Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin for stalling ceasefire and threatens more sanctions – The Independent
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Europe Watch
The first step towards a broader ceasefire in Ukraine is on the table in the form of a Black Sea ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the U.S. The deal, however, is not quite finalized as Russia is demanding the U.S. lift sanctions before the ceasefire can happen.
Trump said of what appears to be delay tactics by Russia, “I think that Russia wants to see an end to it , but it could be they’re dragging their feet. I’ve done it over the years.”
Russia rejects Trump’s new ceasefire unless sanctions lifted | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Vladimir Putin has shot down proposals to implement a new ceasefire deal in the Black Sea, unless Donald Trump agrees to have international sanctions on Russia lifted.
The critical demand is just one of several levelled by the Russian leader, who also demanded access to global food and fertiliser markets, as well as the country’s reintegration into international banking systems, in order to implement a maritime truce with Ukraine.
The White House formally announced the Black Sea ceasefire on Tuesday, with the promising development coming after 12 hours of hard fought talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia.
However, critics have drawn attention to the fact that the agreement goes further than a similar agreement with Ukraine – and has seen the US commit to helping Russia to remove the myriad of sanctions that have been levelled upon it globally as a result of their invasion of Ukraine back in 2022.
The European Union has announced plans to expand its spending defense by more than $800 billion dollars as they look to fill the security void being left behind a strategically-retreating United States. While the move is being applauded, some, like Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, are calling for more, saying the decision is an “important step in the right direction” but, he added, “maybe we need to be more ambitious.”
European leaders push for even more defense spending– www.cnbc.com
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The European Union has plans to step up its defense spending in a big way — but some leaders want it to go even further as geopolitical tensions heighten.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, earlier this month proposed measures that could bring about 800 billion euros ($867 billion) in new defense spending. These measures have yet to be approved by the various EU capitals, but have been enough to boost EU defense stocks since the plan was announced.
The current measures are “an important step in the right direction,” but “maybe we need to be more ambitious,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on the sidelines of a European Council summit on Thursday.
The ReArm Europe plan, which was announced earlier this month, includes 150 billion euros of loans that member states can access to invest in defense and security capabilities. These funds will, however, only be made available if at least 65% of the cost of production takes place in the EU, Norway or Ukraine.
The resistance to the EU’s decision to invalidate an election that saw “far right” candidate Calin Georgescu, win, is only growing, especially after Georgescu was removed as a candidate from the do-over election.
Romanians’ resistance to this decision is not going away soon. The protests continue even now with thousands taking to the streets again to protest the EU’s interference with Romanian elections because the candidate was not EU-affirming. The first round of elections is May 4.
Romania Faces Political Volatility as Right-Wing Voters Rage at Ban on Candidate – Balkan Insight
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Supporters of far-right politician Calin Georgescu are furious that he has been disqualified from Romania’s rerun presidential election – but the populist ideas he championed have not vanished from the race.
Europe targets Apple and Google in antitrust crackdown, risking fresh Trump tariff clash – Fortune
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In a move that risks enraging the Trump administration, the European Commission has announced major antitrust enforcement decisions against Google and Apple.
The Chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, got a vote of confidence ahead of his term as parliament has changed the constitution in order to dramatically expand defense spending. The change involved removing the cap on debt the nation could accrue to pay for defense. The spending bill itself passed with a 512 out of 733 vote majority.
Germany’s Landmark Spending Spree Wins Parliamentary Backing – Bloomberg
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German lawmakers passed a landmark spending package, taking a major step toward unlocking hundreds of billions of euros in debt financing for defense and infrastructure and heralding the end of decades of budget austerity.
The controversial legislation — pushed by conservative Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz — was approved Tuesday in the lower house of parliament with 512 votes out of a total of 733, comfortably clearing the two-thirds threshold required for changes to the country’s constitutional borrowing rules.
Ukraine to present US with Russia partial truce after row– www.channelnewsasia.com
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FORCED INTO CONCESSION
In the White House meeting, Zelenskyy refused to bite his tongue in the face of criticism from Vice President JD Vance, with the Ukrainian leader questioning why his country should trust promises from Russia which launched a full-scale invasion in 2022 despite previous diplomacy.
But faced with Washington’s pressure, Ukraine will lay out its support for a limited ceasefire.
“We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea,” a Ukrainian official told AFP on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“These are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor, and it’s possible to start with them.”
Rubio signalled that the Trump administration would likely be pleased by such a proposal.
“I’m not saying that alone is enough, but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,” he told reporters.
“You’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions.”
