War and Recovery

At the G7 Summit in Canada[1], Donald Trump[2] claimed that Russia's war in Ukraine[3] "wouldn't have happened" if they had remained a member of the G8 and if he had been in office four years ago.Russia was expelled from the G8, renamed the G7, in 2014 after its widely condemned annexation of Crimea, a Ukrainian territory. The move was intended as a unified rebuke by Western nations to Russia's violation of international law.Since then, relations between Russia and the West have remained strained, culminating in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine ...

WASHINGTON -- Israel's recent strikes on Iranian nuclear and political targets have the potential to embroil the U.S. in a new Middle East war, derailing efforts by Vice President JD Vance and his Trump administration allies to reduce American involvement in the region and Ukraine to focus on China.For months, a coalition of "Asia prioritizers" like Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and "restrainers" like Vance had succeeded in sidelining the "primacists," who support broad U.S. global dominance.

In his opening statements at the G7 summit in Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized that he considers it necessary to return to the G8 format with the participation of Russia, thus repeating his long-standing rhetoric that is in line with the Kremlin’s interest. This was discussed during the opening remarks on Monday at Donald Trump's meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrinform's staff correspondent reports."The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in, and I would say ...

KANANASKIS, Alberta >> Leaders from the Group of Seven nations began annual talks today with wars escalating in Ukraine and the Middle East, as President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight was a mistake.The G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.S., along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday.With an escalating Israel-Iran conflict, the summit in Canada is seen as a vital moment to try to restore a semblance ...

By David Ljunggren, John Irish and Jarrett Renshaw G7 leaders struggle for unity as Trump says removing Russia from group was a mistake KANANASKIS, Alberta - Leaders from the Group of Seven nations began annual talks on Monday with wars escalating in Ukraine and the Middle East, as U.S. President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight was a mistake. The G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.S., along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis ...

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a view after a Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE VIA AP I think it’s urgent that the current negotiations end the war in Ukraine soon, even if Ukraine has to make some territorial concessions and stay out of NATO. If we keep helping Ukraine escalate — such as its recent drone attacks on Russian bases housing nuclear-armed strategic bombers, and last year’s attack on Russia’s early-warning radars that damaged ...

For decades, Russia has maintained a delicate balance in the Middle East, managing its relationship with Israel while forging close economic and military ties with Iran. Recent regional developments, however, have placed Moscow in a challenging position requiring diplomatic skill to preserve its connections with both sides.Amid this new situation, Russia may find a rare opportunity to become an influential mediator to help resolve the conflict, according to The Associated Press.Some observers in Moscow also believe that a focus on the Israel-Iran confrontation could divert global attention from the war ...

ToplinePresident Donald Trump said Russia should be a part of the Group of 7 alliance while meeting with fellow world leaders in Canada Monday, repeating a similar call he made in 2018 for the group to admit Russia.President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hold a bilateral meeting during the ... More G7 Leaders' Summit on June 16, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey Facts Trump predicted Russia and Ukraine “wouldn’t have a war right now” if Russia were part of the alliance and ...

Russia has accused the U.K. of working with Ukraine in a plan to stage provocations involving a U.S. ship in the Baltic Sea.In a statement on Monday, Russia's foreign intelligence service (SVR) said it knew of a plot to escalate the conflict in Ukraine with an operation in what is termed a "NATO[1] Lake" due to its location surrounded by alliance members.The statement provided no evidence for its claims and Moscow is often accused of pushing misinformation as a cover for its own activities.It comes as Nichita Gurcov[2], senior analyst ...

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. via Associated PressDonald Trump has claimed that kicking Russia out of the G7 was a “very big mistake” which helped pave the way to the ongoing Ukraine war.Russia was part of the “group of eight” (G8), an intergovernmental political forum, up until 2014 when it was expelled for annexing the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.But, according to the US president, that was a major mistake ...

