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Arab League Backs Continuation Of Syria Observer Mission
“The idea of sending the observers is a matter of protocol. The main demand we want to achieve is a political solution for the Syrian crisis. This solution will never come without the opposition and the Syrian government sitting down to discuss the future of Syria,” Elaraby said.
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Russia Charges Man With Car Bombing That Killed Top General
Russian prosecutors have charged a man in connection with a Moscow suburb car bombing that killed a Russian general, alleging he had been paid by Ukrainian intelligence services.
The Investigative Committee on April 27 said Ignat Kuzin faced terrorism charges for the killing of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik. He was the second general to have been killed in a bomb attack in the Moscow region in the past six months.
The committee released a courtroom video showing a man, wearing a black hospital mask and a black-hooded sweatshirt appearing in a glass cage as a judge ordered him held pending further investigation.
Ukraine has said nothing about the April 24 bombing that killed Moskalik, who served on the General Staff's planning directorate and was reportedly involved in planning Russia's all-out invasion in 2022.
The Federal Security Service announced Kuzin's arrest on April 25, alleging he was a resident of Ukraine and that Ukrainian security services had provided him with an explosive device that he then planted in a car in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha.
The service claimed the bomb was detonated remotely from Ukraine as Moskalik passed by.
The incident followed a similar killing in December.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov died when a bomb planted in an electric scooter on a sidewalk detonated as he exited his Moscow apartment building. Kirillov headed Russia's military unit that oversaw defenses against nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks.
Russian officials also alleged Ukraine was behind that bombing.
- By RFE/RL
Trump Calls On Putin To 'Stop Shooting' And 'Sign A Deal'
US President Donald Trump said he wants Russian leader Vladimir Putin to "stop shooting" and agree to a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, a day after his face-to-face meeting with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral.
"Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal," Trump told reporters on April 27 in response to a question on what actions he was seeking from Putin.
Trump also said his meeting with Zelenskyy on April 26 had gone well, but he added that he thinks Zelenskyy is ready to give up Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula to Russia as a concession -- something the Ukrainian leader has long stated he would never do.
"Oh, I think so," Trump responded when asked whether he thought Zelenskyy was ready to "give up" the territory, which Russia occupied in 2014 and illegally annexed.
Trump's April 26 Vatican meeting with Zelenskyy -- which lasted about 15 minutes -- was their first since Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the Oval Office in February following a public spat over peace talks.
"I see [Zelenskyy] as calmer," Trump said. "I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal."
Zelenskyy said the latest talks represented a "very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results."
Trump has made ending the 38-month war a top priority since taking office nearly 100 days ago, calling last month for an immediate and full cease-fire.
While Zelenskyy has agreed to Trump's proposal, Putin has continued to negotiate details of a cease-fire with Washington.
Experts say Putin is dragging out talks because his forces have the momentum on the battlefield and a cease-fire at the current line of contact would leave him short of the goal of fully capturing the four regions of eastern Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed in 2022: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson.
Experts say ceding territory to Russia would be politically and constitutionally impossible for Zelenskyy. Ukrainian citizens and lawmakers appear strongly opposed to the idea.
"We will never recognize Crimea as part of Russia," Oleksandr Merezkho, a lawmaker with Zelenskyy’s party, told AP.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "closer," even as Zelenskyy called for greater international pressure on the Kremlin following the latest wave of attacks along the front line.
"They [Russia and Ukraine] are closer in general than they have been anytime in the last three years, but it's still not there," Rubio said in an interview with NBC News on April 27.
Following the meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump made a rare critique of Putin, denouncing Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine, which have killed dozens of civilians over the past two weeks.
"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions'?" Trump wrote a social media post on April 26.
But Trump's critique of Putin also came shortly after he made his most definitive statement to date about the need for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to secure a peace deal. He said in a Time magazine interview published on April 25 that "Crimea will stay with Russia."
Russia wants any peace deal to recognize its control of nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea. It also wants Ukraine to be de-militarized and kept out of NATO. Moscow has also rejected Kyiv's demand for a Western peacekeeping force to monitor any cease-fire agreement.
Rubio, in his NBC interview, said Moscow would need to make concessions as well, although the US administration has not so far set out specifics.
European officials and US Democrats have pushed back against some US proposals to end the war.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on April 27 said Kyiv should not agree to US proposals that would include giving up land to Russia.
Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said it would be a mistake for the United States to consider the possibility of recognizing the occupied Crimea as Russian territory as part of a peace agreement.
"Crimea is Ukraine," Kallas stressed, adding the EU will never recognize the peninsula as part of Russia.
Chuck Schumer, the top US Senate Democrat, said he is concerned Trump will "cave in to Putin."
On the battlefield, Russia on April 27 launched numerous air attacks across Ukraine, leaving at least four people dead, according to Ukrainian officials.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Pakistan Kills Dozens Of Insurgents From Afghanistan, Exchanges Gunfire With India
Pakistani security forces said they killed dozens of militants attempting to cross into the country from Afghanistan, even as its troops separately continued to exchange gunfire with the India military near Kashmir amid skyrocketing tensions in the region.
Islamabad on April 27 did not directly blame India for the incursion of militants from Afghanistan, but it said the fighters had been sent to carry out terrorist attacks by their "foreign masters."
Some Pakistani officials suggested, without providing evidence, that nuclear-rival India encouraged the insurgents' actions to divert the attention of Pakistan's military from the brewing crisis in Kashmir.
