Trump's ‘peace through strength' message resonates with Russian neighbor
Of the 188 countries taking part in the vote, 178 cast their ballots in favor of the Eastern European nation.
Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Baiba Braže, who attended the vote at the U.N.'s New York City headquarters, told Fox News Digital that her country is ready to address the ongoing Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas wars. Ahead of its term on the council, Riga has its eyes set on peace for all parties involved in both conflicts.
"We shall work on the U.N. Security Council to help achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the Middle East and other conflict regions, to strengthen global security, safeguard the international rules-based order in line with the U.N. Charter and make the work of the U.N. Security Council more effective," Braže said in her address to the U.N. last week.
Russia Launches Biggest Drone Barrage Of The Ukraine War, Kyiv Says
When it comes to Israel and Hamas, Braže emphasized the need to get aid to the people of Gaza but said that Latvia did not have a position on how it should be done, despite international criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Braže expressed the need for the best solution to the aid issue in Gaza would be "whatever is more efficient" and that she believes both sides will be able to work on that. Overall, Braže was focused on one key point: getting aid to vulnerable people in Gaza.
Read On The Fox News App
The war in Ukraine hits closer to home for Braže. Latvia, like Ukraine, was part of the Soviet Union and gained its independence in 1991 after the USSR dissolved. She told Fox News Digital that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using "traditional Russian-Soviet tactics," such as delays in negotiations, but she believes there are ways to pressure the Kremlin into peace.
Braže also said that Latvia "fully supports" President Donald Trump's vision of peace through strength to quash the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy Dismisses Trump's Claim That Russia Wants Peace, Says He Knows Putin 'Much Better'
"Currently we don't see a single indication that Russia wants peace. It's bluffing, it's asking impossible demands from the U.S., from Ukraine and others, and then blaming Ukraine for not accepting those impossible demands," she said.
Braže told Fox News Digital that limiting Russia's income and its access to technology will be crucial to securing a stable and lasting peace. This would also mean intervening in potentially threatening partnerships, such as the one between China and Russia.
"Making sure that the oil price stays low and that its oil and gas exports are affected and limited is very important," she said.
The foreign minister accused China of being the "main enabler" of Russia through its exports to the country. She said that Russia is able to "cannibalize" parts of the exports it gets from China and put them toward its missile program.
Nato To Consider Higher Defense Spending Target For Member Countries
Beyond how the world handles Russia, Braže sees strengthening Ukraine's ability to defend itself as a crucial part of ending the war. She noted that Ukraine is acting in accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. Braže also called Ukraine the "strongest deterrent of Russia's aggression."
"So, military aid, humanitarian aid, political support, moral support, everything is needed. So that is the strength, and that will lead to peace," she told Fox News Digital.
When asked about what a victory for Ukraine, as well as long-lasting security, would look like, Braže left it up to Kyiv.
"Ukraine will define what it sees both as peace and victory. We believe that Ukraine's sovereignty, Ukraine's ability to control its territory, Ukraine not accepting the occupied territories as Russian—because that's against international law—that all are elements that will be required for both peace but also for Ukraine, considering that it has not lost the war."Original article source: Trump's 'peace through strength' message resonates with Russian neighbor
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
26 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ukraine won't give up land that Russia doesn't already occupy, Zelensky says after Putin's demand
Kyiv will not give up land that Moscow troops aren't occupying as part of any peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands. Speaking ahead of his meeting with President Trump on Monday, Zelensky told reporters in Brussels that while Kyiv would be open to 'land swaps' in exchange for peace, Putin's demands to cede the entirety of the Donetsk region — including parts under Ukrainian control — is off the table. 'We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now,' Zelensky said. 'The contact line is the best line for talking. Advertisement 4 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not cede land to Russia that has been successfully defended by his troops as part of a peace deal. AFP via Getty Images 4 Ukrainian troops have been able to effectively halt Russia's advancements in the Donetsk region for more than three years. Getty Images 'Russia is still unsuccessful in the Donetsk region,' he added. 'Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land.' During his summit with Trump on Friday, Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw all its forces from Donetsk and the neighboring Luhanks region, both of which lie along the eastern border, as one of the main conditions for ending the war. Advertisement While Russia currently controls a large swath of land across both regions, Ukraine has been able to keep Moscow's forces from claiming the entire regions for more than three years. Kyiv still holds the key cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, with hundreds of Moscow's troops killed or injured every week in the quagmire. 4 Vladimir Putin has made no public statement that Moscow would consider any concessions in the peace talks with Ukraine, with the Russian President demanding two entire Ukrainian regions to stop his invasion force. AP Advertisement Zelensky said Kyiv would not falter on these conditions, with European leaders backing the Ukrainian president and warning Trump that the country's border cannot be allowed to be altered through force. 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia,' Zelensky added. 'So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen, and if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow,' he added. 4 A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer at invading Russian forces in Donetsk on Saturday. Getty Images Advertisement As he prepares for this meeting with Trump on Monday, Zelensky said he will seek the full details of the 'security guarantees' that will be available for Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Putin agreed to allow the US and Europe to provide Ukraine with assurances that it will never again be invaded by Russia, similar to NATO's 'Article 5' agreement that allows member nations to defend each other if one is ever attacked. Putin has publicly denounced any deal that would give Ukraine NATO membership, with Trump also dismissing such proposals in the past. The Russian strongman has also remained silent on what concessions Moscow is willing to make in the peace talks, which leaves Zelensky with more questions than answers following Friday's summit in Alaska. 'We really want to get an answer to these questions in order to understand what 'security guarantees' are,' Zelensky said.
