The US tech firm scaled down operations in the country in 2022 but has recently registered its trademark
One of Microsoft’s Russian subsidiaries has announced plans to file for bankruptcy, according to a note published on the official Fedresurs registry on Friday. The US-based tech giant opted to exit the country shortly after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
In March 2022, the corporation stopped selling its products and services in Russia, pausing other aspects of its business in the country to comply with sanctions introduced by the West against Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict.
Since then, a wide range of Russian corporate giants - including Severstal, Uralkali, VTB, MegaFon, Gazprombank, and others - have filed lawsuits against the company’s local subsidiary, Microsoft Rus. The total value of the suits related to breach of contractual obligations after the exit amounts to 341 million rubles (nearly $3.6 million), according to the Russian business daily RBK.
Shortly after pulling the plug on operations in Russia, the company stopped renewing Microsoft 365 subscriptions—including Outlook, Teams, Office, OneDrive, and SharePoint services—for its corporate clients, disconnected a number of Russian organizations from cloud services such as Visio Online, Project Online, and Power BI, and introduced other restrictions.
According to data tracked by RBK, the revenue of Microsoft’s Russian subsidiary last year amounted to 161.6 million rubles (nearly $2 million), with net profit totaling 174.1 million rubles ($2.13 million). The data shows the company reported revenue of 6.9 billion rubles ($84.5 million) and a profit of 638.1 million rubles ($7.8 million) in 2021, which marked its last full year of operations in Russia before deciding to quit.
Earlier this year, the multinational registered the trademark ‘Microsoft Places’ with the Russian patent office, Rospatent. According to the filing card, the company plans to provide or grant temporary access to “downloadable computer software for managing hybrid planning, workplace management, office space management,” and other types of software until 2023.
In recent months, foreign corporations—including McDonald’s, Hyundai, Intel, LG, IKEA, Chanel, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton—that had previously exited Russia have begun registering new trademarks in the country, signaling their potential return.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the creation of a program for foreign corporations willing to return to the Russian market, “but only insofar as it aligns with the protection of our own business interests.” Speaking with business leaders in the Kremlin, the president emphasized that Moscow won’t be “rolling out a red carpet” for McDonald’s and other companies.
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May 31, 2025 at 03:21AM
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The number of Austrians who can barely read has increased by almost 12% in just over a decade, according to government data
Almost a third of the population in Austria has poor reading skills, signaling an alarming trend, the EU country’s government statistics office has said.
The decline is particularly noticeable among those with jobs that require medium or low qualifications, Statistics Austria said in a statement earlier this week.
In Austria, which has a population of nine million, a total of 29.0% or around 2.6 million people have a low level of literacy, according to data on the agency’s website.
The number of those who have problems with reading increased by 11.9% between 2012 and 2023, the figures show.
The average literacy level among Austrians aged 16 to 65 stands at 254 points, which is significantly below the average of 260 points set by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).
People from 16 to 24 performed above the OECD average, while older people appear to have significantly lower reading skills than the expected level, the agency said.
“The differences in reading skills among adults are large, and this gap has continued to widen,” Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria, was cited as saying.
There has been “a particularly strong decline” in the consumption of complex reading materials such as newspapers and magazines, with the Austrians mainly reading emails and other shorter texts, the agency noted.
According to Statistics Austria, the number of those with low day-to-day math skills also grew by 6.7% between 2012 and 2023, amounting to 22.6% of the population.
Russia’s state-owned pollster VTSIOM said last year that “reading remains a popular means of obtaining knowledge and information among the Russians” despite what it called “serious competition” from visual media.
In the poll carried out in November 2024, some 87% of respondents said that they had read something over the previous week. Fiction topped the chart of the most popular reading materials (40%) in Russia, leaving news and social media posts in second place (37%), according to VTSIOM’s figures.
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May 31, 2025 at 02:43AM
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Kiev will skip the payment of over $600 million it owes to holders of $2.6 billion in debt, its Finance Ministry has said
Ukraine will not pay $665 million it owes to international creditors, the country’s Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Kiev earlier failed to agree on restructuring terms with a group of debt holders led by hedge funds.
The payment on the country’s GDP-linked securities – debt with annual payouts tied to economic growth and amounting to $2.6 billion – is due on June 2.
Ukraine was originally scheduled to make the payment a year ago, but a moratorium on bond settlements, approved by the authorities in Kiev, allowed the cash-strapped country to avoid default. The moratorium will remain in place until the debt is restructured, the statement says.
The Finance Ministry noted that, under an agreement reached with international creditors in 2024, the so-called cross-default clause was removed from contracts.
That clause had stipulated that failure to make payments on the GDP warrants could trigger a default on other debt obligations, such as the country’s international bonds. The ministry emphasized that the removal of the clause means Ukraine does not need to declare a default on its international bonds.
In April, Ukrainian authorities said they had failed to reach a deal to restructure part of the country’s debt, with a nominal value of $3.2 billion.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine offered investors two options during the unsuccessful talks, including a full exchange for sovereign bonds by reopening existing notes. However, creditors reportedly agreed only to restructure the May payment and demanded over $400 million in cash, as well as the conversion of more than $200 million into new bonds – a condition Kiev rejected.
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May 31, 2025 at 01:20AM
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Nikolay Azarov led his country’s government until the Western-backed 2014 Euromaidan coup
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has been elected an academician by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the country’s leading scientific organization has announced.
Azarov, who is a Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences and a professor at Donetsk National Technical University, was Ukraine’s head of government between 2010 and 2014. He resigned during the Western-backed Euromaidan protests in Kiev and fled to Russia after the overthrow of democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovich in February 2014.
The former prime minister became an academician alongside 84 other scientists, including 39 from foreign countries, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement on Friday. During the vote the previous day, his candidacy was supported by 521 members of RAS, it added.
Azarov became an academician in the Department of Earth Sciences; his specialty is the mining sciences, the statement read.
According to RAS, Azarov, who has written more than a hundred scientific papers, made a significant contribution to the theory of the rational industry-related transformation of Earth’s depth during the development of solid mineral deposits.
Through his scientific work, the 77-year-old also facilitated the development of efficient and safe technologies for the extraction of ore, diamonds, coal and gas deposits, it added.
Azarov, who is a critic of Vladimir Zelensky and the current Ukrainian authorities, has been accused of treason by Kiev. A warrant was issued for his arrest in 2021; he stands accused of working in the interests of Moscow during the 2010 negotiations of a deal to prolong the stay of the Russian fleet in Crimea by another 25 years in exchange for discounts on gas supplies. The former prime minister has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the case against him was fabricated.
