13 Mar, 2025 13:39

Russia not interested in temporary Ukraine deal – Putin aide

Moscow aims to reach a long-term peaceful resolution of the conflict that takes its interests into account, according to Yury Ushakov

Russia is not interested in temporary solutionsto the Ukraine conflict andinstead wants to achieve a lasting peaceful settlementthat takes Moscow’s interests and concerns into account, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov has said.

His comments follow talks between representatives from Kiev and Washington in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after which they released a joint statement calling for a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has not yet officially responded to the initiative, saying that it is waiting for the US to formally present its proposal to the Russian side.

In an interview with Russia-1 TV on Thursday, Ushakov stressed that Moscow’s goal is “a long-term peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country and our known concerns.”

The presidential aidestressed that steps that only “imitate peaceful actions are not needed by anyone,” adding that a ceasefire in Ukraine would likely be “nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military.”

Ushakov also confirmed thathe regularly holds phone calls with US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and that he has already explained Moscow’s position on the ceasefire proposal to him.

He noted thatPresident Putin will likely provide a more detailed assessment of the situationin Ukraine and the ceasefire initiative during a press conference later on Thursday.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoy SteveWitkoff has arrived in Moscow and is preparing to hold talks with the Russian side, presumably to inform of the results of the Jeddah talks and the details of the Ukraine ceasefire proposal.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has hinted thatUS-Russia talks could take place in the near future, perhaps even later on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also confirmed thatUS negotiators are already on their way to Russiabut has not disclosed whether or not Putin intends to meet with Witkoff on Thursday.

Moscow has previously spoken out against any temporary truce in the Ukraine conflict, arguing that Kiev would simply use it to rearm and continue fighting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted that a resolution to the conflict must address the root causes in order to establish a long-lasting peace.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614149-russia-ukraine-no-temporary-truce/

13 Mar, 2025 13:18

Zelensky in political ‘final act’ — FT

The Ukrainian leader’s opponents are “preparing for elections, forming alliances, and testing public messaging,” the paper reports

Vladimir Zelensky’s leadership is coming to an end, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a senior Kiev’s official.The article comes amid growing concern in Washington over Zelensky’s legitimacy.

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024. However, he has refused to hold a new election, referring to martial law imposed during the conflict with Russia.

The current US administration has recently been trying to negotiate a path toward ending hostilities. US President Donald Trump briefly halted military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kiev, but resumed it following a bilateral meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

“We are in the final act [of Zelensky’s presidency],” a senior Ukrainian official told FT, confirming growing speculation in the country’s political circles over how long he will stay in office.The official also described the conflict with Russia as currently in a “hot phase.”

According to Ukrainian soldiers, analysts, and officials cited by the newspaper,Kiev would be able to keep fighting for “at least six months” in case of a complete haltof military assistance from the US. They said, however, that it could be longer if the EU fills the gap and domestic arms production intensifies.

Unnamed Western officials told FT that apart from a lack of weapons and ammunition,Zelensky’s leadership could be challenged by a shortage of men in the ranks, which remains Ukraine’s most pressing problem.

In November 2024, the administration of then US President Joe Biden urged Kiev to draft more troops and reduce the minimum conscription age from 25 to 18 to tackle a manpower shortage. The Ukrainian authorities rejected the proposal at the time, claiming that the main problem for the country’s forces was a lack of weapons.

FT noted that Zelensky’s political opponents are currently “preparing for elections, forming alliances, and testing public messaging.”Several politicians have reportedly begun outreach to officials in the Trump administration.

Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in May 2024, has refused to hold new presidential and parliamentary elections, citing martial law due to the conflict with Moscow. Last month, US President Donald Trump questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, branding him a “dictator without elections.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast doubt on Zelensky’s position as well. Shortly after his official term as the country’s head of state expired nearly a year ago, theRussian president called the Ukrainian parliament the only legitimate authority. Putin recently reiterated that the Ukrainian leader no longer has the right to sign official agreements.

https://www.rt.com/news/614119-zelensky-political

13 Mar, 2025 08:43

EU seeks to intensify immigrant deportations

Brussels has deemed it unacceptable that four in five people ordered to leave the bloc, slip through the cracks

The European Commission has formally proposed to harmonize deportation rules across the EU. The current regulations, which vary by state,allow those who have been denied the right to remain in the bloc lawfully to exploit the system, resulting in a 20% deportation rate.

President Ursula von der Leyen has labeled the figure “by far, too low.”

The proposedrules “will ensure that those who have no right to stay in the EU are actually returned” to their countries of origin, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has claimed.

The 87-page document unveiled on Tuesday will require immigrants to cooperate with authorities,permit the extended detention of asylum seekers, and introduce themutual recognition of deportation ordersamong member states. The reforms aim to encourage voluntary returns and close loopholes currentlyexploited by illegal immigrants who evade forced repatriation by moving between EU countries.

The plan will establish “return hubs” – deportation centers in third countries willing to accept expelled individuals from the EU. If approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, the new system is set to take effect in mid-2027. (Why so long to wait? That’s just how ineffective the EU is.)