“The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to force the Russians all the way back to where they were back in 2014,” Rubio said, referring to when Russia seized the Crimea peninsula and backed a separatist offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky Says ‘Sorry’ To Trump For Oval Office Showdown: Big Revelation Before U.S.-Ukraine Talks – The Times of India
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U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has said that the Ukrainian President apologized to Trump in a letter after the unruly public argument during an Oval Office meeting. “Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff told Fox News, adding that that was an important step toward rapprochement between both sides. The revelation comes just hours before Zelensky is set to meet Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia for talks to end Russia’s war.
Zelensky arrives in Saudi Arabia for crucial peace talks with US officials– www.france24.com
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Saudi Arabia for crucial talks on ending the war with Russia. He is scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before joining US and Ukrainian officials for negotiations on a peace framework and potential ceasefire. The talks in Jeddah mark the first meeting between the two sides since Zelensky’s White House visit last month. Here is Philip Turle’s analysis.
US demanding Ukraine trade land for peace, as talks with Rubio open in Saudi Arabia– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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RUBIO: ‘THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION’: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Saudi Arabia for face-to-face talks with a delegation consisting of Ukraine’s foreign minister, defense minister, and national security adviser to determine what concessions Ukraine is willing to make to end the three-year war with Russia.
Rubio told reporters en route to Jeddah that Ukraine must utter no magic words, but he is looking for signs that Ukraine is ready to make painful concessions to achieve a lasting peace deal. “I mean, right now, we’re really in listening mode,” Rubio said. “We have to understand the Ukrainian position and just have a general idea of what concessions they’d be willing to make, because you’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions.”
“We’re not going to be sitting in a room drawing lines on a map, but just get a general sense of what concessions are in the realm of the possible for them and what they would need in return, and then find out what the Russian position is in that regard,” Rubio said. “At some point soon, obviously, we’ll have to go back and establish a process by which we can determine what the Russian positions are in this regard and see how far apart we are,” he said.
Elon Musk floats drastic measure against Ukraine that would ‘immediately’ end war with Russia – Daily Mail
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Tech titan Elon Musk has suggested crippling sanctions on Ukraine’s oligarchs is the key to halting the nation’s bloody conflict with Russia
Musk, 53, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, called for sanctions targeting Ukraine’s wealthiest elite in a post on X Sunday morning.
The stunning intervention was a radical departure from the current strategy focused on punishing Russia for its unprovoked invasion of the country.
‘Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,’ Musk wrote bluntly.
The remark comes at the end of a week of intensive debate in Washington over whether continued US financial and military aid to Kyiv is sustainable as the war drags on with no clear end in sight.
Republican Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently argued that the US shouldn’t offer ‘another penny’ to Ukraine – a view echoed by growing segments of the American public weary of the seemingly endless bloodshed and multibillion-dollar aid packages.
Musk and Rubio spar with Polish minister over Ukraine’s use of Starlink – BBC.com
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk have clashed with Poland’s foreign minister over the use of the tech billionaire’s Starlink satellite internet system in Ukraine.
Musk said on X that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned the system off. Radoslaw Sikorski responded, saying his country paid for its use in Ukraine and a threat to shut it down would result in a search for another network.
Rubio dismissed Sikorski’s claims and told him to be grateful, while Musk called him a “small man”.
The exchange appeared to lead to Polish PM Donald Tusk calling on his country’s allies to show respect for their weaker partners, rather than arrogance.
Starlink’s system is part of SpaceX’s venture to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas. It has been used extensively by the Ukrainian military.
Playing his ‘Trump card,’ Putin goes for the kill to force Zelensky’s hand– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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PUTIN’S POWER PLAY: Emboldened by President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid and intelligence to Ukraine, Russian forces have stepped up the pace of air attacks and redoubled efforts to take back captured territory in the Kursk region in what appears to be an attempt to solidify its battlefield position ahead of a forced surrender by Kyiv.
Ukrainian troops in the field suspect that the U.S. is not just hurting Ukraine, but helping Russian forces in the Kursk region, who seem to have new intelligence about Ukrainian positions as they attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces and retake the tiny sliver of Russian territory that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to use as one of his few bargaining chips in any peace negotiation. Ukrainian soldiers in the border region have complained on X that they come under instant heavy attack as soon as they activate their Starlink terminals.
“Throughout this week, Russia has carried out hundreds of attacks against our people using various types of weapons: around 1,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and over 80 missiles of different types,” Zelensky posted on X over the weekend, ahead of a scheduled trip to Saudi Arabia today. Zelensky said a Saturday attack in Dobropillya, a city in the Donetsk region, was “one of the most brutal” striking civilians targets, including nine residential buildings, a shopping center, and killing 11 people.
