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The Hindu
4 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Switzerland, Austria say would host ICC-wanted Putin for peace talks
Switzerland and Austria said Tuesday (August 19, 2025) that they would host Russian President Vladimir Putin if he came for talks on peace in Ukraine, despite the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant. French President Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of a peace summit between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy being held in Europe, in 'a neutral country, maybe Switzerland'. 'I'm pushing for Geneva,' he said in an interview aired earlier Tuesday (August 19, 2025) on French news channel LCI. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told a press conference that, under certain circumstances, Mr. Putin would be allowed to set foot in Switzerland. Last year, the Swiss government defined 'the rules for granting immunity to a person under an international arrest warrant. If this person comes for a peace conference — not if they come for private reasons', Mr. Cassis said. Mr. Cassis said Switzerland was fully prepared to host such a meeting and highlighted the militarily neutral country's long expertise in the field. However, he pointed out that Russia had gone cold on Switzerland, which has decided to match the sanctions imposed by the neighbouring European Union since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 'Long tradition' In neighbouring Austria, the chancellery said should peace talks take place on its soil, it would get in touch with the ICC 'to make it possible for President Putin to attend'. Chancellor Christian Stocker said he had already offered Vienna as a possible venue for negotiations to Mr. Zelenskyy during the Ukrainian President's visit in June. 'Our capital has a long tradition as a place of dialogue,' he said in a statement, evoking Vienna hosting several international organisations. Austria — a member of the EU but not NATO — sought close ties with Russia in the past, but relations deteriorated after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Switzerland permitted Russia's participation at a gathering of parliamentary speakers last month, with Valentina Matviyenko, President of the upper house of Russia's Federal Assembly, attending despite international sanctions. Switzerland said it acted in accordance with law and international agreements. Swiss authorities may authorise exemptions from travel restrictions, 'notably if the person is travelling to participate in an international conference,' a Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman told AFP at the time. Mr. Putin is wanted by the ICC for the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. Mr. Putin last visited Geneva for his June 2021 summit with then-President Joe Biden. The most recent bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul. Türkiye is considered more friendly by Moscow, despite its membership of NATO. Türkiye is not an ICC member.
Hans India
4 minutes ago
- Hans India
Making arrangements for Putin, Zelensky meet to end war: Trump
Washington: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is working to arrange a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore a possible pathway to end the war, following a day of talks at the White House with Zelensky and a group of European leaders. Trump said he spoke with Putin by phone during the discussions, days after meeting the Russian leader at a summit in Alaska. The White House meetings focused on potential long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a step Trump and European leaders said was essential to ending the conflict. Trump described the talks as 'very good' and suggested they had created momentum toward a possible Zelensky-Putin summit, which would be the first meeting between the two leaders since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. 'I think there's a reasonable chance of ending the war if we get to that meeting,' Trump said. He added that any deal must be designed to last, not just pause the fighting. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that 'everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,' underscoring his pledge to quickly broker an end to the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration is working to arrange an 'unprecedented' meeting between Zelensky and Putin, calling it a significant step toward ending the war. Speaking on Fox News, Rubio said the effort could eventually lead to a trilateral meeting with Trump. 'We're not there yet, but that's what we're aiming toward, and that's one of the things discussed today — how to get to that point,' he said. 'Just the fact that Putin is saying, 'Sure, I'll meet with Zelensky,' that's a big deal. I'm not saying they're going to leave that room best friends or with a peace deal, but the fact that they are talking at all — this wasn't happening for three and a half years.' The push for talks followed a high-stakes round of meetings at the White House, where Trump, Zelensky and European leaders gathered after Trump's summit in Alaska with Putin. Trump spoke with Putin by phone in the Oval Office before resuming discussions with Zelensky and European counterparts. French President Emmanuel Macron said the most important outcome of the talks was Washington's readiness to develop concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, marking what he called a decisive shift. 'Today, it was agreed that we will work with the United States of America on the content of these security guarantees and the cooperation that each party is prepared to provide,' Macron said, adding that the European leaders' 'Coalition of the Willing' has now expanded to 30 countries. He stressed that any talks between Zelensky and Putin must begin bilaterally and only take place under a ceasefire. While he welcomed Trump's belief in his ability to strike an agreement with Putin, Macron warned that Europe must be prepared to strengthen sanctions if negotiations stall. Zelensky told reporters the discussions included plans for Ukraine to acquire $90 billion in American weapons with European financing as part of its security framework, as well as a proposal for Ukraine to manufacture drones that the U.S. may help purchase. He cautioned that the agreement is still under negotiation but said details could be finalized within 10 days. He also recounted a long exchange with Trump over a map in the Oval Office showing Russian-occupied territories, describing it as a 'warm and meaningful conversation' even though no territorial redrawing was agreed upon. European leaders coordinated Trump's follow-up call to Putin to convey the outcomes of the White House meetings, Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed. Meanwhile, Zelensky reiterated his readiness to meet Putin in 'any format' without conditions. 'I believe unconditionally we should meet and think about the further development of this path to the end of the war,' he said. He indicated that Russia had suggested a bilateral meeting first, potentially followed by a trilateral session with Trump, but emphasized that waiting for preconditions would only invite counter-demands from Moscow.
Otago Daily Times
4 minutes ago
- Otago Daily Times
Well-known Rangiora retailer moves to Sydenham
The Fabric of Society's owner Emily Rowse, centre, with her dog Lilou and some of her staff members, Michelle Hewett, left, and Vicki Hazlett, taking a break from packing for the move to Sydenham. PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP A former Rangiora policewoman, who transformed her love of fabrics and homeware into a popular business in a residential area, has moved her shop to Christchurch. The Fabric of Society, which is owned by Emily Rowse, has begun trading at 6 Carlyle St in Sydenham, ending a long connection with its former Rangiora premises at 15 Coronation St. ''After many years in Rangiora we are thrilled to now call Sydenham home,'' Emily says. ''It is a vibrant design-forward neighbourhood that perfectly matches our aesthetic.'' The decision to move the business was made because Emily now lives in Christchurch, as do all of her staff. The move means the new shop will also be much closer to a larger population base of potential customers, not that trading in Rangiora was decreasing, as many of Emily's customers from around Canterbury told her they loved coming to Rangiora to shop. However, with the Chinese online marketplace behemoth Temu now offering a huge range of heavily discounted items, which is providing an irresistible lure for many shoppers, trading for all community-based retailers, such as The Fabric of Society, is becoming extremely challenging, Emily says. With this in mind, she wishes that consumers would consider the possible unintended consequences of such big support for online overseas shopping, which is the demise of retail businesses based in communities like Rangiora. She also wishes that consumers would consider the benefits of supporting retailers in their local communities, where the money they spend will not go overseas. The Fabric of Society began in July 2006 as Femme de Brocante, ''a made-up French saying that loosely translated means women who like old things'', upstairs in the Gables Arcade in Rangiora's High St before moving to the bigger space in Coronation St in 2009. The business was established to fill a gap in the market for affordable, designer fabrics and homeware from New Zealand, France and other nations worldwide. Emily took over Femme de Brocante in 2018 and decided it was a good time to also change the name of her business. ''Even my friends didn't know what Femme de Brocante meant,'' she says.
