Author: Anadolu Agency

Western security services and politicians fear that a potential deal between the US and Russia on Ukraine could lead to an end to the presence of US troops in large parts of Europe, Germany’s top-selling BILD newspaper reported Wednesday.
 “According to our information, it’s about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s 2021 demands, i.e. a withdrawal of US troops from all NATO states that joined the alliance after 1990,” an unnamed Eastern European security official told BILD. According to the report, Italy is also preparing for a possible withdrawal of US troops from Kosovo. This would leave the European allies alone in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday spoke with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, focusing on security guarantees and efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. “I had a good and meaningful conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. He shared details of his recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and stressed the importance of broad international involvement, including Europe, the US, UK and Türkiye. Rutte, meanwhile, briefed Zelenskyy on his meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg. Zelenskyy said they agreed on the need for a guaranteed peace, not just a temporary cease-fire. “There must be…

As US-Ukraine tensions soared on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, “nobody can force Ukraine to give up.” “Ukraine withstood the most horrific military attack in Europe’s modern history and three years of total war,” Sybiha wrote on X, referring to Russia’s war on Ukraine that started in February 2022. “The Ukrainian people and their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to give in to Putin’s pressure,” he stressed. “Nobody can force Ukraine to give up. We will defend our right to exist.” Sybiha’s remarks came in response to Trump’s recent statements, where he called on Ukraine to hold elections and…

US Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy against publicly criticizing President Donald Trump, warning that such remarks could harm Kyiv’s relationship with Washington. “The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president’s mind by badmouthing him in public media, everyone who knows the President will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration,” Vance told the Daily Mail hours after Zelenskyy accused Trump of living in a Russian-made “disinformation space.” Trump, in return, called him a “Dictator without Elections,” adding that Zelenskyy “better move fast or he is not going…

The North Korean soldiers detained in Ukraine said that before leaving for Russia last year, they were told they were being sent for training outside the country, local media reported on Wednesday. The South Korean newspaper Chosunilbo interviewed the two North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, who were captured last month by Ukrainian forces. The soldiers revealed they were affiliated with the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the intelligence agency that manages North Korea’s clandestine operations. A North Korean soldier, Ri, said that he had been told he was being sent “abroad for training” when he left the city on Oct. 10 last…

The EU economy is facing significant challenges due to political instability, structural issues, and US policies on trade and defense spending. The region is experiencing a high-risk period marked by economic stagnation, trade fragmentation, and geopolitical uncertainty, compounded by the ongoing war in Ukraine and strained relations with the US, particularly since President Donald Trump took office in January. The EU’s historically close ties with the US have been greatly affected by Trump’s trade and defense policies. His “America First” approach introduced protectionist measures that included EU nations. Trump’s executive order imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his government was caught off guard by a Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia, also held Tuesday, as they learned of it only through the media. Speaking at a joint press conference in the Turkish capital Ankara alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelenskyy said: “The Russia-US meeting (in the Saudi capital Riyadh) was a surprise to us. We learned about it from the media.” Touching on bilateral ties, Zelenskyy stressed that Türkiye-Ukraine relations are at a high level, as always, thanking the Turkish president and people for this. He also underlined that Türkiye…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged an “update” the world body to effectively address contemporary global crises. “Born out of the ashes of World War II, our organization was the result of a global commitment to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,'” Guterres told the Security Council. Describing the UN as “essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights” for eight decades, Guterres said: “But eight decades is a long time.” “We have the hardware for international cooperation, but the software needs an update. An update in representation to reflect the realities of…

Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed Olena Zelenska, her Ukrainian counterpart, to visit war-affected Ukrainian children staying in a dedicated facility in the Turkish capital Ankara. The children at Eryaman Children’s Home, who fled the ongoing war in Ukraine, greeted Erdogan and Zelenska with bouquets in the colors of both the Turkish and Ukrainian flags. The visit focused on spending time with the children, including playing games and reading stories. Erdogan also got updates about the condition of 10-year-old Myhailo Popazav, who is awaiting reconstructive surgery. The first ladies toured an exhibition of the children’s handmade crafts and…

The South Sudanese government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to end the recruitment and the use of child soldiers. “The Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare recognize the gravity of this issue, and we are deeply committed to ending the recruitment and the use of child soldiers. We are working diligently with our partners to ensure that children are no longer recruited, that those who have been released are supported, and that the root causes of child recruitment are addressed,” Esther Ikere the undersecretary at the Gender, Child and Social Welfare Ministry said at the commemoration of the International…