Latest news with #MariaZakharova


Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Russia Accuses West of ‘Robbery and Looting'
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused "neocolonial" Western powers of modern "robbery and looting" in the pursuit of rare earth metals to gain an advantage in the artificial intelligence race. These highly prized resources are vital for the manufacture of cutting-edge technology, and U.S. President Donald Trump has put a particular emphasis on procuring them from Ukraine, Greenland, China, and elsewhere. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also touted rare earths to Trump from the areas of eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Moscow, which tried to seize control of Kyiv in its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. "[Rare earth metals] are the prize in the trade wars underway between the key suppliers of AI solutions to the market," Zakharova wrote in an op-ed titled "Neo-coloniAIism" for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, state news agency TASS reported. "Political elites in Western countries, most of which don't have such reserves, seek to gain preempted and unrestricted access to the fields held by the countries of the global majority, and while doing so, they pursue an aggressive neocolonial policy bordering on robbery and looting." This is a developing article. Updates to follow. Related Articles US Citizen Held at Russia Airport With Gun, $138K CheckRussia's Oil Prices Lag Behind TargetChina Reacts As Russia Floats New Geopolitical Power Bloc With IndiaRussia Issues Nuclear Warning After Trump's Weapons for Ukraine Plan 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.


Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moscow comments on reports of North Korean resort closure
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has refuted recent Western media reports claiming that North Korea closed its brand-new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort to foreign tourists after a visit from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Bloomberg and AP ran a story on Friday citing North Korean tourism authorities claiming the resort was 'temporarily not receiving foreign guests,' with Bloomberg linking the closure to the minister's visit. The Russian Foreign Ministry has since stated that the suspension had nothing to do with the diplomatic trip but was rather due to COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place in North Korea since February of 2020. It noted, however, that 'an exception has been made for tourists from the Russian Federation, who have been visiting the country since early 2024.' 'US media outlets affiliated with American intelligence services have spread disinformation,' Zakharova told journalists. The diplomat went on to describe the claim as 'classic lies' and 'a crude fake,' most likely driven by 'nothing more than the spite' of Washington's military and political elite, which 'has seen their strategy of pressuring North Korea fail.' Lavrov became the first high-profile foreign guest to tour the resort since it opened to visitors earlier this month. Zakharova accompanied the top diplomat and posted photographs from the resort on her Telegram channel. The trip was intended to highlight the growing cooperation between the two countries since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. During talks with North Korean officials, Lavrov described the facility as 'great,' saying Russia would help boost tourism and transport links with the DPRK. Direct flights currently operate between Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok and Pyongyang. Some 1500 Russian tourists visited North Korea last year, according to the deputy governor of the Primorye Region, where Vladivostok is located. Russia's Nordwind Airlines is set to launch direct service from Moscow to the North Korean capital later this month.


Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Russia Accuses West of 'Robbery and Looting'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused "neocolonial" Western powers of modern "robbery and looting" in the pursuit of rare earth metals to gain an advantage in the artificial intelligence race. These highly prized resources are vital for the manufacture of cutting-edge technology, and U.S. President Donald Trump has put a particular emphasis on procuring them from Ukraine, Greenland, China, and elsewhere. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also touted rare earths to Trump from the areas of eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Moscow, which tried to seize control of Kyiv in its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. "[Rare earth metals] are the prize in the trade wars underway between the key suppliers of AI solutions to the market," Zakharova wrote in an op-ed titled "Neo-coloniAIism" for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, state news agency TASS reported. "Political elites in Western countries, most of which don't have such reserves, seek to gain preempted and unrestricted access to the fields held by the countries of the global majority, and while doing so, they pursue an aggressive neocolonial policy bordering on robbery and looting." This is a developing article. Updates to follow.

Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Will Attack Suppliers': Russia Warns NATO Nations Against Long-Range Missiles For Ukraine
In a fiery warning, Russia declared it may strike NATO nations if their weapons target Russian soil. The Russian Foreign Ministry, through spokesperson Maria Zakharova, said countries supplying Ukraine—like Germany—risk having their military bases attacked. She cited German Taurus missiles as proof of direct Western involvement, claiming such systems require foreign troops and NATO satellite support. Zakharova warned intercepted missiles will expose their origin, justifying retaliation. The bold threat marks a dangerous escalation in rhetoric as Moscow draws red lines around foreign military aid.#russia #nato #putin #trump #moscow #kremlin #zelensky #kyiv #ukrainewar #taurusmissiles #moscowwarning #zakharova #geopolitics #militaryescalation Read More


Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Russia says Trump's new weapons pledge a signal for Ukraine to abandon peace efforts
MOSCOW: US President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the 'blackmail' of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum. Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. The US also promised more missiles and other weaponry for Kyiv. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, condemned the move. 'It is obvious that the Kyiv regime consistently perceives such decisions by the collective West as a signal to continue the slaughter and abandon the peace process,' Zakharova told a news briefing in Moscow. Russia's all-out war against Ukraine in February, 2022, has led to Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War Two, with the United States estimating that 1.2 million people have been injured or killed. Moscow says it was forced to launch the war to protect itself from an expanding NATO. Ukraine and most Western governments call Russia's war a colonial-style land grab. Russian forces now control around one fifth of Ukrainian territory and are slowly but steadily advancing across a vast frontline, sustaining what the US believes are heavy losses along the way. Trump, who has made ending the conflict a priority of his administration, is threatening '100 percent tariffs on Russia' and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire deal by his 50-day deadline. 'An unprecedented number of sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on our country and our international partners. There are so many of them that we view the threat of new sanctions as mundane,' Zakharova said. 'The language of ultimatums, blackmail, and threats is unacceptable to us. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and protect the interests of our country.' 'PROXY WAR' Both Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Trump have repeatedly cautioned over the escalatory risks of the conflict, which they cast as a proxy war between the world's two biggest nuclear powers. US efforts to broker peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, however, have faced repeated setbacks. Russia says it is ready to hold further talks, but has made it clear it wants all of the territory of four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own — terms which Ukraine say are unacceptable and would amount to a capitulation. Moscow is also keen to revive its battered bilateral relationship with the United States if possible, though Trump's latest moves on Ukraine have soured the atmosphere. Trump said on Monday that he was 'very unhappy' and 'disappointed' with Putin and cast his decision to send more arms to Ukraine as intended to jolt Russia toward peace. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance. Earlier on Thursday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe. But he said it should respond and, if necessary, launch preemptive strikes if it believed the West was escalating what he cast as its full-scale war against Russia. 'We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch preemptive strikes,' Medvedev was quoted as saying. The remarks by Medvedev, reported in full by the TASS state news agency, indicate that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West over Ukraine escalating after Trump's latest decisions. 'What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, etc.), sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarization of Europe,' Medvedev said, according to TASS.