Free Republic

Let’s say Russia takes over Ukraine (one of the most corrupt countries in the world)… then what? As long as Russia doesn’t go on an ethnic cleansing rampage (doubtful given their common ethnic origins), and honors the mineral agreement with the USA, why should we care?

A massive Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other regions in the country for a second consecutive night, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens, officials said early Sunday. The scale of the onslaught was stunning — Russia hit Ukraine with 367 drones and missiles, making this the largest single aerial attack of the more than three-years-long war, according to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force. In all, Russia used 69 missiles of various types and 298 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed drones, he told The Associated Press. It was “the most massive strike in...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday criticized the United States and the international community for remaining silent after Russia unleashed what Ukrainian officials describing as the largest aerial assault on the country since the war began. Russian forces launched a massive overnight barrage Saturday as 367 drones and missiles targeted more than 30 cities and villages across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. At least 12 people were killed, according to officials, including three children in the northern region of Zhytomyr.

Kyiv endured a night of hell as Vladimir Putin unleashed new terror on the Ukrainian capital. Apocalyptic scenes unfolded during more than seven hours of bombardment which saw missiles and drones hit until 5.10am today. Explosions and fires broke out across the capital city - as a senior Moscow military figure and hardline politician insisted Putin's aim is to unite Russia, Ukraine and Belarus into a single state.

Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted more than 150 Ukrainian drones over several regions, including areas near the capital, in what appears to be one of the largest such aerial assaults, Russia's Defense Ministry said on May 22. For at least two days in a row, Ukraine has launched massive waves of drones deep into Russian territory. Between the evening of May 20 and the morning of May 22, Russia claims to have shot down 485 drones on its territory. According to the Russian military, 159 drones were destroyed between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Moscow time on May 22. The...

While tariffs make wars more likely, embargoes make wars difficult to avoid. Senator Lindsey Graham’s Sanctioning Russia Act calls for 500% tariffs on dozens of countries and essentially amounts to an embargo.If this bill were to pass, it would cause an economic calamity on a scale never before seen in our country.In its insistence that Moscow be a permanent enemy of the United States, the foreign policy establishment is pushing to impose more punitive measures on Russia should they refuse to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. The Sanctioning Russia Act seeks to inflict a series of additional sanctions and...

In a reversal, President Trump appears to have backed off joining a European push for new sanctions on Russia, seemingly eager to move on to doing business deals with it. For months, President Trump has been threatening to simply walk away from the frustrating negotiations for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. After a phone call on Monday between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, that appears to be exactly what the American president is doing. The deeper question now is whether he is also abandoning America’s three-year-long project to support Ukraine, a nascent democracy that he...

United States Vice President JD Vance told reporters aboard Air Force Two while departing Italy after his discussion with Pope Leo on Monday, indicating negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict have reached "a bit of an impasse." "We realize there's a bit of an impasse here," Vance added. "Putin doesn't seem to quite know how to get out of the war. If Russia is not willing to engage, eventually the US has to say that this is not our war." Vance said he anticipates US President Donald Trump will question Russian President Vladimir Putin about his "serious" interest in peace during...

-snip- “I think the president’s going to say to President Putin, ‘Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?’ Because the proposal from the United States has always been: Look, there are a lot of economic benefits to thawing relations between Russia and the rest of the world, but you’re not going to get those benefits if you keep on killing a lot of innocent people,” Vance said. “If you’re willing to stop the killing, the United States is willing to be a partner for peace.”

Russian state TV aired a video of Vladimir Putin warning Donald Trump to stop trying to dictate the terms of a ceasefire with Ukraine. Putin stressed that he plans to finish what he started three years ago and warned that Trump should not push him into a US blueprint for stopping the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took the opportunity while in Rome for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass to meet with top U.S. officials and European leaders on Sunday ahead of a high-stakes phone call Monday between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy spoke with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Rome. Zelenskyy said on social media he had underscored the need for "real diplomacy" and reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to a "full and unconditional ceasefire." "We have also touched upon the need for sanctions...

Ukraine’s chief rabbi warned of a new “axis of evil” developing between Russia and Iran... Moshe Reuven Azman — who lost a son in the Ukraine war and whose daughter serves in the Israel Defense Forces — came to Washington on his own dime this week to plead with lawmakers and government officials to continue supporting Ukraine and Israel. “Israel and Ukraine, they have the same enemies — an ‘axis of evil,’ I call it, that looks like World War II,” Azman told The Post on Thursday. “I am an eyewitness myself: I lost my son one year ago when...

United States Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday (May 8) that India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but he added that the US cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business". "We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum. "What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally...

Russia Victory Day 2025 LIVE: Putin Leads Russia's Largest Military Parade in Moscow to commemorate 80th anniversary of Russia's famous victory over Nazi Germany in WW II. 39 world leaders at this parade including Chinese leader Xi. Very impressive..

Ukrainian lawmakers voted Thursday to ratify a controversial economic partnership with the U.S. that gives America access to profit from the Eastern European country’s vast mineral resources. After a tense debate that included criticism from the opposition, 338 MPs out of 400 officially voted to establish the American-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund that will be filled equally by both sides via a series of opaque means, but including mining and energy profits.

The leaders of Cuba, Mongolia and Venezuela arrived in Moscow Wednesday ahead of attending Russia's Victory Day celebrations. Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country’s most important secular holiday. -snip- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel are on the guest list which also includes Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Russia marks on Friday the 80th anniversary of the Soviet and allied victory over Nazi Germany, though there are fears that Ukraine may seek to disrupt the most hallowed celebration in the Russian calendar. -snip- The Kremlin's list of expected attendees includes the leaders of the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Also expected are the leaders of Bosnia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea–Bissau, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestinian Territories, Serbia, Slovakia, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have signed a strategic partnership agreement. -snip- Since 2022, Russia has already signed strategic partnership pacts with China, North Korea and Iran. -snip- During his visit to Moscow, Maduro is also due to attend commemorative events around the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany, including a military parade on Friday.