"Such actions by [the insurgents], at a time when India is leveling baseless accusations against Pakistan, clearly implies on whose cues [the fighters are] operating," the Pakistani Army said in a statement.
The military said it killed 54 insurgents entering from Afghanistan and claimed that intelligence reports indicated the militants were "Khwarij" -- a phrase the government uses for Tehrik-e Taliban, otherwise known as the Pakistani Taliban.
"On the nights of April 25-26 and 26-27, movement of a large group of Khwarij, who were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was detected by the security forces in general area Hassan Khel, North Waziristan district," the military said.
"Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate…; A large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was also recovered."
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters the incident represented the largest number of "terrorists" killed in a single day.
"We had information that the foreign masters of these terrorists are asking them to enter Pakistan as soon as possible" to undertake attacks.
Tensions have soared in the region between Pakistan and its bitter rival and neighbor India, both nuclear-armed nations.
The latest flareup occurred on April 22 when an attack killed mostly Indian nationals in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism, but the Pakistani government denies it was behind the attack that killed 26 civilians.
New Delhi and Islamabad have since carried out tit-for-tat punishments following the incident, including downgrading diplomatic and trade ties, closing the main border crossing, and revoking visas for each other's nationals.
On April 27, Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire near Kashmir's Line of Control for a third night in a row.
The Pakistani government has said it would consider it "an act of war" if India followed through on a threat to block the flow of crucial rivers as punishment for the deadly incident.
The United States on April 27 said it was in touch with India and Pakistan and urged them to seek a "responsible solution" to the crisis.
"This is an evolving situation and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels," a State Department spokesperson told Reuters.
In comments to foreign media, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tatar claimed that India blamed Islamabad for the tourist attack to distract Pakistan's security forces from their focus on the tensions on its western borders.
He added that Pakistan had "undeniable evidence" of India's support for the Pakistani Taliban and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which is behind multiple attacks in Balochistan. India has denied the charges.
Balochistan has been the site of an insurgency, with separatists seeking independence from Pakistan.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Iran Port Explosion That Killed Dozens Blamed On Unregistered Rocket Fuel
A massive explosion purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant has killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000 others in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Authorities in Iran offered no clear explanation for what caused the April 26 blast at the Shahid Rajaei port, although independent experts said it appeared to be due to the improper storage of sodium perchlorate, a component used in rocket fuel.
On April 27, state media reported that the blast was now under control.
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian visited with those some of the injured and told local officials that “we have to find out why it happened,” according to the government website.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, said 190 of those injured remained hospitalized as of April 27.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered security and judicial officials to investigate "any negligence or deliberateness" in the incident.
The Shahid Rajaei port is Iran's busiest, processing up to 80 percent of the country's shipping traffic.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesman for Iran's crisis management organization, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at the port.
"The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency.
"Previously, the director general of crisis management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said.
According to the private security firm Ambrey, the port had received a shipment of “sodium perchlorate rocket fuel” in March, which was going to be used to replenish Iran’s missile stocks after being depleted by its direct attacks on Israel during the war with Hamas -- which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union -- in the Gaza Strip.
Tehran has not acknowledged taking the shipment, but ship-tracking data obtained by the Associated Press shows vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the vicinity of the port in March.
Iran Launches Investigation After Port Explosion
Iran's Interior Ministry said it launched an investigation into the port explosion.
The April 26 blast happened as Iran and the United States met in Oman for the third round of talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. A fourth round is scheduled for May 3, also in Oman.
While no Iranian officials have suggested the explosion was due to an attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is leading Tehran's delegation in Oman, said earlier this week that "our security services are on high alert given past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a legitimate response."
Deadly incidents have hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years -- such as gas explosions and oil refinery fires -- with many blamed on negligence.
Tehran, however, has also blamed some incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting the country's nuclear program. Last year, Israel also bombed Iran's air defenses.
Iran accused Israel as being behind a February 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines, as well as a major cyberattack on the Shahid Rajaei port in May 2020, causing transport chaos for days after crashing the facility's computer system.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 27 repeated his calls for "all of" Iran's nuclear infrastructure to be dismantled.
"We are in close contact with the United States. But I said, one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons," Netanyahu told a news conference.
The Shahid Rajaei port is Iran's largest and it mainly handles large volumes of container traffic and also has oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
The port is some 1,050 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran, on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf where 20 percent of all oil traded globally passes through.
Local officials said that all schools, universities, and offices in Bandar Abbas will be closed on April 27.
With reporting from Reuters and the AP.
Iran, US Officials Meet In Oman For Third Round Of Nuclear Talks
Iran and the United States met in Oman on April 26 for the third round of talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. A fourth round is scheduled for May 3, with the location yet to be announced.
The talks ran for several hours in Muscat, Omani mediators said of the indirect sessions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East.
"The negotiations were conducted very seriously and professionally," Araqchi said without providing full details. "We are cautiously optimistic."
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has mediated the two previous round of US-Iran talks in Muscat and Rome, offered a positive note at the end of the negotiations.
Iran and the United States “identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments,” Busaidi posted on X after the conclusion of talks in Oman.
“Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed. Talks will continue next week with a further high-level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3.”
The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the United States has imposed on the country.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached.
Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
- By RFE/RL
Rubio Says Ukraine Peace Deal 'Closer' As Kyiv Calls For More Pressure On Russia
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "closer" as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for greater international pressure on the Kremlin following the latest wave of attacks along the front line.