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May 30, 2025 at 11:03PM
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Promoting lies about Russia is becoming more difficult due to Kiev’s clear choice in favor of war, Russia’s UN envoy has said
Ukraine is trying to trick US President Donald Trump, who wants to achieve peace in the ongoing conflict, into returning Washington to an anti-Russian stance, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, has said.
During his speech at a UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Thursday, Ambassador Nebenzia reminded of the intensification of Ukrainian drone incursions into Russia over the past week. A total of 1,465 drones had been shot down by air defenses, but nonetheless led to civilian casualties and deaths, including among children, he said.
Kiev and its NATO backers “are trying to make us believe that Russia is deliberately shelling residential areas of Ukrainian cities” during its retaliatory strikes, the envoy stressed.
Moscow’s attacks “target exclusively objects related to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, and we are successfully destroying them or rendering them inoperable,” Nebenzia said, reiterating the stance consistency voiced by the Russian Defense Ministry throughout the conflict.
“The plans concocted by [Vladimir] Zelensky and his posse are way too plain and clear. Their task is to trick and mislead American President Donald Trump, who is taking decisive steps toward peace; they are ready to go to any lengths only to return the US – which has already wasted hundreds of billions of dollars helping Ukraine – to an anti-Russian and Russophobic course,” he insisted.
However, the envoy stressed that “promoting Ukrainian and Western lies about Russia is becoming increasingly difficult, since the actual steps of the Kiev regime, its deliberate choice in favor of war and the further suffering of its citizens speak volumes.”
Moscow is eager to continue “serious direct negotiations” with Kiev in order to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict that would address its root causes, he said.
He reminded that Russia has invited the Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul on Monday to discuss the memorandums on approaches to negotiating peace prepared by the sides.
“The ball is in Ukraine’s court: either talks followed by peace or imminent defeat on the battlefield with different conditions for ending the conflict,” the envoy insisted.
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May 30, 2025 at 12:04AM
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Keith Kellogg insists Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc is off the table
Russia’s concerns about NATO expanding to its doorstep are “fair,” US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg said Thursday in an interview with ABC News, as he discussed Moscow’s expected proposal, aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Russia hopes to hold a new round of negotiations with Ukraine on Monday in Istanbul, where both parties would exchange draft memorandums on the next steps in the peace process, including a conditional cease-fire. Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration at not receiving the Russian draft in advance and said they might boycott the meeting.
”I always caution [Kiev’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov]: don’t say things like that,” Kellogg said. “Part of life is showing up, and you need to show you’re serious.”
ABC’s Kyra Phillips cited reports that Moscow wants NATO leaders to issue a written commitment halting further enlargement — particularly the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Kellogg has acknowledged that Russia’s long-standing security concerns regarding the US-led alliance were reasonable.
”We're saying: okay, comprehensively we can stop the expansion of NATO coming close to your border,” he said, adding that such a move would ultimately require a presidential-level decision.
During the Cold War, the United States gave the Soviet Union assurances that NATO would not expand eastward in exchange for support for German reunification. Since the 1990s, Russia has cited the alliance’s enlargement as evidence of Western duplicity.
Moscow has labeled NATO’s 2008 promise to eventually admit Ukraine a key factor behind the current conflict. In 2021, the Kremlin offered a diplomatic proposal to ease tensions, but the United States and other NATO members said the organization’s open-door policy was non-negotiable.
NATO has described Ukraine’s path to membership as “irreversible.” However, US President Donald Trump’s administration maintains that Kiev’s accession is off the table.
Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary peace agreement in Istanbul in 2022, but Kiev later withdrew from talks, aiming for a military breakthrough with support from Western nations. Moscow sees the renewed talks launched earlier this month as a chance to revisit the proposal, which involves Ukraine adopting a stance of neutrality and limiting its military.
Phillips pressed Kellogg on whether those terms were “pretty extreme,” suggesting they were proof that Russia does not seek peace. Kellogg responded that ending the conflict was in Moscow’s interest.
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May 29, 2025 at 11:03PM
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Colonial Germany murdered an estimated 100,000 men, women and children between 1904 and 1908
Namibia will never forget the brutal massacre of thousands of its people by German soldiers during colonial rule, the Southern African country’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has declared.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks in an emotional speech on Wednesday, the country’s first Genocide Remembrance Day.
German colonial forces massacred an estimated 100,000 OvaHerero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa. Launched in response to a series of uprisings against German rule, the killings are recognized by the UN as the first genocide of the 20th century.
“Many people from the two communities were forced into concentration camps where they were starved to death and their skulls were taken to Germany for so-called scientific research,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the commemoration event held at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, the capital.
She said while Namibia is now free and focused on building the nation, it “shall never forget the emotional, psychological, economic, and cultural scars” left by the colonial-era atrocities.
In 2021, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier apologized for the colonial-era crime and pledged €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in development aid to Namibia. This offer, however, fell short of the reparations demanded by leaders of the affected communities.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that while Berlin’s response may not fully satisfy the demands for justice, its formal admission of having perpetrated the genocide is a meaningful and necessary step forward.
“We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German Government since 2013. We must remain committed that as a nation, we shall soldier until the ultimate conclusion is reached,” she said.
In a statement released ahead of the Windhoek event, Berlin described the “crimes of German colonial rule” as the “darkest chapter” in German–Namibian relations.
“The German government acknowledges Germany’s moral and political responsibility and emphasizes the importance of reconciliation,” it stated on Wednesday.
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May 29, 2025 at 12:11AM
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Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a decree to establish a Consulate General in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh
Russia is set to open a Consulate General in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, according to a decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and published on Tuesday.
The order instructs the Russian Foreign Ministry to determine the consulate’s staffing size and to approve its operational structure.
It will be the second Russian Consulate General in Egypt, along with the one located in another resort city, Hurghada, and the Russian Embassy in Cairo.
In April, Niger confirmed it will host a Russian embassy for the first time in more than three decades. The announcement was made by Nigerien Foreign Minister Bakari Yaou Sangare, who affirmed the country’s readiness to welcome a permanent Russian diplomatic mission.
Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that plans are underway to open embassies in several African nations, including Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. She stated that the necessary government directives had been signed in December and that formal openings were expected soon.
“Next in line are Niger and Sierra Leone, where we are resuming operations that were unfortunately discontinued in 1992 due to financial reasons,” Zakharova explained.
In March, the Comoros also approved the establishment of a Russian embassy in its capital, Moroni.