Illegal immigration has remained a hot-button issue in the EU since the 2015 crisis, which saw over a million people arrive in member states.

The authorities’ decision to welcome this influx sparked a backlash from several Eastern European nations, citing threats to security and culture.

Political guidelines issued by von der Leyenlast Julypledged to strengthen the EU’s borders and crack down onhuman trafficking, a significant driver of illegal immigration.

https://www.rt.com/news/614120-eu-deportation-system-reform/

13 Mar, 2025 13:08

Indian tycoon’s conglomerate inks deal with Starlink

Telecoms operator Jio, owned by India’s richest man, has agreed to help facilitate satellite internet to a market of almost 1 billion people

Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani's Jio, the largest telecom operator in the country, has announced a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink internet service to India. The move came after a similar announcement was made by Airtel, country’s second largest telecom operators by market share.

Jio, a part of Ambani’s vast Reliance Industries conglomerate, which operates ini hydrocarbons and petrochemicals, retail, telecom and media, said in a statement on Wednesdaythat it will utilize its vast data traffic network to bring Starlink’s broadband services to all parts of India, particularly in the rural and remote areas.

The company also stated that it will sell Starlink equipment in its stores and provide support for installation and activation through a dedicated customer service mechanism. At the same time,SpaceX has to obtain receipt of necessary government approvals to operate in India, both telecom operators noted in their statements. Yes both need government approvals like with satellite phones.

Notably, the partnership between Jio and Starlink follows a previous disagreement between the two companies regarding the allocation of spectrum for satellite services in India. While Reliance Jio had advocated for an auction-based approach, the Indian government ultimately decided to allocate the spectrum administratively, a method supported by Elon Musk and in line with international practices.

India, home to a population of 1.4 billion, boasts one of the world’s largest telecom markets, with a subscriber base of 954 million, according to government data. Unintentionally, Starlink services ran into controversies.

In December, the Indian Army conducted a search operation across multiple districts in Manipur, seizing a range of items including guns, bombs, ammunition, and Starlink devices.

At the time, The Guardian reported that Starlink was operational in certain areas of Manipur, based on information from local armed groups and law enforcement officials.A leader of the People's Liberation Army of Manipur confirmed to the outlet that the group was using Starlink devices to access the internet, as the authorities had blocked internet services in an attempt to reduce violence in the region.

Elon Musk responded to these claims, denying them and stating on X that this was false and clarified that Starlink's satellite beams are turned off over India.

https://www.rt.com/india/614134-indian-tycoons-conglomerate-inks-deal/

13 Mar, 2025 16:02

Ukraine guilty of 2014 Odessa massacre – ECHR

Kiev failed to both prevent the tragedy and to properly investigate it, the court has ruled

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the Ukrainian authorities were responsible for the deaths of 42 anti-coup activists in the city of Odessa in 2014. They lost their lives when Ukrainian nationalists, who supported the armed takeover in Kiev weeks earlier, torched the port city’s Trade Unions House where the protesters had gathered.

“The Court concluded that the relevant authorities had not done everything they reasonably could to prevent the violence, to stop that violence after its outbreak, and to ensure timely rescue measures for those trapped in the fire in the Trade Union Building,” the ECHR said in its decision published on Thursday.

More than a decade later, Kiev has not named or prosecuted any of the perpetrators. Instead, it pinned the blame on Moscow, claiming that the events in Odessa were “a pre-planned and well-financed operation” by the Russian security services. Moscow has repeatedly called for an investigation, even a special tribunal on the massacre.

Relatives of 25 victims, as well as three people who had survived the fire, filed complaints against Kiev with the ECHR. The court found the Ukrainian police “had ignored the available intelligence and the relevant warning signs” and failed to make any “meaningful attempt to prevent the clashes” that led to the fire. The ECHR believes that “propaganda from Russia had had its part” in stirring up tensions,but said that does not absolve Kiev of responsibility for the massacre.

The nation’s law enforcement did not make “any real attempt” to prevent the violence or to stop it, or to save those trapped in the burning building.“The deployment of fire engines to the site of the fire had been deliberately delayed for 40 minutes, and the police had not stepped in to help evacuate people,” the decision said,adding that “negligence” of Ukrainian officials “went beyond an error of judgement and carelessness.”

The authorities also did not make “enough effort” to properly secure, collect, and assess all the evidence, according to the court. It noted that a criminal investigation against a pro-Western activist suspected of shooting at anti-Maidan protesters was discontinued four times for “identical” reasons.

The ECHR has ordered Kiev to pay all the applicants varying amounts of compensation and cover their legal costs.According to the Ukrainian media, the claimants are to receive between €12,000 and €17,000 each ($13,028 to $18,456). Ukraine has not commented on the ruling so far.

(Arrest Victoria Nuland and the cast of NWO, and the color revolution Crowd in US government. This is how evil the Ukrainian government is, and will continue to be if they allow Nazi’s to continue their hate of ethic Russians)

https://www.rt.com/russia/614161-echr-ukraine-guilty-odessa-massacre/