"They [Russia and Ukraine] are closer in general than they have been anytime in the last three years, but it's still not there," Rubio said in an interview with NBC News on April 27.
"We have made real progress, but those last couple of steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest ones, and it needs to happen soon," he said, adding this would be a "very critical week" in the negotiation process.
US President Donald Trump has made ending the 38-month war a top priority since taking office nearly 100 days ago, calling last month for an immediate and full cease-fire.
While Zelenskyy has agreed to Trump's proposal, his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, has continued to negotiate details of a cease-fire with Washington.
Experts say Putin is dragging out talks because his forces have the momentum on the battlefield and a cease-fire at the current line of contact would leave him short of the goal of fully capturing the four regions of eastern Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed in 2022: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson.
Russian troops launched almost 70 attacks along the 1,000-kilometer-long front on April 27, Zelenskyy said in a post on X as he called on the West to take tougher measures against the Kremlin.
"The situation on the front line and the real activity of the Russian Army prove that the current global pressure on Russia is insufficient to bring this war to an end. Soon, it will be 50 days since Russia began ignoring [Trump's] proposal for a full and unconditional cease-fire -- a proposal Ukraine accepted back on March 11. More tangible pressure on Russia is needed to create more opportunities for real diplomacy," he said.
The Ukrainian leader also said his forces were continuing to fight in the Russian region of Kursk, contradicting Moscow's claims earlier in the day that it had driven Ukrainian troops from its territory.
Trump And Zelenskyy Meet At The Vatican
The day before, Trump met with Zelenskyy at the Vatican in Rome, where both were attending funeral services for Pope Francis, who died Easter Monday at the age of 88.
The April 26 meeting, which lasted about 15 minutes, was their first since Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the Oval Office in February following a public spat over peace talks that shocked allies.
Steven Cheung, the White House's communications director, said Trump and Zelenskyy "had a very productive discussion."
Zelenskyy called it a "very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results," he added.
John Bolton, Trump's former national-security adviser during his first term and a staunch critic of the president, told CNN the meeting was "a significant step back toward sensible conversation between the two leaders."
Trump and Zelenskyy also met with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the funeral.
Macron's office described the exchanges between leaders as "positive" and said he later met separately with Zelenskyy.
Starmer's office said he and Zelenskyy had "discussed positive progress made in recent days to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
Trump's Rare Critique Of Putin
Following the meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump made a rare critique of Putin, denouncing Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine, which have killed dozens of civilians over the past two weeks.
"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions'?," he wrote in the post later on April 26.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow only targets "military goals or civilian sites used by the [Ukrainian] military," insinuating that Ukraine is placing forces, weapons, or command and control nodes around apartment and commercial buildings.
But Trump's critique of Putin also came shortly after he made his most definitive statement to date about the need for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to secure a peace deal. He said in a Time magazine interview published on April 25 that "Crimea will stay with Russia."
Bolton said in the CNN interview that a permanent peace deal is "a long way away" because the terms that Trump is backing essentially "amounts to surrender for Ukraine."
Russia wants any peace deal to recognize its control of nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea. It also wants Ukraine to be de-militarized and kept out of NATO. Moscow has also rejected Kyiv's demand for a Western peacekeeping force to monitor any cease-fire agreement.
Rubio reiterated in the NBC interview that Russia would have to make concessions too, but the Trump administration has not outlined any to date.
“The only solution to this war is a negotiated settlement where both sides are going to have to give up something they claim to want, and are going to have to give the other side something they wish they didn’t,” Rubio said. “That’s how you end wars, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve here so more people won’t die.”
Rubio appeared to play down the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia to force Moscow to agree to a peace deal.
"The minute you start doing that kind of stuff, you’re walking away from it -- you’ve now doomed yourself to another two years of war, and we don’t want to see it happen...No one else is talking to both sides but us.”
Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv will not recognize Russian sovereignty of its territory, but the Ukrainian leader is in a tough position.
His country is heavily dependent on US military aid, especially air defense, rocket launches, and ammunition. Current US military aid approved in 2024 may run out this summer and it is unclear whether the Trump administration will approve additional weapons delivers should the war still be in progress.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the amount of aid the United States has given to Ukraine and has demanded Washington be reimbursed for its support. The US Government Accountability Office has estimated US aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion at more than $170 billion.
Trump wants Ukraine to give the United States access to its critical minerals and natural resources as a form of compensation. Washington and Kyiv have been in talks for months about the parameters of a deal but have yet to reach an agreement.
Trump on April 25 criticized Zelenskyy for the delay, saying the deal was "at least three weeks late." Rubio did not say whether he expects the United States and Ukraine to sign the deal during this "very critical" week.
Speaking to Fox News on April 27, White House national-security adviser Mike Waltz suggested the sides could be close to finalizing a minerals deal.
"The Ukraine deal is going to get done,” he said.
"The negotiators were working hard over the weekend. That is first and foremost...on the president's mind. It's going to get done. The president is determined to make it so," he added.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Moscow, Pyongyang Confirm North Korean Troops Fighting Against Ukraine
Russia has confirmed for the first time that it deployed North Korean soldiers in the battle to push Ukrainian forces out of its Kursk region following Kyiv's shock incursion into the border area last year.
In a statement on April 26, the Russian Foreign Ministry acknowledged the "significant contribution" of North Korean soldiers to Moscow's war efforts.