Last year, Zakharova announced plans to expand Russia’s diplomatic presence in Africa, citing President Vladimir Putin’s directive to increase Moscow’s diplomatic presence on the continent.
In December 2023, Russia reopened its embassy in Burkina Faso after more than 30 years of closure. That same year, a new embassy was launched in Equatorial Guinea.
The South Asian nation’s military has showcased its homegrown UAVs after its recent clash with Pakistan
India’s chief of army staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, witnessed demonstrations of homegrown unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), counter-drone technologies, and loitering munitions (also known as kamikaze drones) on Tuesday.
The demonstrations took place at the Babina Field Firing Ranges in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, military officials said.
“These capabilities will significantly enhance operational efficiency, force protection and precision engagement across varied terrains,” the Indian Army said in a post on X.
#GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS witnessed cutting-edge demonstrations of indigenous UAS, Counter-UAS and Loitering Munitions on 27 May 2025 at Babina Field Firing Ranges.
These capabilities will significantly enhance operational efficiency, force protection and precision… pic.twitter.com/4pNXRSDJYP
The role of kamikaze drones was hailed during the Indian Army’s recent Operation Sindoor. According to official reports, the weapons allowed precise targeting of Pakistani military infrastructure.
New Delhi said it was responding to a terrorist attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir federal territory in late April which killed 26 tourists. Islamabad has denied any involvement.
The two states have been involved in a dispute over the territory for decades. The recent escalation unfolded on May 7; three days later, after a short but intense battle, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.
During the conflict, New Delhi said that on the night of May 8-9, Islamabad launched around 300 drone attacks across 36 locations in India. Since then, India has taken a number of measures to bolster its defense capabilities.
On Tuesday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the “execution model” for developing the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) with an investment of $175 million. AMCA is the South Asian country’s ambitious project to develop a multi-role combat aircraft with stealth capabilities for the Air Force and Navy.
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May 28, 2025 at 12:32AM
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The UK and France continue to strategize despite a lack of US support for the proposed mission
Doubts are growing over a Franco-British initiative to deploy troops from NATO states to Ukraine following a potential truce with Russia, anonymous officials told the Financial Times. One European source described the plan as “dead.”
France and the UK are the leading powers in the ‘coalition of the willing’, advocating a Western military force intended to serve as a security guarantee for Kiev. Moscow has maintained that it will not tolerate any NATO presence in Ukraine under any circumstances.
The US has turned down a European request to provide a “backstop” for the mission, with President Donald Trump arguing that America should never have been involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the first place. According to the FT article published on Monday, the official cited as a source said it is “preposterous without the help of Trump, and he’s not willing to provide it.”
A French diplomat disputed this assessment, calling it “totally untrue,” saying ‘coalition’ members are continuing their planning “at normal pace.” The FT suggested that European efforts are aimed at bolstering morale in Kiev, demonstrating commitment to Trump, and trying to influence US-supported peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
This month, Russia and Ukraine resumed direct peace talks, which Kiev abandoned in 2022 to pursue victory on the battlefield instead. The first round of renewed dialogue led to the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries since the conflict escalated more than three years ago. Moscow is preparing a draft memorandum that includes a conditional ceasefire as part of a road map to a peaceful resolution.
Kiev has accused Moscow of lacking goodwill by refusing a 30-day unconditional pause in the fighting – a demand Russia has dismissed as a tactic to gain military advantage. Ukrainian forces have stepped up long-range strikes deep into Russian territory in recent weeks. The Russian military said on Wednesday that it shot down 296 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over a ten-hour period overnight.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said on Tuesday the increase in attacks is a mirror response to Russian operations. Moscow has recently launched several strikes inside Ukraine, reportedly targeting a major kamikaze drone facility in Kiev and other military sites.
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May 27, 2025 at 11:13PM
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The foreign minister has pledged assistance in enhancing defense capabilities and countering terrorism
Moscow remains a reliable and steadfast partner to African nations by supporting efforts to strengthen their sovereignty, which is threatened by modern forms of colonialism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Lavrov made the remarks on Monday during an Africa Day event at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, addressing an audience of African diplomats and officials.
The senior diplomat reiterated Russia’s longstanding support for African nations, beginning in the Soviet era when Moscow backed national liberation movements and contributed to the collapse of colonial systems.
“Today, Russia continues to foster the strengthening of Africa’s position as a unique and influential center of global development… We will further assist interested African nations in enhancing their defense capabilities, countering terrorism, and ensuring food and energy security,” he said.
Lavrov hailed the African Union’s 2025 theme as a reflection of global efforts to address historical injustice and welcomed a UN resolution calling for an international day to confront colonialism. He urged for continued collaboration toward a just multipolar world and reaffirmed support for Africa’s role in global governance, including permanent representation on the UN Security Council.
Moscow has declared that developing ties with African states is among its top foreign policy priorities and has since increased its footprint on the continent, where several countries, including South Africa, Niger, and Burkina Faso, consider it a reliable ally.
On Monday, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to deepening ties with African states through platforms such as the Russia-Africa Summit and by implementing agreements reached. He said the next ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum would be hosted in an African country later this year, laying the groundwork for the third summit in 2026.
“The Joint Action Plan for 2023-2026, adopted by heads of state, encompasses priority areas of cooperation, including security, trade and investment, agriculture, information and communication technologies, science, culture, and education,” the foreign minister stated.
According to Lavrov, trade between Russia and the continent has seen “dynamic growth” and exceeded $27.7 billion in 2024. He said more than 32,000 African students are currently enrolled in Russian universities, highlighting education as a pillar of bilateral cooperation.
“Joint efforts are intensifying in critical fields such as healthcare, epidemic control, and emergency prevention and response,” he stated.
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May 27, 2025 at 12:07AM
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Other nations will have no choice but to bolster their deterrence, Pyongyang has warned
US President Donald Trump’s plans for a new “Golden Dome” anti-ballistic missile defense system will fuel a nuclear arms race, North Korea has said.
Unveiled by Trump last week, the initiative would provide a multilayered shield against long-range threats to the US. Some interceptor weapons would be deployed in space, and the system would reportedly include the capacity to strike launch sites before a missile is fired. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the project could cost more than $542 billion over a 20-year period.
North Korea reiterated its objections in a memorandum released by the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for American Studies, describing the Golden Dome as an inherently offensive system and a “malignant factor” fueling a global strategic arms race. The findings were reported by state media on Tuesday.
