Latest news with #Russian-annexed
Eyewitness News
30-04-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Calls for 'diplomacy,' 'cooperation' at BRICS summit
BRICS Tariffs Russia-Ukraine conflict Senior diplomats from BRICS countries met on Monday in Brazil to present a united front in the face of threats emerging from US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil, which chairs the 11-nation BRICS grouping that also includes Russia and China, called for closer cooperation Monday as the world deals with conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and trade wars under US President Donald ministers of the bloc met in Rio de Janeiro as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day truce with Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelensky described the move as "a new attempt at manipulation.""We advocate diplomacy instead of confrontation, and cooperation instead of unilateralism," Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told the BRICS envoys in Rio."The conflict in Ukraine continues to have a severe humanitarian impact, highlighting the urgent need for a diplomatic solution," he from the bloc - which also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates - met to hone their agenda ahead of a leaders' summit on July 6 and group has traditionally been cautious in its comments about the Ukraine war, issuing calls for peace while steering clear of condemning Russia's is a founding BRICS member and its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, attended the Rio meeting came at the start of what the United States has called a "critical week" for talks on ending the Ukraine appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Zelensky at Pope Francis's funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was "just tapping me along."At the same time, the US president has been piling pressure on Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea. - 'Complete withdrawal' from Gaza - Vieira on Monday also called for a "complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza."The resumption of Israeli bombings and the continuous obstruction of humanitarian aid are unacceptable," he ministers are expected to issue a final joint statement Tuesday in which they will call for respect for multilateralism and international market meeting came at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of Trump's sweeping returning to the White House in January, the US leader has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 percent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 percent on many has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods. Senior Chinese economic planner Zhao Chenxin said in Beijing Monday his country was on the "right side of history" in the face of what he called Washington's "unilateralism and bullying." - BRICS currency 'premature' - BRICS has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception as a group of four powers - Brazil, Russia, India and China - seeking an alternative platform to Western-led international organizations such as the G7. It now makes up nearly half of the world's population, 39 percent of global GDP and weighs in on issues from Ukraine to Gaza to global trade. A BRICS challenge to the hegemony of the dollar was expected to feature high on the agenda being prepared for July. At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100 percent tariffs if they undercut the US to Brazil's O Globo newspaper ahead of Monday's meeting, Russia's Lavrov said BRICS nations planned to "increase the share of national currencies in transactions" between member states, but said talk of transitioning towards a unified BRICS currency was "premature."Vieira, whose country has so far been spared the worst of Trump's trade ire, also denied any plans to create a new change is also expected to feature prominently in the ministers' final statement. Brazil is the host of this year's UN COP30 climate conference, which will take place in November in the Amazon city of Belem.
NZ Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Brazil calls for global ‘diplomacy,' ‘co-operation' at Brics summit
Ministers from the bloc, which also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, met to hone their agenda before a leaders' summit on July 6 and 7. The group has traditionally been cautious in its comments about the Ukraine war, issuing calls for peace while steering clear of condemning Russia's invasion. Russia is a founding Brics member and its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the Rio gathering. The meeting came at the start of what the United States has called a 'critical week' for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Zelenskyy at Pope Francis' funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was 'just tapping me along'. At the same time, the US President has been piling pressure on Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea. Complete withdrawal' from Gaza Vieira on Tuesday also called for a 'complete withdrawal' of Israeli forces from Gaza. 'The resumption of Israeli bombings and the continuous obstruction of humanitarian aid are unacceptable,' he said. The ministers are expected to issue a final joint statement Wednesday in which they will call for respect for multilateralism and international market rules. Their meeting came at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of Trump's sweeping tariffs. Since returning to the White House in January, the US leader has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10% tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145% on many products. Beijing has responded with duties of 125% on US goods. Senior Chinese economic planner Zhao Chenxin said in Beijing on Monday that his country was on the 'right side of history' in the face of what he called Washington's 'unilateralism and bullying'. Brics currency 'premature' Brics has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception as a group of four powers – Brazil, Russia, India and China – seeking an alternative platform to Western-led international organisations such as the G7. It now makes up nearly half of the world's population, 39% of global GDP and weighs in on issues from Ukraine to Gaza to global trade. A Brics challenge to the hegemony of the US dollar was expected to feature high on the agenda being prepared for July. At a summit last year, Brics members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100% tariffs if they undercut the US currency. Speaking to Brazil's O Globo newspaper before Tuesday's meeting, Russia's Lavrov said Brics nations planned to 'increase the share of national currencies in transactions' between member states, but said talk of transitioning towards a unified Brics currency was 'premature'. Vieira, whose country has so far been spared the worst of Trump's trade ire, also denied any plans to create a new currency. Climate change is also expected to feature prominently in the ministers' final statement. Brazil is the host of this year's UN COP30 climate conference, which will take place in November in the Amazon city of Belem.
