Ukraine would like the conflict with Russia to stop by the end of the year, Vladimir Zelensky has suggested
Ukraine would like the fighting with Russia to end as quickly as possible to stop the loss of life, Vladimir Zelensky has said.
The Ukrainian leader was speaking with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state visiting Kiev. Zelensky thanked the Holy See for a “strong signal” of support to Ukraine.
“I think all of us understand that we have to finish the war, as soon as possible of course, not to lose people’s lives,” Zelensky said in English, according to the video posted on his Telegram channel.
Last week, Zelensky told the BBC he hoped to end the “hot stage” of the war “by the end of this year” and that no one wanted to keep the conflict going “for another ten years or longer.”
In the same interview, however, he clarified that his solution was for Ukraine’s allies in the West to agree on backing his “peace formula” and present it to Russia as a unified bloc.
The “peace formula” is a list of Zelensky’s demands first revealed in November 2022, ranging from Russia’s withdrawal from all territories Ukraine claims as its own – including Crimea and Donbass – payment of reparations, war crimes trials for the Russian leadership, and Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Moscow has rejected it as delusional. . ...more below
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday the upcoming start of ground strikes against drug cartel targets in Latin America.
He made the remarks during Christmas greetings to the military.
Trump said the United States was "now going after the land" in its fight against drug cartel targets, noting that drug trafficking by sea was down 96 percent.
The U.S. president also extended special congratulations to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, currently deployed in the Caribbean.
BEIJING (Sputnik) - China has begun operating the world's first intelligent ultra-large oil tanker powered by methanol, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.
The tanker, designed to transport crude oil, was successfully put into operation in the city of Dalian in China's northeastern coastal province of Liaoning, the report said. State-owned company Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd independently designed and built the vessel, it added.
The tanker is approximately 333 meters (1,092 feet) long and can carry around 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, the CCTV reported. Designed to produce low emissions and having intelligent control capabilities, the tanker will serve the route to the Middle East, among others, according to the report.
The vessel is powered by a dual-fuel methanol engine, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 92% compared to conventional fuel, the CCTV reported. It is equipped with an intelligent ship platform, an intelligent liquid cargo ...
A car bomb has killed a senior General Staff member, officials have confirmed
Source: The Investigative Committee
A Russian general has been killed in a car bomb blast in Moscow, the Investigative Committee has reported.
Officials identified the victim as Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of operational training at the General Staff. According to the statement, an explosive device had been planted beneath the vehicle he was traveling in, and detonated on Monday morning in the southern part of the Russian capital.
The blast also damaged several other vehicles and seriously injured Sarvarov’s driver, media reports stated.
Russian officials said one line of investigation is an assassination carried out by Ukrainian intelligence services, noting that Kiev has previously used explosive devices in targeted killings of officials and public figures.
Last December, a bomb hidden in an e-scooter killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense ...
