Displaying items by tag: Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin has announced a new three-day unilateral ceasefire, to run from 8 to 10 May, coinciding with Russia’s World War II commemorations. It follows a previous thirty-hour Easter ceasefire, which critics say Moscow repeatedly violated. The Kremlin frames these brief pauses as humanitarian gestures; Ukrainian officials argue that if Russia truly sought peace, it would halt hostilities immediately. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called for a thirty-day truce instead. Observers question whether Putin’s moves are sincere peace efforts or merely an attempt to influence Donald Trump, who has recently voiced frustration with both Russia and Ukraine. Trump has criticised Putin for continuing attacks on civilian areas and floated harsher sanctions. When in March he proposed a thirty-day ceasefire, Ukraine agreed, but Russia did not. In another development, the much-anticipated natural resources agreement between the USA and Ukraine has been signed: see

The USA has presented Ukraine with a controversial one-page peace framework, described as Donald Trump’s ‘final offer’, which would grant significant concessions to Russia, including recognition of its occupation of Crimea and of territories which it has captured since the war began. In exchange, Ukraine would receive vague security guarantees, economic aid, and partial territorial returns. The plan also proposes that the USA would operate Ukraine’s Zaporizhzha nuclear plant and distribute its electricity output between the two countries. Sources say Kyiv views the proposal as heavily skewed in Moscow’s favour. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, drafted the deal after a lengthy meeting with Putin, who has shown interest in freezing current battle lines. However, European leaders remain skeptical of Putin’s sincerity, and critics argue that the deal sacrifices core Ukrainian interests for political expediency. Volodymyr Zelensky has drawn further harsh criticism from Trump for refusing to countenance the loss of Crimea: see The war continues, with the worst Russian attack on Kyiv in months: see

As tributes flood in for Pope Francis, attention turns to his legacy of engaging controversial issues such as migration, climate change, and global conflict – and therefore clashing with world leaders. Notably, Francis clashed with Donald Trump over immigration, denouncing his border wall and mass deportation policies. Tensions also emerged with Argentina’s Mauricio Macri and Javier Milei; Milei even called Francis ‘evil’, but softened his tone after taking office. The Pope also criticised Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro over Amazon deforestation and championed Indigenous rights. On Gaza, Francis condemned Israel’s military actions, suggesting possible genocide - a statement that drew harsh rebukes from Israeli officials. He also condemned the Ukraine war without naming Vladimir Putin directly, while urging dialogue. His ‘white flag’ comment upset Ukrainian leaders. Yet many world leaders - including Trump, Milei, and Zelensky - plan to attend the funeral, honouring a pontiff who never shied from challenge.

Vladimir Putin has ordered the conscription of 160,000 new troops between April and July, targeting citizens aged 18 to 30. The spring draft is part of Russia’s biannual conscription cycle; the previous autumn round brought in 133,000 recruits. The decree also confirms that those whose conscripted service has ended will be discharged. Last year, Russia raised the conscription age limit from 27 to 30, and now maintains a military force of approximately 2.4 million, with 1.5 million on active duty. Despite increasing manpower, Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to take a heavy toll. Western and Ukrainian estimates suggest over 768,000 Russian troops have been lost—killed, wounded, missing, or captured—since the invasion began in 2022. November 2023 marked a grim record with over 2,000 casualties in a single day. Ukraine, too, has suffered significant losses; Volodymyr Zelensky has recently acknowledged over 43,000 soldiers killed. The drawn-out conflict remains costly and unresolved, as both nations brace for further battles.

