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SCO Quickly Absorbs Belarus On Final Day Of Regional Grouping's Astana Summit
The leaders of China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, four of the five post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, and other states are continuing a two-day summit in Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional grouping promoted by Beijing and Moscow as an alternative to Western influence.
They started the second and final day by accepting Belarus as a member, an expected move that advances authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenka along his anti-Western path since disputed elections four years ago sparked unprecedented street protests and a brutal crackdown.
Lukashenka has pursued SCO membership for a decade and a half.
In the past three years, his decisions to "weaponize" third-party migrants at Belarus's border with its EU neighbors and to allow Russian troops to stage their full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Belarusian territory have further alienated Lukashenka from the West and increased his reliance on Moscow.
Lukashenka called Belarusian entry into the SCO "historic." In his familiar tone, Lukashenka declared the need to "destroy the unipolar world" and take on responsibility for "global security" because "the narcissistic, selfish West proved incapable of it."
"There are no leaders there [in the West] capable of making responsible decisions independently," he said.
Analysts have pointed out that Lukashenka could be hoping the SCO tie boosts and expands desperately needed trade and economic cooperation with China while slightly reducing his regime's dependence on Moscow.
The SCO is a political, economic, and security and defense organization founded by China and Russia in 2001.
With the addition of Belarus, its membership has now expanded from six to 10 countries, including India and Pakistan, who joined in 2017, and Iran, which became a member in 2023.
Four of the five post-Soviet Central Asian states are members, with only Turkmenistan staying away.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on the first day of the summit in Astana, which has been shrouded in tightened security measures well beyond the Independence Palace venue where the leaders are gathering.
Putin was quoted by Russian media as crediting the SCO with "strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order."
Xi, who has lent diplomatic support to Russia over Western objections throughout Putin's two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, called Putin an "old friend" in Astana. He cited the "aspiration of friendship for generations" in response to an "ever-changing international situation."
The Kremlin said Putin and Xi talked about the Ukraine war during talks on the sidelines of the summit and, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as quoted by Reuters, "noted" the "futility of any formats" for peace talks without Russian participation.
On day two, Xi urged SCO members to "resist external interference" and "safeguard the right to development."
In addition to the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek presidents, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are in attendance at the SCO event. Baku and Ankara are dialogue partners of the SCO.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also there as part of his first tour of Central Asia since 2017, which will take him to Tajikistan next. He attended the SCO's remotely held summit last year.
The SCO's 23-year history has largely been shaped by China and Russia's evolving relationship.
Putin and Xi's recent efforts since the Ukraine war began have pressed the SCO as part of their broader cooperation and a centerpiece of their shared anti-U.S. perspective.
But beyond the Belarus move, it is unclear what if any gains are likely to be made by the organization at this, its 24th, annual summit.
Critics say that, in expanding its membership and geographical reach, it has diluted whatever mission it might hope to achieve.
"It's still trying to figure out what it is now and what it can be," Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told RFE/RL recently.
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500 Injured In Explosion At Iranian Port City Of Bandar Abbas
A massive explosion and fire struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on April 26, leaving more than 500 people injured, according to estimates shared by the country's state-run media.
Iranian first-responders and emergency services are on the scene and the number of injured people has increased sharply in the hours following the blast. Authorities have said that at least four people were killed in the blast.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesman for Iran's crisis management organization, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at the Shahid Rajaee port.
"The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency.
"Previously, the director general of crisis management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said.
An Iranian government spokesman, however, said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason.
Iran's Interior Ministry also said it launched an investigation into the incident.
Deadly incidents have hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years -- such as gas explosions and oil refinery fires -- with many blamed on negligence.
Tehran, however, has also blamed some incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting the country's nuclear program. Last year, Israel also bombed Iran's air defenses.
Iran accused Israel as being behind a February 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines, as well as a major cyberattack on the Shahid Rajaee port in May 2020, causing transport chaos for days after crashing the facility's computer system.
Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke coming from the port, while other videos showed damaged to buildings and vehicles.
Several people were also seen around the area attending to the injured and checking the damage to the properties.
The Shahid Rajaei port is Iran's largest and it mainly handles container traffic and also has oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
The port is some 1,050 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran, on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf where 20 percent of all oil traded globally passes through.
Elsewhere, top Iranian and US negotiators began a new round of indirect talks in Oman on April 26 to discuss reaching a deal designed to curb Tehran's nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump signalled confidence in clinching a new pact that would block Iran's path to a nuclear bomb ahead of the talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff through Omani mediators.
The meeting in Muscat comes a week after another round of talks in Rome that both sides described as constructive.
With reporting from Reuters and the AP.
- By RFE/RL
Trump, Zelenskyy Meet On Sidelines Of Pope Francis Funeral As World Leaders Converge
US President Donald Trump has met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, as the two leaders look to make progress on high-takes peace talks for the war in Ukraine.
Steven Cheung, the White House's communications director, said on April 26 that Trump and Zelenskyy "met privately today and had a very productive discussion." More details about the meeting will follow, he added.
Photos released by Zelenskyy's office showed the two men sitting opposite each other in the middle of a marbled hall at St. Peter's Basilica, with none of their aides in the vicinity.
Zelenskyy's press secretary, Serhiy Nykyforov, said the two presidents met prior to attending the funeral and talked for around 15 minutes. He has previously said that Trump and Zelenskyy would meet again the same day for further talks, but later said no second meeting took place due to a tight schedule for both leaders.
"Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out," Zelenskyy wrote on X in a post shared after the funeral. "Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results."
Trump and Zelenskyy also met with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the funeral. Zelenskyy's office said that the meeting between the four leaders "was positive."
The Ukrainian president's attendance was unclear on the eve of the funeral, but Zelenskyy's appearance at the event was met with applause from the crowd as he was seen entering St. Peter's Square.
Trump and Zelenskyy's talks on the contours of the funeral mark their first face-to-face meeting since their public row in February at the White House. It also comes as Trump envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on April 25.