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel's growing frustration over the war in Gaza erupts in nationwide protests
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police made dozens of arrests on Sunday as tens of thousands of protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza aimed to shut down the country in one of the largest and fiercest protests in 22 months of war. Groups representing families of hostages organized the demonstrations, and gave an even larger estimate of attendees, as frustration grows in Israel over plans for a new military offensive in some of Gaza's most populated areas. Many Israelis fear that could further endanger the remaining hostages. Twenty of the 50 who remain are believed to be alive. 'We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages,' protesters chanted. Even some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs now call for a deal to end the fighting. Protesters gathered at dozens of places including outside politicians' homes, military headquarters and on major highways. They blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. Police said they arrested 38 people. 'The only way to bring (hostages) back is through a deal, all at once, without games,' former hostage Arbel Yehoud said at a demonstration in Tel Aviv. Her boyfriend Ariel Cunio is still held by Hamas. One protester carried a photo of an emaciated Palestinian child from Gaza. Such images were once rare at Israeli demonstrations but now appear more often as outrage grows over conditions for Palestinian civilians after more than 250 malnutrition-related deaths. Netanyahu opposes any deal that leaves Hamas in power An end to the war does not seem near. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is balancing competing pressures including the potential for mutiny within his coalition. 'Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,' Netanyahu said, referencing the Hamas-led attack in 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and sparked the war. The last time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that released hostages earlier this year, far-right members of his cabinet threatened to topple Netanyahu's government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called the demonstrations 'a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas' hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future.' The new offensive would require the call-up of thousands of reservists, another concern for many Israelis. Another 17 aid-seekers killed in Gaza Hospitals and witnesses in Gaza said Israeli forces killed at least 17 aid-seekers on Sunday, including nine awaiting U.N. aid trucks close to the Morag corridor. Hamza Asfour said he was just north of the corridor awaiting a convoy when Israeli snipers fired, first to disperse the crowds, then from tanks hundreds of meters (yards) away. He saw two people with gunshot wounds. 'It's either to take this risk or wait and see my family die of starvation,' he said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported distribution points that have become the main source of aid since they opened in May, said there was no gunfire 'at or near' its sites, which are located in military-controlled areas. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions. Israel's air and ground war has displaced most of Gaza's population and killed more than 61,900 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. Two children and five adults died of malnutrition-related causes Sunday, according to the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own. The United Nations has warned that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Most aid has been blocked from entering Gaza since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after ending a ceasefire. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organizations say the flow is far below what is needed. Fears of the coming military offensive It is not clear when Israel's military will begin the new offensive in the crowded Gaza City, Muwasi and what Netanyahu has called the 'central camps' of Gaza. The military body that coordinates its humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, this weekend noted plans to forcibly evacuate people from combat zones to southern Gaza 'for their protection.' Designated 'safe zones,' however, also have been bombed during the war. War-weary Palestinians on Sunday insisted that they won't leave, arguing that there is 'no safe place' in Gaza. 'There are no humanitarian zones at all,' said Raghda Abu Dhaher, who said she has been displaced 10 times during the war and now shelters in a school in western Gaza City. Mohamed Ahmed also insisted that he won't move south. 'Here is bombing and there is bombing,' he said. Airstrike on power plant in Yemen Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital Sunday, escalating strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who since the war in Gaza began have fired missiles at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah Television said the strikes targeted a power plant in the southern district of Sanhan, sparking a fire and knocking it out of service. Israel's military said the strikes were launched in response to missiles and drones aimed at Israel. While some projectiles have breached its missile defenses — notably during its 12-day war with Iran in June — Israel has intercepted the vast majority of missiles launched from Yemen. Its military later Sunday said it had intercepted another, and the Houthis claimed they had targeted Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. ___ Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel and Magdy from Cairo. Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
Rubio shoots down report that Trump backs Putin's plan for Russia to control Ukraine's Donbas region
Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on reports that President Donald Trump supports Vladimir Putin's proposal for Russia to take full control of Ukraine's Donbas region, making clear that decisions on such territory will be left to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."The president has said that, in terms of territories, these are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on. These are things that the Ukrainian side is going to have to agree to," Rubio said on "Sunday Morning Futures."His appearance came days after Trump's high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which Rubio said allowed for "progress" despite a future peace deal remaining GIVES RUBIO A 'NEW AND DIFFERENT APPROACH' AS TRUMP PUSHES FOR PEACE WITH UKRAINERubio also clarified Trump's role in narrowing down the issues and brokering progress between Russia and Ukraine after years of war, while warning that the talks could collapse if the U.S. moves forward with additional sanctions on Moscow. "The minute you put additional sanctions on him [Putin]… peace talks are no longer possible," he continued, cautioning that economic punishment could derail Trump's effort to bring Putin to the believes that Trump is the only world leader capable of brokering peace between the rivaling nations, which have been sparring on a large scale since February WE'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL, 'NOT A MERE CEASEFIRE'European leaders are also said to play a role in the process, particularly in providing long-term security guarantees that could give Ukraine the confidence to negotiate. Several heads of state are expected to join Zelenskyy at the White House this week, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as Trump pushes for a framework that could prevent a renewed Russian offensive in the coming Rubio acknowledged that the negotiations remain difficult, with issues like territorial boundaries and future military alliances far from resolved. "If one side gets everything they want, that's not a peace deal. It's called surrender," he secretary added that while peace may not yet be guaranteed, Trump's willingness to engage both sides offers the only realistic path forward.
