Putin warns of escalation in Middle East during 50-minute call with Trump
Putin told the US leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to the state news agency RIA. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
Listen to article
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, condemning the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressing concern about the risks of escalation, the Kremlin said.
"Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Trump, for his part, described events in the Middle East as "very alarming," according to Ushakov. However, both leaders said they did not rule out a return to negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, Ushakov added.
On Ukraine, Putin told the US leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to the state news agency RIA. Trump reiterated his interest in a speedy resolution to the conflict, the Kremlin aide said.
Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
38 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Macron visits Greenland to signal European resolve after Trump annexation threats
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Greenland on Sunday, in a show of solidarity with Denmark meant to send a signal of European resolve after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to take over the island. Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark with the right to declare independence. Both the Greenland and Danish governments say it is not for sale and only Greenlanders can determine their future. President Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to take over the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island, and has not ruled out force. His vice president, JD Vance, visited a U.S. military base there in March. Macron, the first foreign leader to visit Greenland since Trump's explicit threats to 'get' the island, was invited by the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark. He has said his visit is meant to prevent any 'preying' on the territory. Macron warns against 'peace that is a capitulation' in Ukraine 'France has stood by us since the first statements about taking our land emerged. This support is both necessary and gratifying,' Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook days ahead of Macron's visit. Asked if Macron would deliver an explicit message to the United States during his visit, an adviser to Macron told reporters: 'The trip is a signal in itself,' without mentioning Trump. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio on Sunday: 'Greenland is a European territory and it is normal that Europe and notably France show their interest.' According to an IFOP poll for published on Saturday, 77% of the French and 56% of Americans disapprove of an annexation of Greenland by the U.S. and 43% of the French would approve using French military power to prevent a U.S. invasion. Macron will visit the capital Nuuk, as well as a hydropower station funded by the EU and a glacier, and discuss Arctic security and climate change with his hosts. Though Denmark is an EU member, Greenland is outside the bloc. The French adviser said the visit would be an opportunity to discuss how to give Greenland's association partnership with the EU a 'new dimension'. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made several visits to Paris after Trump's threats to seek French and European backing, and has placed orders for French-made surface-to-air missiles, in a shift of focus for Copenhagen. Enlisting the EU's only nuclear power is a way for Denmark, long one of Washington's most loyal allies in Europe, to project a form of hard power towards a suddenly more aggressive United States, said Florian Vidal of the Paris-based IFRI think tank. 'The Trump administration's more aggressive posture is a shock that makes the French vision of Europe, one that is more autonomous, appear more reasonable for Denmark,' he said. 'From a Nordic point of view, France is a military power that counts.'
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Trump's parade rolls through D.C. amid protests and political violence
Listen to article President Donald Trump's long-sought military parade rolled though the streets of downtown Washington on Saturday, but the celebration of the US Army's 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and discord. In the hours before the parade began, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched and rallied in streets in cities from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, protesting Trump's actions while in office, in the largest such actions since his return to power in January. Earlier in the day, a gunman assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota. The gunman remains at large. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks early on Sunday, stoking fears of a mushrooming conflict between the two nations. All of it followed a week of tension in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration raids resulted in Trump calling in National Guard troops and US Marines to help keep the peace, over the objections of the state's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The parade, which fell on Trump's 79th birthday, kicked off earlier than expected with thunderstorms forecast in the Washington area. Tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery rumbled down the parade route along storied Constitution Avenue, an unusual sight in the US where such displays of military might are rare. "Every other country celebrates their victories, it's about time America did too," Trump told the crowd following the parade. Thousands of spectators lined up along the route. Trump watched the proceedings from an elevated viewing stand behind bulletproof glass. Some of the president's opponents also managed to find a spot along the parade route, holding signs in protest. Other demonstrators were kept separate from the parade crowd by local police. The US Army has brought nearly 7,000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles, and artillery pieces including the M777 and M119. Army's history The parade traced the history of the