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Skip next section Russia plays delaying game with talks, experts tell DWMay 15, 2025
Russia plays delaying game with talks, experts tell DWRussia is not serious about achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine and is pursuing delaying tactics it has often employed in the past, two experts have told DW.
Knut Abraham, a member of the conservative CDU party, said, “You clearly see the intent by the Russian president is not to proceed, but just play on the chess field.”
Abraham, a member of Germany’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and a former diplomat, said the way Moscow was approaching ceasefire talks was “an old Russian trick.”
“Start contacts, negotiations and then prolong and just pretend to be interested in dialogue, but in fact not move a millimeter forward,” he said.
He said Europe had to strengthen sanctions on Moscow “so that there is no misunderstanding in Moscow that we really mean it seriously.”
Military and security expert Gustav Gressel told DW that it was “roughly expected” that Russian President Vladimir Putin would snub the talks and that his absence helped him stop the West from continuing to talk about a 30-day ceasefire between both sides.
“The Russians are pretty confident that they will win the war,” Gressel said. “They’re playing with time.”
Gressel also said Western sanctions were not having the desired effect on Moscow, even calling the most recent package of sanctions against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet a “symbolic act.”
“There is no big amount of pressure coming from the West (towards Russia),” he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uR7r
Skip next section Russia violated NATO airspace in sanctioned tanker incident, Estonia sayMay 15, 2025
Russia violated NATO airspace in sanctioned tanker incident, Estonia sayEstonia has said Russia briefly sent a fighter plane into NATO airspace amid an attempt by the Estonian navy to stop an oil tanker believed to be defying Western sanctions on Moscow.
“The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to check the situation, and this fighter jet violated NATO territory for close to one minute,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters in Turkey.
He said the incident over the Baltic Sea showed Russia was “ready to protect the ‘shadow fleet'” of more than 100 vessels that the West believes is being used by Moscow to export oil and other products in contravention of sanctions.
“The situation is really serious,” Tsahkna said.
Russia insists all its ships have free passage in the Baltic Sea, warning that any attempt to stop them is dangerous.
The unflagged “Jaguar” ship involved in the incident was later escorted to Russian waters.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said at a press conference in Turkey that the military alliance was in close contact with Estonia over the incident.
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Skip next section NATO chief praises Germany for defense spending plansMay 15, 2025
NATO chief praises Germany for defense spending plansNATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said Germany is taking the lead in raising defense spending.
He said he was very happy about Berlin’s move, as Germany was the biggest European economy.
His remarks come as German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he backed US President Donald Trump’s demand for NATO members to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
Wadephul made his comment after meeting with US top diplomat Marco Rubio on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Turkey.
Last week, Reuters reported that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was looking to drastically increase the country’s annual defense budget to over €60 billion ($68.21 billion) starting in 2025.
Germany’s NATO ambassador: Europe needs to ‘pick up speed’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Turkey criticizes Russia’s ‘decorative’ delegation May 15, 2025
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Turkey criticizes Russia’s ‘decorative’ delegation Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip ErdoganImage: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo/picture allianceUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has traveled to Turkey for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said Kyiv would decide on the next steps in negotiations with Russia after the meeting.
He told reporters at Ankara’s airport that Russia had sent merely a “decorative” delegation to talks with Ukraine scheduled in Turkey on Thursday.
“The level of the Russian [delegation] is not known officially to me but from what we see, it looks more like it’s on a decorative level,” Zelenskyy said.
“We need to understand what kind of level the Russian delegation is, and what mandate they have and whether they can make any decisions.”
Russia’s negotiating team is led by a hardline historian and Kremlin aide, Vladimir Medinsky, who has denied Ukraine’s right to exist.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation included his foreign minister, military and intelligence chiefs and also senior officials from his office.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who himself proposed the talks, has spurned Zelenskyy’s invitation to hold a face-to-face meeting.
Russia has said the talks are due to start in the second half of the day at Turkey’s request.
Ahead of the potential talks, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that Russian troops had seized two more villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as Moscow pushes on with its full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uQfM
Skip next section China says it wants to expand practical military cooperation with RussiaMay 15, 2025
China says it wants to expand practical military cooperation with RussiaXi (left) has been called a ‘dear friend’ by PutinImage: ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty ImagesChina has said it is ready to “expand practical cooperation” with the Russian army, with ties between Beijing and Moscow growing closer in recent years even after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In response to a question in social media about the effect on bilateral military ties of President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow for a World War II Victory Day parade, the Chinese Defense Ministry said the relationship was “operating at a high level.”
“The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation,” ministry spokesman Jiang Bin posted to social media platform WeChat.
The moves would “enrich the content of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era” and “contribute to maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability.”
Xi’s visit to Russia last week provoked anger among Kyiv’s allies, who accuse Beijing of covertly siding with Moscow in its war of aggression.
Beijing has always insisted on its neutral attitude to the conflict.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy accuses China of helping Russia in warTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section ‘Unconditional ceasefire’ must precede peace talks, France saysMay 15, 2025
‘Unconditional ceasefire’ must precede peace talks, France saysFrance’s foreign minister has said that an “unconditional ceasefire” must precede peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if negotiations are not to fail as they did in 2022.
Speaking about potential negotiations between the two sides in Turkey on Thursday, Jean-Noel Barrot said, “The best we can hope for in these technical discussions is indeed a ceasefire, an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, that would allow for proper peace negotiation.”
