International

Russian forces pull back from Kyiv, exposing horrors of war

Published

4 years ago

April 3, 2022

Ukrainian troops recaptured territory around Kyiv on Saturday as Russian forces pulled back from towns they had seized in the opening days of the war and left in their wake scenes of destruction and horror, including the abandoned bodies of dead civilians.

Journalists entered the town of Bucha, a suburb northwest of the capital, and saw numerous corpses strewn on the streets. Video posted to social media and verified by The Washington Post showed what appeared to be at least nine dead, including one child.

Bucha’s mayor, Anatoly Fedoruk, said in an interview that around 270 local residents had been buried in two mass graves. He estimated that 40 people were lying dead in the streets. Some had been bound and executed — shot in the back of the head, he said.

The mayor added that officials are worried that the bodies could be booby-trapped with explosives. In a video address to Ukrainians early Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was “mining the whole territory.”

“They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,” he said. The Post has not verified those claims.

Revelations of atrocities and alleged war crimes, including reports of soldiers firing on civilian protesters in the east, cast a pall over what has in some ways been a hopeful period for Ukrainians as they resist the Russian invaders.

The capital appears safe for the moment, but at the same time, shelling and intense fighting in the east and south of the country are continuing. Efforts to rescue civilians in besieged cities have been slowed by the extremely dangerous conditions on the ground.

The war, in its 38th day, remained a grinding conflict with no clear resolution in sight. The Russian strategic pivot may foreshadow a long war of attrition. That would prolong the already severe humanitarian crisis in which millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes, becoming refugees in neighboring countries.

A cease-fire in the largely destroyed coastal city of Mariupol has been in place for several days, creating a corridor to leave the city. A team from the Red Cross failed to reach the city Friday or Saturday, citing the unsafe environment. A Red Cross spokesperson emailed a note with few details saying that teams are en route but have yet to reach Mariupol.

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Western military analysts are still trying to interpret the decision by Russian military commanders to reposition their forces. Russian officials have said they are concentrating their forces in the eastern part of the country. The repositioning could signal an intense battle for control of the Donbas region. It appears that, at least for now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has recalculated what he can and can’t achieve with his invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Anna Malyar, said late Saturday that the entire Kyiv administrative region is fully under Ukrainian control.

Zelensky had said earlier that the movement of Russian forces was “slow but noticeable.”

But he continued his ongoing appeal to allied nations to do more to aid his war-scorched country. He cited the suffering in Mariupol, where tens of thousands of residents have been trying to survive amid the rubble.

“Europe has no right to react in silence to what is happening in our Mariupol. The whole world must react to this humanitarian catastrophe,” Zelensky said in his video address.

Zelensky’s demand for help came amid significant battlefield developments that potentially could alter the geography of the war.

If, as some Western analysts believe, Putin focuses on expanding his control of territory in the east, it would open a broad corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. But a more limited strategic goal could undermine support within Russia for the war effort.

But after Moscow’s negotiators agreed in talks with Ukraine to de-escalate the fighting around Kyiv and Chernihiv, and focus instead on the eastern Donbas region, propagandists and pro-war politicians expressed dismay. Prominent state television anchor Vladimir Solovyov said Thursday that “that any negotiation with the Nazis until the boot is on their throat is weakness. You shouldn’t shake hands with this creep,” he said, apparently referring to Zelensky.

Another pro-Kremlin journalist and blogger Semyon Pegov, from the outlet War Gonzo, which reports from the Russian side of the war, said the invasion was just beginning and that Russia would continue “to the end.” He called Russian soldiers “real Russian heroes.”

“No one and nothing will take away their feat from them,” he posted to Telegram on Friday. “It’s already gone down in history.”

As part of their retreat, Russian forces abandoned an airport seized at the start of the invasion. Near the border with Belarus, Ukrainian forces regained control of the disabled Chernobyl nuclear power plant that had been attacked and captured by Russian forces. The national flag once again was raised over the plant.

The repositioning of troops so far has been relatively modest and is possibly a tactic to fool the Ukrainians into lowering their defensive posture in the capital, Brookings Institution defense analyst Michael O’Hanlon said Saturday. He added the Russians may be hoping that Zelensky reveals his whereabouts.