Army from its founding during the Revolutionary War through modern day. Trump frequently stood and saluted troops as they marched by. Members of Trump's cabinet including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio looked on. Trump had first expressed interest in a military parade in Washington early in his first 2017-2021 term in office. In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War. The celebrations were expected to cost the US Army between $25 million and $45 million, U.S. officials have told Reuters. That includes the parade itself as well as the cost of moving equipment and housing and feeding the troops. Critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially given Trump has said he wants to slash costs throughout the federal government. Bryan Henrie, a Trump supporter, flew in from Texas to celebrate the Army's anniversary and did not see any issues with tanks rolling down the streets of Washington. 'I don't see a controversy. I will celebrate safety and stability any day over anarchy,' 61-year-old Henrie said. 'Shame! Shame!' Earlier in the day, thousands marched in Washington and other cities in protest of Trump's policies. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, and marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's presidency since he returned to power in January. In Los Angeles, however, the situation remained tense. About an hour before a downtown curfew, police officers mounted on horses were aggressively pushing back demonstrators, using gas, flash bangs and other less lethal munitions, causing large groups to panic and flee. Protesters were firing what police called commercial-grade fireworks against officers, along with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators wore gas masks and helmets and vowed to stay in the area for many more hours. A crowd earlier had confronted soldiers guarding a federal building, yelling 'Shame! Shame!' and 'Marines, get out of LA!' Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations across the country to coincide with the parade. Many took place under the theme "No Kings," asserting that no individual is above the law. Thousands of people of all ages turned out in and around Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, many carrying homemade signs that played off the 'No Kings' theme. 'No crown for a clown,' said one. Actor Mark Ruffalo was among the demonstrators, wearing a hat that read "immigrant." 'We're seeing dehumanizing language towards LGBT people, towards people with autism, towards people with other disabilities, racial minorities, undocumented people,' said Cooper Smith, 20, from upstate New York. 'Somebody's got to show that most Americans are against this.' Protesters in downtown Chicago stood off against police on Saturday, with some waving upside-down American flags and chanting: 'Who do you protect? Who do you serve?' and 'No justice, no peace." Members of the far-right Proud Boys, ardent Trump supporters, appeared at an Atlanta "No Kings" protest, wearing the group's distinctive black and yellow colors. About 400 protesters, organized by a group called marched through Washington and gathered for a rally in a park opposite the White House. Trump had warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying that "they're going to be met with very big force." Sunsara Taylor, a founder of RefuseFascism, told the crowd, 'Today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people of this country and in the streets of this country. We say, 'Hell no.''
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Israel tells Iranians near military zones to evacuate
Israel issued evacuation warnings on Sunday to residents living near weapons production sites in Tehran, as missile exchanges between Israel and Iran persisted into a third day following Friday's escalation. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the military would target these facilities directly and continue operations aimed at dismantling Iran's military infrastructure. 'We will strike these sites and continue to strip away the Iranian snake's skin in Tehran and beyond — focusing on nuclear assets and weapons systems,' Katz said in an official statement. Israel had earlier issued an evacuation warning to Iranians residing near weapons facilities in Iran, an Israeli military spokesperson said in a post on X in Arabic and Farsi. The spokesperson said the warning included all weapons factories and supporting facilities. Israel launched its biggest military strike against Iran on Friday, saying its goal was to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons and to take out Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. On the other hand, Iran activated its air defences in several regions on Saturday and Israel told its citizens to take shelter ahead of a fresh barrage of missiles, as the arch-foes exchanged massive strikes in their fiercest confrontation in history. Read: Israeli attacks secret Houthi meeting site in Yemen The fresh attacks come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit "every target of the regime", and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned further strikes would draw "a more severe and powerful response". Amid growing global calls for de-escalation, a new round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for Sunday was cancelled, with Iran saying it could not negotiate while under attack from Israel. Israel's operation, which began early Friday, has targeted Iran's air defences and hit key nuclear and military sites, killing dozens of people, including top army commanders and atomic scientists, according to Tehran. Israeli officials have confirmed that at least 10 people were killed, more than 200 injured, and 35 are still unaccounted for after a major Iranian retaliatory strike hit several Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. The attack, described by Iran as a response to previous Israeli actions, struck military and strategic sites, resulting in widespread destruction and disruption. Rescue efforts are ongoing, and hospitals across affected areas are under pressure as they deal with the high number of casualties.
