The Russian president has hailed the US shift towards dialogue under Donald Trump

Global powers can reach a consensus on providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that the issue was discussed during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska last month.

Speaking during bilateral talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on Tuesday, Putin contrasted Trump’s willingness to hear Russian concerns to that of the previous US administration, saying the change was appreciated.

Trump hosted Putin at a military base in Anchorage on August 15 for their first in-person talks since he returned to the presidency.

“The new administration hears us,” Putin said, referring to Russian concerns about NATO expansion in Europe and its connection with the Ukraine conflict. “We said it during contacts with [President Joe Biden], but nobody was willing to hear us in his administration. Now we see signs of growing mutual understanding.”

Putin dismissed as “absolute rubbish” allegations by some European countries that Russia is gearing up for an attack on NATO states. Ukraine’s backers claim that supplying weapons and money to Kiev is forestalling this scenario, and insist that any resolution of the conflict with Russia should include robust security guarantees for Ukraine in the form of long-term military support or an equivalent of NATO membership.

READ MORE: Kiev joining NATO unacceptable – EU state’s PM

The Russian leader stressed that Moscow views Ukraine’s proposed accession to NATO as an unacceptable national security threat.

“Ukraine can decide how to ensure its security. But this security… cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of other nations, including Russia’s,” Putin stressed.

“Variants exist for providing Ukrainian security, should the conflict be resolved. This issue was under discussion in Anchorage, and I believe there is an opportunity for consensus.”

Fico, who last year survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist over his opposition to arming Kiev, is a vocal critic of the Western approach to the Ukraine conflict. He told Putin he believed the EU resembled a toad sitting at the bottom of a well, unable to see the bigger picture and making bad policy choices because of it.

Putin said that unlike Slovakia, Russia was not part of the EU or NATO, so he chooses less expressive terms to explain Moscow’s grievances. He reiterated that Moscow has no objections to Ukraine joining the EU, should member states approve this.

The Russian president has hailed the US shift towards dialogue under Donald Trump

Global powers can reach a consensus on providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that the issue was discussed during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska last month.

Speaking during bilateral talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on Tuesday, Putin contrasted Trump’s willingness to hear Russian concerns to that of the previous US administration, saying the change was appreciated.

Trump hosted Putin at a military base in Anchorage on August 15 for their first in-person talks since he returned to the presidency.

“The new administration hears us,” Putin said, referring to Russian concerns about NATO expansion in Europe and its connection with the Ukraine conflict. “We said it during contacts with [President Joe Biden], but nobody was willing to hear us in his administration. Now we see signs of growing mutual understanding.”

Putin dismissed as “absolute rubbish” allegations by some European countries that Russia is gearing up for an attack on NATO states. Ukraine’s backers claim that supplying weapons and money to Kiev is forestalling this scenario, and insist that any resolution of the conflict with Russia should include robust security guarantees for Ukraine in the form of long-term military support or an equivalent of NATO membership.

READ MORE: Kiev joining NATO unacceptable – EU state’s PM

The Russian leader stressed that Moscow views Ukraine’s proposed accession to NATO as an unacceptable national security threat.

“Ukraine can decide how to ensure its security. But this security… cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of other nations, including Russia’s,” Putin stressed.

“Variants exist for providing Ukrainian security, should the conflict be resolved. This issue was under discussion in Anchorage, and I believe there is an opportunity for consensus.”

Fico, who last year survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist over his opposition to arming Kiev, is a vocal critic of the Western approach to the Ukraine conflict. He told Putin he believed the EU resembled a toad sitting at the bottom of a well, unable to see the bigger picture and making bad policy choices because of it.

Putin said that unlike Slovakia, Russia was not part of the EU or NATO, so he chooses less expressive terms to explain Moscow’s grievances. He reiterated that Moscow has no objections to Ukraine joining the EU, should member states approve this.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China to discuss bilateral issues and the Ukraine conflict

Ukraine is free to pursue EU membership, but it cannot be allowed to join NATO, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China on Tuesday.