“If they can get the Ukrainians to lower their guard, that would be for them potentially an opportunity to make a strike against Zelensky and/or his inner circle and the top tier of the government,” O’Hanlon said. “I still think there’s a possibility that they’re trying to lure the Ukrainians into making a mistake.”

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On-and-off negotiations for a broad cease-fire have been on again in recent days, but the sincerity of the Russians at the table has been questioned by their Ukrainian counterparts. They fear, as do security analysts in the West, that Russian gestures toward a cease-fire and a negotiated peace could be a diversion to help the attackers reposition their forces after the initial thrust of the invasion yielded disappointing results.

According to Ukrainian media reports, David Arakhamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the talks, said officials are preparing for a possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin in Turkey.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told national television that Ukrainians should prepare for “difficult fights” ahead in Mariupol and in the southern and eastern regions of the country.

In the east, four people were “injured and severely burned” after Russian forces fired mortars at protesters in a city near Zaporizhzhia, the site of a nuclear plant that Russia captured last month, according to Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman.

Residents of Enerhodar, a satellite town of Zaporizhzhia, which has been occupied by Russian forces for nearly four weeks, held a rally in support of Ukraine on Saturday. Russian soldiers used light and noise grenades to disrupt the protest and opened mortar fire on residents, the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said in a statement posted to Telegram.

“Such treatment of civilians is a crime against humanity and a war crime as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,” Denisova said.

The Washington Post verified two videos recorded by witnesses and posted to Telegram. The images were filmed at the same time from separate angles and show at least nine flashes followed by large booms. Gunfire is audible as people run away from the site of the protest.

“There is a fight in the city center!” a man yells in a third video, verified by The Post, while rushing away from multiple loud booms. “Russian occupiers attacked civilians. There was a peaceful protest here.”

Tens of thousands of people in recent weeks have fled Ukrainian cities under attack by Russian forces after Kyiv and Moscow agreed on fragile evacuation deals.

Across Ukraine, seven humanitarian corridors have been established, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, including the one from Mariupol. She said in a Telegram post that more than 6,000 people were evacuated from front-line cities to other parts of the country on Friday.

Vereshchuk said those evacuees included more than 1,400 people who left in their vehicles along planned routes from the southern cities of Berdyansk and Melitopol, which are under Russian control, to the nearby Zaporizhzhia region.

Among them were hundreds of people from Mariupol who had managed to escape in private vehicles. Separately, she said, a convoy of 42 buses carried Mariupol residents to Zaporizhzhia from Berdyansk, which they had previously reached on their own.

In southern Ukraine, the death toll from a missile strike that hit a main government building in the city of Mykolaiv this week has risen to 32, the governor of the region, Vitaliy Kim, said Saturday on Telegram.

Dozens of people remain unaccounted for after that attack blasted a hole through part of the building, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a press officer of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, said earlier. More than 30 people were injured, he said as rescue workers continued to clear rubble Friday and funerals were held for many of the victims.

The war continues to stir tensions globally and could have ramifications in low Earth orbit: The director of Russia’s space agency suggested he would submit a proposal to end his country’s cooperation in the International Space Station program.

In tweets on Saturday, Dmitry Rogozin, head of the agency Roscosmos, pointed to sanctions against a “number of enterprises in the Russian rocket and space industry.” He said that he appealed to the heads of NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency to lift sanctions and that in their responses, the “position of our partners is clear: the sanctions will not be lifted.”

“I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions,” Rogozin wrote.

Rogozin has frequently used threatening and blustery rhetoric, including to repeatedly suggest Russia could exit the partnership. His latest remarks came three days after two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut returned from the space station, a symbol of partnership in space even amid mounting tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, NASA has maintained that the station has been operating as normal, unaffected by the conflict. NASA has said it would be unable to operate the space station without the Russians because the nation provides the propulsion necessary to keep the station in orbit.

In China, officials on Saturday renewed their criticism of sanctions placed on Russia. The remarks came a day after a high-level virtual summit between China and the European Union.

“We oppose sanctions, and the effects of these sanctions also risk spilling to the rest of the world,” Wang Lutong, director general of European affairs at China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Saturday.

Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, E.U. leaders have taken a tougher stance on China, urging it to drop its tacit support for the invasion and work for peace — but Beijing is pushing back.

“China is not a related party on the crisis of Ukraine. We don’t think our normal trade with any other country should be affected,” Wang said. He added that China is contributing to the global economy by conducting normal trade with Russia.

