News
- By dpa
Baltic States Commemorate 30 Years Since Russian Troop Withdrawal
Estonia and Latvia commemorated the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the two Baltic states with various events on August 31. In the Estonian capital, Tallinn, President Alar Karis, and in the Latvian capital, Riga, his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkrvics highlighted the symbolic, political, and legal significance of the events three decades ago. Both heads of state emphasized that without the troop withdrawal, neither genuine independence nor the path to the 2004 accession to the European Union and NATO defense alliance would have been possible. With the troop withdrawal, half a century of Russian military presence in the Baltics came to an end, a year after Russian forces had already withdrawn from Lithuania.
More News
Interim President Bolojan Warns Romania 'At A Crossroads' Ahead of Controversial Runoff Election
BUCHAREST -- Interim President Ilie Bolojan, Romania's most popular politician, says the country faces a "difficult but decisive" period as voters head into a presidential runoff election this weekend that pits ultranationalist politician George Simion against pro-Western reformist Nicusor Dan.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Romanian Service in a live interview on May 12, Bolojan urged voters to "vote as their conscience dictates" in a presidential election that is being rerun after the first attempt was canceled over claims of Russian interference.
While Simion easily won the first round of voting on May 4 with almost 41 percent of the vote, he fell short of a majority, setting up the runoff with Dan, who took just under 21 percent.
"My message to all Romanians is to go vote and vote as their conscience dictates. However, considering Romania is currently at an important crossroads...each person, through the vote they cast, will make history for Romania," he said, adding he would vote for Dan.
Romania's Controversial Presidential Election
Romania has been roiled by political turmoil since November, when Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Bolojan, who regularly scores the highest popularity in public opinion polls, became interim president after Klaus Iohannis stepped down amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's annulment of the presidential election.
Bolojan said during the RFE/RL interview that the instability needs to end if the country is to avoid an economic and social crisis in the next 18 months.
"I'm worried because it's going to be a difficult period, and there are some combinations of factors that could create problems for us: the large deficit, the risk of financing it, the risk of relegation," he said.
"Political instability is the second risk, because, you see, now we have interims everywhere and it's not good to have interim leaders everywhere.... The faster these problems are resolved, the better the president is. So we need political stability. It's not easy with seven parties," he added.
To that end, Bolojan said he would be willing to have a "serious discussion" over forming a "stable government" -- meaning an administration that has majority support in parliament -- once the presidential election is over.
"We must prevent a budget crisis, exacerbated by a political crisis, from turning into an economic crisis that means inflation and interest rate hikes. Ordinary people will feel it first," he said.
"It's not about a prime minister; we need strong teams of people who have the same vision. The Romanian state has lost control in many areas.... Without a parliamentary majority and without collaboration, [the new government] will not be able to give its best for Romania."
The Scandals Of George Simion
Simion, an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), has promoted reunifying Romania and neighboring Moldova, along with halting military aid to Ukraine.
Known for his fiery speeches and the fact he was once an active soccer hooligan, he was banned in 2024 from entering Ukraine for three years for what Kyiv called "systematic anti-Ukrainian activities" while Moldova has called him a national security threat and barred him from entering the country as well.
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
Romania held parliamentary elections in December that the ruling center-left Social Democratic Party won. It created a pro-European coalition government led by leftist Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
- By Kian Sharifi
PKK Ends Armed Struggle, Seeks Peaceful Path For Kurdish Rights
The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has announced it is dissolving its organizational structure and ending its decades-long armed struggle against Turkey, marking a historic shift after more than 40 years of conflict that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
The decision, announced on May 12, marks a significant step toward ending one of the region's longest and deadliest insurgencies, with the group now calling for the Kurdish issue to be resolved through democratic means.
The PKK: From Cultural Rights To Armed Insurgency To Disbanding
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is a Kurdish militant organization founded in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan and others with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish state or achieving greater Kurdish autonomy within Turkey.
The PKK initially sought to promote Kurdish cultural rights and political recognition but later embraced a more armed insurgency to pursue its objectives. It is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, the European Union, and several other countries, due to its involvement in numerous attacks, bombings, and clashes resulting in civilian and military casualties.
The PKK operates predominantly in southeastern Turkey, as well as in parts of Iraq, Syria, and Iran where Kurdish populations reside. Over the years, the group has experienced periods of cease-fire and peace talks, especially during the early 2010s, but conflicts have largely continued. The PKK's ideology combines Kurdish nationalism with socialist principles, emphasizing Kurdish cultural rights, gender equality, and social justice.
The Turkish government has regarded the PKK as a major threat to national security, advocating strong military action against the group. Conversely, some Kurdish groups and international entities view the PKK as a liberation movement fighting for minority rights and self-determination.
The decision was made during the group's 12th congress, held last week in northern Iraq, and comes in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who urged the group in February to lay down arms and pursue peace. The announcement was first reported by the Firat News Agency, an affiliate of PKK.
"The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK's organizational structure and end its method of armed struggle," the group said in a statement. "As a result, activities carried out under the name 'PKK' were formally terminated."
Wladimir van Wilgenburg, a political analyst specializing in Kurdish affairs, told RFE/RL that the Kurdish community in Turkey had grown "tired of the conflict and is hoping for peace."
However, he added that Kurds were not sure whether they could trust the Turkish government and wondered if Ankara would take steps toward reconciliation, such as releasing Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas and recognizing Kurdish rights.
"So, they're a bit mistrustful and unsure about what will happen," van Wilgenburg said.
Resolution Through Democratic Means
The PKK said the practical process of dissolution and disarmament will be managed and overseen by Ocalan, who has been incarcerated on an island near Istanbul since 1999.
According to the congress declaration, the PKK's struggle had "brought the Kurdish issue to the point of resolution through democratic politics, thus completing its historical mission."
The group did not elaborate on what the exactly means, but van Wilgenburg said it was unlikely PKK commanders would enter Turkish politics, seeing as there already is an active pro-Kurdish party in Turkey in the form of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
"Most likely they mean that from now on Kurdish politics will be conducted through legal politics and the Turkish parliament, not guerrilla warfare," he added.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, began its insurgency in 1984 with the initial aim of creating an independent Kurdish state. In recent years, its demands shifted toward greater autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey.
