Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky urges Trump to back Kyiv as Kremlin says ‘let’s see’ if he helps end war
The Kremlin takes cautious stance after Donald Trump’s US victory
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump, who will return to the White House, and urged the Republican to keep supporting Kyiv against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
With concerns rising that support for Ukraine could diminish under a second Trump administration, Mr Zelensky praised Mr Trump’s “peace through strength” philosophy, calling it t a just peace for Ukraine. Mr Trump has said he would look to end the Ukraine war as soon as possible, with Kyiv wary that he will push for it to give up territory to Moscow.
The Kremlin, in contrast, has reacted cautiously to Mr Trump’s victory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has “no illusions” about the new Republican president, adding that the US remains an “unfriendly” country directly involved in the war against Russia.
“We have repeatedly said that the U.S. is able to contribute to the end of this conflict. Will this happen, and if so, how … we will see after [Mr Trump’s inauguration] January.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has reported “small-scale” clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk, marking their first battlefield confrontation with Kim Jong Un’s soldiers, defence minister Rustem Umerov said.
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The Kremlin has responded cautiously following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
Officials suggested that while Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war was noteworthy, it remains to be seen if it will translate into tangible policy changes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made clear that, despite Trump’s campaign promises to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, Russia viewed the US as an “unfriendly” state that remained deeply involved in the conflict.
“Let us not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country, which is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state,” Mr Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow would wait to see if Trump’s statements on Ukraine would result in concrete actions.
Despite the continued animosity, Russian state media during the election campaign showed a clear preference for Trump, suggesting some hope in Moscow that his administration could be more amenable to dialogue than the current one.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a former Goldman Sachs banker with prior contacts to Trump’s team, said that a Trump presidency could offer a “new opportunity” for a reset in US-Russia relations.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 11:50
North Korean troops engaged in combat in Kursk for first time, US officials say
North Korean troops were engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk in recent days for the first time, two U.S. officials told Reuters.
One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they took part in combat on 4 November.
The officials did not say whether there were any North Korean casualties and did not provide further details on the engagement.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 21:45
Austrian former intelligence official Egisto Ott stands trial over Russian spying links
Egisto Ott, a former Austrian intelligence official, has appeared in court for allegedly violating official secrecy laws, the first charges in a high-profile case linked to Russian espionage.
Mr Ott, who was detained for two months earlier this year, faces accusations of passing sensitive information to Russian intelligence services and to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive entrepreneur with alleged ties to the Kremlin.
The trial has drawn significant attention, particularly given its connection to the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which emerged as the top party in Austria’s September elections for the first time.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 21:15
Watch: Putin’s awkwardly long handshake with North Korea’s top diplomat
Putin’s awkwardly long handshake with North Korea’s top diplomat
Vladimir Putin greeted North Korea’s foreign minister with an awkwardly long handshake as the pair met in Moscow on Monday, 4 November. The Russian president, 72, met Choe Son Hui as she continued her official visit to the country. State television showed the pair greeting each other but details of the meeting were not available. Choe began her visit with talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov last Friday. The trip came on the heels of the Pentagon’s statement that North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine within “the next several weeks.”
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 21:00
ICYMI: Poland to spend £577m to boost ammunition production
Poland plans to invest 3 billion zlotys (£577 million) to boost ammunition production, according to a bill published late on Monday, aiming to ensure it has sufficient supplies in the event of an attack from Russia.
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has become Nato’s biggest spender on defence in relation to the size of its economy, with the 2025 budget allocating 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product for the purpose.
“The draft act aims to create opportunities to provide financing for activities aimed at increasing the capacity for ammunition production,” the bill says, with a particular need to expand large-caliber production to bolster the potential of the Polish Armed Forces.
The government aims to adopt the bill during the fourth quarter, according to its website.
Some Nato officials have said the Kremlin might be ready militarily to attack Nato countries in five to eight years’ time, once it has rebuilt its forces after the war in Ukraine. Moscow has regularly dismissed Western suggestions that it might consider an attack on Nato.
In September Maciej Idzik, a board member of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), told Reuters that Warsaw aimed to ramp up its production of 155 mm artillery rounds.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 20:45
G7 and allies warning over use of North Korean troops in Ukraine
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven democracies and three key allies said on Tuesday they were gravely concerned by the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and the possibility they may be used in the war against Ukraine.
“The DPRK’s (North Korea) direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, besides showing Russia’s desperate efforts to compensate its losses, would mark a dangerous expansion of the conflict,” the ministers said in a statement.
Besides G7 members the United States, Japan, Italy, Britain, Germany, France and Canada, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The ministers said they condemned “in the strongest possible terms” increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including Russia’s “unlawful procurement” of North Korean ballistic missiles.
They said they were deeply concerned about the potential for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea, and would work with international partners “for a coordinated response to this new development”.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 20:30
Edwina Currie on selling her antiques to raise money for Ukraine
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 20:15
Russia denies involvement in US bomb hoaxes and plot to target planes
Russia has rejected claims that it was behind a series of hoax bomb threats targeting polling stations in the United States on election day, as well as reports suggesting a Russian plot to plant incendiary devices on planes.
Moscow dismissed the accusations after the FBI revealed that multiple bomb threats had been made on Tuesday against voting locations in key battleground states, including Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Many of these threats appeared to originate from email domains linked to Russia, raising suspicions of foreign interference, though no bombs were found at the sites.
In addition to the bomb hoaxes, US security officials indicated that parcels which exploded at logistics depots in Europe were allegedly part of a test for a potential Russian plot to place incendiary devices on cargo flights to the US.
Authorities suggested that these incidents could be a precursor to more serious attacks aimed at disrupting US-bound cargo traffic.
However, Russia categorically denied any involvement in these activities, calling the reports unfounded.
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 20:00
Zelensky ‘looking forward to era of strong US under Trump’
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 19:45
Ukraine claims to have shot down 71% of Russian drones
Russia has launched 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones on Ukraine over the past three months, Ukraine has said.
Kyiv claims their air defence destroyed 71% of them but 5% made direct hits.
In addition, the Air Force’s daily reports mark some of them as “disappeared from radar”, which means some of the drones were either subject to countermeasures by electronic warfare units or failed to reach their targets
Salma Ouaguira6 November 2024 19:30
