CNN — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that the United States should stop “encouraging” the war in Ukraine. “The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace; the European Union needs to start talking about peace so that we can convince Putin and Zelensky that peace … Read more
Editor’s Note: Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) is a global affairs analyst currently based in Odesa. He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He is a regular contributor to CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more … Read more
Konstantinivka CNN — “God protects me,” says 73-year-old Tamara. She’s one of the few people who have stayed in the town of Konstantinivka, eastern Ukraine. “If there is a need, God will save me. If not,” she adds with a shrug, “it is what it is.” Tamara has lived in the same flat for the … Read more
CNN — Farmers in central and eastern Europe protested this week against the impact of cheap Ukrainian grain imports, which have undercut domestic prices and hit the sales of local producers. Protesters blocked traffic and border checkpoints with tractors along the border between Romania and Bulgaria, in an effort to prevent Ukrainian trucks from entering … Read more
CNN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared Iftar with Ukrainian Muslim soldiers observing Ramadan on Friday, in what he said would become an annual “new tradition of respect.” Iftar is the meal breaking the daily fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Addressing participants at the dinner which included leaders of the Mejlis, the … Read more
CNN — While China and Russia have strengthened ties since the Kremlin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, the US has not seen evidence that China has provided systemic material support to the Kremlin as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government look for avenues to evade Western sanctions and backfill its military, according to senior US … Read more
Hostomel, Ukraine CNN — The sheared nose cone of the Antonov An-225 cargo plane towers over Yevhen Bashynsky. Affectionately known as the Mriya, or “Dream,” the leviathan plane was the pride of Ukraine and of 38-year-old Bashynsky, one of its pilots. This is the first time Bashynsky has come back to see what remains of … Read more
Wembley Stadium, London CNN — The sight of Ukrainian flags flying along Wembley Way – the road approaching the iconic Wembley Stadium – took on extra significance Sunday as Ukraine faced England in its Euro 2024 qualifier. While the horrors of war continue to cast a shadow over its country, here was the Ukrainian men’s … Read more
CNN — The chief of Russia’s Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Saturday that he plans to recruit about 30,000 new fighters by mid-May, according to a voice message published on Telegram. Prigozhin also claimed Wagner recruits about 500 to 800 people on average per day, sometimes up to 1,200 people per day. … Read more
CNN — China on Sunday appointed a US-sanctioned general as its new defense minister. The country’s rubber-stamp legislature unanimously confirmed the appointment of General Li Shangfu, a veteran of the People’s Liberation Army’s modernization drive, during a session on Sunday. Experts said the appointment would be closely watched by Washington given Li’s background, even though … Read more