Fico noted that while every country has the right to decide its future, there are a lot of issues regarding Kiev’s accession to the EU. He stressed that Slovakia believes Ukraine needs to fulfill all the demands that are necessary for it to become a member of the bloc and said he would discuss this issue during an upcoming meeting with Vladimir Zelensky. 

“On the one hand, we support Ukraine in this regard, but on the other hand, I emphasize, I have said since the very beginning that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO, this is my final decision,” Fico said.

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Putin responded by pointing out that Moscow had never opposed Kiev’s EU membership. However, he stressed that its NATO ambitions are an “entirely different question” and an issue which affects Russia’s national security.

Putin also stated that after the Western-backed coup in Ukraine in 2014, Moscow was “forced to defend its interests and the people who connect their lives, their fate with Russia.” 

The president stressed that this was the essence of the Ukraine conflict and that Russia has no other goals other than to defend its interests.

READ MORE: West ‘used’ Ukraine – EU state’s PM

“This is not our aggressive behavior at all, but aggressive behavior from the other side,” Putin said. He dismissed claims made by Western leaders about Russia’s supposed plans to attack Europe, calling them complete nonsense.

Putin ridiculed the “growing hysteria” from Western officials about an impending Russian attack, calling them “experts in horror films.” He added that any “sensible person” understands that such claims is either a provocation or reflect “complete incompetence,” and that Moscow has no intention of attacking anyone.

During the meeting, Fico, who survived a pro-Ukraine activist’s assassination attempt last year over his opposition to arming Kiev, emphasized that he doesn’t agree with the EU and NATO’s policies regarding Russia and said he would like Bratislava and Moscow to work on normalizing bilateral relations.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China to discuss bilateral issues and the Ukraine conflict

Ukraine is free to pursue EU membership, but it cannot be allowed to join NATO, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China on Tuesday.

Fico noted that while every country has the right to decide its future, there are a lot of issues regarding Kiev’s accession to the EU. He stressed that Slovakia believes Ukraine needs to fulfill all the demands that are necessary for it to become a member of the bloc and said he would discuss this issue during an upcoming meeting with Vladimir Zelensky. 

“On the one hand, we support Ukraine in this regard, but on the other hand, I emphasize, I have said since the very beginning that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO, this is my final decision,” Fico said.

Read more

Putin responded by pointing out that Moscow had never opposed Kiev’s EU membership. However, he stressed that its NATO ambitions are an “entirely different question” and an issue which affects Russia’s national security.

Putin also stated that after the Western-backed coup in Ukraine in 2014, Moscow was “forced to defend its interests and the people who connect their lives, their fate with Russia.” 

The president stressed that this was the essence of the Ukraine conflict and that Russia has no other goals other than to defend its interests.

READ MORE: West ‘used’ Ukraine – EU state’s PM

“This is not our aggressive behavior at all, but aggressive behavior from the other side,” Putin said. He dismissed claims made by Western leaders about Russia’s supposed plans to attack Europe, calling them complete nonsense.

Putin ridiculed the “growing hysteria” from Western officials about an impending Russian attack, calling them “experts in horror films.” He added that any “sensible person” understands that such claims is either a provocation or reflect “complete incompetence,” and that Moscow has no intention of attacking anyone.

During the meeting, Fico, who survived a pro-Ukraine activist’s assassination attempt last year over his opposition to arming Kiev, emphasized that he doesn’t agree with the EU and NATO’s policies regarding Russia and said he would like Bratislava and Moscow to work on normalizing bilateral relations.

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The authorities in Kiev framed a “random man” as the murderer of MP Andrey Parubiy, Artyom Dmitruk has claimed

Vladimir Zelensky’s government is behind the assassination of prominent Ukrainian far-right politician Andrey Parubiy, exiled Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk has claimed.