Afterwards, Trump claimed that a deal to end the war is "very close" and urged Zelenskyy to "get it done" in a social media post. He had previously warned both sides that Washington was prepared to walk away from US-led efforts to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow if an agreement was not reached soon.
During the funeral proceedings, Putin said in a speech that Russia regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year.
"The Kyiv regime's adventure has completely failed," Putin said.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that Ukrainian troops are still operating in Kursk and called Putin's statement untrue.
RFE/RL was not able to independently verify the battlefield claims.
A High-Profile Funeral For Pope Francis
Trump and Zelenskyy were among more than 50 heads of state gathered for Pope Francis's funeral as Roman Catholics paid tribute to a pontiff who was a humble leader and a champion of the poor, migrants, and other marginalized people.
More than a dozen royals, including Britain's Prince William, and more than 150 country representatives were also present along with some 224 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests.
China, which does not have formal relations with the Vatican, did not send a representative due to presence of an high-ranking officials from Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.
The Vatican is one of only a handful of nations to have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Israel, which was angered by Francis's criticism of its conduct in Gaza, sent its ambassador to the Vatican.
The pope died on April 21 -- Easter Monday -- at age 88 following a stroke. The Vatican said around 250,000 people filed past his body laid out in a wooden coffin in St. Peter's Basilica over the three days leading up to the funeral.
The pope’s body was dressed in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter, and his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe. After the service at the Vatican, his body was brought to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome’s Esquilino neighbourhood, which lies outside the Vatican, in a procession that was greeted by crowds of supporters.
During his papacy Francis, who was selected to lead the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church in 2013, sought to create a more open-minded Church. He often advocated for the poor and marginalized, while challenging wealthy nations to help migrants and address climate change.
"He was a simple and much-loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus," read a one-page account of his papacy placed inside his coffin before it was sealed. "He lived in an apartment and he prepared dinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person."
The secretive conclave is unlikely to begin before May 6 to allow cardinals time to hold regular meetings, sum each other up, and assess the state of the church, including its financial problems and ideological divisions.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Indian, Pakistani Troops Exchange Fire In Kashmir Amid Mounting Tensions
Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire across the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir, officials said on April 25 as tensions between the two neighbors continued to increase following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government official in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said troops exchanged gunfire overnight along the Line of Control separating the two countries. There were no reports of casualties and no “firing on the civilian population," Gilani was quoted by AFP as saying.
Indian military officers quoted by the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said that Pakistani troops had opened fire on an Indian military post.
The officials, who were not authorized to speak to the media, said Indian troops returned fire. They also said there were no reports of casualties in the incident.
India has called the killing of 26 people by gunmen at a Himalayan tourist attraction in Pahalgam a terrorist attack and accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists. Twenty-five of those killed were Indian nationals.
A little-known militant group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the on April 22 attack.
Indian police say the gunmen in the attack are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. They offered a 2 million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man's arrest.
Hundreds of security forces have been deployed to Pahlavi Valley and tight security measures have been put in place.
A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a 6-decade-old water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and responded with countermeasures of its own on April 24, suspending visas for some Indian nationals and expelling certain Indian diplomats and defense officials from the country.
The Pakistani Senate on April 25 unanimously passed a resolution "against linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan."
US President Donald Trump on April 25 commented about the situation for the first time publicly.
"There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years so, you know, it's the same as it has been. But they'll get it figured out, one way or another." Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full while governing separate portions of it.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a "credible investigation" into the attack and said "India must resist the temptation to exploit such tragic incidents to its advantage."
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif was quoted on April 25 as saying Pakistan is “ready to cooperate” with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors.”
Asif told The New York Times in an interview that India had used the aftermath of the attack as a pretext to suspend the water treaty and for domestic political purposes. India is taking steps to punish Pakistan "without any proof, without any investigation," he added.
"We do not want this war to flare up, because flaring up of this war can cause disaster for this region," Asif told the newspaper.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
- By RFE/RL
Trump Calls For High-Level Talks After Envoy Meets With Putin At Kremlin
US President Donald Trump on April 25 called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for high-level talks to complete a deal to end the conflict between the two countries after White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump said it had been a "good day" of talks after Witkoff met with Putin for about three hours. A top Kremlin aide said the talks had been "productive" had and brought US-Russian positions on Ukraine and other issues closer.
"They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to 'finish it off,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral. "Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!"
Witkoff's meeting with Putin, the fourth since January, came as Trump's administration makes a major push for a resolution to the 38-month Russian war on Ukraine, with a peace proposal that would also mark a major shift in US policy: recognition of Russia's claim to Ukraine’s Crimea.
Trump said in an interview published earlier on April 25 that "Crimea will stay with Russia" and demanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately sign a long-delayed agreement giving the United States access to Ukraine's mineral resources.
It was not confirmed whether Crimea was discussed at the meeting -- or any of the other proposals that Washington has put forward -- though it had been widely expected to be a main topic of discussion.
Moscow occupied, then claimed to have annexed, Crimea in 2014. Aside from a small handful of countries, the annexation has not been recognized anywhere in the world. US policy since that time -- including during the first Trump administration -- rejected the Russian claim to Crimea.
Yuri Ushakov, who is Putin's lead foreign policy adviser, described the meeting between Putin and Witkoff as "constructive" and "useful."
"This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues," he told reporters.
"As for the Ukrainian crisis itself, the discussion focused in particular on the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Ushakov said.
With Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine well into its fourth year, Washington is trying to break the logjam of negotiations and halt what has become Europe's largest land war since World War II. Combined, more than 1 million men have been either killed or wounded in the conflict.
After top-level talks in Paris last week, the US proposals began circulating among diplomats.
The US proposal was described to RFE/RL by a European diplomat familiar with the details. A former US diplomat also confirmed the substance of the proposal.
On Crimea, the US plan calls for the "de jure" -- essentially legal -- recognition of the Russian claim to the peninsula.
In addition to being a major shift for the United States, it would be a major victory for Putin, whose popularity surged among Russians after 2014 when he ordered the stealth invasion of Crimea and later its annexation.