Hours later, Pyongyang also confirmed for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un.
Following the acknowledgments, the US State Department said it was concerned by North Korea's direct involvement in Russia's war.
"We continue to be concerned by [North Korea's] direct involvement in the war. [North Korea's] military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to [North Korea] in return must end," a State Department spokesperson said in an e-mail to Reuters.
Russia's Foreign Ministry, citing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and North Korea from December 4, 2024, said that "a new page has been written in the glorious annals of the military brotherhood of the Russian and Korean peoples."
"The fighters of the Korean People's Army...fought shoulder to shoulder, in the same trench, and shed blood with our soldiers and officers in the Kursk region and made a significant contribution to the liberation of Russian land from enemy occupiers."
General Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russia’s general staff, told President Vladimir Putin in a video conference that North Korean soldiers had made a significant contribution to the "liberation" of the region from Ukrainian soldiers.
The comments confirmed what Ukrainian and Western officials have long said: that Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
US officials said more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers participated in the fight and had suffered massive losses.
Gerasimov said the Korean mission was in line with the partnership agreement between the two countries.
"The soldiers and officers of the Korean People's Army who fought shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers in repelling the Ukrainian invasion showed high professionalism, bravery, courage, and heroism in battle," Gerasimov told Putin.
Russia has claimed to have pushed Ukrainian forces out of most of Kursk, although Kyiv has said its forces are holding on in the Russian region.
In late March, North Korean leader Kim paraded new military drones amid reports that he has sent an additional 3,000 troops to help Russia in its war on Ukraine.
Pyongyang released images on March 27 showing Kim inspecting tests of reconnaissance and attack drones at an undisclosed location. There has been international concern that Russia is providing North Korea with drone technology in return for substantial military aid.
The same day Kim inspected the new drones, South Korea’s publicly owned Yonhap news agency cited the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul as saying that "it appears that some 3,000 or more [North Korean troop] have been additionally dispatched [to Russia] in January and February."
The reported new troop deployment follows an earlier 11,000-strong contingent Pyongyang sent that has seen action in Russia's Kursk region.
In its statement early on April 28, North Korea said it would "faithfully implement" its agreement with Russia, according to state-run KCNA news agency. It added that North Korean troops had made an "important contribution to the liberation" of territory occupied by Ukrainian forces.
"We can say that Russia is already becoming dependent on North Korea in many ways, not only in terms of shells, but also in terms of other weapons...as well as in terms of soldiers," Ukrainian analyst Oleh Saakyan told RFE/RL’s Current Time.
There has been a substantial warming in relations between Moscow and Pyongyang since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
As well as sending troops, North Korea has also sent short-range missiles, self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers, according to the South Korean military.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
- By RFE/RL
Trump Demands Free Passage For US Vessels Through Panama, Suez Canals
President Donald Trump on April 26 said US commercial and military vessels should be able to travel without charge through the Panama and Suez Canals, two of the world’s most important waterway shortcuts.
"American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!"
The remarks are the latest by the US leader regarding greater access -- or ownership -- of key global assets.
Earlier, he spoke of making Canada the 51st US state, annexing Greenland, controlling the Gaza Strip, and gaining ownership of Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States from 1904-14, costing the lives of thousands of local workers. The waterway greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The canal and surrounding Canal Zone remained under US control until they were handed back to Panama in 1999 following a treaty signed by US President Jimmy Carter in 1977.
Trump recently won a major concession from Panama as he demanded more US influence over the canal -- including allowing the US military to station troops around the waterway, alongside Panamanian forces, to help protect its sovereignty.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to "take back" the canal, which he claims is being controlled by China. Prior to taking office in January, Trump told reporters he would not rule out using economic or military pressure to regain control.
While he has often spoken of his interest in the Panama Canal, his latest remarks on the Suez Cana appear to be a new focus for the US president.
Egypt controls the canal, which links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. it accounted for some 10 percent of global maritime trade before Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels began attacking shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The canal has been operational since 1869, built under French control.
With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Trump, Zelenskyy Talk Peace Deal On Sidelines Of Pope Francis Funeral
US President Donald Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, as the two leaders look to make progress on high-stakes peace talks for the war in Ukraine.
Steven Cheung, the White House's communications director, said on April 26 that Trump and Zelenskyy "met privately today and had a very productive discussion."
This was the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since their explosive Oval Office shouting match in late February, which led to an unprecedented diplomatic crisis. Their talk on the sidelines of the funeral comes amid Trump's calls for a high-level summit between Russia and Ukraine "to finish it off" and get a peace deal.
"Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out," Zelenskyy wrote on X in a post shared after the funeral. "Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results."
Zelenskyy added that he thanked Trump for the "good meeting" at the Vatican, and his press secretary, Serhiy Nykyforov, said the two presidents talked for around 15 minutes. Nykyforov had said earlier that Trump and Zelenskyy would meet again the same day, but later said no second meeting took place due to a tight schedule for both leaders.
Trump had earlier claimed that a deal to end the war is "very close" in a social media post and he had previously warned both sides that Washington was prepared to walk away from US-led efforts to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow if an agreement was not reached soon.
The two presidents also met with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the funeral. Zelenskyy's office said that the meeting between the four leaders "was positive."
Trump presented a "final offer" to Ukraine and Russia last week to end the war. The US proposal was described to RFE/RL by a European diplomat familiar with the details and a former US diplomat familiar with the proposal also confirmed its contents.
