Lavrov Says Russia Not Ready To Stop The War
- By Ray Furlong
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has a stark message as the war enters it's fourth year: Moscow is not ready to stop its invasion.
Speaking during a visit to Turkey, he said: "We will stop hostilities only when these negotiations produce a firm and sustainable result that suits the Russian Federation."
This came as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow that talks with the United States would continue this week, focusing on "irritants" in relations.
Leaked Military Hospital Database Shows Vast Toll Of War
- By Carl Schreck
RFE/RL has obtained leaked Russian military hospital records that show the massive toll the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has wrought on Russia’s armed forces.
Among the findings: the previously unrevealed fact that the head of Russia's defense forces was hospitalized with a gunshot wound nine months before he was killed in an exploding-scooter assassination that Ukraine claimed credit for.
Defense Minister: Ukraine Needs 'Decisive Action From Our Allies'
Ukraine has "grown stronger" as it battles Russia's full-scale invasion but needs "decisive action" from allies if it is to prevail, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov says. "Only together can we restore our borders, free our prisoners, and make Russia pay for its crimes."
The three-year mark in the full-scale invasion comes amid uncertainty about the future of support from the West, in particular the United States, and questions about what kind of security guarantees Western countries might provide if a cease-fire or peace deal is reached.
European Foreign Ministers On Ukraine
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Danish foreign minister, speaking ahead of the EU foreign affairs council
"It is up to Ukraine to decide their own destiny. They have chosen to become a member of the European family, and we want to welcome them in the European family."
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Swedish foreign minister
"Ukraine must be in a position of strength at the negotiation table when they are ready to negotiate. And they must also be in a position to actually say no to a bad deal. In order for this to happen we need to increase the military support now, not in six months or a year."
Margus Tsahkna, Estonian foreign minister
"We have 300 billion euros worth of Russian frozen assets in Europe. And we need to use them...so we can replace U.S. support if the U.S. is going to decide that they will not support Ukraine anymore.”
From The Archive: RFE/RL Investigates The Bucha Massacre
- By Ray Furlong
The massacre at Bucha by Russian forces is one of the most notorious atrocities in a war that has been marked by continual Russian attacks on civilians. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service conducted an in-depth investigation that told the stories of many victims, while focusing on the chilling story of how they came for a man who ran a coffee stand.
Will Ukraine's One And Only Wartime President Face a New Election This Year?
- By Mike Eckel
Volodymr Zelenskyy rode into Ukraine's presidency in 2019 in a landslide election victory that signaled Ukrainian voters were eager for a change.
Since Russia's all-out invasion began in 2022, the country has been under martial law, barring any new presidential vote that would give Zelenskyy another chance to prove himself at the polls.
After years of wartime solidarity as Ukrainians rallied to Zelenskyy, there are now hints of political cracks. And there’s growing pressure, in particular from President Donald Trump's administration, to possibly hold a new election, something Ukrainian officials say, for now, is logistically and legally impossible.
Putin's 'Destabilizing Fixation' On Ukraine
Over his long years in power, Putin made his designs on Ukraine increasingly clear, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on the country's right to exist as an independent state. The months before the full-scale invasion brought a drumbeat of statements, written and spoken, that caused alarm about his intentions -- or should have. One glaring example, in July 2021, was what one commentator called a "lengthy, tortured article" in which Putin "spelled out his destabilizing fixation" on controlling Ukraine.
'No Deal Without Us Can Work,' Kallas Says
“You can discuss whatever you want with Putin but if it comes to Europe or Ukraine, then Ukraine and Europe also have to agree to this deal," Kaja Kallas, vice president of the European Commission, said.
“We can’t speak for President Trump and these statement are quite interesting. I mean “dictator.” First when I heard about this, I was sure he was making a mistake and mixing the two people because Russia hasn’t had elections for 25 years. Zelenskyy is an elected leader in free and fair elections and of course during war time you cannot have elections."
A Bleary-Eyed Overnight Train To Kyiv, Awoken By War, At A Loss of Words
- By Mike Eckel
Senior International Correspondent Mike Eckel was in Kyiv on the morning that Russia launched its all-out assault on Ukraine.
A small recollection of that moment, three years on—and the struggle to make sense of it, amid nearly two-decades of covering Russia, Ukraine and the entirety of the former Soviet Union.
Russia and its leadership bear sole responsibility for this war - EU
The EU has issued a joint-statement on the third-anniversary of the war.
Here are four key points:
Russia and its leadership bear sole responsibility for this war.
The European Union will continue to provide Ukraine with regular and predictable financial support.
The future of Ukraine is EU membership (Hungary has of course casted doubts about this).
The EU level will ramp up European defence industry production.