Free Republic

A claim by the Russian Defence Ministry that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was "in the epicentre of a drone attack" has turned out to be a staged performance by the Kremlin. Russian state media claimed earlier this week that when Putin visited Kursk Oblast for the first time since the hostilities began in the area, his helicopter came "under fire from Ukrainian drones". In reality, this was not a combat incident but a meticulously staged event. Four sources within the government and the Kremlin told The Moscow Times that security officials promoted this shocking and "risky" episode in the media...

The United States of America may withdraw from the negotiation process to resolve the full-scale war in Ukraine if White House leader Donald Trump believes he is being "used," warns White House Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg on ABC News. "I think when you talk about walking away if he believes he's being used and that there is no hope in progress going forward, he goes: 'We’re done with this. Europe, we leave it over to you'," Kellogg stated, commenting on Trump’s threats to exit the negotiation process. Negotiations on resolving war in Ukraine Over the past few months,...

Ukraine rejected calls from Moscow and Washington to commit to engaging in peace talks with Russia next week, demanding to see Russian peace proposals before attending further negotiations. In nationally televised remarks on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Kyiv is dedicated, in principle, to continued peace negotiations with Russia. However, he stopped short of agreeing to the proposed Monday peace talks in Istanbul. “We are ready for dialogue, but we demand clarity — clear and, most importantly, balanced proposals,” Mr. Yermak said.