United, But To What Extent?
Earlier this year, the PKK declared a unilateral cease-fire, stating it was "to pave the way for...peace and democratic society," but set conditions including the creation of a legal framework for peace negotiations.
The group's statement said its mission had been completed and expressed hope that Kurdish political parties would "fulfill their responsibilities in developing Kurdish democracy and ensure the formation of a Kurdish democratic nation."
Van Wilgenburg noted that while PKK seems united in its decision, the organization has had issues with splinter groups in the past, such as when Ocalan's younger brother Osman Ocalan broke away and formed his own short-lived political-military group in 2004.
One key question, van Wilgenburg said, is whether the organization's affiliates in other countries, such as Iran, will abide by the decision or continue their struggle.
Omer Celik, a spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), demanded on May 12 that the PKK's decision to disarm and disband be implemented "concretely and in full as well as in a manner comprising all of the PKK's branches."
It is estimated that 40,000 people have lost their lives in the PKK-Turkey conflict, with some casualties resulting from PKK attacks on military and civilian targets, as well as Turkish military operations against the group and the communities that supported it.
Taliban 'Suspends' Chess Playing In Afghanistan Citing Religious, Gambling Concerns
The hard-line Taliban rulers of Afghanistan have "suspended" the holding of chess matches in the country, citing "religious considerations" and claiming it represents a form of "gambling."
A Taliban official on May 11 said a decision will be made on the possible resumption of chess under the auspices of country's sports department, but no time frame was given.
Since returning to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban rulers have imposed a series of restrictions on sports and other cultural events.
They have also regularly been assailed by the world community for more serious human rights violation, including the oppression of women and girls.
Women and girls are banned from sports in Afghanistan, and bodybuilding athletes are not allowed to show their thighs to judges and spectators during competitions.
"Chess in Shari'a [Islamic law] is considered a means of gambling," sports directorate spokesman Atal Mashwani was quoted by AFP as saying.
"There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess," he said.
He also cited concerns with the national Chess Federation, which he said had "some issues on the leadership level."
"Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan," he added.
Kheybar Farazi, an adviser to the federation, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that the decision "shocked me immensely."
He said that since the Taliban came to power, the federation is not officially recognized by the sports directorate due to organizational issues and the absence of officials.
Esmail Jamshidi, a former head of the federation, questioned the Taliban's reasoning, telling Radio Azadi that there is "no religious prohibition" against chess.
"If there were, then all Islamic countries -- including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan -- would not have federations for both men and women. Chess is a science, and opposing science is wrong and shameful," he added.
AFP also quoted Azizullah Gulzada, the owner of a Kabul cafe who has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, as rejecting the suggestion that gambling took place and said chess was allowed in other Muslim-majority countries.
"Young people don't have a lot of activities these days, so many came here," he told AFP.
"They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess."
With reporting by AFP
- By RFE/RL
Kremlin Avoids Comment On Zelenskyy Peace Talks Proposal As Russian Drones Attack Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on May 15, a call Moscow avoided agreeing to after it launched dozens of attack drones at Ukraine.
Zelenskyy late on May 11 proposed a cease-fire to begin on May 12, which the Kremlin did not address.
He added that he will be in Istanbul this on May 15, "and I expect Putin to come to Turkey as well."
"A full and unconditional cease-fire -- one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy -- could significantly bring peace closer. Ukraine has long proposed this, our partners are proposing it, and the whole world is calling for it," Zelenskyy wrote.
"We await a clear response from Russia."
Zelenskyy said Kyiv has "absolutely no problem engaging in negotiations, and we are ready for any format."
It wasn't immediately clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his trip to Turkey on the immediate start of a cease-fire, or on whether he would only meet with Putin, and not other Russian officials if Moscow sent them instead.
The Kremlin on May 12 said Putin was "serious" about seeking a peace agreement, saying "we are committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement."
But he refused to comment further on issues such as whether Putin would sit down with Zelenskyy, or other issues related to any possible talks in Istanbul.
"That's all. I've said everything I could about this story," Peskov said.
Trump Pushes Direct Russia-Ukraine Talks
Speaking at the White House before departing for a trip to the Middle East on May 12, US President Donald Trump insisted that the May 16 meeting "is very important" and that he "really insisted it take place."
"I think good things can come out of that meeting," he told reporters. "I was thinking about actually flying over there. There's a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen."
The day before, he had taken to his social media platform Truth Social to urge Putin and Zelenskyy to the table this week.
"Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY," Trump wrote. "At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!"
Putin and Zelenskyy have met only one time, back in 2019, well before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has said that a "deep hatred" between the two sides has hindered peace efforts.
Cease-Fire Before Talks Or After?
Trump's demand that Ukraine drop its precondition for a cease-fire and go straight into negotiations with Russia came just hours after his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, backed Kyiv's call for a cease-fire.
"As President Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!!" Kellogg wrote on X. "An unconditional 30-day cease-fire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around."
Late on May 11, the US State Department issued a statement saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with British counterpart David Lammy and stressed that Washington's "top priority remains bringing an end to the fighting and an immediate cease-fire," without elaborating.
Speaking to Russian pro-Kremlin media, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on May 11 dismissed Kyiv's calls -- backed by its allies -- for Russia to pause the war, saying Kyiv must have misread the Russian leader's message.
"Putin made it clear in his statement," she said. "First talks about the root causes, and then we can perhaps talk about a cease-fire."
Zelenskyy's presidential adviser Andriy Yermak responded on Telegram to Putin's call for talks by saying: "First, a 30-day cease-fire -- then everything else."
"Russia must not disguise its desire to continue the war behind rhetorical constructions," he said. "A cease-fire is the first step toward ending the war, and it will demonstrate Russia's willingness to stop the killings."
Russian Drone Attacks On Ukraine Continue
As news of Zelenskyy's proposal for a cease-fire on May 12 spread, Ukraine said Russia launched another attack, sending 108 Shahed drones at targets in several areas of the country.
