Zelenskyj: Trump has invited people to a new round of talks in the USA
After the conclusion of the Ukraine negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the USA has invited people to a new round of talks in the USA, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Washington has “proposed for the first time” that both the Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet in the United States, Zelensky said in a statement released on Saturday. The meeting is expected to be held in Miami next week.
The Ukrainian president reiterated that Kiev would not accept any agreement affecting his country negotiated exclusively between Moscow and Washington. An agreement reached “through us, without us” was not acceptable to Ukraine, he said.
After the talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday, everyone involved spoke of progress. However, the disputed territorial issues between Kyiv and Moscow still could not be resolved. (afp)
After the attack on Alexeyev: Two suspects are to be interrogated
After the attempted attack on Russian military intelligence general Vladimir Alexeyev, two suspects are to be interrogated shortly. After the questioning, charges will be brought, the Russian newspaper reports Kommersant citing investigators. There is currently no official confirmation of the arrest of the suspects. (rtr)
The USA is said to have set Ukraine and Russia a deadline of June
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the United States has given Ukraine and Russia a deadline of June to reach an agreement to end Russia’s war of aggression. Under this schedule, US President Donald Trump’s administration will likely put pressure on both warring parties, Zelensky told reporters on Friday. His statements were only allowed to be published on Saturday morning.
“And they say they want to do everything by June,” Zelensky said. “And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear timetable for all events.” (ap)
Massive Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy supply
Russia’s military has once again massively attacked Ukraine’s energy system. The main targets were the power grid, power plants and substations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wrote on social media. Russia has deployed more than 400 drones and around 40 rockets and cruise missiles, Zelensky said. There is damage in the western Ukrainian regions of Volhynia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Rivne.
Russia can choose real diplomacy every day, but choose attacks. Zelenskyj called on supporters of the current US-mediated negotiation process to respond. Moscow must be deprived of the opportunity to exert cold pressure on Ukraine. For this, Ukraine needs missiles for anti-aircraft systems.
State utility Ukrenergo said there are emergency shutdowns in most Ukrainian regions due to the damage caused.
Fighter planes took off in neighboring Poland because of the attacks during the night. The operational command of the NATO member state’s army announced that the necessary forces and resources had been mobilized. The ground-based air defense and radar systems were put on standby. The airports in Rzeszow and Lublin in the east of the country had to temporarily suspend air traffic.
This winter, Russia is increasingly targeting Ukraine’s energy system, which is already struggling after almost four years of war. The result is repeated long outages of electricity, water and heat supplies – most recently with temperatures sometimes reaching double-digit temperatures below zero. (dpa)
Airspace in southeast Poland reopened after military operation
The airspace in southeastern Poland has reopened after a military operation. The Rzeszow and Lublin airports have resumed flight operations, the Polish air traffic control authority announced on Saturday on platform X. Operations had previously been temporarily suspended for safety reasons. The background was Russian attacks on nearby Ukraine.
In order to give military aviation a clear path, civil traffic was suspended, it said. “These measures are of a preventive nature and serve to secure and protect the airspace, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions,” explained the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces on X.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously said in a message to pilots that the airports could not be flown to due to military measures to ensure national security. The flight monitoring service FlightRadar24 attributed the closure to a deployment of NATO aircraft in the area. Both cities are close to the Ukrainian border. Rzeszow is considered NATO’s most important transshipment point for arms deliveries to Ukraine. Operations at both locations were briefly suspended last month. At that time, however, the authorities justified this with routine exercises.
“These measures are of a preventive nature and serve to secure and protect the airspace, mainly in areas adjacent to the threatened regions,” explained the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces on X.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously said in a message to pilots that the airports could not be flown to due to military measures to ensure national security. The flight monitoring service FlightRadar24 attributed the closure to a deployment of NATO aircraft in the area. Both cities are close to the Ukrainian border. Rzeszow is considered NATO’s most important transshipment point for arms deliveries to Ukraine. Operations at both locations were briefly suspended last month. At that time, however, the authorities justified this with routine exercises. (rtr)
No more oil from Russia: Trump lifts punitive tariffs against India
A few days after concluding a trade agreement with India US President Donald Trump has lifted the punitive tariffs of 25 percent he had imposed on the country. The decree, signed by Trump on Friday (local time), said India “committed to ceasing imports of oil from Russia, directly or indirectly.” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the deal on Saturday as “great news.”
The punitive tariffs were therefore canceled on Saturday. In a separate statement, the White House provided further details about the trade agreement with India. It therefore includes the abolition of tariffs on certain aircraft and aircraft parts. In addition, India intends to purchase energy sources, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products and coking coal worth $500 billion (equivalent to around 423.1 billion euros) from the USA over the next five years.
Trump said on Monday that India and the US had agreed on a trade agreement that would, among other things, forego India importing oil from Russia and reduce tariffs on Indian products to 18 percent. At the end of 2025, the tariffs were still 50 percent.
Modi confirmed the agreement and praised Trump’s “personal commitment” to strengthening bilateral ties. The agreement reflects “the growing depth, trust and dynamism” between the two countries and is “great news for India and the USA,” said India’s Prime Minister on the online service X on Saturday.
According to the government in New Delhi, India and the USA also agreed to expand their defense cooperation.
However, Modi did not comment on a possible renunciation of Russian oil. The Kremlin said it had not received any information in this regard from India. In recent months, the US government has accused India of buying Russian oil as a means of promoting Russia’s war against Ukraine. (afp)
Ischinger: Ukraine war will decide the fate of Europe
According to the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, the Russian threat on NATO’s eastern flank could worsen after a ceasefire in Ukraine. “As long as Ukraine defends Europe, the danger is not so great.” Wolfgang Ischinger told the Daily Mirror. As a result, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s armies are tied up there, “and he is losing thousands of soldiers every week.”
The moment there is a ceasefire in Ukraine, the situation will change. “Putin can then continue his rearmament in peace, and the threat situation will worsen for the NATO countries on the eastern flank.”
Nevertheless, Ischinger emphasized that the most important thing is to stop dying as quickly as possible. “I wish nothing more for the people of Ukraine. But the Russian threat will also become greater for us Germans if a future ceasefire is not accompanied by a massive limitation on the military deployment in Russia’s western military districts,” said Ischinger. And unfortunately that is not to be expected at all. “That’s why a simple ceasefire wouldn’t be a reason to sit back and relax.“
How the war in Ukraine ends is “the ultimate question of fate for Germany and Europe,” emphasizes Ischinger. Ukraine is now defending Europe, not just its own territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to attend the security conference next week.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for almost four years. The USA is currently trying to negotiate an end to the fighting. (dpa)
US government approves sale of military spare parts to Ukraine
The US government has approved a limited sale of military spare parts to Ukraine. The State Department in Washington announced on Friday that Congress had been informed about the planned provision of so-called Class IX spare parts worth 185 million dollars (156 million euros). The spare parts were used to repair military vehicles supplied by the USA and included, among other things, engines, transmissions, wheels, tires and brakes. (ap)