The memorandum accused Washington of attempting to militarize space, meaning nations not aligned with the US would be forced to pursue symmetrical nuclear capabilities as their only means of self-defense. It also warned that US “satellite states,” including South Korea and Japan, could be drawn into American military strategy and serve as “cannon fodder” in future conflicts.
The project is “a typical product of ‘America first’, the height of self-righteousness, arrogance, high-handed and arbitrary practice, and is an outer space nuclear war scenario supporting the US strategy for uni-polar domination,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all nations have the sovereign right to develop means of countering perceived threats, when asked specifically about the Golden Dome. However, Moscow has consistently opposed the militarization of space and actions it views as destabilizing to the global strategic balance.
President Vladimir Putin, speaking at his annual press conference last December, underscored Russia’s efforts to ensure that its nuclear-capable weapons could defeat all possible countermeasures. He argued that decades of American investment in anti-ballistic missile infrastructure “cost a lot to taxpayers and contribute little to the security for their country.”
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May 26, 2025 at 11:24PM
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A vessel carrying diesel and furnace oil capsized off the southern coast of the country, sparking fears of a major spill
Authorities in the Indian state of Kerala have declared a state of emergency after a vessel carrying oil and other hazardous materials capsized off the coast on Sunday. The incident has triggered fears of a major spill and environmental hazard.
The Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC ELSA 3, carrying diesel, furnace oil, and containers with hazardous cargo, capsized near Kochi in southern part of India due to a load imbalance, local authorities stated on Sunday. All 24 crew members were rescued, officials added.
The vessel began tilting 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on Saturday and capsized rapidly in the early hours of Sunday due to flooding in one of the holds, the coast guard said in a statement. The ship was carrying 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel, 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil, and 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide, the coast guard noted.
All 24 crew members ex Liberian-flagged container Vessel MSC ELSA 3 rescued safely, 21 by @IndiaCoastGuard & 03 by @indiannavy Ship Sujata after vessel sank off #Kochi this morning. Vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium… pic.twitter.com/990qmogVJR
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 25, 2025
The Kerala government declared a statewide emergency on Sunday amid fears that the oil slick could reach anywhere along the coast. Containers from the vessel were seen drifting in the sea at a speed of 3kph, the Indian Express reported.
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 24, 2025
An unnamed defense spokesperson in Kochi quoted by the newspaper said that efforts are being made to mitigate the oil spill, with a coast guard ship and an aerial assessment of the situation being conducted. Besides the oil in the fallen containers, “marine fuel used in the ship has also leaked,” the Kerala chief minister’s office said in a statement, following a high-level meeting on Sunday.
According to simulation results from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), cited by The Hindu newspaper, there is a 45% probability that many of the 640 containers from the sunken container ship are likely to drift towards the coastal stretch of Kerala within the next 48 hours. As a precautionary measure, the government has prohibited fishing in a 20-nautical-mile radius around the sunken ship, in addition to an existing ban on fishing due to heavy rain.
Officials have also activated the Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to aid in the location of containers or other drifting objects.
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May 26, 2025 at 12:31AM
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Kiev has stepped up long-range raids as the US pushes for peace talks
Russian air defense forces have shot down over 150 long-range Ukrainian drones in the space of 24 hours, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said Monday.
In a summary of recent anti-drone operations released in the morning, the ministry reported that 96 drones had been intercepted since 8pm Sunday (17:00 GMT). It added that a total of 148 drones were downed in the 22-hour span between 10am Sunday and 8am Monday. The ministry later stated that approximately five more drones were shot down around 8am local time on Monday.
Kiev has escalated efforts to inflict damage deep inside Russia, shifting from nighttime raids to constant waves of kamikaze drones. One drone reportedly struck the dome of a cathedral in Russia’s Tula Region on Sunday, causing a fire, according to footage and local authorities.
Recent interceptions were filmed by witnesses in multiple parts of Russia. A video from Tatarstan purports to show the air defenses in action near the city of Yelabuga, a significant industrial center.
Another reportedly shows people in Tula reacting to an engagement of Ukrainian drones.
There was similar action over Ramenskoye, a city southeast of Moscow with more than 110,000 residents. The Defense Ministry said it stopped six drones approaching the Russian capital overnight.
Russia last week launched a series of long-range strikes on Ukraine, including one on a plant in Kiev that the Russian Defense Ministry stated was used to produce fixed-wing drones.
US President Donald Trump, who seeks to broker a peace deal in the conflict, criticized both sides in a social media post on Sunday. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “shooting rockets into Kiev” without justification and said rhetoric from Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky was counterproductive, claiming “everything out of his mouth causes problems.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that Kiev’s change in tactics was aimed at undermining direct peace talks with Moscow, which Ukraine agreed to resume earlier this month under pressure from Washington. Lavrov said the sabotage effort was encouraged by “the UK, France, Germany, and the EU leadership.”
Following a recent phone call with Putin, Trump reportedly told NATO allies and Zelensky that he would not support additional sanctions on Russia. That decision, according to The Guardian, left European leaders “ranging from despondent to apoplectic.”
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May 25, 2025 at 11:30PM
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Once Kiev’s top donor, Washington has shifted under Donald Trump from arming Ukraine to focusing on mediating peace with Moscow
Ukraine can’t afford to lose US military aid in its conflict with Russia, Mikhail Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, told the French newspaper Le Point on Friday. According to the official, US support is “essential” for Kiev’s war effort.
Under the previous US administration, Washington was Kiev’s largest donor. Since returning to office earlier this year, however, US President Donald Trump has not approved any new military aid for Ukraine, while the last remaining assistance package authorized under former President Joe Biden is expected to run out by mid-summer.
Despite pledging on the campaign trail to end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours, Trump has recently warned he may “back away” from peace mediation unless Kiev and Moscow reach a deal. He has also questioned US commitments to NATO allies unless they boost defense spending, repeatedly insisting the EU should handle its own security and regional conflicts without depending on Washington.
Podoliak praised Europe for taking a firm pro-Ukrainian stance in the current conflict, but said it is currently too busy with its own rearmament to sufficiently support Kiev.
“Europe is rearming and changing its foreign and military policy… however, this transformation takes time. Unfortunately for Ukraine, that time is measured in lives lost,” he stated.
“We cannot afford to let the United States disengage from this war, because its military support is essential for both Europe and Ukraine,” he said, reiterating Kiev’s warnings that Russia “is a threat to Europe” and “wants to dominate” it – claims that Moscow has repeatedly dismissed as nonsense.
Russia has repeatedly condemned Western military aid to Ukraine, stating that it merely prolongs the conflict and hinders peace efforts. Last week, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul. Both delegations agreed to stay in contact and to carry out a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner-of-war swap, which transpired on Sunday.