Residential buildings in the southern coastal city of Odesa were reported to be hit, injuring one person, while a civilian freight train and rail lines in the eastern Donetsk region was also struck.
"Cease-fire proposals are being ignored, and the enemy continues attacks on railway infrastructure," Ukrainian national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said, adding that a train driver had been wounded by the attack.
- By RFE/RL
Both Sides Claim Victory As India-Pakistan Cease-Fire Mainly Holds
Pakistan and India both declared victory in a recent flare-up of violence as a US-mediated cease-fire appeared to largely hold on May 11, with the nuclear-armed neighbors stepping back from a potential full-scale war over the disputed Kashmir region.
Islamabad and New Delhi agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities, US President Donald Trump and officials from both South Asian countries said on May 10 after a series of tit-for-tat military strikes that claimed dozens of lives.
"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence."
India and Pakistan regularly come close to igniting a catastrophic full-scale war in the tense South Asian region, usually related to the disputed Kashmir region, which is split into Indian- and Pakistani-controlled areas but claimed in full by both.
In apparent efforts to reassure their domestic populations, both sides claimed victory in the latest outbreak of violence.
On May 11, New Delhi offered a tally of its claimed success during the flare-up in violence, saying its military strikes into Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan earlier in the week killed more than 100 militants.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, director general of Indian military operations, claimed that among those killed were prominent militant leaders.
"We achieved total surprise," Ghai told a New Delhi news conference, describing Pakistan's response as "erratic and rattled."
Meanwhile, Pakistani Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif told a news briefing that Islamabad's forces on May 10 hit 26 Indian military installations in response to missile strikes launched by New Delhi.
Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation for its "victory" over India, while at the same time expressing desires for meaningful dialogue with India and for resolution of all issues dividing the bitter rivals.
"This is a victory not just for the armed forces, but for the whole nation," Sharif said.
Despite talk of the cease-fire, India and Pakistan accused each other of violations in the following hours, although reports of such actions were rare late on May 11.
International leaders welcomed the cease-fire breakthrough.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the governments of India and Pakistan had agreed "to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site."
In a post on X on May 10, Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been in contact with senior Indian and Pakistani officials over the previous 48 hours.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the cease-fire agreement a "positive step" and "hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Trump has said he is ready to work to resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan and to help boost the economies of both nations.
"While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a 'thousand years,' a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!”
The cease-fire follows weeks of escalating violence that began after a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 civilians, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault -- a claim Islamabad denies. The incident triggered a series of strikes, including reported missile and drone attacks, cross-border shelling, and cyberattacks.
India and Pakistan, which gained independence from Britain in 1947, fought full-scale wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971, and a limited conflict in 1999. The central issue remains the Kashmir Valley, which India regards as its Atoot Ang -- integral part -- while Pakistan sees it as the “unfinished agenda of partition” of the subcontinent.
Kashmir is divided between three nuclear-armed neighbors, with India controlling about 45 percent, Pakistan about 35 percent, and China -- following a brief war with India in 1962 -- the remaining 20 percent.
Tens of thousands fled Indian-controlled Kashmir during the recent drone attacks and shelling by Pakistani forces.
Some have begun to return, although many remain hesitant, given the history of violence in the region.
"We will go back only after complete calm prevails," Basharat Ahmed, who lives in Poonch district, was quoted by AP as saying. "It doesn't take much time for the two countries to start fighting on the border."
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, AP, Reuters, and the BBC
- By RFE/RL
India-Pakistan Cease-Fire Appears To Be Holding After Accusations Of Early Violations
A US-mediated cease-fire between India and Pakistan is largely holding, despite both sides accusing the other of violating the truce just hours after it was signed -- a truce aimed at halting the latest surge in violence over the disputed Kashmir region.
India and Pakistan had agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities, US President Donald Trump and officials from both South Asian countries said on May 10, after the biggest flare-up of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years sparked fears of a full-scale war.
"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence."
The announcement was subsequently confirmed by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who wrote on X that the South Asian archrivals "have agreed to a cease-fire with immediate effect."
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a news conference that a senior Pakistani military official called his Indian counterpart in the afternoon and they agreed "that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air, and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST (13:30 CET)."
Despite talk of the cease-fire, India and Pakistan accused each other of violations in the following hours.
Misri said Islamabad had been repeatedly breaching the agreement, and explosions were heard in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to the BBC.
"For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding we arrived at earlier this evening," Misri said, adding that Indian forces have been "given instructions to deal strongly with violations.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry accused India of its own violations and said Pakistani forces "are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint."`1
But the situation appeared to have calmed later on May 11, with reports indicating that the cease-fire was largely holding.
In the northern town of Kupwara, in Indian-administered Kashmir near the Line of Control -- the de facto border with the Pakistan-controlled part of the contested region -- residents expressed cautious relief.
"We are happy to see this," local resident Anas Khan told Reuters. "This is a good thing. Nobody wants war. No solution could be found with war. It is only through dialogue."
Another resident, Nazram Ali, described the toll of the past few days.
"We were facing a lot of troubles due to the cross-border shelling," they said. "From children to the elderly, everyone stayed indoors during the day and moved to different villages during the night due to the firing. We are very happy that there is a cease-fire."
International leaders have also welcomed the breakthrough.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the governments of India and Pakistan had agreed "to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site."
In a post on X on May 10, Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been in contact with senior Indian and Pakistani officials over the previous 48 hours.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the cease-fire agreement a "positive step" and "hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The cease-fire follows weeks of escalating violence that began after a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 civilians, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault -- a claim Islamabad denies. The incident triggered a series of strikes, including reported missile and drone attacks, cross-border shelling, and cyberattacks.
India and Pakistan, which gained independence from Britain in 1947, fought full-scale wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971, and a limited conflict in 1999. The central issue remains the Kashmir Valley, which India regards as its Atoot Ang -- integral part -- while Pakistan sees it as the “unfinished agenda of partition” of the subcontinent.
Kashmir is divided between three nuclear-armed neighbors, with India controlling about 45 percent, Pakistan about 35 percent, and China -- following a brief war with India in 1962 -- the remaining 20 percent.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, AP, Reuters, and the BBC
Iran, US End 'Difficult But Useful' Round Of Nuclear Talks In Oman
The fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States has ended in Muscat, with Tehran suggesting a new round will be scheduled by Omani mediators.
Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman Esmail Baqaei wrote on X that the talks on May 11 were "difficult but useful" to help "better understand each other's positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways" to resolve differences.
"Next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman," he wrote.
There were no immediate comments from the White House or the State Department on the talks, but US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had suggested earlier that the outcome of the Oman talks could decide whether diplomacy continues or collapses.
Deep divisions have emerged over red lines in the past several weeks that threaten to derail the negotiations.
Witkoff, who is Washington's chief negotiator, stated in an interview ahead of the talks that Washington's position is "no enrichment," meaning Iran must dismantle its nuclear program, including key facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
"If Sunday’s discussions do not yield positive results, we will have to explore alternative approaches," Witkoff warned, strongly implying that a lack of progress in Oman could end the current negotiation track.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who serves as Tehran’s top negotiator, has said enrichment is "nonnegotiable" and rejected the possibility of dismantling the nuclear program.
Speaking ahead of the talks in Oman, Araqchi said a deal can be reached with the United States if Washington’s goal is to ensure that Tehran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
“But if the goal of the negotiations is to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, I state clearly that Iran will not back down from any of its rights,” he added.
Speaking ahead of the talks in Oman, Araqchi said a deal can be reached with the United States if Washington’s goal is to ensure that Tehran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
“But if the goal of the negotiations is to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, I state clearly that Iran will not back down from any of its rights,” he added.
US President Donald Trump has warned of the possibility of military action if diplomatic efforts collapse, with Israel likely taking part in strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iran has vowed to respond to any attack and has been showcasing its military capabilities in recent weeks, including the unveiling of a new missile and underground drone base.
Meanwhile, the United States in March deployed at least six B-2 bombers to Diego Garcia, a joint US-British military base on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Last month, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was dispatched to join the USS Harry S. Truman, which is already stationed in the region.
Trump Urges Ukraine To Negotiate With Putin 'Now,' Ignoring Kyiv's Cease-Fire Demand
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Ukraine should "immediately" hold direct talks with Russia to end the war, ignoring Kyiv's call for a cease-fire before any negotiations.
Trump made the demand on May 11 after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Kyiv in Turkey after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, backed by European allies, called for a quick 30-day cease-fire.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump noted that Putin "doesn't want to have" a cease-fire agreement with Ukraine and instead wants direct talks to "negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath."
“Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump added. “At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”
The US president said he was with Putin,” urging Kyiv to accept the meeting invitation, adding, "Have the meeting now".
Posting on Telegram after Trump’s comments, Zelenskyy reiterated his call for a “complete and lasting” cease-fire to “provide the necessary basis for diplomacy.”
“There is no point in prolonging the killings,” Zelenskyy wrote. “And I will expect Putin on Thursday [May 15] in Turkey. Personally.”
Trump’s demand that Ukraine drop its precondition for a cease-fire and go straight into negotiations with Russia comes just hours after his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, backed Kyiv’s call for a cease-fire.
"As President Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!!" he said on X. "An unconditional 30-day cease-fire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around."
During a middle-of-the-night press briefing in Moscow on May 11, Putin ignored the cease-fire call in the Ukraine war and instead offered to hold direct peace talks with Kyiv, possibly in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions.”
Speaking to Russian pro-Kremlin media, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Kyiv's calls -- backed by its allies -- for Russia to pause the war, saying that Kyiv must have misread the Russian leader's message. "Putin made it clear in his statement," she said. "First talks about the root causes, and then we can perhaps talk about a cease-fire."
Zelenskyy's presidential adviser Andriy Yermak responded on Telegram to Putin's call for talks by saying: "First, a 30-day ceasefire -- then everything else."
"Russia must not disguise its desire to continue the war behind rhetorical constructions," he said. "A cease-fire is the first step toward ending the war, and it will demonstrate Russia’s willingness to stop the killings."
Later on May 11, Erdogan told Putin in a phone call that Ankara is ready to host negotiations for a cease-fire and permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish president's office said.
In a separate phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Erdogan said "a historic turning point" had been reached toward ending the war.
Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy, and British and Polish prime ministers Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk announced the proposal for a cease-fire beginning on May 12 after a meeting in Kyiv on May 10.
They warned Moscow that it would face "massive" new sanctions if it balked at the proposed truce. They said they had spoken to Trump by phone following the talks.
Macron, speaking from the Polish border town of Przemysl on his return from Kyiv, described Putin’s offer of direct talks as “a first step, but not enough,” adding that “an unconditional cease-fire is not preceded by negotiations.”
Merz struck a similar note, calling the proposal “a good sign” but “far from sufficient.”
“First, the weapons must be silenced, then the discussions can begin,” he said in a statement.
Before their visit to Ukraine, Macron and the other European leaders promised they would "stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion," now well into its fourth year.
In a statement published on the British government website, they reiterated their support for Trump’s call for an agreement to end the war and urged Russia “to stop obstructing efforts to secure a lasting peace.”
Speaking to RFE/RL after Putin's comments on May 11, John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Russian leader was continuing "to attempt to walk the line between placating President Trump and still refusing a cease-fire absent significant Ukrainian and Western concessions."
"Putin essentially proposed that Russia and Ukraine pick up where they left off with the 2022 Istanbul negotiations, where Moscow sought to impose harsh peace terms,” he said, adding that the US president has a decision to make.
“Will he continue to allow Putin to 'tap him along,' or will he follow through on his threat to turn the economic screws on Russia?” he said.
With reporting by AFP
Putin Proposes Direct Talks With Ukraine In Turkey, Ignoring Europeans' Call For May 12 Cease-Fire
KYIV -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ignored a call for quick 30-day cease-fire in the Ukraine war and instead offered to hold direct peace talks with Kyiv, possibly in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions.”
Speaking to reporters at a middle-of-the-night briefing in Moscow on May 11, Putin offered to “restart” peace talks that were held by Russia and Ukraine in April 2022 -- which was weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion if its western neighbor began on February 24.