Pope Francis said Saturday that he is considering making a trip to Kyiv. While traveling from Rome to Malta, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church was asked by a reporter on his plane whether a visit to Ukraine was a possibility following invitations from Ukrainian political and religious officials.

“Yes, it is on the table,” Francis answered, but he offered no further details, according to Reuters.

Zelensky has spoken twice with the pope by telephone, according to the Vatican, and along with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has extended invitations to Francis to visit Ukraine. The country has a sizable Roman Catholic population. However, most Ukrainian Catholics identify with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Francis has vocally condemned the war in Ukraine, calling it a “senseless massacre where every day slaughters and atrocities are being repeated.”

THE WASHINGTON POST

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International

Milei Slams UN as ‘Useless’ Over Falklands Dispute

Published

3 days ago

September 24, 2026

Trends Admin

Argentine President Javier Milei

Milei Slams UN as ‘Useless’ Over Falklands Dispute

Argentine President Javier Milei has criticised the United Nations, describing the organisation as “useless” and accusing it of failing to make progress on the longstanding Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

Milei made the remarks on Wednesday, September 23, while addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. He used the speech to renew Argentina’s claim to the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, and demand a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

The Argentine president accused the UN of failing to act on resolutions concerning the Falklands and said the organisation had effectively “looked the other way” while the dispute remained unresolved.

Milei pointed particularly to UN General Assembly Resolution 31/49, adopted in 1976, which called on Argentina and the UK to refrain from unilateral actions that could complicate the sovereignty dispute while negotiations continued. The UN has repeatedly called on both countries to pursue negotiations for a peaceful and lasting settlement.

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The dispute has gained fresh attention amid tensions over offshore oil exploration around the Falkland Islands. Argentina has objected to British-backed oil activities in the area and recently introduced measures aimed at increasing sanctions against companies involved in activities it considers unauthorised.

The UK, however, maintains that the Falkland Islands are British and says the islanders have the right to determine their own future and develop their natural resources. The British government has also rejected Argentine pressure on companies involved in economic activities around the islands.

Milei reaffirmed Argentina’s position that the Falklands are Argentine territory and called for the UK to return to negotiations. He stressed that Argentina’s claim would be pursued peacefully.

The disagreement over the islands dates back decades and led to the Falklands War in 1982, when Argentina invaded the territory and Britain sent military forces to retake it. The conflict ended with Argentina’s surrender after about 10 weeks.

The islands have remained under British administration since then, while Argentina has continued to press its sovereignty claim through diplomatic and international channels.

Beyond the Falklands dispute, Milei used his UN address to criticise the organisation’s broader role in international affairs. He accused the UN of failing to adequately address collective security, human rights, conflict and terrorism, arguing that it had become ineffective in dealing with major global crises.

His latest remarks come as Argentina and the UK remain divided over sovereignty, negotiations and the development of natural resources around the islands. While Buenos Aires continues to demand negotiations over sovereignty, London maintains its position that the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination must be respected.

Milei’s intervention has therefore brought the Falklands dispute back into focus at the UN, with the disagreement now also linked to the increasingly contentious issue of offshore oil exploration.

Milei Slams UN as ‘Useless’ Over Falklands Dispute

International

Iran Delegation Walks Out as Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Islamic Republic

Published

4 days ago

September 23, 2026

Trends Admin

US President Donald Trump

Iran Delegation Walks Out as Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Islamic Republic

Members of the Iranian delegation walked out of the United Nations General Assembly during US President Donald Trump’s address after he threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if Washington and Tehran fail to reach an agreement to end the conflict.

The dramatic walkout occurred on Tuesday, September 22, during the opening day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, where Trump devoted a significant portion of his speech to defending the US military campaign against Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who were in New York for the annual UN meeting, did not attend Trump’s address in the General Assembly chamber. Most members of Iran’s delegation who were present left the hall about 10 minutes into the speech, while a lower-ranking Iranian diplomat remained in the chamber.

Trump used the address to defend the US military action against Iran, arguing that the campaign had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

He said Washington faced a choice between reaching an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild and taking further military action against the country.

Trump asked whether a deal would allow Iran to become “a far greater country” or whether the United States should “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and “drive them into hell with no chance of survival.”