Moscow and Kiev exchanged 303 more servicemen on Sunday, bringing the total to 1,000 for 1,000, the Russian Defense Ministry has said
Russia and Ukraine have completed a record prisoner exchange, agreed to during direct talks in Türkiye earlier this month, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. On Sunday, 303 Russian soldiers were returned from territory controlled by Kiev, according to the ministry. In exchange, 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over.
“All Russian military personnel and civilians will be transported to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Thus, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, for the period from May 23 to May 25, the Russian and Ukrainian sides exchanged 1,000 per 1,000 people,” it added.
The Russian servicemen are now in Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological assistance.
Last week, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul. While no major breakthrough was made, both delegations agreed to stay in contact and exchange preliminary terms for a potential ceasefire.
The sides also agreed to a record 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner swap. The exchange started on Friday, with 120 Russian civilians and 270 military personnel, and an equal number of Ukrainian civilians and troops released. Another 307 people from both sides were exchanged on Saturday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier that the sides will exchange draft ceasefire proposals once the swap process is complete.
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May 25, 2025 at 12:39AM
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The African Union has commemorated the anniversary of its founding with a call for justice, unity, and progress
A conference marking Africa Day was held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday.
The event was devoted to the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU).
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), commenting in his address on this year’s theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” spoke about “crimes committed during the period of slavery and colonization against tens of millions of Africans.”
“While justice and reparations remain long overdue,” Youssouf said, “Africa will not be held hostage by the pain of its past.”
“Africa continues to sacrifice and strive towards freedom from conflict, underdevelopment, and war. The continent is steadily building a future of peace, prosperity, and integration,” he continued.
Africa’s strategic advantages are its young and growing population, arable lands, mineral wealth, and renewable energy potential. With a population expected to exceed 2.5 billion by 2050, Africa is not only the continent of the future, but also the engine of global transformation, Youssouf affirmed.
”It is our duty as Africans, to safeguard our resources and prioritize value addition through transformative initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area. Africa must no longer be an afterthought in global geopolitics,” he concluded.
Africa Day is celebrated around the world annually on May 25. Originally known as African Freedom Day or African Liberation Day, it marks the foundation by 31 independent countries of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, on May 25, 1963. Today, the AU consists of 55 sovereign member states that act in accordance with the concept of “an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”
The organization’s objectives include strengthening unity and solidarity, developing cooperation between African nations, protecting the independence and members’ territorial integrity, eliminating all forms of colonialism, preventing interference in internal affairs, and settling conflicts in a peaceful way.
Every year ahead of Africa Day, the AU sets a theme which it considers particularly important. While 2024 was devoted to the development of education and skills in Africa, this year, the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” honors the memory of those who suffered under slavery and colonialism.
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May 24, 2025 at 11:18PM
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Brussels’ decision to revoke trade privileges is set to severely hit the country’s economy, Dmitry Natalukha claims
The EU’s latest decision to reinstate import duties on Ukrainian exports will leave Kiev begging for money, according to Dmitry Natalukha, a member of the nation’s parliament. His claim comes shortly after the European Commission (EC) announced that the bloc won’t extend the current duty-free trade regime that is set to expire in early June.
On Friday, the EU executive branch said that the bloc’s member states have backed the reimposition of import quotas on Ukrainian agricultural goods that were suspended in the wake of the escalation of the country’s conflict with Russia in February 2022.
“This could create an idiotic situation where we will be forced to come and beg you [the EU] for money, instead of simply earning money through trade – which, in my opinion, is a very wicked and twisted situation, because rather than trading and profiting both from the trade in a normal way, Ukraine is being pushed to become a beggar,” Natalukha, who heads Economic Affairs Parliamentary Committee, said on Friday in an interview with Euractive.
Brussels adopted special regulations, known as Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), aimed at enabling grain and other agricultural goods from Ukraine to reach global markets. However, the massive inflow of cheap produce into Eastern Europe sparked widespread protests among the country’s neighbors, where farmers said they could not compete. In response to the outrage, the EU has reintroduced some of the restrictions over the past year, targeting such commodities as oats, sugar and eggs.
Natalukha also stated that the suspension of the ATMs could cost the country more than €3 billion – equivalent to around 70% of Ukraine’s projected total economic growth for the current year, sending its economy into a near-recession.
The EC has, however, cast doubt on Kiev’s figures. Earlier this month, a senior official at the Directorate General for Trade and Economic Security, Leon Delvaux, stated that the €3 billion estimate was inflated, arguing the real value of the ATMs is half of the amount.
Last week, Politico reported, citing proposed legislation, that Brussels was considering replacing the ATMs with revised limits under Ukraine’s existing trade framework with the bloc, known as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), rather than extending the measures on a yearly basis.
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May 24, 2025 at 01:47AM
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The anti-fraud measure would let borrowers opt to unblock credit access, a senior Interior Ministry representative has said
The Russian Interior Ministry is mulling the idea of a blanket ban on issuing credit to citizens as part of broader efforts to protect them from fraudsters. The proposal would require individuals to apply for personal exceptions online or through official centers, a senior official said on Friday.
Deputy head of the Investigative Department Danil Filippov announced the proposal during the Positive Hack Days cybersecurity forum in Moscow.
“We already have many laws that allow citizens to voluntarily block access to credit,” he said. “But we are putting forward a different concept – not voluntary restriction, but a total ban, with the option of individual unblocking.”
Filippov said he believed Russian citizens would not oppose the measure if it helped law enforcement protect them. “And if someone needs to get a loan or another service, they can simply press a button online and receive that service,” he added, as cited by Vedomosti.
Individuals seeking to lift the credit ban would need to go through a specific procedure, according to Filippov. Citizens would be issued a warning and asked a series of questions, such as whether they were acting under the influence of third parties or intending to transfer the borrowed funds to someone else. “And perhaps, after answering these questions, they may choose not to press that button,” he said.
Currently, Russians can already impose a self-restriction on credit issuance, a service that more than 11 million people have used, according to Sergey Boyarsky, head of the State Duma’s Committee on Information Policy. While Filippov acknowledged that the self-restricting option is effective and “has demonstrated a measurable impact,” he said a full prohibition would be “a more productive and serious step.”
The ministry’s proposal has not yet been formalized but reflects growing concern in Russia over the rise in cyber and financial fraud, particularly scams involving bank transfers and unauthorized lending.