US recognition would also be a major blow to Zelenskyy and most Ukrainians, who view the Russian claim as part of a larger campaign to undo Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
Zelenskyy has made clear in private and public remarks that he would reject the Crimea recognition.
"There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said on April 23.
In a post to social media on the same day, Trump, who has had a complicated relationship with Zelenskyy and a much warmer one with Putin, suggested there was flexibility for the Ukrainian government if the US proposal moves forward.
He also asserted that Ukrainians should have put up a fight when Russia sent troops into Crimea in 2014 to seize it.
In an interview with Time magazine published on April 25, Trump said, "Crimea will stay in Russia."
"Zelenskyy understands that," he was quoted as saying, "and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time."
Trump also referred to Russia's naval presence on the Black Sea peninsula. Sevastopol, which was site to a famous World War II battle, was the home port for the Soviet Black Sea fleet and later was used jointly by both the Russian and Ukrainian fleets.
After Russia seized Crimea, it took complete control of Sevastopol. In recent years, however, Ukrainian forces have threatened and attacked Russian vessels there, forcing them to relocate elsewhere in the Black Sea.
"They've had their submarines there for long before any period that we're talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea," Trump as quoted as saying.
Other elements of the US proposal include blocking Ukraine's aspiration to join the NATO alliance and "de facto" recognition of the Ukrainian territories that Russia currently occupies, including parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
It also calls for returning Russian-occupied parts of the Kharkiv region to Ukrainian control; guaranteeing unfettered Ukrainian access to the Dnieper River; and the return of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to Ukraine control on the condition that the United States would then operate it and provide power to both Ukraine as well as Russian-occupied regions.
Ruling out NATO membership is also problematic for Ukraine, where that is a policy goal written into its constitution.
According to the European diplomat, one element of the US proposal that has not been widely circulated is the United States stepping back from insistence that Zelenskyy hold new presidential elections as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 by landslide.
But the Kremlin has asserted that his mandate is now illegitimate because martial law declared after the February 2022 election has precluded holding a new Ukrainian vote.
Amid a public clash earlier this year, Trump appeared to accept the Russian arguments, calling Zelenskyy a "dictator" and demanding he call a new vote.
Trump has since softened his rhetoric on the election question. Still, the Ukrainian government has taken quiet steps to prepare for the possibility of a vote later this year.
"Putin is being offered almost everything he wanted to take, while Ukraine is being offered practically nothing; there are no concessions," Oleksandr Khara, a Ukrainian military analyst, told Current Time.
"The fact that Russia is incapable of taking all of Ukraine or changing the government in Ukraine is absolutely obvious, and this is not going to change anytime soon," he said.
"The Russian advance in the east is coming at a high cost, and that doesn't mean there's any real prospect of a military victory over Ukraine. But there is a very different reality in Trump's mind."
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Russian General Killed In Car Bombing Near Moscow
A senior Russian military officer was killed when a car exploded on the street of a Moscow suburb as he was walking past, Russia's Investigative Committee said, the second high-ranking military official killed near their residence in the past four months.
The Investigative Committee said a criminal case has been opened into the murder of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, who died on April 25 while on Nesterov Street as he neared a car which was detonated by remote control.
Systema, RFE/RL's Russian Investigative Unit, confirmed the site of the blast as 2 Nesterov Street. It added that according to leaked personal data, Moskalik resided at that address.
"According to preliminary information, the explosion killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," the Investigative Committee said.
"According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with shrapnel," it added.
Surveillance footage appeared to capture the moment of the explosion, and early reports from Baza Telegram channel suggest the device detonated as Moskalik approached or entered the vehicle.
Moskalik was a high-profile figure in Russia’s military command.
He played key roles in the Normandy Format negotiations on Ukraine in 2015 and 2019 and was part of the Russian delegation during 2018 talks with then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. His potential involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine has not been publicly confirmed.
This marks the second high-level assassination of a Russian general in recent months. In December 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb planted in a scooter in Moscow -- an attack claimed by Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on Moskalik's death.
- By Mike Eckel
Witkoff And Putin Hold Talks As Trump Says Crimea 'Will Stay With Russia'
Talks between President Vladimir Putin and the White House envoy Steve Witkoff were "productive" and brought US-Russian positions on Ukraine and other issues closer, a top Kremlin aide said, as U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that “Crimea will stay with Russia."
There was no immediate comment from Witkoff or other US officials on the outcome of the April 25 talks in Moscow, which Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said lasted for more than three hours.
The Moscow meeting came as Trump's administration makes a major push for a resolution to the 38-month Russian war on Ukraine, with a peace proposal that would also mark a major shift in US policy: recognition of Russia's claim to Ukraine’s Crimea.
Ushakov, who is Putin's lead foreign policy adviser, described the meeting as "constructive" and "useful."
"This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues," he told reporters.
"As for the Ukrainian crisis itself, the discussion focused in particular on the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Ushakov said.
It's the fourth time that Witkoff has met with Putin since January.
It was not confirmed that Crimea was discussed at the meeting -- or any of the other proposals that Washington has put forward -- though it was widely expected to be a main topic of discussion.
With Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine well into its fourth year, Washington is trying to break the logjam of negotiations and halt what has become Europe's largest land war since World War II. Combined, more than 1 million men have been either killed or wounded in the conflict.
After top-level talks in Paris last week, the US proposals began circulating among diplomats.
Recognizing Crimea as Russia would be a significant shift in US policy.
Moscow occupied then claimed to have annexed the Ukrainian region in 2014. Aside from a small handful of countries, the annexation has been not been recognized anywhere in the world. US policy since that time -- including during the first Trump administration -- rejected the Russian claim.
The US proposal was described to RFE/RL by a European diplomat familiar with the details. A former US diplomat also confirmed the substance of the proposal.
On Crimea, the US plan calls for the "de jure" -- essentially legal -- recognition of the Russian claim to the peninsula.