Vladimir Putin has agreed to a thirty-day pause in strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure following a phone call with Donald Trump. The two leaders spoke for 90 minutes as the Trump administration works toward ending the conflict that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, Putin refused the broader ceasefire which the USA has proposed. Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the energy-targeting pause but insisted that Ukraine should be involved in future negotiations. Putin also demanded a halt to Western military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine before agreeing to any long-term deal. Zelensky rejected this, calling it an attempt to weaken Ukraine. The White House announced that peace negotiations would begin in the Middle East, with talks including a potential Black Sea ceasefire; Putin has agreed to further discussions on these terms. One immediate result of the phone call has been a major exchange of prisoners: see

US officials have arrived in Moscow to discuss a proposed thirty-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Special envoy Steve Witkoff hopes to persuade Russia to agree to the deal, which Ukraine accepted earlier this week after talks in Jeddah. The Kremlin confirmed discussions were planned but gave no details. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the ceasefire decision now rests with Russia, while Donald Trump warned of financial consequences if Russia rejects peace. Meanwhile, Russia claims to have recaptured 86% of the Kursk region, which Ukraine invaded last year. Vladimir Putin, visiting the area, has reportedly ordered a full military push to reclaim all lost territory. Events this week show a remarkably swift turnaround from a week ago: see

US secretary of state Pete Hegseth has defended Donald Trump’s push for peace talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, insisting it was not a betrayal of Kyiv. Speaking before a NATO meeting in Brussels, Hegseth emphasised the need for a negotiated peace but called Ukraine’s demands - restoring pre-2014 borders and NATO membership - ‘unrealistic’. Trump later confirmed he had spoken with Vladimir Putin, agreeing to initiate negotiations without prioritising territorial concerns or Ukraine’s NATO bid. European leaders voiced concern, fearing premature concessions could embolden Russia. Hegseth asked NATO allies to ramp up defence spending to 5%, a target the US itself does not reach. Volodymyr Zelensky, after speaking with Trump, reiterated his commitment to securing peace while ensuring Ukraine’s security. Questions remain over whether Moscow will accept a deal that meets Kyiv’s conditions. Trump’s advisers are set to meet Zelensky at the Munich security conference to discuss next steps.

President Ilham Aliyev has urged Russia to accept responsibility for the Christmas Day crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which killed 38 of the 67 onboard. The flight, from Baku to Grozny, was diverted from Chechnya and crashed in Kazakhstan. Vladimir Putin has apologised but stopped short of admitting fault, attributing the tragedy to Russian defences countering Ukrainian drone attacks. Aliyev criticised initial Russian explanations, including claims of a gas cylinder explosion and bird strikes, as ‘foolish and dishonest’. He acknowledged the incident was accidental but demanded that Russia admit guilt, punish those responsible, and provide compensation: he commented, ‘No one would have thought that in a friendly country, our plane would be fired at from the ground’. The crew members were honoured for landing the plane in a way that allowed 29 people to survive, even though it led to their own deaths.

Arriving for the latest BRICS summit, Narendra Modi has told Vladimir Putin that India desires peace in Ukraine and is willing to assist in achieving a ceasefire. Putin has used the BRICS platform to highlight the non-Western world’s influence, despite efforts by the West to isolate Russia. BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The summit, involving leaders from 22 nations, including China’s president Xi Jinping, altogether represents 45% of the world's population and 35% of its economy. This showcases BRICS' growing global significance, a welcome boost for Putin. When asked about the prospects for peace, he claimed that the West had now realised that Russia would be victorious, but he was open to peace talks based on the ceasefire agreements reached in Istanbul in April 2022. One Russian source stressed that much depended on the result of the US presidential election on 5 November.

Volodymyr Zelensky says that his troops are still advancing into Russian territory, in a bold and surprising incursion. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj627x96gxxo This development marks a significant challenge to Vladimir Putin’s authority: the offensive, which has now lasted over a week, threatens his image as ‘Mr Security’. Despite initiating the ‘special military operation’ to enhance Russia's safety, the nation now faces an expanded NATO presence on its borders, frequent Ukrainian drone attacks, and territorial breaches. Putin minimises the situation through cautious language, referring to it as ‘the situation in the border area’ or ‘a provocation’, avoiding terms like ‘invasion’. He has dismissed the idea of peace talks, stating that his goal is ‘to force the enemy from Russian territory’. Despite these challenges, Putin shows no remorse for his decisions and remains convinced of Russia's eventual victory in the conflict.