In 2024, financial fraud resulted in the theft of 27.5 billion rubles from Russian citizens' accounts, marking a record high, according to the country’s Central Bank figures. The nation’s largest lender, Sberbank, estimated that losses from telephone scams amounted to at least 295 billion rubles during the same period.
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May 24, 2025 at 12:40AM
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NDB president Dilma Rousseff has said Algeria will strengthen the institution’s global influence and regional development role
Algeria has officially become a member of the New Development Bank (NDB), the financial institution established by the BRICS group of nations.
The announcement was made by the NDB’s press service on Thursday, citing the bank’s president, Dilma Rousseff, who welcomed the North African nation’s accession as a significant milestone for both Algeria and the bank.
“Algeria plays an important role not only in the economy of Northern Africa, but also at a global scale, and will definitely contribute to enhancing NDB’s position in the global financial arena,” she noted.
Rousseff emphasized the institution’s commitment to co-financing development projects aimed at improving living standards and promoting economic progress.
Algerian Finance Minister Abdelkrim Bouzred also welcomed the decision, saying: “This membership is a testament to our belief in this institution’s vital role in financing global development, and its status as a key player capable of providing alternative and innovative solutions to promote the growth and resilience of its member countries’ economies.”
In 2023, Algeria became one of four countries to move up in the World Bank rankings from low-income to upper-middle-income status. According to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria has nearly eliminated its external debt, does not need loans from external organizations, and is actively diversifying non-hydrocarbon production to achieve self-sufficiency in various sectors. Both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank classify Algeria as the third-largest economy in Africa, after South Africa and Egypt.
Commenting on Algeria joining the NDB, Andrey Maslov, head of the Center for African Studies at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, told RT: “For the BRICS, Algeria joining the bank is great news. The country has a good credit history, a trade surplus, and few debts. Algeria's ambitious export diversification program, as well as its infrastructure projects, require significant investments, and they can be good business for the bank.”
“However, the New Development Bank itself still has a long way to go before it becomes a viable alternative to Western-oriented financial institutions. For now, it is too dependent on the dollar and is acting cautiously to avoid secondary anti-Russian sanctions,” Maslov noted.
The NDB was founded by the BRICS group in 2015 to address the needs of developing countries which, according to its members, are not equally represented in the international financial architecture. The NDB welcomed Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as members in 2021, while Egypt joined in 2023.
BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining two years later. In 2024, the bloc extended full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria and Uganda became BRICS partner states in January 2025.
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May 23, 2025 at 01:36AM
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Tariffs on agricultural imports will be reinstated after current waivers expire, as pressure mounts from Eastern European members
EU member states have approved the reimposition of import quotas on Ukrainian agricultural goods, European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari has said, as cited by Euroactiv. The current duty-free trade regime is set to expire on June 5.
Brussels abolished tariffs and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural produce following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The bloc adopted special regulations, known as Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), aimed at enabling grain and other farm products from Ukraine to reach global markets. However, the influx of cheap Ukrainian produce into Eastern European countries sparked widespread protests among local farmers, particularly in Poland.
The latest move, endorsed by a majority of EU nations at a meeting on Thursday morning, introduces a set of “transitional measures” that will phase out the ATMs and reimpose certain trade controls.
Some restrictions have already been reintroduced over the past year, targeting commodities such as oats, sugar, and eggs. The selective reinstatements came in response to months of protests in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and other countries neighboring Ukraine, where farmers said they could no longer compete with tariff-exempt goods.
Politico previously reported, citing a draft act, that the EU was considering replacing ATMs with revised limits under Ukraine’s existing trade framework with the bloc, known as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), rather than extending the measures on a yearly basis.
Commenting on the latest news, the chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s economic affairs committee, Dmitry Natalukha, told Euractiv that halting the ATMs could cost Kiev more than €3 billion ($3.4 billion), which he said is equal to around 70% of the country’s projected total economic growth for the current year.
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May 23, 2025 at 12:04AM
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The US president has hosted his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in Washington for talks
US President Donald Trump voiced surprise at a visit by Vladimir Zelensky to South Africa during a meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday.
According to Trump, he phoned Zelensky at the time of his April visit and asked “what the hell” he was doing in South Africa. Ramaphosa explained that South Africa had shared some “lessons” on peacebuilding with the Ukrainian leader. “That’s what Nelson Mandela taught us: if you want to achieve peace in the country, do it unconditionally, sit down and talk,” the South African president said.
Zelensky’s visit to Pretoria sparked widespread criticism from South African political commentators and activists due to his dismissive attitude toward a 2023 Ramaphosa-led peace initiative.
The two presidents also discussed US concerns about alleged violence against white Afrikaners and the South African government’s land reform policies. Trump reportedly sought clarification on what he described as a “genocide” of the white minority.
Ramaphosa dismissed the claims, reaffirming South Africa’s democratic values and rejecting the idea that land was being unlawfully seized. “No, no, no, no,” he responded when asked about land confiscation. “Nobody can take land,” he added.
The South African delegation also used the visit to present a revised trade and investment framework aimed at strengthening bilateral economic cooperation. Parks Tau, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, confirmed that the proposal was delivered during talks with the US Trade Representative.
Tau said trade was at the core of the new proposal. “We also discussed customs duties and tariffs with the American side,” he noted. He pointed out that nearly 77% of US goods imported into South Africa enter duty-free, while a similar portion of South African exports, primarily commodities, also benefit from tax exemptions.
Tau added that South Africa highlighted its growing gas shortages and signaled interest in importing US liquefied natural gas (LNG), which was positively received by both the US ambassador and White House representatives. “It’s one of the areas that we will be following up on,” he said.
As he departed the White House, President Ramaphosa told reporters that the talks had gone “very well.”
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May 22, 2025 at 02:40AM
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Similar claims following an anti-establishment candidate’s first round win last year resulted in the vote being scrapped
Romania’s Constitutional Court has rejected an election challenge filed by presidential candidate George Simion, ruling on Thursday that his claims of foreign interference were “unfounded.” Months earlier, the same court had annulled the first round of a vote, citing “irregularities” and intelligence claims of external meddling.
On Sunday, the conservative EU critic lost a run-off vote against pro-Brussels Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan by a single-digit margin. Simion contested the outcome on Tuesday, alleging “external interferences by state and non-state actors,” but the court unanimously rejected his petition.
The ruling is final, the court said in a statement, pledging to provide a full explanation at a later date. In response, Simion, who has accused several nations, including France, of orchestrating interference, labeled the court’s decision a “continuation of a coup d’état” and vowed to continue his political fight.