It includes US recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and unofficial recognition of Russian control of nearly all areas occupied since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
That proposal has had led to differences between not only Washington and Kyiv, but also European governments who hold additional concerns on how quickly sanctions on Russia would be lifted if a peace deal was signed, what kind of security guarantees Ukraine would have, and how Ukraine would be financially compensated.
Whether those details were discussed at the Vatican is unclear, but Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin in a post on Truth Social after he left the pope's funeral, saying that recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets may require him to implement bank or secondary sanctions against Russia to achieve a lasting truce.
"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along," Trump wrote.
On April 26, three people were killed and seven wounded in Russian shelling of the Donetsk region, local authorities said.
Eight bombs were air-dropped by Russian forces on the town of Kostyantynivka, said Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, via Telegram.
"Russians don't need peace -- they just want to destroy us all," Filashkin added.
Trump and Zelenskyy's talks on the sidelines of the funeral came after Trump envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Putin at the Kremlin on April 25.
As the funeral proceedings were under way, Putin said in a speech that Russia had regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year.
"The Kyiv regime's adventure has completely failed," Putin said.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Ukrainian troops are still operating in Kursk and called Putin's statement untrue.
RFE/RL was not able to independently verify the battlefield claims.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 26 that Putin told Witkoff during their meeting that the Kremlin is ready to talk with Ukraine without preconditions.
A High-Profile Funeral For Pope Francis
Trump and Zelenskyy were among more than 50 heads of state gathered for Pope Francis's funeral as Roman Catholics paid tribute to a pontiff who was a humble leader and a champion of the poor, migrants, and other marginalized people.
More than a dozen royals, including Britain's Prince William, and more than 150 country representatives were also present along with some 224 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests.
China, which does not have formal relations with the Vatican, did not send a representative due to presence of an high-ranking officials from Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.
The Vatican is one of only a handful of nations to have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Israel, which was angered by Francis's criticism of its conduct in Gaza, sent its ambassador to the Vatican.
The pope died on April 21 -- Easter Monday -- at age 88 following a stroke. The Vatican said around 250,000 people filed past his body laid out in a wooden coffin in St. Peter's Basilica over the three days leading up to the funeral.
The pope’s body was dressed in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter, and his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe. After the service at the Vatican, his body was brought to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood, which lies outside the Vatican, in a procession that was greeted by crowds of supporters.
During his papacy Francis, who was selected to lead the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church in 2013, sought to create a more open-minded Church. He often advocated for the poor and marginalized, while challenging wealthy nations to help migrants and address climate change.
"He was a simple and much-loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus," read a one-page account of his papacy placed inside his coffin before it was sealed. "He lived in an apartment and he prepared dinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person."
The secretive conclave is unlikely to begin before May 6 to allow cardinals time to hold regular meetings, sum each other up, and assess the state of the church, including its financial problems and ideological divisions.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Indian, Pakistani Troops Exchange Fire In Kashmir Amid Mounting Tensions
Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire across the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir, officials said on April 25 as tensions between the two neighbors continued to increase following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government official in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said troops exchanged gunfire overnight along the Line of Control separating the two countries. There were no reports of casualties and no “firing on the civilian population," Gilani was quoted by AFP as saying.
Indian military officers quoted by the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said that Pakistani troops had opened fire on an Indian military post.
The officials, who were not authorized to speak to the media, said Indian troops returned fire. They also said there were no reports of casualties in the incident.
India has called the killing of 26 people by gunmen at a Himalayan tourist attraction in Pahalgam a terrorist attack and accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists. Twenty-five of those killed were Indian nationals.
A little-known militant group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the on April 22 attack.
Indian police say the gunmen in the attack are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. They offered a 2 million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man's arrest.
Hundreds of security forces have been deployed to Pahlavi Valley and tight security measures have been put in place.
A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a 6-decade-old water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and responded with countermeasures of its own on April 24, suspending visas for some Indian nationals and expelling certain Indian diplomats and defense officials from the country.
The Pakistani Senate on April 25 unanimously passed a resolution "against linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan."
US President Donald Trump on April 25 commented about the situation for the first time publicly.
"There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years so, you know, it's the same as it has been. But they'll get it figured out, one way or another." Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full while governing separate portions of it.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a "credible investigation" into the attack and said "India must resist the temptation to exploit such tragic incidents to its advantage."
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif was quoted on April 25 as saying Pakistan is “ready to cooperate” with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors.”
Asif told The New York Times in an interview that India had used the aftermath of the attack as a pretext to suspend the water treaty and for domestic political purposes. India is taking steps to punish Pakistan "without any proof, without any investigation," he added.
"We do not want this war to flare up, because flaring up of this war can cause disaster for this region," Asif told the newspaper.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
- By RFE/RL
Trump Calls For High-Level Talks After Envoy Meets With Putin At Kremlin
US President Donald Trump on April 25 called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for high-level talks to complete a deal to end the conflict between the two countries after White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump said it had been a "good day" of talks after Witkoff met with Putin for about three hours. A top Kremlin aide said the talks had been "productive" had and brought US-Russian positions on Ukraine and other issues closer.
"They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to 'finish it off,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral. "Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!"
Witkoff's meeting with Putin, the fourth since January, came as Trump's administration makes a major push for a resolution to the 38-month Russian war on Ukraine, with a peace proposal that would also mark a major shift in US policy: recognition of Russia's claim to Ukraine’s Crimea.
