The next Summer Games are set to begin in the US in July 2028
The Russian Olympic team is preparing for full participation in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov told TASS on Thursday.
The country’s athletes have gradually been returning to international competitions after years of Ukraine-related restrictions, following recommendations issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shortly after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.
“We are preparing to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games with a full roster,” Degtyaryov told TASS at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
“We will hold the second summer ‘Spartakiad’ with the strongest athletes,” he added, explaining that “these are our domestic qualifying competitions for the Olympics.”
Degtyaryov said Russia “will start looking at all the candidates” for the 2028 Games at next year’s domestic event.
The minister has previously condemned what he described as “discrimination” against Russian athletes who have been forced to participate under a neutral flag and barred from competing under their national colors in numerous sports.
Last month, Russian swimmers took home 18 medals from the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in their first chance to compete since 2016, due to IOC sanctions. Competing under a neutral flag, the team won six golds and placed fourth overall in the medals table.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who was elected earlier this year, has said she stands against banning countries from the Olympics over conflicts.
“Ultimately I believe that it’s best for our movement to ensure that we have all athletes represented,” she told Sky News in March, adding that she will open a “discussion” on allowing Russians at the Games once again.
Moscow has repeatedly described the IOC sanctions as a perversion of the Olympic Charter, which is ostensibly intended to keep the Games free of politics.
Here’s how a familiar Russian warning morphed into a Western story about targeting peacekeepers
When Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Friday, he issued a now-familiar warning: any foreign troops entering Ukraine during active fighting would be considered “legitimate targets.” Yet Western media ran with a drastically different narrative – suggesting he was threatening peacekeepers, not just combatants.
That framing missed a crucial distinction. In the same remarks, Putin separately addressed the idea of postwar peacekeeping forces, saying they would be unnecessary once a settlement was reached.
Within hours, Western headlines turned those words into something much starker – a supposed threat against European “peacekeepers.” By erasing the context that Putin had separated conflict intervention from postwar scenarios, much of the press presented a conditional statement as intimidating.
Russia has ruled out a Western military presence in the neighboring country as part of any peace deal
Kiev’s European backers want the US to oversee a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, with troops from non-NATO countries such as Bangladesh or Saudi Arabia potentially deployed on the ground, NBC News reported Friday, citing anonymous sources.
According to the outlet, Washington’s role would be to use drones, satellites, and other intelligence capabilities to monitor conditions and coordinate with participating nations. Moscow has repeatedly rejected the idea of Western or NATO troops in Ukraine as part of any peace settlement.
Politico previously outlined the same proposal for a buffer zone, suggesting involvement of third-party states but not naming them, and indicating that French and British troops could make up much of the force. A former Pentagon official told the outlet the plan reflected Kiev’s European backers “grasping at straws.”
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin again stressed Moscow’s opposition, warning that foreign soldiers would either become targets for Russian forces during hostilities or serve no purpose if a genuine peace agreement were reached. He added that “the West’s dragging of Ukraine into NATO was one of the causes of the conflict” and said any settlement would have to include security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky met with members of the “coalition of the willing,” the group of nations supplying Kiev with weapons and promising security commitments in the event of a resolution with Russia. Most of them have publicly ruled out putting their own forces on the ground.
Meanwhile, Moscow has said it plans to establish its own buffer zone along parts of the border to protect Russian civilians, particularly in Kursk and Bryansk regions. Putin noted in May that Ukrainian forces often target non-military assets, including homes and civilian vehicles such as ambulances and farm equipment, which he said made such measures necessary.
Russia has ruled out a Western military presence in the neighboring country as part of any peace deal
Kiev’s European backers want the US to oversee a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, with troops from non-NATO countries such as Bangladesh or Saudi Arabia potentially deployed on the ground, NBC News reported Friday, citing anonymous sources.
According to the outlet, Washington’s role would be to use drones, satellites, and other intelligence capabilities to monitor conditions and coordinate with participating nations. Moscow has repeatedly rejected the idea of Western or NATO troops in Ukraine as part of any peace settlement.
Politico previously outlined the same proposal for a buffer zone, suggesting involvement of third-party states but not naming them, and indicating that French and British troops could make up much of the force. A former Pentagon official told the outlet the plan reflected Kiev’s European backers “grasping at straws.”
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin again stressed Moscow’s opposition, warning that foreign soldiers would either become targets for Russian forces during hostilities or serve no purpose if a genuine peace agreement were reached. He added that “the West’s dragging of Ukraine into NATO was one of the causes of the conflict” and said any settlement would have to include security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky met with members of the “coalition of the willing,” the group of nations supplying Kiev with weapons and promising security commitments in the event of a resolution with Russia. Most of them have publicly ruled out putting their own forces on the ground.