In addition to being a major shift for the United States, it would be a major victory for Putin, whose popularity surged among Russians after 2014 when he ordered the stealth invasion of Crimea and later its annexation.
US recognition would also be a major blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and most Ukrainians, for whom the Russian claim is part of a larger campaign to undo Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
Zelenskyy has made clear in private and public remarks that he would reject the Crimea recognition.
"There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said on April 23.
In a post to social media on the same day, Trump, who has had a complicated relationship with Zelenskyy and a much warmer one with Putin, suggested there was flexibility for the Ukrainian government if the US proposal moves forward.
He also asserted that Ukrainians should have put up a fight when Russia sent troops into Crimea in 2014 to seize it.
In an interview with Time magazine published on April 25, Trump asserted that "Crimea will stay in Russia."
"Zelenskyy understands that," he was quoted as saying, "and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time."
Trump made similar comments to reporters as he departed the White House April 25, to travel to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
"I think Russia and Ukraine, I think [the peace talks] are coming along; we hope. It's very fragile," he said, adding he wouldn't rule out meeting Zelenskyy while the two are in Rome for the pontiff's funeral.
Trump also referred to Russia's naval presence on the Black Sea peninsula. Sevastopol, which was site to a famous World War II battle, was the home port for the Soviet Black Sea fleet, and later was used jointly by both the Russian and Ukrainian fleets.
After Russia seized Crimea, it took complete control of Sevastopol. In recent years, however, Ukrainian forces have threatened and attacked Russian vessels there, forcing them to relocate elsewhere in the Black Sea.
"They've had their submarines there for long before any period that we're talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea," Trump as quoted as saying.
Other elements of the US proposal include blocking Ukraine's aspiration to join the NATO alliance and "de facto" recognition of the Ukrainian territories that Russia currently occupies, including parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
It also calls for returning Russian-occupied parts of the Kharkiv region to Ukrainian control; guaranteeing unfettered Ukrainian access to the Dnieper River; and the return of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to Ukraine control on the condition that the United States would then operate it and provide power to both Ukraine as well as Russian-occupied regions.
Ruling out NATO membership is also problematic for Ukraine, where that is a policy goal written into its constitution.
According to the European diplomat, one element of the US proposal that has not been widely circulated is the United States stepping back from insistence that Zelenskyy hold new presidential elections as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 by landslide.
But the Kremlin has asserted that his mandate is now illegitimate because martial law declared after the February 2022 election has precluded holding a new Ukrainian vote.
Amid a public clash earlier this year, Trump appeared to accept the Russian arguments, calling Zelenskyy a "dictator" and demanding he call a new vote.
Trump has since softened his rhetoric on the election question. Still, the Ukrainian government has taken quiet steps to prepare for the possibility of a vote later this year.
"Putin is being offered almost everything he wanted to take, while Ukraine is being offered practically nothing; there are no concessions," Oleksandr Khara, a Ukrainian military analyst, told Current Time.
"The fact that Russia is incapable of taking all of Ukraine or changing the government in Ukraine is absolutely obvious, and this is not going to change anytime soon," he said.
"The Russian advance in the east is coming at a high cost, and that doesn't mean there's any real prospect of a military victory over Ukraine. But there is a very different reality in Trump's mind."
Russian Attacks Kill 5 More As Kyiv Mourns Victims Of Air Strike
Russian attacks have killed five more people, including a child, across Ukraine on April 25 as Kyiv observes a day of mourning for the 12 people killed in Russian missile and drone strikes that hit the Ukrainian capital a day earlier and prompted US President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, said three people, one of whom was a child, died in the city of Pavlohrad in a Russian drone strike that also left 14 wounded.
Regional prosecutors in Donetsk said that in a separate incident, two people were killed in an attack earlier on April 25 in the village of Yarova, where a Russian aerial bomb fell on a residential building.
The attacks come as the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions of Ukraine abroad said they will join Kyiv in mourning the victims of the April 24 attack by lowering flags to half-staff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said while the citizens of Kyiv mourn the victims and clear away rubble, Ukraine's intelligence services are checking all details, including whether any of the missiles used were made in North Korea.
If this is found to be true, Zelenskyy said it would be more proof of the "criminality of the alliance" between Moscow and Pyongyang.
"They kill people and make a mockery of life together -- that's the only meaning of their cooperation," Zelenskyy said.
According to Zelenskyy, in exchange for assistance, Pyongyang receives the opportunity to "make its weapons more deadly" in real war conditions.
"Real pressure is needed on Russia to stop this," he said. "Even in the midst of international diplomatic efforts to stop this war, Russia continues to kill civilians. This means that Putin is not afraid."
Trump, who has been reluctant to criticize Russia, condemned the attack in a social media post addressed to Putin.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv," he wrote. "Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the Peace Deal Done!"
Zelenskyy, who cut short a visit to South Africa because of the attack, reiterated his call for a complete cessation of air strikes and said Ukraine needs to strengthen its air shield to guarantee the safety of its people.
Scores Wounded, 12 Dead In Russian Attack On Kyiv
Zelenskyy said early on April 25 that Russian forces had tried to use the air strikes as cover for intensified land-based attacks, but these were repelled.
"The Russians in fact tried, under cover of their mass air strikes, to make ground advances," Zelenskiy said on Telegram, referring to a report from top commander Oleksandr Syrskiy.
"When our forces were concentrating to the maximum on defending against missiles and drones, the Russians went ahead with intensified ground attacks. But they were repelled in worthy fashion."
While Kyiv bore the brunt of the massive attack -- authorities said 90 people were injured in the city in addition to the 12 killed -- the Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskiy, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya regions also were hit.
Ukrainian law enforcement officials said at least 25 residential buildings were seriously damaged in Kyiv, and public facilities, including a kindergarten and a school, were affected by the air strikes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS that Russia only targets Ukraine’s military or civilian sites used by the military. Asked if the attack was intentional, Lavrov said the minister of defense and commanders in the field have the right to attack targets used by the Ukrainian military.
What Is Trump's Russia-Ukraine Peace Plan?