Trump said in an interview published earlier on April 25 that "Crimea will stay with Russia" and demanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately sign a long-delayed agreement giving the United States access to Ukraine's mineral resources.
It was not confirmed whether Crimea was discussed at the meeting -- or any of the other proposals that Washington has put forward -- though it had been widely expected to be a main topic of discussion.
Moscow occupied, then claimed to have annexed, Crimea in 2014. Aside from a small handful of countries, the annexation has not been recognized anywhere in the world. US policy since that time -- including during the first Trump administration -- rejected the Russian claim to Crimea.
Yuri Ushakov, who is Putin's lead foreign policy adviser, described the meeting between Putin and Witkoff as "constructive" and "useful."
"This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues," he told reporters.
"As for the Ukrainian crisis itself, the discussion focused in particular on the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Ushakov said.
With Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine well into its fourth year, Washington is trying to break the logjam of negotiations and halt what has become Europe's largest land war since World War II. Combined, more than 1 million men have been either killed or wounded in the conflict.
After top-level talks in Paris last week, the US proposals began circulating among diplomats.
The US proposal was described to RFE/RL by a European diplomat familiar with the details. A former US diplomat also confirmed the substance of the proposal.
On Crimea, the US plan calls for the "de jure" -- essentially legal -- recognition of the Russian claim to the peninsula.
In addition to being a major shift for the United States, it would be a major victory for Putin, whose popularity surged among Russians after 2014 when he ordered the stealth invasion of Crimea and later its annexation.
US recognition would also be a major blow to Zelenskyy and most Ukrainians, who view the Russian claim as part of a larger campaign to undo Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
Zelenskyy has made clear in private and public remarks that he would reject the Crimea recognition.
"There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said on April 23.
In a post to social media on the same day, Trump, who has had a complicated relationship with Zelenskyy and a much warmer one with Putin, suggested there was flexibility for the Ukrainian government if the US proposal moves forward.
He also asserted that Ukrainians should have put up a fight when Russia sent troops into Crimea in 2014 to seize it.
In an interview with Time magazine published on April 25, Trump said, "Crimea will stay in Russia."
"Zelenskyy understands that," he was quoted as saying, "and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time."
Trump also referred to Russia's naval presence on the Black Sea peninsula. Sevastopol, which was site to a famous World War II battle, was the home port for the Soviet Black Sea fleet and later was used jointly by both the Russian and Ukrainian fleets.
After Russia seized Crimea, it took complete control of Sevastopol. In recent years, however, Ukrainian forces have threatened and attacked Russian vessels there, forcing them to relocate elsewhere in the Black Sea.
"They've had their submarines there for long before any period that we're talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea," Trump as quoted as saying.
Other elements of the US proposal include blocking Ukraine's aspiration to join the NATO alliance and "de facto" recognition of the Ukrainian territories that Russia currently occupies, including parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
It also calls for returning Russian-occupied parts of the Kharkiv region to Ukrainian control; guaranteeing unfettered Ukrainian access to the Dnieper River; and the return of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to Ukraine control on the condition that the United States would then operate it and provide power to both Ukraine as well as Russian-occupied regions.
Ruling out NATO membership is also problematic for Ukraine, where that is a policy goal written into its constitution.
According to the European diplomat, one element of the US proposal that has not been widely circulated is the United States stepping back from insistence that Zelenskyy hold new presidential elections as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 by landslide.
But the Kremlin has asserted that his mandate is now illegitimate because martial law declared after the February 2022 election has precluded holding a new Ukrainian vote.
Amid a public clash earlier this year, Trump appeared to accept the Russian arguments, calling Zelenskyy a "dictator" and demanding he call a new vote.
Trump has since softened his rhetoric on the election question. Still, the Ukrainian government has taken quiet steps to prepare for the possibility of a vote later this year.
"Putin is being offered almost everything he wanted to take, while Ukraine is being offered practically nothing; there are no concessions," Oleksandr Khara, a Ukrainian military analyst, told Current Time.
"The fact that Russia is incapable of taking all of Ukraine or changing the government in Ukraine is absolutely obvious, and this is not going to change anytime soon," he said.
"The Russian advance in the east is coming at a high cost, and that doesn't mean there's any real prospect of a military victory over Ukraine. But there is a very different reality in Trump's mind."
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Russian General Killed In Car Bombing Near Moscow
A senior Russian military officer was killed when a car exploded on the street of a Moscow suburb as he was walking past, Russia's Investigative Committee said, the second high-ranking military official killed near their residence in the past four months.
The Investigative Committee said a criminal case has been opened into the murder of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, who died on April 25 while on Nesterov Street as he neared a car which was detonated by remote control.
Systema, RFE/RL's Russian Investigative Unit, confirmed the site of the blast as 2 Nesterov Street. It added that according to leaked personal data, Moskalik resided at that address.
"According to preliminary information, the explosion killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," the Investigative Committee said.
"According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with shrapnel," it added.
Surveillance footage appeared to capture the moment of the explosion, and early reports from Baza Telegram channel suggest the device detonated as Moskalik approached or entered the vehicle.
Moskalik was a high-profile figure in Russia’s military command.
He played key roles in the Normandy Format negotiations on Ukraine in 2015 and 2019 and was part of the Russian delegation during 2018 talks with then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. His potential involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine has not been publicly confirmed.