Meanwhile, Moscow has said it plans to establish its own buffer zone along parts of the border to protect Russian civilians, particularly in Kursk and Bryansk regions. Putin noted in May that Ukrainian forces often target non-military assets, including homes and civilian vehicles such as ambulances and farm equipment, which he said made such measures necessary.
Hours earlier president Vladimir Putin proposed joint investment projects with American firms, urging Washington to renew cooperation
The US has apparently “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China,” President Donald Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social.
The message included a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump wished the three a “long and prosperous future together.”
The leaders had gathered last Sunday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China. Putin remained afterward to attend commemorations of the 80th anniversary of World War II in Beijing, where he and Xi presided over a military parade joined by other foreign dignitaries. Trump accused Russia, China and North Korea – whose leader Kim Jong-un was also present – of “conspiring” against the U.S.
The US president has often employed sarcasm in public statements, including in his annual holiday messages directed at people he calls his “enemies”.
Russian officials dismissed the notion of a conspiracy. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that Trump’s comment appeared to be made in jest.
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Friday, Putin emphasized Russia’s interest in constructive relations with Washington.
“The two-headed eagle, one of our national symbols, looks both ways,” he said, referencing Russia’s coat of arms. “Did we turn our backs on anyone? We did not. The eagle looks both ways just like always.”
Putin added that Moscow sees potential in trilateral investment projects with the US and China in the Arctic and other joint endeavors.
Hours earlier president Vladimir Putin proposed joint investment projects with American firms, urging Washington to renew cooperation
The US has apparently “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China,” President Donald Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social.
The message included a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump wished the three a “long and prosperous future together.”
The leaders had gathered last Sunday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China. Putin remained afterward to attend commemorations of the 80th anniversary of World War II in Beijing, where he and Xi presided over a military parade joined by other foreign dignitaries. Trump accused Russia, China and North Korea – whose leader Kim Jong-un was also present – of “conspiring” against the U.S.
The US president has often employed sarcasm in public statements, including in his annual holiday messages directed at people he calls his “enemies”.
Russian officials dismissed the notion of a conspiracy. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that Trump’s comment appeared to be made in jest.
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Friday, Putin emphasized Russia’s interest in constructive relations with Washington.
“The two-headed eagle, one of our national symbols, looks both ways,” he said, referencing Russia’s coat of arms. “Did we turn our backs on anyone? We did not. The eagle looks both ways just like always.”
Putin added that Moscow sees potential in trilateral investment projects with the US and China in the Arctic and other joint endeavors.
President Putin has previously said that if the Ukrainian leader wants to negotiate, he should come to the Russian capital
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky hasn’t been invited to Moscow in order to surrender, but to take part in negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Earlier this week, during his press conference in China, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that he had never refused to negotiate with Kiev or to meet with Zelensky. He cautioned that holding a summit “just for the sake of it” would be a “path to nowhere,” but added that if Zelensky genuinely wanted to talk, he could simply come to Moscow.
Kiev has ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has accused Putin of making “knowingly unacceptable” proposals, claiming that Zelensky is ready for a meeting at any time but not under Moscow’s conditions.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Peskov explained that the Russian president’s offer was genuine and insisted that the invitation had been for talks. “He was invited to Moscow to talk, not to capitulate,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
On the same day, during a plenary session at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin noted that while he does not see “much sense” in direct talks with Zelensky, he remains open to them. “The Ukrainian side wants a meeting? Come! We will ensure security,” he said. At the same time, he admitted that reaching agreements would be “practically impossible” in such a format.
Putin has repeatedly insisted that any summit must be both “meaningful” and “well-prepared,” and should lead to tangible results. Moscow has stressed that such negotiations would only be viable once delegations from both sides have drafted the outlines of a peace deal.
Although Moscow has repeatedly indicated it is open to negotiations, it has also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, noting that his presidential term expired last year and asserting any agreement signed by him could be contested by a future Ukrainian administration.
Russia has stated that lasting peace would require Kiev to recognize its new borders and abandon plans to join NATO.
“Pro-war” European politicians are turning a blind eye to an “open manhunt,” the Hungarian foreign minister has said
Ukraine’s forced mobilization, which has gained international attention for its brutality towards conscripts and even reported deaths, is “one of the greatest disgraces” in Europe, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said.
