This is Beirut

Ukraine Says POW Exchange with Russia to Take Place 'Next Week'

This is Beirut, 08/06 16:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Ukraine said Sunday that a planned exchange of captured soldiers would start "next week," after both sides accused each other of trying to thwart and delay the swap. "The start of repatriation activities based on the results of the negotiations in Istanbul is scheduled for next week," the head of Ukraine's defense intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, ...

Russia Launches Major Attack on Ukraine, Killing 5

This is Beirut, 07/06 12:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine

Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least five people as it retaliated for a brazen attack by Kyiv on air bases days earlier. The Kremlin has accelerated its attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, as direct negotiations have failed to broker an end to the three-year war or even a ...

Spider’s Web: Drones and AI Transforming the Ukrainian Conflict

Mario Chartouni, 05/06 19:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Kyiv Russia Spider's Web

Ukraine’s covert “Spider’s Web” operation, launched last Sunday, marks a significant shift in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Using advanced kamikaze drones, Kyiv struck four Russian air bases located thousands of kilometers behind enemy lines, reportedly destroying over 40 military aircraft and causing an estimated $7 billion in damage. In an ...

Zelensky Slams Russia After Three Generations Killed in Drone Strike

This is Beirut, 05/06 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Ukraine drones Russia

A Russian drone slammed into a residential house in central Ukraine overnight Thursday, killing three members of one family, including a one-year-old baby, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He accused Moscow of trying to "buy time for itself to continue killing" and called for the West to put "maximum sanctions" and ...

Trump Says Putin Plans to Retaliate after Ukraine Drone Strikes

This is Beirut, 04/06 22:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Russia United States Ukraine

Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin warned him "very strongly" in a call Wednesday that he would respond to Ukraine's stunning attack on Russian airfields, adding that any immediate prospect of peace remained far off. Kyiv's daring mass drone strikes on Sunday destroyed several nuclear-capable bombers worth billions of dollars and ...

Trump Accuses Iran of 'Slow-walking' as Khamenei Opposes Nuclear Proposal

This is Beirut, 04/06 22:09 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Ukraine Russia

US President Donald Trump accused Tehran on Wednesday of "slow-walking" on a nuclear deal after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the latest proposal from Washington was against the national interest. The longtime foes have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the deal with ...

Putin Says Ukraine Wants Ceasefire to Rearm and Mobilize

This is Beirut, 04/06 20:11 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Vladimir Putin Russia Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appeared to rule out a full ceasefire in Ukraine, saying that Kyiv would use any pause in the fighting to rearm. Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and immediate 30-day truce, issuing its latest proposal to Moscow at peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. "Why reward them by giving them a ...

Aoun Follows Up on Palestinian Arms Agreement

This is Beirut, 04/06 19:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Vladimir Putin David Hale Lebanon Russia Palestine

President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday met with the Head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Ramzi Dimashkieh, who updated him on ongoing discussions regarding the enforcement of a key security agreement related to Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The talks focused on the implementation of a decision to ensure sole control over ...

Zelensky Says Russian Ceasefire Memorandum is an 'Ultimatum'

This is Beirut, 04/06 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine Russia United States

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that Russia was giving Ukraine an ultimatum for peace negotiations but said he was ready to hold direct talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump "any day." His comments came after Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul swapped terms for agreeing to a ...

NATO Wrestles Over How to Handle Ukraine at Trump Summit

This is Beirut, 04/06 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

NATO Ukraine Russia US

How to have Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky at NATO's Hague summit and avoid a bust-up with US President Donald Trump? What to say on Kyiv's desire to join their alliance? With NATO appearing on track to seal a deal on ramping up defense spending, another thorny issue now threatens to overshadow the gathering in three weeks: what to do about ...

Russia Says No Quick Breakthrough in 'Complex' Ukraine Talks

This is Beirut, 03/06 18:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia

Russia on Tuesday said it was wrong to expect a quick breakthrough in Ukraine talks, a day after Moscow rejected Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire at negotiations in Istanbul. The sides agreed on a large-scale swap of captured soldiers and exchanged their roadmaps to peace, or so-called "memorandums," at the discussions, which lasted ...

Russia Says Ukraine Behind Rail Bridge Blasts that Killed 7

This is Beirut, 03/06 16:35 - Reading : less than a minute