed a million people, and all is OK?” he said.
“This would not be such a good government, I think,” he added.
May 16, 2025
Putin of Russia announces a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary “Easter truce” in the three-year conflict in Ukraine that will last until midnight Sunday.
“On humanitarian grounds, today from 6 p.m. to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in a televised statement released by the Kremlin. The statement has been translated. “For this period, I order to stop all fighting. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to reflect possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions.”
Putin first announced the ceasefire in a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Velary Gerasimov, the Kremlin Press Service said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a translated statement that the ceasefire is imposed “for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian Unified Group of Troops (forces) provided that it is mutually respected by the Kiev regime.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the announcement as “Putin’s next attempt to play with people’s lives,” saying an “air alert is now spreading across the territory of Ukraine” because of Russian drone strikes recorded in the sky at 5:15 local time.
“Ukrainian air defense and aviation have already started working to protect. ‘Shaheeds’ in our sky are Putin’s true attitude to Easter and to people’s lives,” Zelenskyy said.
“Shaheeds” may be a reference to Shahed drones, which have been extensively used by Russia during the war.
Russia and Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange
Also Saturday, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap that was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that as a “gesture of goodwill,” 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.
Zelenskyy said 277 Ukrainian “warriors have returned home from Russian captivity.” He thanked the United Arab Emirates for mediating the exchange.
It was the largest exchange since Russia invaded Ukraine over three years ago.
Announcement follows frustration from Trump administration
The announcement came the day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump’s administration was ready to “move on” from peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made in the coming days. Rubio made the comments in Paris, after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters while departing Paris. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”
“It’s not our war,” Rubio added. “We have other priorities to focus on.” He said the U.S. administration wants to decide “in a matter of days.” Another meeting is expected next week in London.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (second from left), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center), U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and Germany’s national security advisor Jens Ploetner (second from right) attend a meeting with French officials at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, April 17, 2025. (LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP/GETTY)
Later Friday, Mr. Trump echoed Rubio’s frustrations with the pace of the talks. When asked about Rubio’s comments on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “fairly complex” negotiations were ongoing between the U.S. and Russia, though he said no direct talks between Mr. Trump and Putin were scheduled for the coming days.
Fighting before ceasefire
Earlier Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region. Russian forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine, the ministry said.
The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim. In the same statement where he reacted to the ceasefire, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces “continued their activity” and are “maintaining their positions” in the Kursk region. He also said that military forces “advanced and increased our zone of control” in Belgorod, a Russian city about 24 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border.
According to TASS, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some 7 miles south of Oleshnya.
“The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal … in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement,” the agency reported, citing Russian security agencies.
April 19, 2025
Ukrainian officials are saying that Russian missiles hit Sumy, and sadly, at least 32 people died.
Russian ballistic missiles killed at least 32 people, including two children, on Sunday in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, officials said — the latest in a string of attacks on urban centers that have caused heavy civilian casualties despite the Trump’s administration push for a cease-fire.
Two missiles hit the city center about 10:15 a.m., according to the regional prosecutor’s office. Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said the ballistic missiles struck when the streets were crowded with civilians out enjoying Palm Sunday, a Christian celebration popular in Ukraine. At least 83 people were injured, Mr. Klymenko added.
“People were harmed right in the middle of the street — in cars, on public transport, in their homes,” Mr. Klymenko said on social media.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine posted a video on social media that he said showed the aftermath of the attack in Sumy, only 18 miles from the Russian border. The video showed cars smashed and burned, as well as bloodied bodies laying motionless on the streets. Firefighters and civilians tended to the wounded as screams echoed in the background.
“A strong reaction from the world is needed. From the United States, from Europe, from everyone in the world who wants this war and the killings to end,” Mr. Zelensky said in a message posted on Telegram. “Russia seeks exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out the war.”
The strikes came just over a week after a Russian missile hit near a playground in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, killing 19 people, including nine children. In that attack and in the one on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials, Russia used ballistic missiles, which travel at high speeds, making them very difficult to shoot down.
The two strikes were some of the deadliest in Ukraine this year and come amid an overall increase in civilian deaths since cease-fire talks began in March. The United Nations said last week that 164 civilians were killed in Ukraine last month, a 50 percent increase from February and 70 percent more than the same period a year earlier.
There was no immediate comment from Russia’s military about Sunday’s strikes on Sumy, which was home to about 250,000 people before the war and has become a refuge for Ukrainian civilians fleeing villages and towns along the Russian border to escape bombardment and potential assaults.
The city and surrounding region have regularly come under Russian attack over the past year, particularly since Ukraine used the area as a base for a cross-border offensive into Russia’s neighboring Kursk region. Moscow’s forces pushed most Ukrainian troops out of Kursk this year, but Kyiv has warned that Russia is preparing to push into the Sumy region and open a new front in the war.
Ukrainian officials say the recent attacks that have killed large numbers of civilians show that Russia is not actually interested in a cease-fire, despite the efforts by the Trump administration to broker one.
Both Russia and Ukraine have pledged to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, only to accuse each other of violations. Kyiv and Moscow have also agreed to a cease-fire on the Black Sea, but a deal has yet to come into effect. Russia has also rejected a full, unconditional 30-day cease-fire that Ukraine had accepted at the urging of the United States.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on Saturday that since cease-fire talks began last month in Saudi Arabia, Russia “only escalated its attacks on Ukrainian civilian objects and increased missile terror, including strikes on energy facilities.”
“This is Russia’s response to all peace proposals,” Mr. Sybiha told the state news agency Ukrinform. “They delay, manipulate, and play with their partners to continue aggression.”
April 13, 2025