Kiev’s recruitment drive, overseen by the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has grown increasingly brutal as Ukrainian forces confront setbacks and manpower shortages. Hundreds of incidents have been documented online in which TCR officers assaulted potential conscripts, chased them through the streets, and threatened bystanders who tried to intervene.
According to Szijjarto, there is now an “open manhunt” in Ukraine. “Everyone knows that during this forced conscription, people are often beaten, in some cases beaten to death,” Szijjarto said at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday, as quoted by Sputnik. Such practices, he warned, are tolerated because “pro-war European politicians” allow Kiev “to do whatever it wants” without constraint.
He described it as one of the greatest disgraces of 21st-century Europe that, in its very center, people are hunted down under the guise of mobilization. Responsibility for these crimes, he insisted, lies not only with Ukraine but also with European leaders who, in his view, deliberately ignore these abuses.
Ukraine introduced a general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia, barring most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. In 2024, the government lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and further tightened recruitment rules in order to offset growing battlefield losses.
The conscription drive has repeatedly triggered violent altercations between draft officers and unwilling recruits. Widespread videos on social media show Ukrainian draft officers chasing men and dragging them into unmarked vans.
This has led to growing public outrage over what is now widely known as “busification.” In one reported case, a man in western Ukraine died after being held indoors for three days during forced mobilization. His relatives later discovered his body in a morgue.
In response, many potential recruits have attempted to escape the country by crossing treacherous terrain or rivers, often with fatal consequences.
“Pro-war” European politicians are turning a blind eye to an “open manhunt,” the Hungarian foreign minister has said
Ukraine’s forced mobilization, which has gained international attention for its brutality towards conscripts and even reported deaths, is “one of the greatest disgraces” in Europe, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said.
Kiev’s recruitment drive, overseen by the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has grown increasingly brutal as Ukrainian forces confront setbacks and manpower shortages. Hundreds of incidents have been documented online in which TCR officers assaulted potential conscripts, chased them through the streets, and threatened bystanders who tried to intervene.
According to Szijjarto, there is now an “open manhunt” in Ukraine. “Everyone knows that during this forced conscription, people are often beaten, in some cases beaten to death,” Szijjarto said at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday, as quoted by Sputnik. Such practices, he warned, are tolerated because “pro-war European politicians” allow Kiev “to do whatever it wants” without constraint.
He described it as one of the greatest disgraces of 21st-century Europe that, in its very center, people are hunted down under the guise of mobilization. Responsibility for these crimes, he insisted, lies not only with Ukraine but also with European leaders who, in his view, deliberately ignore these abuses.
Ukraine introduced a general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia, barring most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. In 2024, the government lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and further tightened recruitment rules in order to offset growing battlefield losses.
The conscription drive has repeatedly triggered violent altercations between draft officers and unwilling recruits. Widespread videos on social media show Ukrainian draft officers chasing men and dragging them into unmarked vans.
This has led to growing public outrage over what is now widely known as “busification.” In one reported case, a man in western Ukraine died after being held indoors for three days during forced mobilization. His relatives later discovered his body in a morgue.
In response, many potential recruits have attempted to escape the country by crossing treacherous terrain or rivers, often with fatal consequences.
The bloc’s officials reportedly believe that Berlin could withhold troops from a possible monitoring mission
EU officials fear that Germany could “chicken out” and ditch plans to send ground troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, citing sources.
An unnamed EU diplomat cited by the paper warned that if Germany wants to remain a leading nation in Europe, Berlin “cannot participate in the planning for months and then duck out.”
Moscow earlier signaled it would not accept NATO troop deployment in the neighboring country under any pretext.
The diplomat told the outlet that if Berlin limits its support to money, “the international damage to its image would be enormous.”
According to Der Spiegel, Berlin is still committed to strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and providing equipment for four mechanized infantry brigades, alongside continued training of Ukrainian soldiers and closer integration of European and Ukrainian arms industries.
In August, Bild reported that Berlin had shelved plans to possibly deploy soldiers to Ukraine. According to the tabloid, the proposal was dropped after US President Donald Trump made clear there would be no American boots on the ground.
Publicly, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Germany currently has no concrete plans to send troops, although the idea is not off the table. “Many questions can only be answered once we have at least a ceasefire. Until then, there will certainly be no troop deployments to Ukraine,” he said.
The report comes after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries had pledged to contribute to Ukraine’s security once a ceasefire is agreed. These countries promised “to deploy as a ‘reassurance force’ troops in Ukraine, or be present on the ground, in the sea, or in the air,” he added, without providing details on the exact line-up or roles.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also accused Germany of “whipping up hysterical Russophobia on the European continent” while trying to play a “leading role” in that effort.