"We are determined to have serious negotiations. Their purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict...and establish a long-term, lasting peace in the historical perspective," said Putin, who has often used such phrases to reject Ukraine's desires to join NATO and his insistence that Kyiv remain neutral.
Putin said he would soon speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek his help to facilitate the talks in Istanbul.
"We do not exclude that, during these talks, we will be able to agree on some new cease-fire," Putin added.
Shortly after Putin made his remarks, authorities in Kyiv said Russian forces had launched an air attack on the Ukrainian capital.
The local military administration said drones had been launched at Kyiv and that air defenses had responded. Some targets were shot down but no infrastructure was hit.
Authorities said a summer house was struck in the city's suburban Brovary district and that one man was being treated for shock. Five private residences were also damaged in the Obukhiv district.
Putin began his comments at 1:38 a.m. in the Kremlin by hailing Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations marking the end of World War II before moving on to remarks about the Ukraine war.
Hours after Putin's early morning briefing, US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social account that it was a "potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!"
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end," he added. "It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine or European leaders.
Hours earlier in Kyiv, the leaders of Germany, France, Poland, and Britain joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pressing for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Russia's war against Ukraine, warning Moscow that it would face "massive" new sanctions if balked at the proposed truce.
The leaders said they had agreed that the cease-fire should begin on May 12.
Putin did not directly mention the call for a cease-fire by the European leaders in his early morning remarks.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy, and British and Polish prime ministers Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk announced the proposal after a meeting in Kyiv on May 10. They spoke to Trump by phone following the talks.
"So all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a news conference. "No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays."
"If he turns his back on peace, we will respond. Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine's defense," said Starmer, who also stated that the plan calls for the cease-fire to begin on May 12.
The New York Times quoted an unidentified senior US official as saying Trump supported the Europeans' proposal for new sanctions if a cease-fire were not in place by May 12.
Macron said: "We have just now...decided to support a cease-fire which will begin [May 12], without any preconditions."
Before the visit, the four European leaders promised they would "stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion," now well into its fourth year.
In a statement published on the British government website, they reiterated their support for Trump’s call for an agreement to end the war and urged Russia “to stop obstructing efforts to secure a lasting peace.”
In his Kremlin comments, Putin continually accused Kyiv of breaking previous cease-fire agreements, including one the Russian president had called for on May 8-10 surrounding Russia’s Victory Day celebrations marking the end of World War II.
Despite the Kremlin call for that three-day cease-fire, Russia continued to carry out attacks on Ukrainian forces and civilian infrastructure. Kyiv said it would respect the cease-fire only if Russia did, but also said it sought a longer truce, one of at least 30 days.
Trump ran for president on a promise to end the war quickly. In an interview with NBC News that aired on May 4, he expressed hope a peace deal could still be reached while also suggesting his patience with both Ukraine and Russia was limited.
“There will be a time when I will say, ‘OK, keep going. Keep being stupid and keep fighting,’” he said.
In early May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said if there isn't a real breakthrough on the war in Ukraine in the near future, Trump will have to decide how much more time to dedicate to the negotiation process.
Many analysts have said Putin is not interested in a quick cease-fire because the Russian leader believes he is winning the war and that time is on his side, encouraging him to drag out cease-fire talks rather than reject them outright so as not to anger Trump.
Putin, during his remarks on May 11, also hailed the presence of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine, saying they helped fight Kyiv’s forces that had made a stunning incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Unable to secure a decisive victory, Moscow has turned elsewhere for men and materiel to continue the war -- most notably, North Korea.
Late in 2024, around 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed to fight alongside Russian troops, mainly in the Kursk border region, which Ukraine invaded last summer, embarrassing the Kremlin. Russian commanders have credited the troops with success in mostly pushing Ukraine’s forces out of Kursk.
Putin also referred to talks conducted in Istanbul in late March 2022, shortly after Russia realized its blitz attack on Ukraine was stalling. Kyiv left the talks after being handed an ultimatum, which to this day Moscow is presenting as Ukraine's blunder and unwillingness to talk.
With reporting by AFP
European Leaders, Ukraine Press Russia For A 30-Day Cease-Fire, Starting May 12
KYIV -- The leaders of Germany, France, Poland, and Britain joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pressing for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Russia's war against Ukraine, warning Moscow it would face "massive" new sanctions if President Vladimir Putin balks at the proposed truce.
Zelenskyy and his foreign minister said the leaders agreed the cease-fire should start on May 12.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy, and British and Polish prime ministers Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk announced the proposal after a meeting in Kyiv on May 10. They spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone following the talks.
"So all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a news conference. "No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays."
"If he turns his back on peace, we will respond. Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine's defense," said Starmer, who also stated that the plan calls for the cease-fire to begin on May 12.
The New York Times quoted an unidentified senior U.S. official as saying Trump supported the Europeans' proposal for new sanctions if a cease-fire were not in place by May 12.
Macron said: "We have just now...decided to support a cease-fire which will begin [May 12], without any preconditions."
Before the visit, the four European leaders promised they would "stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion," now well into its fourth year.
In a statement published on the British government website, they reiterated their support for Trump’s call for an agreement to end the war and urged Russia “to stop obstructing efforts to secure a lasting peace.”
As the meeting progressed, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Kyiv "and all allies are ready for a full unconditional cease-fire on land, air, and at sea for at least 30 days starting already on Monday," May 12.
"If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a durable ceasefire and confidence-building measures can pave the way to peace negotiations," Sybiha wrote in a post on X.
"A comprehensive (air, land, sea, infrastructure) cease fire for 30 days will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II," Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, wrote on X.
Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk also declared their readiness to support peace talks, discuss the technical implementation of a cease-fire, and help prepare for a comprehensive peace agreement.
"We are clear the bloodshed must end," they said. "Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognized borders for generations to come."
The visiting European leaders were in Kyiv to participate in a "coalition of the willing" summit, announced earlier by Zelenskyy, bringing together countries committed to sustaining military and political support for Ukraine.
The coalition includes Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine.