Russian Army Reports Major Advances in Kursk Region After ‘Operation Pipeline’– www.themoscowtimes.com
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Russia has reclaimed more than 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of territory and 12 villages from Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Kursk region over the past 24 hours, the Russian military said Tuesday.
“The North Group of Forces has liberated 12 settlements during offensive actions… and more than 100 square kilometers of the Kursk region,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a daily briefing.
The retaken settlements include Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovskiy, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhaylovka, Pravda and Yuzhny, all located just north or east of the Ukrainian-held city of Sudzha.
Russia’s significant advances this past month, which analysts say put Ukrainian forces at risk of encirclement, appear to have taken advantage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine.
News24 | Ukraine launches drone attack wave on Moscow, killing one and shutting down airports– www.news24.com
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Ukraine has launched a “massive” drone attack against Moscow that killed at least one person, injured several others and saw the shutdown of airports and damaged residential buildings, officials and aviation authorities said.
After the arrest of Romania’s leading opposition leader, Calin Georgescu, protests, riots, and civil disturbances have been occurring ever since. The party who saw their candidate arrested and imprisoned is now scrambling to replace him before the re-run election this May. The election produced a win for Georgescu which was invalidated by an EU court on the grounds it was too influenced by Russian propagandists.
Romania’s far-right candidate Calin Georgescu to challenge presidential election ban – Reuters
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Romanian far-right presidential contender Calin Georgescu said on Monday he would challenge a decision to bar him from taking part in an election rerun in May, but analysts said his chances of standing were slim amid fears of Russian meddling.
The dispute over Georgescu’s candidacy is firing up tensions both at home and abroad.
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A small group of his supporters smashed pavements and set rubbish bins ablaze in Bucharest on Sunday, while Elon Musk, a key adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, asked in a post on X on Monday: “How can a judge end democracy in Romania?”
Chaos in Romania’s capital after far-right Calin Georgescu barred from presidential redo – The Washington Post
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Chaos broke out in Romania’s capital Sunday evening as incensed supporters of the far-right populist Calin Georgescu protested the electoral body’s decision to reject his candidacy in a presidential election redo. He won the first round of last year’s race before a top court annulled the election.
Brussels ‘must take position’ on Romanian presidential election controversy one way or another, warns Slovak PM Fico– rmx.news
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The European Commission is under increasing pressure to address the unfolding political crisis in Romania after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for clarity on the rejection of Calin Georgescu’s presidential candidacy.
Fico’s remarks, shared on social media, warn that the Commission’s silence would further undermine trust in the European Union.
Fico emphasized that the European Commission “must take a position” on the situation one way or another, asserting that either Georgescu, a nationalist and NATO-skeptic, is right, or the Romanian authorities’ decision to bar him from running is justified.
“The European Commission (EC) must take a position on the presidential elections in Romania — and take responsibility for it. If Mr. Georgescu is being wronged simply because he has a different opinion, he must be given European protection. If the EC is convinced that the Romanian authorities are doing the right thing, it must stand up for them. The only thing the EC cannot do is to remain silent,” Fico declared.
The controversy erupted after Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections on Sunday evening. The decision, taken with 10 votes in favor out of the 14-member committee, sparked protests in Bucharest, where demonstrators clashed with police, waving national flags and chanting slogans calling for “revolution.” Riot police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, and multiple arrests were made.
A coalition government is forming in Germany that saw the alliance of the far left Green Party with the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to prevent the rising Alliance for Deutschland party (AfD) from gaining any power despite finishing a close second to the CDU. That coalition is in peril already, thanks to a new budget proposal.
The German government on its way out, in a lame duck session, is preparing to pass a budget, one that the presumed next Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is not only approving, but introducing. It includes billions of euros more in increases targeting infrastructure improvement and military expansion, all under the guise of responding to the Donald Trump threat. The stumbling block for the bill passing is the same leftist party expected to work in partnership with the CDU in the next party, the Green Party, who is threatening to vote the proposed Merz amendments down.
Germany’s Green Party rejects Merz’s spending proposals | Politics News– www.aljazeera.com
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Germany’s Green Party has threatened to torpedo plans put forward by likely incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz to invest hundreds of billions of euros in defence and infrastructure.
Merz, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged the biggest in February’s legislative elections, wants in particular to relax the strict limits imposed by the “debt brake” in Germany to invest more in defence and security. His proposal comes as the country’s economy experiences prolonged stagnation and United States President Donald Trump’s direct overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left Europe feeling vulnerable on security.
The proposed constitutional changes to ease strict borrowing limits in the area of defence and establish a 500-billion euro ($542bn) fund for infrastructure had been described as historic when they were presented last week.