Ukraine-Russia war latest: US to cut military aid to Kyiv after Putin’s forces kill three in Kharkiv strike

Poland has arrested and charged a citizen with spying for Russian intelligence providers, the nation’s prosecutor stated on Wednesday.

Warsaw says its function as a hub for provides to Ukraine has made it a goal for spies and sabotage from Russia, which Moscow denies.

“The prosecutor charged the detained Polish citizen Wiktor Z. with declaring readiness to behave for the intelligence of the Russian Federation and conducting actions for its profit,” the State Prosecutor’s Workplace stated in a press launch.

These included gathering and transmitting data regarding, amongst different issues, the functioning of amenities key to Poland’s defence, based on the assertion, which didn’t elaborate.

“The suspect, Wiktor Z., is 28 years outdated and has greater schooling. In response to the findings, he acted out of ideological motives and pro-Russian beliefs,” it added.

Talks with the US aimed toward bettering ties will not be anticipated to yield fast outcomes, Kremlin spokesman Dmistry Peskov has stated.

“There are a lot of obstacles in bilateral relations, and it’s unlikely that we are able to hope for any fast outcomes,” he informed reporters.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The Biden administration supplied Ukraine with constant army and diplomatic help, although President Donald Trump has drawn criticism for making an attempt to enhance relations with Moscow and suggesting Ukraine bears equal blame for the invasion.

Nevertheless, Mr Trump lately voiced frustration about Russia’s warfare actions in Ukraine and the dearth of progress in the direction of a peace deal.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned Russia’s in a single day drone strike on Kharkiv as “vile”.

In a put up on social media, the Ukrainian president stated restoration efforts have been underway within the jap metropolis after a drone strike killed three individuals.

“Each new day now brings new vile Russian assaults, and virtually each strike is telling,” he wrote.

“Russia deserves elevated strain, and it proves with each hit on unusual life that the present strain will not be sufficient.

“We should not be afraid or postpone new selections that would make issues harder for Russia. With out this, they won’t interact in real diplomacy.”

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic travelled to the Ukrainian metropolis of Odesa for a regional summit on Wednesday, the primary time the Moscow-friendly chief has visited the nation throughout his 12 years in energy.

In an announcement, Vucic’s workplace stated he would journey to Ukraine for in the future to participate within the Ukraine-Southeastern Europe Summit within the Black Sea port of Odesa, which this week confronted a significant Russian drone and missile assault.

Senior politicians from 12 Southeastern European nations have been anticipated to participate within the summit.

Serbia desires to affix the European Union, however Russia, a conventional Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally, stays its largest gasoline provider, and the nation’s sole oil refinery is majority-owned by Gazprom and Gazprom Neft.

Though Belgrade has refused to affix Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, it has condemned Moscow’s insurance policies within the United Nations and expressed help for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

President Donald Trump’s intelligence director posted a video warning of world “elites” she claimed have been pushing main superpowers in the direction of a “nuclear holocaust” on Tuesday.

The aim of Tulsi Gabbard’s video and its grim theme was unclear, however appeared aimed toward driving fears amongst her greater than 3.7 million followers on X regarding a supposed cabal of highly effective individuals whom Gabbard and the president have long argued proceed to tug the strings behind the scenes — even with Trump once again in the White House.

We now have some extra pictures from Kharkiv this morning as the town recovers from a vicious Russian drone assault in a single day.

A minimum of three individuals have been killed within the assaults and dozens extra wounded, together with kids.

Germany’s imports of products from Russia fell by 95 per cent within the 2021-2024 interval whereas its exports of products to Russia have been minimize by 72 per cent, the nation’s statistics workplace Destatis reported on Wednesday.

The European Union as a complete minimize its imports from Russia by 78 per cent and exports by 65 per cent over the identical timeframe, resulting in a commerce deficit of 4.5 billion euros ($5.1 billion) in 2024 in contrast with 147.5 billion euros in 2022, Destatis added.

Slovakia is not going to again the EU’s 18th bundle of sanctions in opposition to Russia except the European Fee gives an answer to the state of affairs the nation faces if the bloc phases out Russian power as deliberate, Prime Minister Robert Fico stated.

The Fee proposed on Tuesday a brand new spherical of sanctions in opposition to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine greater than three years in the past, focusing on Moscow’s power revenues, its banks and its army trade.

Fico has criticised separate European Union plans to part out Russian gasoline and different power imports within the coming years, which the EU govt introduced final month, calling them “financial suicide”.

Hungary, which like Slovakia, continues to depend on Russian gasoline and oil provides, and like Slovakia has maintained heat ties with Moscow, has additionally rejected the plans.

EU international locations will begin debating the sanctions proposals this week, which require unanimity within the bloc for approval.

“Slovakia is not going to help the upcoming 18th sanctions bundle in opposition to Russia except the European Fee gives it with an actual resolution to the disaster state of affairs that Slovakia will discover itself in after the entire cessation of gasoline, oil and nuclear gasoline provides from Russia,” Fico wrote in a Fb put up late on Tuesday.

Slovakia has not blocked any earlier sanctions packages.

Russia’s nuclear functionality has not suffered vital harm resulting from Ukraine’s assaults on army airfields, and the dimensions of the harm has been exaggerated, deputy overseas minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by RIA on Wednesday