The former parliamentary speaker was gunned down in the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine on Saturday. Less than 48 hours later, Zelensky announced that the suspected killer had been apprehended.

In a series of posts on X on Monday, Dmitruk questioned the official version, claiming that the “trail of this crime leads directly to Bankova Street,” referring to where the Ukrainian presidential administration in Kiev is located.

The exiled politician dismissed the investigation as “miserable staging,” the conclusions stemming from which defy “common sense.” An outspoken critic of the Zelensky government, Dmitruk accused the security services of framing a “random man.”

Dmitruk fled Ukraine in August 2024, alleging that he had received death threats from the country’s security services over his opposition to Zelensky’s persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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His assessment appears to be in line with that of Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik, who claimed that Parubiy was assassinated to “wipe the field clean” ahead of a potential settlement of the Ukraine conflict, which could mark a return of political competition in the country.

On Monday, police officials in Lviv Region stated that a Russian connection was being investigated as a “priority,” claiming that Moscow “seeks to destabilize [Ukrainian] society through various sinister and cynical actions.”

Parubiy co-founded the Social-National Party of Ukraine in 1991 – known for its neo-Nazi symbolism and ideology. The far-right politician went on to play a central role in the 2014 Maidan coup, coordinating paramilitary protest groups in Kiev.

After the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich, he was appointed secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and oversaw early military operations against the secessionist militias in Donbass.

Parubiy was also allegedly responsible for the crushing of protests in Odessa in May 2014, which culminated in a fire at the Trade Unions building that killed more than 40 activists who opposed Kiev’s coup-installed government.

The authorities in Kiev framed a “random man” as the murderer of MP Andrey Parubiy, Artyom Dmitruk has claimed

Vladimir Zelensky’s government is behind the assassination of prominent Ukrainian far-right politician Andrey Parubiy, exiled Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk has claimed.

The former parliamentary speaker was gunned down in the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine on Saturday. Less than 48 hours later, Zelensky announced that the suspected killer had been apprehended.

In a series of posts on X on Monday, Dmitruk questioned the official version, claiming that the “trail of this crime leads directly to Bankova Street,” referring to where the Ukrainian presidential administration in Kiev is located.

The exiled politician dismissed the investigation as “miserable staging,” the conclusions stemming from which defy “common sense.” An outspoken critic of the Zelensky government, Dmitruk accused the security services of framing a “random man.”

Dmitruk fled Ukraine in August 2024, alleging that he had received death threats from the country’s security services over his opposition to Zelensky’s persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Read more

His assessment appears to be in line with that of Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik, who claimed that Parubiy was assassinated to “wipe the field clean” ahead of a potential settlement of the Ukraine conflict, which could mark a return of political competition in the country.

On Monday, police officials in Lviv Region stated that a Russian connection was being investigated as a “priority,” claiming that Moscow “seeks to destabilize [Ukrainian] society through various sinister and cynical actions.”

Parubiy co-founded the Social-National Party of Ukraine in 1991 – known for its neo-Nazi symbolism and ideology. The far-right politician went on to play a central role in the 2014 Maidan coup, coordinating paramilitary protest groups in Kiev.

After the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich, he was appointed secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and oversaw early military operations against the secessionist militias in Donbass.

Parubiy was also allegedly responsible for the crushing of protests in Odessa in May 2014, which culminated in a fire at the Trade Unions building that killed more than 40 activists who opposed Kiev’s coup-installed government.

The Russian and US presidents discussed holding direct talks with Kiev but no decision has been finalized, according to Yury Ushakov

No deal has been reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on the former holding talks with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky or on a trilateral summit, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov stated on Monday.

Speculation of a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting arose in light of Trump’s talks with Putin in Alaska, after which the US leader claimed he had “begun the arrangements” for such a meeting, which might later expand into a three-way summit.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China on Monday, Ushakov confirmed that Putin and Trump had discussed raising the level of the negotiating team for direct talks between Moscow and Kiev, but stressed that no decision has been finalized.