This marks the second high-level assassination of a Russian general in recent months. In December 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb planted in a scooter in Moscow -- an attack claimed by Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on Moskalik's death.
- By Mike Eckel
Witkoff And Putin Hold Talks As Trump Says Crimea 'Will Stay With Russia'
Talks between President Vladimir Putin and the White House envoy Steve Witkoff were "productive" and brought US-Russian positions on Ukraine and other issues closer, a top Kremlin aide said, as U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that “Crimea will stay with Russia."
There was no immediate comment from Witkoff or other US officials on the outcome of the April 25 talks in Moscow, which Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said lasted for more than three hours.
The Moscow meeting came as Trump's administration makes a major push for a resolution to the 38-month Russian war on Ukraine, with a peace proposal that would also mark a major shift in US policy: recognition of Russia's claim to Ukraine’s Crimea.
Ushakov, who is Putin's lead foreign policy adviser, described the meeting as "constructive" and "useful."
"This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues," he told reporters.
"As for the Ukrainian crisis itself, the discussion focused in particular on the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Ushakov said.
It's the fourth time that Witkoff has met with Putin since January.
It was not confirmed that Crimea was discussed at the meeting -- or any of the other proposals that Washington has put forward -- though it was widely expected to be a main topic of discussion.
With Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine well into its fourth year, Washington is trying to break the logjam of negotiations and halt what has become Europe's largest land war since World War II. Combined, more than 1 million men have been either killed or wounded in the conflict.
After top-level talks in Paris last week, the US proposals began circulating among diplomats.
Recognizing Crimea as Russia would be a significant shift in US policy.
Moscow occupied then claimed to have annexed the Ukrainian region in 2014. Aside from a small handful of countries, the annexation has been not been recognized anywhere in the world. US policy since that time -- including during the first Trump administration -- rejected the Russian claim.
The US proposal was described to RFE/RL by a European diplomat familiar with the details. A former US diplomat also confirmed the substance of the proposal.
On Crimea, the US plan calls for the "de jure" -- essentially legal -- recognition of the Russian claim to the peninsula.
In addition to being a major shift for the United States, it would be a major victory for Putin, whose popularity surged among Russians after 2014 when he ordered the stealth invasion of Crimea and later its annexation.
US recognition would also be a major blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and most Ukrainians, for whom the Russian claim is part of a larger campaign to undo Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
Zelenskyy has made clear in private and public remarks that he would reject the Crimea recognition.
"There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said on April 23.
In a post to social media on the same day, Trump, who has had a complicated relationship with Zelenskyy and a much warmer one with Putin, suggested there was flexibility for the Ukrainian government if the US proposal moves forward.
He also asserted that Ukrainians should have put up a fight when Russia sent troops into Crimea in 2014 to seize it.
In an interview with Time magazine published on April 25, Trump asserted that "Crimea will stay in Russia."
"Zelenskyy understands that," he was quoted as saying, "and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time."
Trump made similar comments to reporters as he departed the White House April 25, to travel to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
"I think Russia and Ukraine, I think [the peace talks] are coming along; we hope. It's very fragile," he said, adding he wouldn't rule out meeting Zelenskyy while the two are in Rome for the pontiff's funeral.
Trump also referred to Russia's naval presence on the Black Sea peninsula. Sevastopol, which was site to a famous World War II battle, was the home port for the Soviet Black Sea fleet, and later was used jointly by both the Russian and Ukrainian fleets.
After Russia seized Crimea, it took complete control of Sevastopol. In recent years, however, Ukrainian forces have threatened and attacked Russian vessels there, forcing them to relocate elsewhere in the Black Sea.
"They've had their submarines there for long before any period that we're talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea," Trump as quoted as saying.
Other elements of the US proposal include blocking Ukraine's aspiration to join the NATO alliance and "de facto" recognition of the Ukrainian territories that Russia currently occupies, including parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
It also calls for returning Russian-occupied parts of the Kharkiv region to Ukrainian control; guaranteeing unfettered Ukrainian access to the Dnieper River; and the return of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to Ukraine control on the condition that the United States would then operate it and provide power to both Ukraine as well as Russian-occupied regions.
Ruling out NATO membership is also problematic for Ukraine, where that is a policy goal written into its constitution.
According to the European diplomat, one element of the US proposal that has not been widely circulated is the United States stepping back from insistence that Zelenskyy hold new presidential elections as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 by landslide.
But the Kremlin has asserted that his mandate is now illegitimate because martial law declared after the February 2022 election has precluded holding a new Ukrainian vote.
Amid a public clash earlier this year, Trump appeared to accept the Russian arguments, calling Zelenskyy a "dictator" and demanding he call a new vote.
Trump has since softened his rhetoric on the election question. Still, the Ukrainian government has taken quiet steps to prepare for the possibility of a vote later this year.
"Putin is being offered almost everything he wanted to take, while Ukraine is being offered practically nothing; there are no concessions," Oleksandr Khara, a Ukrainian military analyst, told Current Time.
"The fact that Russia is incapable of taking all of Ukraine or changing the government in Ukraine is absolutely obvious, and this is not going to change anytime soon," he said.
"The Russian advance in the east is coming at a high cost, and that doesn't mean there's any real prospect of a military victory over Ukraine. But there is a very different reality in Trump's mind."