Western efforts to try and resolve the Ukraine war, or even secure a temporary cease-fire, have sputtered as Russia shows no indication it will ease its assault and as Ukraine pushes back on US proposals.
The Kremlin reportedly is seeking a peace agreement that would allow Russia to keep control of Crimea as well as Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson regions it has seized since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that recognizing occupied territory as Russia's is a red line for Ukraine. He noted on April 24 that Ukraine had agreed to a US cease-fire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace but that Moscow's attacks continue.
Asked what Putin is doing now to help forge a peace deal, Trump said he was refraining from "taking the whole country," calling this a "pretty big concession."
Commenting on the diplomatic efforts, Lavrov told CBS News that the United States and Russia are moving in the right direction, but some specific elements of a deal remain to be agreed.
"The president of the United States believes -- and I think rightly so -- that we are moving in the right direction. The statement by [Trump] mentions a deal, and we are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific…elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this exact process."
Trump did not spell out the elements of the deal, so Lavrov said it would not be appropriate for him to do so.
"We continue our contacts with the American side on the situation in Ukraine, there are several signs that we are moving in the right direction," Lavrov said.
Speaking at the White House after meeting with Trump, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said it was time for Russia to move forward in negotiations on the war.
"There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really playing ball," Rutte said. "And I think the balls are clearly in the Russian court now."
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CBS
- By RFE/RL
Iran Foreign Minister Calls For Resumption Of Dialogue With E3
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi issued a public call for renewed diplomacy with the E3 -- France, Germany, and the UK -- amid mounting tensions and their exclusion from ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States.
In a post on X on April 24, Araqchi acknowledged that relations with the E3 are “currently down,” describing the status quo as “lose-lose” for both sides.
He emphasized that “placing blame is a futile exercise” and instead urged a return to dialogue and cooperation, not only on nuclear issues but across all areas of mutual interest.
Araqchi offered to visit Paris, Berlin, and London for direct talks.
“The ball is now in the E3's court,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote, “how we act at this critical junction is likely to define the foreseeable future.”
The foreign minister’s outreach comes as the E3 have been sidelined from the latest round of nuclear negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman rather than European powers.
The E3 were key players in earlier efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, but this time they've been sidelined.
The E3 have threatened to trigger the re-imposition of UN sanctions on Iran if no agreement is reached with the United States by the end of June. The “snapback” of UN sanctions is a provision under the effectively defunct 2015 nuclear deal, which formally expires in October.
Iranian state media have welcomed the E3’s exclusion, with The Tehran Times even accusing them -- without evidence -- of backing UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi for secretary-general in exchange for helping to “demonize” Iran and justify a return to UN sanctions.
India, Pakistan Tensions Rise After Tit-For-Tat Moves Following Deadly Kashmir Attack
ISLAMABAD -- Tensions between India and Pakistan are threatening to boil over as the two countries trade diplomatic and economic measures following a deadly attack in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir that has raised fears of another military escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals.
India downgraded its ties with Pakistan on April 23 and accused it of supporting "cross-border terrorism" a day after 26 people were killed by gunmen at a Himalayan tourist attraction in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
A little-known militant group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack. Twenty-five of those killed were Indian nationals.
The attack and its fallout risk inflaming ties between India and Pakistan, which both claim authority over the region.
Among other punitive measures taken against Islamabad, New Delhi closed the main border crossing linking the two countries, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and ordered some Pakistani visa holders to leave within 48 hours.
India also announced the suspension of the six-decade old Indus Waters Treaty, which shares water between the two countries.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and responded with countermeasures of its own on April 24, suspending visas for some Indian nationals and expelling certain Indian diplomats and defense officials from the country.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called for a "credible investigation" into the attack and said "India must resist the temptation to exploit such tragic incidents to its advantage."
He also hit back with a stern warning about New Delhi's suspension of the water-sharing treaty.
"Pakistan vehemently rejects the Indian announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance," Sharif said in a statement following the convening of the country's National Security Council on April 24.
"Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty…will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force," the statement added.
The April 22 attack marks the area's worst assault on civilians in years and could bring a new wave of unrest to the region claimed by both Pakistan and India that has been the epicenter of an often-violent territorial struggle between the two countries.
"We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 24 as he vowed to track down and punish the attackers.
Modi did not refer to the attackers as being Pakistani, but police in Indian Kashmir claimed two of the three suspected militants were Pakistani nationals. They did not say how they identified the attackers.
Modi is expected to meet with other Indian officials on April 24 to discuss the attack and how to respond to the tit-for-tat moves with Pakistan.
India and Pakistan control separate parts of Kashmir, but both claim it in full. Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbors have fought wars over the territory.
The Pahalgam attack now risks reigniting long-running tensions.
The water treaty, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed in 1960, regulates the sharing of waters of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. It has withstood two wars between the neighbors since then and severe strains in ties at other times.
The treaty stipulates that India must, with few exceptions, allow water from the western rivers to flow downstream into Pakistan.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were already weak even before the latest measures and countermeasures announced by New Delhi and Islamabad.
Pakistan expelled India's envoy and has not posted its own ambassador in New Delhi since India revoked the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir in 2019.
India has often accused Pakistan of involvement in an insurgency in Kashmir, but Islamabad says it only offers diplomatic and moral support to a demand for self-determination.
Trump Rebukes Putin As Death Toll From Russian Strikes On Kyiv Hits 12
KYIV -- Rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the rubble of apartment buildings destroyed in a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack, prompting US President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The April 24 overnight barrage -- the largest in months -- came just hours after the White House gave what amounted to an ultimatum about a US proposal to end the 38-month-old Russian invasion.
Western efforts to try and resolve the Ukraine war, or even secure a temporary cease-fire, have sputtered in recent days as Russia shows no indication it will ease its assault and Ukraine pushes back on US proposals.
"If Russia says it wants a cease-fire, it should stop these massive attacks," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in South Africa, where he cut short an official visit due to the overnight assault.