Last year, independent right-wing presidential candidate Calin Georgescu secured an unexpected lead, which the government attributed to foreign voter manipulation. Investigative journalists later suggested the campaign that triggered the annulment may have been orchestrated by a Romanian political party to divide the conservative electorate. Georgescu was disqualified from the re-run.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov claimed last week that the head of France’s foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE, had asked him to suppress conservative voices on the platform during Romania’s campaign season. The agency publicly denied the allegation. Durov in turn accused French authorities of deflecting criticism by linking him to unrelated criminal investigations involving users of his platform.
Following Simion’s challenge, Durov offered to testify before Romanian authorities about the interactions with French officials, saying he would do so “if it helps Romanian democracy.”
Ahead of the run-off vote, Romania’s Foreign Ministry accused Russia of attempting to influence the outcome. Moscow ridiculed the allegations, calling the process a “mess” and stating that it shouldn’t even count as a proper vote.
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May 22, 2025 at 01:26AM
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Leader Kim Jong-un has demanded the ship’s restoration before June, according to state media
North Korean state media reported a “serious accident” during the attempted launch of a 5,000-ton naval destroyer on Wednesday.
The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, attended the side-launch ceremony at the Chongjin Shipyard. He observed the incident and issued a stern rebuke, news outlets said.
According to reports, the slide system beneath the ship’s stern activated prematurely, resulting in a failure of the slides to move in parallel and damage to the vessel. Officials attributed the incident to “inexperienced command and operational carelessness.”
Kim condemned the mishap as an unacceptable act of criminal negligence and ordered immediate repairs. He instructed that the warship be fully restored before a major meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in June. The government reportedly views the failure as a political embarrassment with implications for the country’s global image.
No photos or video footage of the incident have been released by Pyongyang.
South Korea’s military confirmed it has been monitoring the construction of the destroyer, adding that the ship appeared to be partially capsized following the failed launch.
Last month, North Korea unveiled a new destroyer, the Choe Hyon, and conducted a weapons demonstration shortly afterward. According to reports, the warship fired cruise missiles designed to strike targets at various ranges, an anti-aircraft missile, and a 127mm automatic gun during the test.
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May 21, 2025 at 11:32PM
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The Russian president has ordered the restoration of all places of worship damaged during Kiev’s incursion
Ukraine’s armed forces turned churches in Russia’s Kursk Region into fortresses during their failed incursion, President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that many of the buildings suffered serious damage during the liberation of the region.
Following a meeting with the heads of the region’s municipalities on Tuesday, Putin called on local authorities, including the acting Kursk governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, to create a special program to assess the damage and submit proposals on how to restore the churches as well as repair associated buildings.
During his trip to Kursk, which was only made public on Wednesday morning, the president emphasized the integral role of the Russian Orthodox Church, stating that it had “been with its people throughout history.”
Putin’s visit to Kursk marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to the region since it was fully liberated from Kiev’s forces last month. Ukraine launched its incursion into the border region last August in what it claimed to be an attempt to seize territory as leverage for eventual peace negotiations.
In March, when Ukrainian troops had already started being driven out of Kursk, Putin reported that Kiev’s forces were purposely causing destruction, targeting churches, cultural heritage sites, as well as industrial and energy facilities.
While touring the region on Tuesday, the president admitted that the situation in Kursk remains “difficult” even after its full liberation, particularly as Kiev’s forces have continued their attempts to move towards the Russian border.
Putin has ordered regional authorities to expedite efforts to restore the region and employ more mine clearing specialists so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible. He also announced that payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue and that state funds would be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region.
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May 21, 2025 at 02:39AM
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Ousmane Sonko has urged other African countries to stand firm in asserting their sovereignty
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has declared that all foreign military personnel stationed in the country must withdraw by the end of July.
French troops remain the only foreign military presence in Senegal, operating under a 2012 defense partnership agreement. As part of a phased withdrawal, France officially transferred control of the Rear Admiral Protet naval base in Dakar to Senegalese authorities on May 15. This follows the earlier handover of the Marshall and Saint-Exupéry facilities in March. The remaining bases are scheduled to be transferred in subsequent phases.
Speaking to Burkina Faso’s national broadcaster RTB on Monday, Sonko said that since his administration came to power nearly a year ago, it had taken a number of steps to assert national sovereignty.
“We have notified all countries that have military bases in Senegal that we demand a complete withdrawal. There will be no more foreign military bases on Senegalese territory,” he stated.
According to the prime minister, the withdrawal process is already underway. He confirmed that one foreign military base was vacated just two days prior to the interview and stressed that the handover of another facility would be completed by the end of July.
Sonko framed the move as a normal assertion of sovereignty, stating that Senegal has “a national army, defense and security forces. We think we are able to ensure our own safety.” He also called on other African nations to take greater control of their own destinies.
In November 2023, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called the presence of French troops “incompatible” with national sovereignty. His newly elected administration has taken a firm stance on scaling back France’s military footprint in the country.
Several West African nations, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have severed all military ties with France in recent years, citing frustration with French-led counterterrorism efforts and a desire to seek out alternative partners like Russia.
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May 21, 2025 at 01:34AM
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Pretoria of going against Washington on “issue after issue after issue”
The US will not participate in upcoming G20 events hosted by South Africa, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Tuesday.
The decision, first reported by the media last week, comes amid growing tensions between the two nations. The administration of US President Donald Trump has accused South Africa of enabling what it called a racially motivated “genocide,” a claim President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed as a “completely false narrative.”
Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio cited several reasons for the boycott, including that the agenda of the events fails to “reflect the priorities of this administration.” He added that South Africa broadly aligns itself with countries such as Iran and China, which the US views as strategic rivals.
”When one country is consistently unaligned with the United States on issue after issue after issue after issue – now you have to make conclusions about it,” the secretary of state said.
Rubio also criticized Pretoria’s stance on Israel, describing it as “not just off balance but completely geared towards one side.”
In 2023, South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide over its military actions in Gaza. The court issued an injunction against Israel in January 2024, which the Israeli government has ignored.
The hostilities were triggered by a deadly October 2023 incursion led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and has since escalated into a broader regional crisis. Israeli officials have described their recently relaunched military campaign as an effort to “conquer” Gaza.
Rubio’s remarks came as Ramaphosa arrived in Washington in an effort to “reset and revitalize bilateral relations,” according to a statement from his office. The South African leader is expected to meet President Trump on Wednesday to discuss trade proposals put forward by his government.