On May 8, following a call with Zelenskyy, Trump renewed his call for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire and warned that failure to reach such an agreement would result in further sanctions from Washington and its allies.
Russia had earlier declared a separate, three-day cease-fire from May 8 to 10 to coincide with its Victory Day commemorations. Zelenskyy dismissed it as a "theatrical production," and Kyiv accused Moscow of violating it hundreds of times. Russia also accused Ukraine of launching attacks during the three-day period.
That three-day cease-fire officially ended at midnight on May 10 heading into May 11.
In March, Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for an extendable 30-day cease-fire. Russia effectively rejected it, saying it agreed in principle but attaching numerous conditions that Putin called "nuances."
Speaking to ABC News on May 10, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would reject a longer cease-fire if Ukraine’s Western allies continue supplying it with weapons during that time.
He hinted that Russia would continue to seek to place conditions on a cease-fire agreement before accepting it, saying that when Trump proposed a 30-day truce n March "it was supported by Putin with the reservation that it is very difficult to discuss this in detail if no answers are found to a large number of nuances."
Peskov also claimed Kyiv is not ready for negotiations, but suggested Trump could play a key role in persuading the Ukrainian leadership to enter talks.
He told CNN that Russia will "consider" the idea of a cease-fire. "Generally speaking, Putin supports the idea, but there are many questions about it," Peskov added.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels on May 10 that any cease-fire “must be implemented without preconditions” and warned that Moscow would face tougher sanctions if it breached an agreement.
Peskov said on a state TV program aired earlier in the day that it was "pointless to frighten" Moscow with new sanctions, saying Russians "are already used to sanctions, and we can even imagine what we will do after these sanctions are announced and how we will minimize their consequences."
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Reuters, and dpa
- By Daud Khattak
Pakistan, India Agree To 'Immediate Cease-Fire,' Even As Early Violations Reported
India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate cease-fire, US President Donald Trump and officials from both South Asian countries said, after the biggest flare-up of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years sparked fears of a full-scale war.
"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on May 10. "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence."
The announcement was subsequently confirmed by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who wrote on X that the South Asian archrivals "have agreed to a cease-fire with immediate effect."
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a news conference that a senior Pakistani military official called his Indian counterpart in the afternoon and they agreed "that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air, and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST (13:30 CET)."
Despite talk of the cease-fire, both sides accused the other of violations in the following hours.
Misri accused Islamabad of repeatedly violating the agreement, and explosions were heard in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to the BBC.
"For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding we arrived at earlier this evening," Misri said, adding that Indian forces have been "given instructions to deal strongly with violations.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry accused India of its own violations and said Pakistani forces "are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint."
Still, Pakistan and India both said they remained “committed” to the cease-fire agreement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the governments of India and Pakistan had also agreed "to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site." In a post on X, Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been in contact with senior Indian and Pakistani officials over the previous 48 hours.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the cease-fire agreement a "positive step" and "hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Earlier, Islamabad and New Delhi both suggested they would halt their fiercest fighting in years if the other side did the same, but they continued to trade attacks on May 10 and tension persisted.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the BBC that if India steps back, Islamabad will reciprocate. He spoke after India said it was committed to non-escalation if Pakistan responded in kind.
Dar made similar remarks to the country's Geo News outlet, but he warned that “our response will follow” if India launches any strikes.
The comments came after Pakistan said it launched a military operation against India after accusing it of firing missiles at three Pakistani air bases late on May 9, another escalation.
Pakistani security sources told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that the operation is codenamed Bunyanun Marsoos, an Arabic word taken from a verse in the Koran meaning a strong pillar.
Reports said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called an urgent meeting of the National Command Authority, which deals with the country's nuclear arms policy, among other functions. But Defense Minister Khwaja Asif said later on May 10 that no meeting had taken place.
Pakistan's Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said a depot used to store India’s Brahmos missiles had been destroyed. The military said attacks on several other locations, including the Pathankot Airfield and Udhampur Air Force Station, had also taken place. Pakistan also said it fired Fatah 1 missiles on the two Indian air bases.
The Indian Army called Pakistan's actions unacceptable.
"Pakistan’s blatant escalation with drone strikes and other munitions continues along our western borders. In one such incident, today at approximately 5 a.m., Multiple enemy armed drones were spotted flying over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar," the army said on X. "The hostile drones were instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defense units."
The fresh attacks started hours after Saudi Arabia's foreign minister left Pakistan. Adel Al-Jubeir was in Islamabad to meet with Sharif, according to a statement. He visited India before landing in Islamabad on May 9 for talks with Pakistani leaders.
Pakistani security sources also claimed that a simultaneous cyberattack had been launched and electrical power in several cities had been cut.
The security sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that the Pakistani side has decided that if India launched more attacks, they would hit the highways in India.
Pakistan said earlier that missiles, apparently fired by India, had fallen at different locations in Pakistan.
One of the missiles hit the Noor Khan Air Noor Khan Airbase Base in Rawalpindi city. The air base is where the military has its headquarters and is less than 30 kilometers from key buildings, including the Presidential House, the House of Parliament, and the prime minister’s house, in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad.
Fahim Ahmad, a resident of Rawalpindi city, who lives near the Noor Khan Air Base, told Radio Mashaal, he saw an object blasted out of the air and drop near the air base.
Ahmad said alarm sirens went off, heightening fears of a large escalation just days after Indian air strikes claimed multiple lives in Pakistan, prompting Sharif to vow retaliation.
Speaking at a hastily arranged news conference soon after the missiles were fired on Pakistan late on May 9, the director-general of the ISPR, Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif, said an attack by India to target the Noor Khan Air Base had been foiled.
Two other missiles were fired at two other air bases -- Murid Air Base and Shorkot Air |Base -- he said. Sharif claimed that India also fired some missiles in Afghanistan.
An explosion was reported in the city of Peshawar in the early hours of May 10, according to Radio Mashaal correspondent Wasim Sajjad.
“We were awakened by the sound of an explosion around 3 a.m. (local time), which was followed by firing from the ground,” Sajjad said. “We saw lights going from the ground toward the sky with sounds of firing that continued for nearly an hour.”