Russian Attacks Kill 5 More As Kyiv Mourns Victims Of Air Strike
Russian attacks have killed five more people, including a child, across Ukraine on April 25 as Kyiv observes a day of mourning for the 12 people killed in Russian missile and drone strikes that hit the Ukrainian capital a day earlier and prompted US President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, said three people, one of whom was a child, died in the city of Pavlohrad in a Russian drone strike that also left 14 wounded.
Regional prosecutors in Donetsk said that in a separate incident, two people were killed in an attack earlier on April 25 in the village of Yarova, where a Russian aerial bomb fell on a residential building.
The attacks come as the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions of Ukraine abroad said they will join Kyiv in mourning the victims of the April 24 attack by lowering flags to half-staff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said while the citizens of Kyiv mourn the victims and clear away rubble, Ukraine's intelligence services are checking all details, including whether any of the missiles used were made in North Korea.
If this is found to be true, Zelenskyy said it would be more proof of the "criminality of the alliance" between Moscow and Pyongyang.
"They kill people and make a mockery of life together -- that's the only meaning of their cooperation," Zelenskyy said.
According to Zelenskyy, in exchange for assistance, Pyongyang receives the opportunity to "make its weapons more deadly" in real war conditions.
"Real pressure is needed on Russia to stop this," he said. "Even in the midst of international diplomatic efforts to stop this war, Russia continues to kill civilians. This means that Putin is not afraid."
Trump, who has been reluctant to criticize Russia, condemned the attack in a social media post addressed to Putin.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv," he wrote. "Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the Peace Deal Done!"
Zelenskyy, who cut short a visit to South Africa because of the attack, reiterated his call for a complete cessation of air strikes and said Ukraine needs to strengthen its air shield to guarantee the safety of its people.
Scores Wounded, 12 Dead In Russian Attack On Kyiv
Zelenskyy said early on April 25 that Russian forces had tried to use the air strikes as cover for intensified land-based attacks, but these were repelled.
"The Russians in fact tried, under cover of their mass air strikes, to make ground advances," Zelenskiy said on Telegram, referring to a report from top commander Oleksandr Syrskiy.
"When our forces were concentrating to the maximum on defending against missiles and drones, the Russians went ahead with intensified ground attacks. But they were repelled in worthy fashion."
While Kyiv bore the brunt of the massive attack -- authorities said 90 people were injured in the city in addition to the 12 killed -- the Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskiy, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya regions also were hit.
Ukrainian law enforcement officials said at least 25 residential buildings were seriously damaged in Kyiv, and public facilities, including a kindergarten and a school, were affected by the air strikes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS that Russia only targets Ukraine’s military or civilian sites used by the military. Asked if the attack was intentional, Lavrov said the minister of defense and commanders in the field have the right to attack targets used by the Ukrainian military.
What Is Trump's Russia-Ukraine Peace Plan?
Western efforts to try and resolve the Ukraine war, or even secure a temporary cease-fire, have sputtered as Russia shows no indication it will ease its assault and as Ukraine pushes back on US proposals.
The Kremlin reportedly is seeking a peace agreement that would allow Russia to keep control of Crimea as well as Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson regions it has seized since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that recognizing occupied territory as Russia's is a red line for Ukraine. He noted on April 24 that Ukraine had agreed to a US cease-fire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace but that Moscow's attacks continue.
Asked what Putin is doing now to help forge a peace deal, Trump said he was refraining from "taking the whole country," calling this a "pretty big concession."
Commenting on the diplomatic efforts, Lavrov told CBS News that the United States and Russia are moving in the right direction, but some specific elements of a deal remain to be agreed.
"The president of the United States believes -- and I think rightly so -- that we are moving in the right direction. The statement by [Trump] mentions a deal, and we are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific…elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this exact process."
Trump did not spell out the elements of the deal, so Lavrov said it would not be appropriate for him to do so.
"We continue our contacts with the American side on the situation in Ukraine, there are several signs that we are moving in the right direction," Lavrov said.
Speaking at the White House after meeting with Trump, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said it was time for Russia to move forward in negotiations on the war.
"There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball," Rutte said. "And I think the balls are clearly in the Russian court now."
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CBS
- By RFE/RL
Iran Foreign Minister Calls For Resumption Of Dialogue With E3
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi issued a public call for renewed diplomacy with the E3 -- France, Germany, and the UK -- amid mounting tensions and their exclusion from ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States.
In a post on X on April 24, Araqchi acknowledged that relations with the E3 are “currently down,” describing the status quo as “lose-lose” for both sides.
He emphasized that “placing blame is a futile exercise” and instead urged a return to dialogue and cooperation, not only on nuclear issues but across all areas of mutual interest.
Araqchi offered to visit Paris, Berlin, and London for direct talks.
“The ball is now in the E3's court,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote, “how we act at this critical junction is likely to define the foreseeable future.”
The foreign minister’s outreach comes as the E3 have been sidelined from the latest round of nuclear negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman rather than European powers.
The E3 were key players in earlier efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, but this time they've been sidelined.
The E3 have threatened to trigger the re-imposition of UN sanctions on Iran if no agreement is reached with the United States by the end of June. The “snapback” of UN sanctions is a provision under the effectively defunct 2015 nuclear deal, which formally expires in October.
Iranian state media have welcomed the E3’s exclusion, with The Tehran Times even accusing them -- without evidence -- of backing UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi for secretary-general in exchange for helping to “demonize” Iran and justify a return to UN sanctions.
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