President Donald Trump on Monday is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minster Mark Carney, who is hosting Trump and the other Group of Seven leaders in the Canadian Rockies for a two-day summit.The summit comes amid rising international tensions, as Trump and other allies continue their quest for a peace accord between Russia and Ukraine -- and amid the deadly fighting between Israel and Iran.Latest DevelopmentsJun 16, 12:12 PMTrump says Iran 'not winning this war,' declines to say what it would take for US to get ...

From 15 November 1884 until 26 February 1885, the Berlin West Africa Conference was held in Germany where numerous European states convened to carve up the continent based upon their own economic interests.By Abayomi AzikiweCommonly known as the Berlin Conference, the gathering marked the consolidation of European imperialist rule on the African continent which lasted formally for more than a century.One artistic expression which emanated from the gathering was a portrayal of King Leopold II carving up a giant cake which represented the African continent. Africa had already garnered enormous ...

“We will discuss it with him,” Zelenskyy said. “I am sure we will have such opportunity, at least I count on it.”At a joint news conference, Van der Bellen alluded to Austria's tradition of neutrality on military matters, but said his country was “by no means politically neutral” and sides with Ukraine in its defense against Russia — including through European Union sanctions against Moscow.The Austrian leader, whose office is largely ceremonial, condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and called on the Kremlin to “end to this illegal war and start ...

On June 16, Ukraine received the remains of another 1,245 people, including military personnel, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced[1]. “The repatriation portion of the Istanbul agreements has been completed,” the statement said. In total, Ukraine received the remains of 6,057 individuals under the process outlined in Istanbul, according to the headquarters.Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul negotiations, said that Moscow has transferred the remains of 6,060 Ukrainian officers and soldiers. As part of the exchange, Kyiv returned the bodies ...

Russians' Grassroots Fundraising for Ukraine War Collapses – Vyorstka  The Moscow Times

A Ukrainian soldier[1] takes his first steps on a new prosthetic leg[2], thanks to a US company's donation of 3D printers that create these life-changing assistive devices. However, rising US tariffs[3] on imported components are significantly increasing production costs, making it challenging for the company to continue its support. Tony Hynes, the CEO of Precision Valve & Automation, highlights the impact of these tariffs, which could make each printer more expensive. Four of the 3D printers were delivered before the tariffs took effect and despite current obstacles, the company remains ...

Russian media outlets[1], bots on X [2](formerly Twitter), and Telegram channels[3] continue efforts to sow division in Ukrainian society amid the ongoing repatriation of fallen service members. This time, they circulated claims that Ukraine has only accepted the bodies of 1,212 defenders, allegedly because agreements were reached with their families to waive financial compensation.As supposed "evidence," they shared a screenshot of an article from the mobile version of Deutsche Welle's website with the headline: "Ukraine has accepted the bodies of 1,212 AFU soldiers; their families have declined financial compensation."This is ...

As a result of the attack, the Russian Aerospace Forces will likely relocate aircraft further away from the frontlines in order to avoid similar strikes in the future.The Ukrainian military launched a drone attack against a prominent Russian air base, landing their first major blow on Russian soil in 2025. A proposed ceasefire[1] that would stop these long-range strikes on both sides’ territory appears to have stalled—and so the fighting goes on[2].Ukrainian Suicide Drone Attack Against Russian Air Base  “The Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted an Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) attack on an ...

Earlier this month, Wikipedia scrapped its experiment with AI-generated article summaries following backlash from the site’s editors. Meanwhile, Russia is actively promoting its heavily state-censored online encyclopedia, Ruwiki, where a built-in neural network is touted as a key advantage over competitors. The results, however, have been far from impressive. Meduza examines how Russia’s homegrown Wikipedia alternative is trying to integrate AI — and why it still stumbles over “inconvenient” questions.On June 2, the Wikimedia Foundation announced[1] a limited experiment to introduce AI-generated summaries in Wikipedia articles. It didn’t go well. ...

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep ...