The explosion drew people out of their houses and apartments into the dark night, said Sajjad.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals have soared since an attack at a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu Indian tourists, on April 22. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for backing the assault, an accusation Islamabad rejects.
Azaz Seyed, author and journalist, told Radio Mashaal that the world is not taking interest in stopping a looming full-fledged conflict between India and Pakistan.
The Group of Seven leading industrialized countries on May 9 urged both India and Pakistan to avoid escalation and called on them to engage in direct dialogue.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the European Union said they "strongly condemn" a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir on April 22 and "urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan."
Indian and Pakistani forces on May 7 exchanged artillery fire after Indian air strikes claimed multiple lives. Both sides reported several fatalities in the shelling. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down several Indian jets.
Indian forces on May 6 hit targets across Pakistani-administered Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab Province.
India said it carried out “precision strikes” against “terrorists” following the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir two weeks ago that killed 26 Hindu tourists.
India had earlier said that two of three suspects in that attack were Pakistani nationals but had not detailed any evidence. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings.
India and Pakistan, which gained independence from Britain in 1947, fought full-scale wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971, and a limited conflict in 1999. The central issue remains the Kashmir Valley, which India regards as its Atoot Ang -- integral part -- while Pakistan sees it as the “unfinished agenda of partition” of the subcontinent.
Kashmir is divided between three nuclear-armed neighbors, with India controlling about 45 percent, Pakistan about 35 percent, and China -- following a brief war with India in 1962 -- the remaining 20 percent.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine's EU Allies Endorse Creating Special Tribunal To Try Russian Leaders
Ukraine's EU allies on May 9 endorsed the creation of a new international court to prosecute Russia's top leaders over Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The special tribunal would target senior Russian leaders for the crime of aggression to cover the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war in 2022.
EU foreign ministers gathered in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv announced their support for the international court on the same day Russia commemorated the end of World War II with a military parade in Moscow.
European efforts to create the tribunal appear to have sped up since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House and began pushing for a rapid end to the war, raising fears that Russian leaders could escape justice.
"There is no space for impunity. Russia's aggression cannot go unpunished and therefore establishing this tribunal is extremely important," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague has already issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another Russian official for the forced deportation of children and strikes on Ukraine's energy targets.
But Russia is not a member of the ICC, so it cannot prosecute Putin and other senior leaders for the decision to launch the invasion. Ukrainian and European leaders came up with the special tribunal as an alternative way to hold Russian leaders to account.
"This tribunal is being set up to pass appropriate sentences in the future," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said in Lviv on May 9.
He added Kyiv wanted the "inevitable punishment for all," including the "president of Russia, the prime minister of Russia, and the foreign minister of Russia."
Similar special tribunals were established after World War II, the Balkan wars, and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Since early in the conflict, Kyiv has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal that goes beyond prosecuting war crimes that Ukraine alleged Russian forces committed, including bombing civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, rape, taking hostages, and torture.
“If we want true justice, we should not look for excuses and should not refer to the shortcomings of the current international law but make bold decisions that will correct those shortcomings that unfortunately exist in international law,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a visit to the Netherlands in 2023.
The legal framework for the tribunal was agreed on by leaders in February. It will be funded by the countries who back it, known as the Core Group, including the Netherlands, Japan and Canada.
The United States backed the projected under former President Joe Biden, but the Trump administration does not support the initiative. Kallas said she hoped Washington would "sooner rather than later join."
Putin earlier on May 9 evoked Soviet victory over Nazi Germany to rally the country round his three-year offensive at a military parade in Moscow in front of key allies, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We are not reacting to this," the state TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. Russia has denied Ukraine’s accusations of war crimes.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Brother Of Imprisoned RFE/RL Journalist Ihar Losik Also Jailed In Belarus
The younger brother of imprisoned Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Ihar Losik was detained in April and remains in jail in his native Belarus on extremism charges related to Russia's war against Ukraine, according to a rights group and RFE/RL sources.
Mikita Losik, 25, was detained in mid-April, the Country For Life foundation said in a Telegram post. Sources who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity for security reasons in the tightly controlled country said he was detained in the northeastern city of Orsha.
Mikita Losik is accused of "assisting extremist activity" for allegedly sending photographs of the movement of Russian military equipment in 2022 to Belaruski Hayun, a defunct independent Telegram channel that monitored military activity, sources said. He is jailed in Vitsebsk, also in the northeast.
The head of Belaruski Hayun announced its closure in February, saying Belarusian authorities had hacked into a database and gained access to information about contributors.
Several people have since been detained on extremism charges in connection with photos and video of Russian military force that were sent to the channel in the spring of 2022, around the time Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. Belarus is Russia's military ally, and authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko allowed Moscow to use its territory as a staging area for the invasion.
Ihar Losik, 32, was arrested in June 2020 and sentenced in December 2021 for "organizing mass riots, taking part in mass disorder, inciting social hatred," and several other charges that remain unclear. Losik, RFE/RL, and Western governments say the charges are politically motivated.
Ihar Losik has not been heard from in about two years aside from a being paraded before a camera on a Belarusian state TV propaganda program that accused jailed RFE/RL journalists of "trying to set Belarus on fire."
In 2020, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the result of a presidential election, which was widely considered by international observers to be rigged. The security forces responded with a brutal crackdown, arresting over 30,000 people, many of whom reported torture and ill-treatment while in custody.
The crackdown has pushed most opposition politicians to leave Belarus fearing for their safety and freedom. Many Western governments have refused to recognize the results of the 2020 election and do not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader.
Darya Losik, Ihar's wife, was sentenced to two years in prison in January 2023 on a charge of facilitating extremist activity. She was released in an amnesty last July.
Budapest, Kyiv Expel Diplomats After Ukraine Says It Uncovered Hungarian Spy Network
KYIV -- Ukraine's main security agency said it uncovered a Hungarian-run spy network that was seeking sensitive information about military defenses and public opinion in the western Zakarpattya region, which borders Hungary and has a substantial ethnic-Hungarian population.