“What the press reports is not what we agreed on. They often talk about a trilateral meeting, about a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but there was no agreement on this between Putin and Trump,” Ushakov said. He added that while the US delegation promised specific proposals on such meetings after Alaska, none have yet been made. The issue, he noted, remains under discussion.

Read more

According to Ushakov, the Ukraine conflict was a key topic in Putin’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit on Monday. He did not disclose details of those conversations.

Speaking earlier in the day, Putin said Moscow values the efforts of its strategic partners to end the hostilities, and promised to brief colleagues on his conversations with Trump during bilateral talks. The Russian leader stressed that any potential Ukraine peace deal would only hold if “the root causes of the crisis… [are] eliminated.” He reiterated that one of the main causes of the conflict was the West’s “attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO, which represent a direct threat to Russia’s security.”

The Russian and US presidents discussed holding direct talks with Kiev but no decision has been finalized, according to Yury Ushakov

No deal has been reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on the former holding talks with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky or on a trilateral summit, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov stated on Monday.

Speculation of a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting arose in light of Trump’s talks with Putin in Alaska, after which the US leader claimed he had “begun the arrangements” for such a meeting, which might later expand into a three-way summit.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China on Monday, Ushakov confirmed that Putin and Trump had discussed raising the level of the negotiating team for direct talks between Moscow and Kiev, but stressed that no decision has been finalized.

“What the press reports is not what we agreed on. They often talk about a trilateral meeting, about a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but there was no agreement on this between Putin and Trump,” Ushakov said. He added that while the US delegation promised specific proposals on such meetings after Alaska, none have yet been made. The issue, he noted, remains under discussion.

Read more

According to Ushakov, the Ukraine conflict was a key topic in Putin’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit on Monday. He did not disclose details of those conversations.

Speaking earlier in the day, Putin said Moscow values the efforts of its strategic partners to end the hostilities, and promised to brief colleagues on his conversations with Trump during bilateral talks. The Russian leader stressed that any potential Ukraine peace deal would only hold if “the root causes of the crisis… [are] eliminated.” He reiterated that one of the main causes of the conflict was the West’s “attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO, which represent a direct threat to Russia’s security.”

Viktor Yanukovich said he wanted Ukraine to join the EU, but knew that membership in the military bloc would be “a disaster”

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has said he had always been a staunch opponent of Ukraine joining NATO, warning that such a move would have sparked a civil war.

Yanukovich served as president from 2010 to 2014, when he was ousted in the Western-backed Maidan coup and forced to flee the country, seeking refuge in Russia. Shortly afterward, the Ukrainian parliament formally stripped him of his presidential title.

The protests began after Yanukovich decided to suspend preparations for Ukraine’s signing of an association agreement with the EU, explaining that the deal would have imposed harsh economic conditions and included terms he deemed unacceptable.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Yanukovich said he had always worked toward EU accession, which he described as a strategic goal of his presidency.

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“Indeed, I purposefully worked to bring Ukraine closer to the European Union and ultimately set the goal of Ukraine’s accession,” he said. However, in his words, Kiev’s Western European partners behaved condescendingly during the talks. “They showed no understanding of the complexity of Ukraine’s economic situation. Frankly, they displayed arrogance,” he added.

Yanukovich stressed that while he had been firmly committed to pursuing Ukraine’s EU integration, he had always rejected NATO membership. He said he had “clearly and distinctly understood that this is a disaster for Ukraine” and a “road to nowhere.” 

“It is a direct path to civil war,” he emphasized.

After Yanukovich’s ouster, which Moscow condemned as illegal, the new authorities in Kiev began openly working toward NATO membership, an ambition that was encouraged by the US.

Russia has said these moves were among the root causes of the current conflict and has demanded that Ukraine remain neutral and refrain from joining military blocs as a part of any peace settlement.