The remarks represented a fresh escalation in Trump’s public warnings against Iran, although he simultaneously indicated that he expected diplomacy to eventually produce an agreement.

Trump said he believed a deal could be reached after the November 3 US midterm elections, while insisting that the election would not determine his administration’s policy towards Iran.

He also called on other countries to join the United States in imposing economic pressure on Tehran, arguing that international isolation would increase pressure on the Iranian government to negotiate.

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The Iranian delegation’s departure provided a visible response to the remarks and underscored the continuing diplomatic divide between Washington and Tehran. Reports from the General Assembly said the delegation left as Trump moved into his warnings about the Iranian government and its nuclear programme.

The walkout came despite continuing diplomatic contacts between the two countries on the sidelines of the UN gathering.

Shortly after his speech, Trump said US officials had held what he described as a “very good” and productive meeting involving Iranian representatives and mediators.

He later clarified that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had met with mediators involved in the Iranian discussions, rather than necessarily holding a direct meeting with Iranian officials themselves.

Reuters reported that Trump subsequently said he believed a settlement between the United States and Iran would eventually be reached.

The diplomatic activity has highlighted the conflicting tracks surrounding the US-Iran conflict: public threats and military pressure on one side, and continued efforts to negotiate an end to the confrontation on the other.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier confirmed that Washington was open to meeting Iranian representatives at the UN, although he said at the time that no formal meeting had been scheduled. Rubio said any engagement would need to address the US objective of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Arab countries have also been involved in efforts to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran.

Qatar, which has previously played a mediating role in regional disputes, has urged both sides to pursue diplomacy. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told the General Assembly that the Gulf was experiencing a dangerous period and argued that the crisis could be addressed through diplomatic means, including efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime navigation.

The strategic waterway has become a major issue in the conflict because of its importance to international energy and shipping.

Iran has reportedly linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to conditions including an end to the naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to hostilities across the various fronts involved in the conflict.

The demands illustrate the substantial gap between Tehran’s conditions and Washington’s position, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme and the future of military and economic pressure.

Trump’s UN speech also sought to rally international support for his administration’s approach to Iran.

He argued that previous US administrations had failed to adequately confront Tehran and maintained that his administration’s military campaign had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran has rejected the US military campaign and continued to call for diplomatic efforts to address the conflict on terms acceptable to Tehran.

The presence of both diplomatic contacts and military threats has created uncertainty over whether the latest negotiations can produce a lasting settlement.

The Iran nuclear dispute remains at the centre of the confrontation, with Washington insisting that Tehran must not obtain a nuclear weapon while Iran has maintained that its rights and national interests must be respected in any negotiations.

Trump’s remarks also came as the United States sought broader international support for its position.

During the same UN address, he criticised Cuba and said its communist government was failing, prompting members of the Cuban delegation to leave the chamber as well.

The Iranian walkout, however, was particularly significant because it occurred during Trump’s direct warnings against Tehran and came as mediators were working to bring the two sides closer to negotiations.

The developments have placed the UN General Assembly at the centre of renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the conflict.

Pezeshkian’s expected appearance before the General Assembly provides Tehran with an opportunity to present its position on the war, the nuclear dispute and the conditions it considers necessary for diplomacy.

For Washington, the priority remains preventing Iran from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Trump has continued to combine military pressure with calls for a negotiated settlement.

The immediate outcome of the latest diplomatic efforts remains uncertain. Trump has said he expects an eventual settlement, while significant differences remain over the conditions for ending the conflict and reopening key regional waterways.

For now, the Iranian delegation’s walkout has become one of the most visible moments of UNGA 81, highlighting the sharp tensions between Washington and Tehran even as officials and mediators continue to explore a possible diplomatic path.

Iran Delegation Walks Out as Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Islamic Republic

International

UNGA 81: Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Iran if No Deal Is Reached

Published

4 days ago

September 22, 2026

Trends Admin

UNGA 81: Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Iran if No Deal Is Reached

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to “annihilate” Iran if Tehran fails to reach a deal with Washington, using his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) to defend the ongoing US military campaign against Iran.

Trump issued the warning on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while addressing world leaders at the United Nations headquarters in New York. He framed the conflict around his administration’s stated objective of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and reducing what he described as Tehran’s ability to threaten countries across the Middle East.