Scores Wounded, 12 Dead In Russian Attack On Kyiv
Hours later, Trump, who lashed out at Zelenskyy a day earlier, condemned the Russian attack in a short social media post addressed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv," he wrote. "Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, Stop! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the Peace Deal Done!"
Is The US Open To Recognizing Crimea As Russian?
Foreign ministers and top diplomats had been scheduled to meet in London on April 23 for new talks. But they were effectively downgraded after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out at the last minute.
Rubio's decision was reportedly prompted by Zelenskyy's rejection of a US proposal that Washington might formally recognize Russian control over the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
That would be a major reversal of longstanding US policy. It is also seen as potential political suicide for any Ukrainian officials.
"There is nothing to talk about. This violated our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of Ukraine," Zelenskyy told reporters ahead of the London talks.
The US proposal also reportedly calls for blocking Ukraine's membership in the NATO alliance, an policy goal that is written into the country's constitution.
Hours after the London talks concluded, Trump criticized Zelenskyy directly, on social media and in remarks to reporters. He also suggested Putin was open to the US proposals.
"I think Russia is ready, and a lot of people said Russia wanted to go for the whole thing. And I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy," Trump told reporters.
"I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy," he said. "So far it's harder."
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to fly to Moscow on April 25 for expected meetings with Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US proposal on Crimea fit with Moscow's longstanding assertion that the peninsula is Russian.
"This fully corresponds to our understanding and what we have been saying for a long time," he told reporters.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy responded to Trump and included a copy of a 2018 US State Department statement calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea.
"We don't want this to be a frozen conflict, with war breaking out again in two to three years," he said on April 24, speaking alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria. "We need a strong guarantor [of our security]. If you don't support [NATO membership], that's your decision...but Russia should have no power to veto it."
What Is the Biggest Obstacle to Ukraine Peace Deal?
Trump had vowed to end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office. But negotiations have proved difficult as Russia targets both civilian and military sites across the country while pressing its advantage on the battlefield.
Ukraine's military said more than 210 missiles and drones were launched in the overnight assault, including ballistic and cruise missiles launched by heavy bombers and Black Sea naval ships.
More than 100 missiles were downed or intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, the military claimed.
"Kyiv and its region [and the] Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya regions were under a massive combined Russian attack," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
A number of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the capital, Kyiv, and officials said at least 12 people were killed and scores of people were wounded across the country.
Rescuers rushed to pull survivors from building debris, listening for mobile phones ringing to try and locate people.
"The first strike was loud; the glass shattered instantly. The second followed two to three minutes later," one man told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "We hid behind two walls. The doors and windows were blown down. Then we got dressed and ran down from the seventh floor over [broken] glass."
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was also hit by multiple missiles, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. It was no immediately clear if there were casualties.
Ukraine's foreign minister, who traveled to London despite the downgraded meetings, lashed out at Putin and criticized the Trump administration.
"Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts and only wants to continue the war," Andrii Sybiha said on X.
"Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace. Moscow, not Kyiv, is where pressure should be applied," he wrote.
The downgrading of the London meetings highlighted the divide between the countries in finding a path to peace talk amid Trump's complaints of a lack of progress in the negotiations.
Ukrainian and US officials were also set to sign a deal this week that would give US companies access to Ukraine's valuable mineral resources.
That agreement has also been the subject of difficult negotiations and resulted in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in February.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Lithuania Accuses Russia, Belarus Of Plotting Violent Attacks On Belarusian Exiles
Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) says it has uncovered a covert operation by Russian and Belarusian intelligence services aimed at inciting violence against Belarusian exiles living in Lithuania.
The plot, involving staged provocations and disinformation campaigns, was revealed in a statement released by the VSD and reported by the Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT.
According to Lithuanian authorities, foreign intelligence services have been orchestrating increasingly dangerous incidents targeting the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania, which numbered more than 57,000 people as of early 2025.
Authorities say foreign agents have attempted to simulate clashes between so-called "Litvinist" Belarusians -- followers of an ideology tying Belarusian identity to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania -- and fabricated Lithuanian nationalist groups.
"The organizers are trying to stage conflicts between opposing forces -- Belarusians who advocate for Litvinist ideas and so-called Lithuanian groups who appear to resist them,” the VSD said.
Recent Provocations
Officials stressed that no real extremist Litvinist groups have been identified in Lithuania, and that they believe the narrative is being manipulated in Belarusian and Russian propaganda to stir mistrust and division.
Recent provocations include fake video messages allegedly from Belarusian soldiers, anti-Belarusian graffiti, threats against Lithuanian lawmakers and Vilnius-based exiles, and social media campaigns spreading pseudohistorical claims about the region's past.
The VSD warned residents not to fall for such provocations, noting that "participation in these activities could lead to administrative or criminal liability."
Meanwhile, there has been growing scrutiny of Belarusian nationals living in Lithuania. Many face increasingly strict visa checks, difficulties extending residence permits, and even deportation due to past affiliations with Belarusian state institutions or the military.
Lithuanian media have labeled the disinformation campaign “Litvinism.” Authorities emphasize that the real danger lies not in the ideology itself, but in its exploitation to destabilize communities.
In recognition of its reporting on this issue, the Lithuanian government's Department of National Minorities recently presented an award to RFE/RL’s Belarus Service for an investigative piece that shed light on the actors behind the campaign and its broader geopolitical implications.
- By RFE/RL
Judge Orders Steps To Reverse Shutdown Of US Government Funded Broadcaster VOA
A federal court judge in Washington ordered the Trump administration to reverse its efforts aimed at forcing the closure of Voice of America (VOA), which was shut down last month in a move the broadcaster had called illegal.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled late on April 22 to grant a preliminary injunction that says officials must "take all necessary steps" to restore employees and contractors to their positions at VOA and to restore Congress-approved funding to two other U.S.-government funded broadcasters -- Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks -- and resume radio, television and online news broadcasts.