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May 20, 2025 at 11:57PM
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Vladimir Chizhov has dismissed Kiev’s demand for a 30-day ceasefire as a “strategic breathing room” for Kiev
Moscow wants a lasting peace to end the Ukraine conflict, not tactical pauses that would help Kiev regroup, Vladimir Chizhov, the First Deputy Chair of the Russian Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee, has said.
Speaking to RT on Monday, Chizhov, who previously served as Russian deputy foreign minister (2202-2005), labeled Ukraine’s proposal for a temporary ceasefire as counterproductive.
Kiev had initially insisted on an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a prerequisite for direct negotiations with Moscow while its European backers warned of additional sanctions. The deadline was later delayed after Kiev agreed to direct engagement with Moscow. The Kremlin has consistently opposed short-term truces, viewing them as chances for Ukraine to rearm and reorganize.
”What will happen on day 31?” Chizhov asked, raising concerns about the implications of a limited truce. “Will hostilities resume? Will arms supplies from NATO continue?” The proposal is a request for”strategic breathing room” for Ukraine rather than a genuine move toward peace.
President Vladimir Putin maintained earlier that a lasting truce would require Ukraine to halt its mobilization, stop receiving weapons from abroad, and withdraw troops from Russian-held territory.
Following yesterday’s phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump, Putin stressed that Russia’s priority is to eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine crisis.
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May 20, 2025 at 01:02AM
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The measures advocated by the EU could make the chances of settling the Ukraine conflict “much worse,” the US president has said
The US does not want to impose further sanctions on Russia “because there’s a chance” of progress towards a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, President Donald Trump said on Monday.
The remarks followed a two-hour phone conversation earlier in the day with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a post on Truth Social following the call, Trump wrote that the tone and spirit of the conversation were “excellent.” Putin described the discussion as “very useful.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House shortly after the call, Trump suggested that he is opposed to ramping up the sanctions on Russia.
“Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse,” the president said in the Oval Office, according to CNN. “But there could be a time where that’s going to happen,” he added.
Trump also stated that immediately after his call with the Russian president, he relayed the details of their conversation to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, along with the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and the European Commission.
According to the Financial Times, EU leaders were “stunned” by Trump’s portrayal of what had been agreed to during the conversation. A source familiar with the call told the outlet it is evident that the US president is “not ready to put greater pressure” on Putin.
The EU is pushing to dramatically tighten the sanctions in order to compel Putin to end the Ukraine conflict.
EU ambassadors approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia last week, targeting nearly 200 oil tankers that the West claims are part of a Russian ‘shadow fleet’.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the US and EU must “go further” and impose “devastating sanctions” to “suffocate” the Russian economy “once and for all.”
The push has been encouraged by US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who proposed what he called “bone-crushing” sanctions, including 500% tariffs on exports from Russia if it resists peace talks.
Russia remains committed to seeking a long-term solution to the Ukraine conflict but will not tolerate being addressed in the “language of ultimatums,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week. He has also stated that Russia is accustomed to Western pressure and is not concerned about new sanctions.
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May 20, 2025 at 12:57AM
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Russia’s ties with the continent base on Soviet-era solidarity, the Foreign Ministry official has said
African countries have demonstrated a clear understanding of the causes of the Ukrainian crisis and the role Western powers played in fueling it, Tatyana Dovgalenko, the head of the Department for Partnership with Africa of the Russian Foreign Ministry, has said.
In an interview with New Eastern Outlook published on Monday, Dovgalenko noted that many African governments have maintained an independent position, grounded in non-interference and national sovereignty, and have refused to adopt anti-Russian sanctions despite significant pressure from the West.
The stance taken is a “vivid demonstration” of Africa’s refusal to capitulate to foreign influence. Instead, she said, many nations across the continent have opted for pragmatic, constructive relations with Moscow.
Russia’s ties with Africa are not newly forged but rest on decades of friendship and cooperation dating back to Soviet support for liberation movements during the decolonization period, Dovgalenko emphasized.
“There is a strong memory of the substantial and selfless contribution made by the USSR to the struggles of African peoples for freedom and independence, as well as Moscow’s assistance in strengthening sovereignty, defense capacity, and in helping the young economies of the continent take shape,” the Foreign Ministry official stated.
In contrast to what she described as a widespread European willingness to ignore the past, she argued that Africans are especially attuned to the dangers of foreign interference. African countries have long been subjected to unilateral sanctions and double standards, with some still enduring these measures today. “The continent knows firsthand what unilateral and illegitimate restrictions mean, and understands their selective, unfounded, and unjust nature,” she pointed out.
According to Dovgalenko, Russia does not view Africa as an arena for geopolitical rivalry, but rather as a space for mutually beneficial cooperation. She said this approach sets Russia apart from other global players, because Moscow does not dictate who African nations should align with, nor does it pressure them into taking sides. “We respect their sovereignty and national interests not in words, but in deeds,” she added.
Dovgalenko also pointed to tangible economic progress, stating that Russia has maintained its commitments to the continent despite Western restrictions. “In 2024, Russian agricultural exports to African countries rose by almost 20%, exceeding $7 billion and reaching 45 nations across the continent,” the official highlighted.
In March, Dovgalenko told Jeune Afrique that Russia does not see Africa as a zone of rivalry with other global powers. She contrasted Moscow’s approach with that of former colonizers, saying Russia has never exploited the continent or acted like a “predator.”
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May 19, 2025 at 11:28PM
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Concerns abound that the 49 second-hand Abrams will be an easy target for Russian drones, the report claims
Australia has announced it will ship 49 decommissioned M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after receiving approval from the US. The decision has reportedly sparked criticism from American and Australian officials alike, who question whether Ukraine will be able to actually use them due to logistics issues and vulnerability to Russian drones.
The start of the delivery was confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Rome on Sunday. According to ABC, the loading of the first tanks onto a cargo ship has commenced, though specific details about their location and arrival date remain undisclosed for security reasons.
The transfer of the Abrams required US approval due to their American origin. While Washington eventually granted permission, US officials have privately expressed “frustration” over the move, ABC reported.
“Last year, even before Donald Trump returned as president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield, the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain,” one unnamed US official told the network.
Australian defense officials echoed the concerns. “We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war,” an ABC source noted.
In late 2023, the US, under former President Joe Biden, supplied 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Media reports claim that the heavy armor, estimated to cost $10 million each, has faced challenges on the battlefield, including drone strikes and rough terrain.
Russia claims to have destroyed several Abrams tanks. In May 2024, it showcased a captured tank at a military exhibition in Moscow alongside troves of other Western equipment.
Moscow has denounced the Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they will only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome.
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May 19, 2025 at 12:17AM
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