In early May, Vice President J.D. Vance struck a conciliatory tone at the Munich Leaders Meeting[1] in Washington D.C. Rather than criticizing Europe for what he described as illiberal censorship, as he did at the Munich Security Conference [2]in February, he said the United States and Europe were on the same team. “It’s completely ridiculous to think that you’re ever going to be able to drive a firm wedge between the United States and Europe,” he told[3] the audience. His comments provided some relief to those still reeling from his remarks in ...

Russia and Ukraine have declared that a fifth exchange of bodies has taken place under agreements reached between the two countries during their recent direct talks in Istanbul.Moscow handed over the bodies of 1,248 Ukrainian servicemen to Kiev, while the Ukrainian side transferred the bodies of 51 Russian soldiers, said a Russian Defence Ministry statement on Monday.It added that Russia “fulfilled the agreements” reached in the Turkish metropolis earlier this month by transferring a total of 6,060 bodies to Ukraine, while Moscow received a total of 78 in return.“We are ...

Ukraine’s military intelligence secretly attacked a power station in Kaliningrad[1], Russia. The attack took place early morning on June 14. Ukrainian agents removed coolant from the power transformer and then set the substation on fire, as per reports. This caused a huge fire, leading to around $5 million in damage. The fire also cut electricity to a nearby Russian military production site. A source from Ukraine’s military intelligence said, “Russia no longer has a safe zone. Everything helping Russia in the war will burn or be destroyed”, according to the ...

President Erdogan (L) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) as they meet on the occasion of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on Oct. 23, 2024. (TUR Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhdar - Anadolu Agency) June 16, 2025 02:50 PM GMT+03:00 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, bilateral relations, and other regional developments, according to statements released by both governments on Monday. GAZA CITY, GAZA – JUNE 15: Trails of Iranian ballistic missiles light up ...

On a sunny Friday evening in Amsterdam, Kirill Serebrennikov was feeling some pre-premiere nerves as guests started to arrive at the Dutch National Opera[1].“Of course it’s different. Everything is different when you do it in person,” the celebrated Russian stage and screen director said in an interview an hour before the first performance of Der Freischütz.For Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s most prominent cultural figures whose stage work has been produced across Europe[2], it was the first time in more than four years he had been able to attend the premiere ...

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump[1] for 50 minutes on Saturday, focusing on hostilities between Israel and Iran and calling for efforts to bring them to an end.Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin condemned the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressed concern about the risks of escalation.Trump, in his account on Truth Social, said most of the discussion centered on the Middle East, but that he also told Putin that Russia's war in Ukraine should end."Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's military operation against Iran ...

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The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.[1]Within weeks of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, pundits began saying that his return to office opened new doors for Vladimir Putin, offering Moscow opportunities it hadn’t seen in years. The deference[2] the new administration afforded the Kremlin appeared to be rivaled only by its hostility[3] toward its own national-security establishment.Trump entered negotiations to end the war in Ukraine by presenting ...

On Europe Day[1], the Commission, represented by Commissioner Michael McGrath, High Representative Kaja Kallas, the Council of Europe, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, and the representatives of an international coalition of states gathered in Lviv today to formally endorse the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.All participants, as per the Lviv Statement[2] adopted today, welcomed the finalisation of the preparatory work required to establish a Special Tribunal within the Council of Europe. They committed to establishing the Special Tribunal, to the swift ...

STORY: A colorful mosaic from the Soviet era in Ukraine's Mariupol stood as a symbol of the country's resilience.This is not it.The original 'Boryviter' mosaic was destroyed during Russia's siege of the city in 2022.But a team of young Ukrainian artists have rebuilt it from scratch in Kyiv.After months of work, it's been installed just steps from Ukraine's Independence Monument, pairing two icons of persistence and identity during times of war.For one of the artists, Olha, the mosaic isn’t just art — it’s memory:"This is a legendary artwork. It's actually ...

VIENNA -- VIENNA (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy[1] is visiting Austria on Monday in his first trip to the European Union member country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine[2] in 2022.Austria is famously neutral[3] — a stance it declared in 1955 after World War II — and Vienna has come under heavy criticism since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war for maintaining ties with Moscow.Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 138 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, mainly at the eastern Donetsk region. Of those, 125 were either ...