Lamberth, who is overseeing six lawsuits from employees and contractors affected by the shutdown of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the federal broadcasters, also ordered the media outlets to provide monthly status reports showing the USAGM was complying with the order to allow the outlets to "provide news which is consistently reliable and authoritative, accurate, objective, and comprehensive."
The USAGM has not responded publicly to the court decision.
VOA last month filed a lawsuit saying the Trump administration has taken “a chainsaw” approach to the USAGM through an executive order that directed it and six other federal agencies to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
The USAGM subsequently placed more than 1,000 employees on leave and terminated some 600 contractors, forcing VOA to stop its broadcasts for the first time since it was founded in 1942.
The USAGM had argued in the case that no "final decision" on VOA's future had been made and that the lawsuits should be treated as "employment disputes" with those workers who had been terminated.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also filed a lawsuit against the USAGM “to avoid irreparable harm” to the broadcaster over the withholding of its Congress-approved grant as part of the agency’s efforts to terminate RFE/RL’s funding.
RFE/RL's case continues to be pursued in court.
- By Ray Furlong and
- Mike Eckel
Officials Call Ukraine Peace Talks 'Substantive' Despite Last-Minute No-Shows
Officials from Ukraine, the United States, and Europe said a meeting in London was "substantive" despite the last-minute postponement of a broader set of talks with foreign ministers.
The April 23 talks, which were aimed at trying to resolve Russia's 38-month war on Ukraine, were already facing serious headwinds after top diplomats, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pulled out, effectively downgrading the meeting and casting a major pall over ongoing peace efforts.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also opted to skip the meetings, leaving a Ukrainian delegation that included Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top aide -- to meet with lower-level officials and US Ukraine envoy Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg.
In the end, the talks involved "substantive technical meetings with European, US, and Ukrainian officials on how to stop the fighting" triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters.
"We remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that," the spokesperson said.
Zelenskyy said emotions had "run high" during the meeting but it was good that the representatives of five countries met to bring peace closer.
"The American side shared its vision. Ukraine and other Europeans presented their inputs. And we hope that it is exactly such joint work that will lead to lasting peace," he said on X.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, US President Donald Trump said he thought the London talks went well. He also said he thinks he has a deal with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to settle the war. But he also implied that a deal with Zelenskyy remained elusive, adding that the Ukrainian leader had been more difficult to deal with than Putin.
Putin was quoted as saying he viewed the deal on the table positively and hoped that Ukraine feels the same way.
Trump and Zelenskyy are both scheduled to attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 25. There has been no announcement of a meeting between the two.
The scrapping of a meeting between the top diplomats of Ukraine, the United States, Germany, France, and Britain at the London talks highlighted the divide between the countries in finding a path to peace talks.
It also came after Trump complained of a lack of progress in the negotiations, prompting him to threaten to make a deal soon or Washington will walk away from the table.
"I think we read it all the same way," one European diplomat, who asked not to be named, told RFE/RL. "It's the US one step further toward checking out."
"I see it as additional pressure on the Ukrainians: take it or leave it," another European diplomat told RFE/RL. '"We don't have time for you, we have other things to do."
Last week, Rubio and other Ukrainian and European officials met in Paris for talks that yielded what many saw was minor progress toward a resolution of the war.
But Rubio later signaled US impatience with the status of the talks and suggested the United States might pull out entirely from all involvement in the negotiations.
Trump again warned Ukraine that it needs to make a deal to end the fighting while sharply criticizing Zelenskyy for saying Kyiv sees any recognition of Crimea as part of Russia -- reportedly a condition the United States has put on the table in the talks -- is a red line for Ukraine.
"It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War," Trump said in a social media post in which he denied anyone is asking Ukraine recognize Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, as Russian territory.
"He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire -- He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country," Trump added.
Zelenskyy in his post on X included a copy of a 2018 statement by then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea and uphold the principle of not changing borders by force.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day during a trip to India, US Vice President JD Vance said Washington had issued a “very explicit proposal” to Russia and Ukraine, though he gave no details.
“It’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance said.
“The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict,” he said.
Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNN reported that US negotiators had presented Ukraine with a list of possible concessions. Included among them was potential US recognition of Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, and a definitive rejection of Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO.
The Kremlin on April 23 refused to comment on rumored proposals and said the downgrading of the London talks showed that the countries involved still needed to narrow their differences as there were "a lot of nuances" that still need resolving.
Britain's Defense Secretary John Healy told lawmakers on April 22 there was no evidence that Russia had let up its attacks on Ukraine, chiding Putin as someone who says he wants peace but "has rejected a full cease-fire...and continues to play for time in the negotiations."
Healy and Lammy held talks with the Ukrainian delegation during the day on April 23, with Kellogg also in attendance.
He called the talks "substantial," while Lammy wrote in a social media post that "we are working at pace with US, Ukraine, and European allies to end the war and secure a just and lasting peace."
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report
- By RFE/RL
Deadly Russian Drone Strike Hits Bus In Wave Of Attacks On Ukraine's Regions
A Russian drone attack hit a bus carrying workers in the Ukrainian town of Marhanets in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens of others, local authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying that Russian first-person view (FPV) drone attacks on civilians are 'commonplace' in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions, as well as the frontline cities of Kupyansk and Pokrovsk.
"Russians struck a bus which was transporting workers of a mining and processing plant. An ordinary bus," Zelenskyy said.
Early on April 23, Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said the number of casualties was "constantly growing."
Zelenskyy said more than 40 people were injured in the strike with some receiving 'very severe wounds.'
"War evolves over time, and the longer it lasts, the more, unfortunately, the methods of killing and cruelty can be modernized," he added.
Speaking at a meeting of the State Military-Industrial Commission on April 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that more than 1.5 million drones of various types had been produced in Russia last year.
Putin added that this amount included about 4,000 FPV drones.
A wave of Russia's attacks also targeted civilian infrastructure across other Ukrainian regions. At least five people were reported injured in the Ukrainian cities of Poltava and Odesa.
"Residential buildings, business facilities, warehouses, and garages have been damaged," Ukraine's emergency service said.
