Author: Anadolu Agency
Russia on Tuesday conducted a large-scale strike on Ukrainian military airfields using precision-guided, air-launched weapons. In a statement, the Defense Ministry also reported strikes on 144 sites involved in drone production, as well as temporary positions of Ukrainian armed formations. “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation targeted the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airfields with precision air-launched weapons and drones. The objectives of the strike have been achieved,” the statement read. Air defense systems intercepted five US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guided aerial bombs, 23 Czech-made Vampire multiple launch rockets, and 97 aircraft-type drones, the ministry added. Ukraine has…
Czech President Petr Pavel has insisted on Kyiv’s presence in peace negotiations to end Russia’s now over three-year-long in Ukraine, Czech Radio reported. “Any peace agreement must be negotiated with Ukraine and accepted by that country, and negotiations must begin by acknowledging who is the aggressor and who is the victim,” Pavel said during a virtual address at a summit in Kyiv on Monday. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the new US administration changed its position of being the “main guarantor of peace and the existing world order,” referring this change as the biggest since the fall of communism.…
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russia perceives a genuine American interest in ending the Ukrainian crisis. Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, Peskov commented on a shift in the US stance on the Ukrainian conflict, describing it as “a much more balanced” now. “We see that the US is adopting a much more balanced position, genuinely contributing to efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. We certainly welcome this. Such a balanced stance reflects a real desire to support a settlement,” he emphasized. US President Donald Trump has advanced negotiations with Russia to end the three-year-long…
The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution affirming Volodymyr Zelenskyy would remain the country’s president during wartime. With 268 votes in favor, the Verkhovna Rada approved the resolution, declaring that Zelenskyy’s powers will continue until the end of martial law. Twelve lawmakers abstained from the vote. The resolution said that, according to the Constitution, Zelenskyy remains Ukraine’s legitimately elected president, and elections will be held once peace is restored. His five-year term ended in May 2024. The draft resolution failed to pass in its first attempt on Monday, receiving only 218 votes — short of the required 226. The…
Downing Street has suggested that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has more optimistic views about the future of NATO and the transatlantic alliance than Friedrich Merz, the likely next German chancellor, who recently expressed concerns about the long-term viability of NATO and the EU-US relationship. During a lobby briefing on Monday, Starmer’s spokesperson responded to a question regarding Merz’s comments that US President Donald Trump is “indifferent” to Europe and that NATO in its current form may not survive. While Starmer’s views on NATO were not directly cited, the spokesperson seemed to imply that Starmer’s outlook is more positive than…
Israel informed the US that it is no longer committed to the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that was formulated during the administration of former President Joe Biden, Israeli daily Haaretz claimed on Monday. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer told US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff during their two meetings in Florida that “Israel is not committed to the three-stage plan of the Biden administration, even if it signed it.” “Netanyahu’s plan, as Dermer presented it to Witkoff, is as follows: release all the remaining hostages in one big, single stage.…
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said Ankara welcomes “in principle” US President Donald Trump’s intention to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war via talks, expressing Ankara’s readiness to support a path to lasting peace, including hosting negotiations. “The approach of ending the war at the negotiating table aligns with the policy Türkiye has pursued over the past several years,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Ukraine war, launched on Feb. 24, 2022. “However, the reality that must not be overlooked here is that the path to a…
The US on Monday sanctioned more than 30 individuals, vessels, and companies accused of facilitating illicit oil sales, as the Trump administration returned to the “maximum pressure” policy on Iran. “Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels, shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilizing activities,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, adding that the US will use all available tools to target all suspects of Iran’s oil supply chain. Among those designated is the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company as well as several shipping firms…
NATO’s secretary general on Monday reiterated the military alliance’s support to Ukraine on the third anniversary of its war with Russia. “NATO will continue to support and stand with Ukraine,” Mark Rutte said on X, emphasizing the “vitality” of ensuring a “just and lasting peace.” Rutte said NATO has been supporting Ukraine “throughout Russia’s brutal war of aggression to keep the flame of freedom burning,” by supplying arms, equipment, and training. “European allies are ready and willing to do their part-including with robust security guarantees and more financial assistance,” he added. As the Ukraine war enters its fourth year, shifting…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday stressed the importance of NATO membership for securing a “real and lasting peace” in Ukraine in 2025. “We will have no choice but to build NATO in Ukraine if NATO membership remains closed to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in his opening remarks at the “Support Ukraine” summit in Kyiv. “This means securing the necessary funding, military contingents, and defense production to guarantee peace. Can we do this alone? No,” he said. “We must be honest: Ukraine deserves not only EU membership but also the security guarantees that NATO provides,” Zelenskyy added. The summit, held on…