Editor's Note: This opinion was co-authored by eight lawmakers from Northern European countries, including the U.K., The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Denmark. As parliamentarians from Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states, we believe the time has come to welcome Ukraine as a full participant in our defense cooperation framework. With Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians intensifying[1], Russian President Vladimir Putin[2]’s war industry running 24/7, and the NATO summit in The Hague fast approaching, it is clearer than ever that bold steps are needed to reinforce Europe’s commitment ...

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine warned that Russia has activated another large-scale information special operation aimed at undermining trust in the Ukrainian authorities and discrediting Ukraine in the eyes of the international community. This was reported by the press service[1] of the department. It is noted that the culmination of this campaign is planned for the coming week, in particular, during the final days of the process of exchanging prisoners and dead. According to intelligence sources, the decision to launch this operation was made personally by the President of ...

The best chance front-line Ukrainian soldiers have against Russia's unjammable drones[1] is less than ideal. Short on options for fighting these drones[2], soldiers rely on low-tech shotguns to survive.Fiber-optic drones[3] that can't be stopped or thrown off course by jamming and other forms of electronic warfare are becoming increasingly prolific in this war, and bringing one down requires physically shooting it down.Vitalii Pervak, the CEO of Karlsson, Karas & Associates, a drone training school in Ukraine, told BI that "the best way to counter drones is to have a kinetic ...

Fears of a North Korean military axis with authoritarian states like China, Russia and Iran are “overstated” despite Pyongyang’s military support for the war against Ukraine, according to a 2025 study on global arms proliferation, which also estimated that the DPRK’s nuclear arsenal remained around the same size as last year amid a new global arms race.In its 2025 yearbook released on Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) documents how North Korea sent up to 12,000 troops to fight on Russia’s side against Ukraine from last October, emphasizing ...

Europe now partly compensates for the reduction in U.S. aid to Ukraine, with the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom leading the way.This is according to[1] a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Ukraine Support Tracker, as reported by Ukrinform.The report notes that aid flows to Ukraine changed significantly in March and April 2025. While the United States — previously Ukraine's largest donor — provided no new aid during this period and has not announced any since January, European countries have increased their support. As a result, ...

North Korea has supplied Russia with deadly cluster munitions for weapons like the rare 107mm multiple-launch rocket system and the more widely used 122mm Grad model, according to NK News analysis of images on social media, underscoring Moscow’s increasing reliance on armaments from Pyongyang.After the appearance of the 107mm Type-75 towed multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on Russian war-focused Telegram channels earlier this month, bloggers circulated images last week of “high-explosive fragmentation shells” and “cluster munitions” for the system.[1][2]References^ appearance (www.nknews.org)^ circulated (t.me)

G7 allies will discuss the prospect of more sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin continues to resist calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister said targeting Moscow with further action would “undoubtedly” form part of talks at the international summit this week unless the Kremlin engages in peace talks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the conference in Canada, where leaders from the world’s major economies are descending on a luxury mountain lodge in the Rockies for talks on global security.Mr ...

Inflation is high and labour is in short supply, but for most Russians the war years are party time, as they have seen the largest growth in real disposable income in a decade. As of August 1, the income they have to spend on themselves, after covering the basics like food and utilities, was up a whopping 9.6% year on year, RosStat reports. This is the first time in a long time that the rise in nominal wages has outstripped inflation by such a wide margin. The last time Russians ...

More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been injured or killed while fighting in Russia[1]’s Kursk region in support of Moscow’s war on Ukraine[2], according to estimates by British intelligence.The number amounts to more than half of the 11,000 North Korean troops thought to have been initially deployed to the Kursk region, the UK defence ministry said in a post on social media on Sunday.The estimates underline North Korean leader Kim Jong-un[3]’s role as Russian President Vladimir Putin[4]’s key ally in a war now in its fourth ...