Large-scale fires had also broken out in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The emergency service said the attack targeted 'solely the city's civilian infrastructure.'
Meanwhile, in the Yelabuga district of Russia’s Tatarstan region, two fires broke out following a reported drone attack, local authorities confirmed on April 23.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier in the day that a Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over Tatarstan by air defense systems on duty. Officials have not released further details on the type of drone or its intended target.
Rustem Nuriyev, head of the Yelabuga district administration, said in a statement that there were no casualties or injuries as a result of the incident.
In response to the drone activity, temporary flight restrictions were imposed on Kazan and Nizhnekamsk airports.
Kyiv has not commented on the incident.
Also, a fire that had been burning at an ammunition depot on a military base -- where a large explosion occurred a day earlier -- in the Kirzhach district of Russia's Vladimir region, northeast of Moscow, has been “gradually ending,” regional Governor Aleksandr Avdeyev said.
Four people were injured when ammunition exploded, prompting an evacuation order, Avdeyev said, adding that ammunition caught fire and shells exploded in the storage area.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the fire had been caused by a breach of safety protocols and had resulted in the detonation of ammunition stored in a warehouse.
"As a result of a fire on the territory of a military unit in the Vladimir region, ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated," the Defense Ministry said. "According to preliminary information...the cause of the fire was a violation of safety standards in work with explosive materials."
A state of emergency was declared in the Kirzhach district, which is about 130 kilometers northeast of the Russian capital. The base was evacuated along with about 450 people from at least seven nearby settlements, the governor said.
The ammunition depot is one of the largest of the Russian armed forces. It is more than 500 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. There had been no reports of drone attacks in the Vladimir region prior to the explosion.
Yan Matveyev, a Russian military analyst, told Current Time that the ammunition stored at the depot could range from typical 155-millimeter artillery shells to Iskander-M missiles.
"This depot is close to the capital, close to Moscow, so it's easy to transport all this [ammunition] around the country," Matveyev said.
Unverified video published earlier on Telegram channels showed a huge fire ball, a loud blast, and clouds of thick smoke rising into the sky.
Baza, a Telegram channel close to security services, said 10 to 11 explosions had occurred and firefighters from neighboring regions had been called in to contain the blaze.
It said a special commission has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, TASS, and dpa
Uzbek Farmers Say They're Being Forced To Surrender Land To Chinese Firms
Farmers in Uzbekistan say the government is forcing them to surrender land to Chinese businesses under the guise of state-backed development, taking thousands of hectares of fertile cotton and wheat fields out of the hands of locals.
Concerned over the fate of the lush lands of the Ferghana Valley, they told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that large patches of land have been taken into the state reserve and transferred to Chinese businessmen.
Official documents say the land transfers are voluntary. But dozens of accounts given to RFE/RL from those who signed over their land appear to describe a different reality: coercion, threats, and intimidation by Uzbek law enforcement officers acting on orders from local officials.
"The governor told me: 'This is a presidential order. Either give up the land or go to jail,'" said one farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of reprisal for commenting publicly on the issue.
Creeping Influence?
Land transfers in the Ferghana Valley, which is shared between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, are the latest flashpoint in what is becoming an increasingly visible and volatile undercurrent across Central Asia -- a surge of anti-Chinese sentiment driven by land disputes, debt dependency, labor market tensions, and fears of creeping influence.
Under Uzbekistan's Law on Farming, a farmer leases state land for 49 years. Neither the local government nor the prosecutor can take it away. According to the legislation, the land can only be seized by the state by court decision.
Farmers, though, say and seizures are being carried out based on a verbal order from Shuhrat Abdurahmonov, the head of the region.
"I did not want to give up my land and put up some resistance, but in response, the district governor called more than 20 police officers and the National Guard to the district administration building and ordered them to arrest me and my wife," a farmer from Qurgonteppa district told RFE/RL.
"That is why none of the farmers resist now; otherwise, they could be imprisoned. It is unlikely that any of us would be able to get out of there alive and well."
Regional administrations failed to comment on the claims by farmers when contacted by RFE/RL.
Concerns over China taking over the use of large swaths of land extend beyond the farming community.
Beijing's economic presence in Central Asia has grown rapidly in recent years under China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
As of early 2025, China is Uzbekistan's largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching $12.5 billion. Over 3,400 Chinese firms operate in the country, surpassing even the number of Russian entities.
Similar patterns have emerged in other Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan.
'Economic Trap'
Chinese investments promise infrastructure, jobs, and technology. But experts warn of a darker side.
Uzbek political analyst Nargiza Muratalieva points out that Central Asian countries are increasingly falling into what she calls China's "economic trap:" easy access to credit -- often with opaque terms -- that can eventually leave weaker states vulnerable to political pressure or asset forfeiture.
Muratalieva points out that Beijing gained over 1,100 square kilometers of land in Tajikistan in 2011 in exchange for debt relief, a clear example of the potential consequences of falling into this "trap."
China is already the largest lender in Uzbekistan, with outstanding loans totaling $3.8 billion.
"The general characteristics of Chinese lending for all countries in the region are the ease of obtaining debts, their difficult repayment, as well as the lack of transparency of procedures and specific conditions," according to Muratalieva.
Debt repayments, land transfers, and rising Chinese economic control also feed local perceptions of "neocolonialism," especially when local communities are excluded from decision-making processes.
The harsh treatment of Uyghurs and other non-Han indigenous ethnic groups in China's Xinjiang Province strikes a deep chord with Central Asians, who share linguistic, cultural, and religious ties with them.
Whether it's propaganda or not, the fear that China could one day treat Kazakhs or Uzbeks the same way has further sown seeds of opposition to Beijing's expanding presence.
"It turns out that the Chinese really like my land; they want to take the land from other farmers too. Naturally, we are against it, but the district governor, the prosecutor, and the police chief continue to put pressure on us," one farmer from Uzbekistan's western Andijon region told RFE/RL.
"What worries us most is that they can subsequently seize our country and do to us the same as they did to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang."
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