Trump said he faced what he described as a major decision over the future of the conflict, contrasting the possibility of a negotiated agreement with further military action against Iran.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump told the General Assembly, before asking whether a deal would be reached with Iran or whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” He also threatened to drive Iran “into hell” if an agreement was not reached.

The remarks represented a sharp escalation in the public rhetoric surrounding the US-Iran conflict, although Trump simultaneously indicated that he believed a diplomatic settlement remained possible.

Trump said he expected the United States and Iran to reach an agreement after the November 3 US midterm elections, suggesting that Tehran was waiting to see the outcome of the elections before committing to a deal.

He nevertheless said the elections would not determine his policy towards Iran and insisted that his decisions would be based on what he considers to be US national-security interests.

Trump used his UNGA 81 speech to defend the military campaign against Iran, arguing that US action had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and had significantly weakened its military capabilities.

He accused Iran of supporting militant groups and contributing to instability across the Middle East, while reiterating that the United States would not accept Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Trump also urged countries around the world to maintain economic pressure on Iran, calling for what Reuters described as complete economic isolation of Tehran.

The US president’s comments came as Washington and Tehran continued to face pressure to find a diplomatic route out of the conflict.

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Iran has previously signalled conditions for ending the fighting, including an end to hostilities, the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, according to reporting ahead of the UN summit.

The Iranian delegation’s response to Trump’s speech underscored the depth of the diplomatic divide.

Iranian representatives reportedly walked out of the General Assembly chamber as Trump delivered his address and criticised Tehran’s conduct.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in New York for the UN General Assembly, although they did not attend Trump’s address in the chamber.

Trump also used the speech to claim that the US military campaign had altered Iran’s ability to operate as a regional power.

He described Iran as having previously been a major source of regional instability and argued that American military action had changed the balance of power.

Iran, however, has rejected Washington’s characterisation of its nuclear programme and military activities and has continued to call for diplomatic engagement based on its own conditions.

The confrontation has implications beyond the two countries because of the importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a major global energy shipping route.

The waterway has remained a central concern during the conflict, with disruptions affecting oil supplies and contributing to higher energy prices. Gulf countries have also faced the risk of being drawn further into the confrontation because of their geographical proximity to Iran and their strategic relationship with Washington.

The impact on energy markets has become an increasingly important part of the political debate in the United States, particularly as the country approaches the 2026 midterm elections.

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Trump has argued that a deal with Iran could eventually help stabilise the situation and bring energy prices down, while continuing to maintain that military pressure is necessary to force Tehran towards an agreement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also indicated that Washington remains open to negotiations, even as the Trump administration maintains pressure on Iran.

Trump’s UN appearance was part of a wider diplomatic programme that included meetings with leaders from Europe, the Middle East and other regions.

The Iran war nevertheless dominated much of the attention surrounding his speech because of its implications for regional security, energy supplies and US foreign policy.

Trump also addressed the Russia-Ukraine war and other international issues, presenting his administration’s foreign policy as an effort to use American military and economic power to pressure adversaries towards negotiations.

The president portrayed his approach as different from previous US administrations, arguing that Washington had been more willing to use American power to confront international conflicts.

The remarks on Iran, however, were the most consequential part of the address because Trump explicitly presented further military escalation as an alternative to a negotiated settlement.

His comments did not result in an immediate agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Instead, the United States continued to demand major concessions from Iran while indicating that diplomacy remained possible.

Trump’s statement that a deal could be reached after the November election also leaves open a potentially significant diplomatic window, although there was no indication from Tehran during the UN session that an agreement was imminent.

The US-Iran conflict has already created wider regional consequences, including pressure on shipping, energy markets and Gulf states concerned about retaliatory attacks.

Gulf leaders meeting Trump in New York have been seeking to prevent further escalation while protecting their own countries from the consequences of an expanded war. CNN reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had previously urged Trump against a major escalation and were again concerned about being drawn deeper into the conflict.

The possibility of renewed negotiations therefore remains alongside the threat of further military action.

For now, Trump’s “annihilate Iran” warning represents a public statement of the consequences he says Tehran could face if it refuses an agreement, while his prediction of a possible post-election deal indicates that Washington has not closed the door on diplomacy.

The UN General Assembly address produced no immediate breakthrough between the two countries, leaving the conflict at a critical point as international pressure continues to build for a negotiated settlement.