This month, the Russian mercenary outfit Wagner Group announced its total withdrawal[1] from Mali, claiming it had completed its mission after three and a half years of operations in the West African country.For years, Wagner had been battling rebels and armed groups on behalf of the Malian government, as well as asserting Russia’s interests in the Sahel.But as Wagner leaves, security advisers from the Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group, will remain in their place, ensuring a lingering presence of Russian forces.So, what does this change mean for Mali, and ...

China's Xi headed to Central Asia summit in Kazakhstan: state mediaby AFP Staff WritersBeijing (AFP) June 16, 2025 Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing on Monday for Astana, Kazakhstan, where he will attend the second China-Central Asia Summit.Xi will hold bilateral meetings before the summit on Tuesday, Kazakhstan's presidency said. The heads of state of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will also attend.The trip is Xi's third overseas this year, following visits to Southeast Asia and Russia.China is in competition with Russia -- the former colonial power in Central Asia ...

Vladimir Putin, the 72-year-old Russian dictator, hates admitting to having any health failings and snapped back when an eye surgeon dared to tell him: "Even the best car needs a technical inspection."Vladimir Putin has trouble reading his war script due to failing eyesight, reveal pictures of the dictator(Image: Smotri/east2west news)Vladimir Putin has brushed off reports about his needing glasses, despite regularly being spotted reviewing oversized text in briefing documents.[1] The 72-year-old autocrat, notorious for denying any health issues[2], brusquely responded to an eye doctor's suggestion: "Even the best car needs ...

An uninsured Russian Aframax-class tanker has been illegally conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in international waters near Greece and Cyprus since July 2024, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on June 16.According to the agency[1], the vessel, operating without Western insurance, is part of Russia's expanding shadow fleet used to bypass G7 and EU sanctions[2] on Russian oil exports. HUR[3] said such transfers "pose an environmental threat, allow the aggressor to conceal the origin of oil, evade international control, and ensure its supply to third countries in circumvention of sanctions." Ukraine[4] has ...

A first responder with an injured victim of Russia’s aerial attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine, June 7, 2025Saturday’s Coverage: Trump Justifies Russia’s Murders as 1st Responders Killed[1]Map: Institute for the Study of War Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that the Trump Administration weakened Ukraine’s air defenses by diverting 20,000 anti-drone missiles to American forces in the Middle East.Zelensky noted that Ukraine had counted on the missiles to help counter Russian attacks with Iran-made drones, which have escalated to record daily totals this month.“We have big problems with [Iran-made] Shaheds….We will ...

An uninsured Russian Aframax-class tanker has been illegally conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in international waters near Greece and Cyprus since July 2024, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on June 16.According to the agency[1], the vessel, operating without Western insurance, is part of Russia's expanding shadow fleet used to bypass G7 and EU sanctions[2] on Russian oil exports. HUR[3] said such transfers "pose an environmental threat, allow the aggressor to conceal the origin of oil, evade international control, and ensure its supply to third countries in circumvention of sanctions." Ukraine[4] has ...

Related: Ukraine blows up bridge linking Russia and CrimeaYour support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on ...

Last week’s dramatic escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel has dominated the headlines. It’s also likely to be at the top of the agenda as world leaders gather in Alberta, Canada, for the G7 summit this week. But leaders are also expected to discuss new sanctions on Russia, a priority for Ukraine’s supporters that threatens to set up a clash between Congress and President Donald Trump.Legislation introduced in the Senate in April would represent one of the most aggressive U.S. moves against Russia in years and come at ...

Major issues: oil prices, Russian influence on Iran… And the “loss” of interest in the war in Ukraine is nonsense. Because it is one and the same warA full-fledged Israeli attack on Iran is just as much of an “declared” war as the Russian “Special Military Operation” against Ukraine is: everyone knew it would break out and even predicted the time quite accurately.There is another point worth recalling here: on April 12, U.S. President Donald Trump actually issued an ultimatum to Tehran: if a new nuclear deal is not reached ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not.In comments aired Sunday in a film by Russian state television about his quarter of a century in power, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion.”Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Putin said: “There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”“We ...