He made his remarks at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Turkey.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uQ5J
Skip next section US’ Rubio says Washington ‘impatient’ for progress on peaceMay 15, 2025
US’ Rubio says Washington ‘impatient’ for progress on peaceUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington was willing to consider “virtually any mechanism” to reach a lasting end to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, Rubio said, “Obviously, we’re in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future.”
“So a lot of work. We remain committed to that. Obviously, like everyone else, impatient, we want to see it happen, but it’s difficult. But you know, hopefully progress will be made here soon,” he added.
Speaking of US President Donald Trump — whose campaign pledge was to bring about peace in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office in January —, Rubio said, “He’s open to virtually any mechanism that gets us to a just, enduring and lasting peace, and that’s what he wants to see.”
The comments come ahead of potential direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on ending the war, triggered by Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Trump, who is currently on a Gulf tour, has said he would attend the talks on Friday “if it is appropriate.”
“But we have people right now negotiating, I just hope Russia and Ukraine are able to do something. It has to stop,” he said.
US President Donald Trump is ‘losing patience’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Ukraine says no time yet fixed for start of Istanbul talksMay 15, 2025
Ukraine says no time yet fixed for start of Istanbul talksUkraine has said it remains unclear when peace talks with Russia in Istanbul are to begin, despite a report from Russian news agency Tass giving the time as GMT 0700 (10 a.m. local time).
Andrij Kowalenko, the representative of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, wrote on the social media platform Telegram that the report was wrong and that the start had not been scheduled at this time.
The Russian delegation for the talks, which does not include President Vladimir Putin, has already reportedly arrived in Istanbul.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uPlE
Skip next section NATO chief Rutte says ‘ball is now clearly in the Russian court’May 15, 2025
NATO chief Rutte says ‘ball is now clearly in the Russian court’NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday that he was “cautiously optimistic” that progress toward peace in Ukraine could be made in the next couple of weeks but that Russia had to “take the next steps necessary.”
“I’m still cautiously optimistic that if also the Russians are willing to play ball, and not only the Ukrainians are doing this … that you could get to some breakthroughs over the next couple of weeks,” Rutte said at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Turkey.
“Ukraine is ready to commit to a ceasefire and immediate negotiations. That’s absolutely clear. The ball is now clearly in the Russian court,” Rutte said.
His remarks came ahead of potential peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Turkey.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who is also attending the NATO meeting, said the fact that Moscow was sending only a low-level delegation for the talks was “like a slap in the face.”
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin himself proposed the talks, he appears to have spurned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer of a face-to-face meeting in Turkey.
Zelenskyy said this week that if Putin did not attend himself, it would signal he was not genuinely interested in peace.
Kremlin: Russia to take part in direct talks with UkraineTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Russian missile attack kills 3 people in SumyMay 15, 2025
Russian missile attack kills 3 people in SumyThree people were killed on Wednesday in Sumy when a Russian missile struck an industrial site near the city, according to the region’s governor, Oleh Hryhorov, who posted the news on Facebook.
Located on Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia’s Kursk region, the Sumy region has been the target of repeated Russian attacks during the more than three-year-long war, particularly in recent months.
Last month, a Russian missile attack on Sumy on Palm Sunday killed 35 people.
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Skip next section EU sanctions target Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’May 15, 2025
EU sanctions target Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’The European Union (EU) on Wednesday agreed on the 17th sanctions package on Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions include about 200 vessels of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” as well as restrictions on 30 companies involved in the trade of dual-use goods.
An additional 75 individuals and entities will also be listed for their links to Russia’s military industrial complex.
As part of the new measures, the EU will be able to sanction fleets that destroy subsea cables and other physical infrastructure, with 20 entities and individuals being added to this list.
On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Europe and the US should go ramp up their sanctions on Russia.
“We will have to go further, because these massive sanctions have not yet deterred Vladimir Putin from continuing his war of aggression against Ukraine,” Barro told French broadcaster BFMTV, adding Kyiv’s allies must “impose devastating sanctions that could suffocate the Russian economy once and for all.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4uOzk
Skip next section Putin to skip Ukraine peace talks in TurkeyMay 15, 2025
Putin to skip Ukraine peace talks in TurkeyRussian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday’s potential first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years.
On Sunday, Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday “without any preconditions.”
On Wednesday evening, the Kremlin announced that the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov were not named in the delegation. All three had been rumored as top negotiators.
After the Kremlin announced its delegation, a US official said that President Donald Trump would not attend, despite having said days earlier that he was considering the trip.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on his way to Turkey. Earlier, Zelenskyy said he would only take part in the negotiations if Putin were present.
Although Putin had never confirmed his attendance, the absence of the Russian and US presidents has lowered expectations for a significant breakthrough in the Istanbul talks.
The US delegation, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, is also expected in Turkey.
On Thursday morning, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that he had met with Rubio to discuss Zelenskyy’s vision for peace and to coordinate their positions during this critical week.
Zelenskyy says Kyiv expects peace talks directly with PutinTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Welcome to our coverageMay 15, 2025
Welcome to our coveragePeace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are set to begin in Istanbul, Turkey.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the talks, will not be in attendance.
Meanwhile, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is traveling to Istanbul.
Zelenskyy had previously stated that he would only participate in the negotiations if Putin were present.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uOzV
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