Latvian president calls for more pressure on Russia
The president of Latvia, a Baltic state neighboring Russia, has said it is necessary to look at introducing more sanctions on Russia to push it to engage in serious negotiations over a ceasefire with Ukraine.
President Edgars Rinkevics spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Monday. He visited Japan for the World Expo in Osaka.
Rinkevics referred to Friday's direct talks between Russia and Ukraine that were held for the first time in about three years.
He harshly criticized Russia, saying he sees no inclination on the Russian side for a ceasefire or to negotiate in a serious manner.
Rinkevics said the only way to push Russia to negotiate seriously and agree on an unconditional ceasefire is "simply putting more political and economic pressure."
He also touched on phone talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that are scheduled for Monday.
Rinkevics expressed hope that Trump will be able to convince Putin to sit at the negotiation table and agree on an unconditional ceasefire. But he added that it remains to be seen how the phone call will develop.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
36 minutes ago
- NHK
UK ministry: About 1 mil. Russian casualties likely in invasion of Ukraine
The British defense ministry says the Russian military has likely sustained about 1 million casualties -- killed and wounded -- since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The ministry made the announcement on Thursday, more than three years and three months into the conflict. It said it is likely that around 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or are missing. The ministry said, "Russia's senior leadership are almost certainly prepared to tolerate continuously high resultant casualty rates so long as this does not negatively affect public or elite support for the war, and those losses can be replaced." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday also said the number of Russian casualties in the invasion has reached 1 million. Zelenskyy wrote on social media that the tally is the price Russian President Vladimir Putin "is willing to pay for his sick geopolitical fantasies." He added that Putin still "refuses to end this war." Zelenskyy plans to attend the Group of Seven summit in Canada next week. The agenda of the meeting will include how to deal with Russia. Zelenskyy spoke in a joint news conference with German defense minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday. He said, "It is clear that we are very close to important sanctions decisions." Zelenskyy also expressed the hope for a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
Nikkei Asia
4 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump says US has a 'golden share' in US Steel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States has a "golden share" in U.S. Steel as part of a deal for Nippon Steel to buy the iconic American company. It was not immediately clear what structural element of the deal Trump was referring to, but he said the share meant that Americans would have a 51% ownership in the American steelmaker.
NHK
8 hours ago
- NHK
China sets 6-month limit on rare earth export licenses for US, WSJ reports
A leading US newspaper says China is imposing a six-month limit on rare-earth export licenses for US automakers and manufacturers. China's export restrictions on rare earth metals and US control on semiconductor-related exports were believed to be among the top agenda items during two days of trade talks in London that ended on Tuesday. Both sides said they agreed on a framework to implement the consensus reached during discussions last month in Geneva. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump posted on social media, "ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA." The Wall Street Journal quoted sources familiar with the trade talks as saying that, in exchange for China easing rare earth curbs for now, US negotiators agreed to relax some recent restrictions on the sale to China of items such as jet engines and related parts, as well as ethane. Ethane is used to manufacture chemical products. The newspaper said that China's "six-month limit illustrated how each side is retaining the tools to easily escalate tensions again."