Hungary responded by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats it said were considered spies, prompting Ukraine to expel two Hungarian diplomats in return and increasing tensions between the neighboring countries whose governments are at odds over Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on May 9 that it had arrested two suspected agents in Zakarpattya -- often known in English as Transcarpathia -- and claimed it had identified their handler as an employee of Hungarian military intelligence. This is the first time Ukraine has found a Hungarian spy network working to undermine the country's security, the SBU said.
The SBU posted video footage showing camouflage-clad officers muscling a man out of a building and into a vehicle, his hands cuffed behind his back.
The announcement comes amid tension between Ukraine and Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed sanctions against the Kremlin imposed by the European Union in response to Moscow's war on Ukraine. Hungary has been far less supportive of Kyiv's defensive efforts than most other European Union and NATO nations, and Orban opposes EU membership for Ukraine.
The development also plays into a complex situation in Zakarpattya, where Kremlin critics say Russia has sought to spark tension between ethnic Hungarians and the Ukrainian authorities.
Hours after the SBU announcement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary expelled two diplomats from the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest who were considered to be undercover spies. In a video posted on Facebook, he said a notification about the expulsions was handed to the Ukrainian ambassador at the Foreign Ministry.
Asked earlier in the day about the Ukrainian statement, Szijjarto told ATV television that Hungary had received no official notice about the case from Ukraine and that for now, "this should be classified as propaganda that should be treated with caution."
"[In] addition to the physical war [in Ukraine], there is also a propaganda war taking place," Szijjarto said. "It is clear that anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used in Ukraine, anti-Hungarian propaganda that in many cases has turned out to have no basis whatsoever."
The Hungarian prime minister's office and Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's requests for comment.
Later in the day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine is also expelling two Hungarian diplomats, who now have 48 hours to leave the country.
"We are acting in response to Hungary's actions, based on the principle of reciprocity and our national interests," Sybiha added on his X.
The alleged network's goals were "the collection of information about the military defenses of the Zakarpattya Oblast, a search for vulnerable spots in the ground and air defenses of the region, and also the study of the sociopolitical views of local residents," including how they might react "if Hungarian forces enter the region," the SBU said in a statement.
The SBU said one of the suspects was a 40-year-old former soldier from Zakarpattya's Berehove district -- the population hub for Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority of roughly 100,000 people -- whom it said was recruited and placed in a "sleeper" mode in 2021, then "activated" by the alleged handler in September 2024.
The SBU claimed it has documentary evidence that the suspect was gathering information about the location of Ukrainian air-defense systems and other military capabilities.
The other detained suspect, a woman, is a former member of Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces who resigned from her unit earlier this year, it said.
The suspects have not been named.
Viktor Yahun, a former SBU deputy head who left the agency in 2015, said the accusations were a grave matter in wartime.
"The presence of agents had been recorded before, they were simply left alone because there was no directive to expose them," Yahun told RFE/RL. "But now the situation has critically changed. We're dealing with military intelligence. This is a serious matter, and the information this structure gathers can be of strategic importance to us. It can be used to make certain strategic decisions."
Vitaliy Dyachuk, an analyst at the Institute for Central European Strategy in Uzhhorod, Zakarpattya's capital, suggested the situation should be handled with care and that heightened tension could play into Russia's hands.
"The tense relationship between Ukraine and Hungary is an ideal [touchstone]for the activation of forces seeking to further destabilize the situation. This is especially true when it comes to sensitive topics like alleged preconditions for another military incursion, the presence of armed forces, and ethnic communities in a region like Zakarpattya," Dyachuk told RFE/RL.
"Before taking any concrete steps, I believe it is worth waiting for a full analysis of the situation. There have already been incidents in Zakarpattya involving arson attacks on Hungarian institutions and other provocations. However, in the end, the trail led to the aggressor state -- Russia. Russia is, in fact, the only major beneficiary of instability in Europe."
After centuries under the control of Hungary and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Zakarpattya became part of Czechoslovakia after World War I before Hungary, allied with Nazi Germany, attempted to reclaim it in 1939. Following Germany's defeat in World War II, Czechoslovakia ceded the territory to the Soviet Union, which made it part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Between 2011 and 2020, the Hungarian government provided at least 115 million euros to Zakarpattya, a 2021 investigation by RFE/RL's Ukrainian investigative unit, Schemes, and a group of Central European journalists established. That amount was roughly 1 1/2 times the size of Zakarpattya's annual budget.
(RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent Iryna Breza reported from Uzhhorod, Ukraine)
- By RFE/RL
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected Pope Leo XIV, First American To Lead Catholic Church
Robert Prevost, a long-time missionary in Latin America who was born in the United States, has been elected pope in a surprise move by the Roman Catholic conclave of cardinals.
Prevost, a 69-year-old native of Chicago who became the 267th pontiff and first American to lead the Church, took the name Pope Leo XIV.
"Peace be with you all," he told thousands of pilgrims and onlookers in St. Peter's Square on May 8 in his first public words as leader of a church with some 1.4 billion members worldwide.
He appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica more than an hour after white smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to indicate that the cardinals had made their choice.
St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers and applause, marking a pivotal moment for the 2,000-year-old institution.
The new pope's influence will extend far beyond religious boundaries as he steps into a role with diplomatic and social weight.
The election took place amid significant geopolitical instability and growing internal divisions within the church -- both seen as key factors in the conclave's outcome.
He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English, honoring his predecessor, Pope Francis, and Peru, where he served for 20 years as a missionary.
“Greetings...to all of you, and in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith,” he said in Spanish.
Americans in the crowd were stunned and ecstatic. In Washington, US President Donald Trump said it was “such an honor for our country” for the new pope to be American.
“What greater honor can there be?” he said. The president added that “we’re a little bit surprised and we’re happy.”
Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, congratulated Pope Leo, saying on X he's sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians "will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!"
Pope Leo, a member of the Order of St. Augustine, has a reputation for cross-cultural appeal and is widely regarded as a church leader who transcends national boundaries. He became a bishop while serving in Peru and was granted Peruvian citizenship.
Pope Francis was widely seen as a compassionate reformer who prioritized migrants and the environment. He was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit, and the first non-European pope in more than a millennium.
Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, after battling double pneumonia.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.