Japan Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
BRICS meeting in Brazil discusses Ukraine, Gaza and Trump's trade war
Brazil, which chairs the 11-nation BRICS grouping that also includes Russia and China, called for closer cooperation Monday as the world deals with conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and trade wars under U.S. President Donald Trump. Foreign ministers of the bloc met in Rio de Janeiro as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day truce with Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the move as "a new attempt at manipulation." "We advocate diplomacy instead of confrontation, and cooperation instead of unilateralism," Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told the BRICS envoys in Rio. "The conflict in Ukraine continues to have a severe humanitarian impact, highlighting the urgent need for a diplomatic solution," he added. Ministers from the bloc — which also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — met to hone their agenda ahead of a leaders' summit on July 6 and 7. The group has traditionally been cautious in its comments about the Ukraine war, issuing calls for peace while steering clear of condemning Russia's invasion. Russia is a founding BRICS member and its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, attended the Rio gathering. The meeting came at the start of what the United States has called a "critical week" for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Zelenskyy at Pope Francis's funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was "just tapping me along." At the same time, the U.S. president has been piling pressure on Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea. 'Complete withdrawal' from Gaza Vieira on Monday also called for a "complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza. "The resumption of Israeli bombings and the continuous obstruction of humanitarian aid are unacceptable," he said. The ministers are expected to issue a final joint statement Tuesday in which they will call for respect for multilateralism and international market rules. Their meeting came at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of Trump's sweeping tariffs. Since returning to the White House in January, the U.S. leader has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10% tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145% on many products. Beijing has responded with duties of 125% on U.S. goods. Senior Chinese economic planner Zhao Chenxin said in Beijing Monday his country was on the "right side of history" in the face of what he called Washington's "unilateralism and bullying." BRICS currency 'premature' BRICS has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception as a group of four powers — Brazil, Russia, India and China — seeking an alternative platform to Western-led international organizations such as the G7. It now makes up nearly half of the world's population, 39% of global gross domestic product and weighs in on issues from Ukraine to Gaza to global trade. A BRICS challenge to the hegemony of the dollar was expected to feature high on the agenda being prepared for July. At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting nondollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100% tariffs if they undercut the U.S. currency. Speaking to Brazil's O Globo newspaper ahead of Monday's meeting, Russia's Lavrov said BRICS nations planned to "increase the share of national currencies in transactions" between member states, but said talk of transitioning towards a unified BRICS currency was "premature." Vieira, whose country has so far been spared the worst of Trump's trade ire, also denied any plans to create a new currency. Climate change is also expected to feature prominently in the ministers' final statement. Brazil is the host of this year's U.N. COP30 climate conference, which will take place in November in the Amazon city of Belem.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BRICS ministers meet in Brazil over Trump trade policies
Senior diplomats from the BRICS grouping of nations gathered Monday in Brazil to present a united front in the face of US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund this week slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the American leader's sweeping new tariffs. Foreign ministers from the ten-member trading bloc -- which includes current-chair Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- will hold two days of talks in Rio de Janeiro, as a precursor to a July leaders summit. Ahead of the gathering, Brazil's BRICS representative Mauricio Lyrio said diplomats were negotiating a joint declaration on "the centrality and importance of the multilateral trading system." The BRICS grouping has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception, and now includes Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. It makes up nearly half of the global population and 39 percent of global GDP. Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 percent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 percent on many products. Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods. At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump, who threatened them with 100 percent tariffs if they undercut the US currency. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will host this week's meeting that will be attended by Russia's Sergei Lavrov and China's Wang Yi among others. Speaking to Brazil's O Globo newspaper, Lavrov said that BRICS nations planned to "increase the share of national currencies in transactions" between member states but said the talk of transitioning towards a unified BRICS currency was "premature." - Russian ceasefire - The group is also likely to discuss the war in Ukraine, as Trump seeks to push Moscow and Kyiv toward a peace agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin caused surprise on Monday by announcing a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10. The White House suggested however that the pause was not satisfactory, saying that Trump had "made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first." Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis's funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was "just tapping me along." At the same time he has been pressuring Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea. Climate change is also expected to feature high on Brazil's agenda for the talks, which take place months before the major UN COP30 climate summit being hosted in the Amazon city of Belem. The BRICS will be joined for discussions on Tuesday by nine other "partner" countries, including several former Soviet states, as well as Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Nigeria. ll-tmo-jbr/cb/des
The South African
28-04-2025
- Business
- The South African
BRICS ministers meet in Brazil over Donald Trump trade policies
Senior diplomats from the BRICS grouping of nations gathered on Monday in Brazil to present a united front in the face of US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund this week slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the American leader's sweeping new tariffs. Foreign ministers from the ten-member trading bloc – which includes current-chair Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will hold two days of talks in Rio de Janeiro, as a precursor to a July leaders summit. Ahead of the gathering, Brazil's BRICS representative Mauricio Lyrio said diplomats were negotiating a joint declaration on 'the centrality and importance of the multilateral trading system.' The BRICS grouping has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception, and now includes Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. It makes up nearly half of the global population and 39 percent of global GDP. Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 percent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 percent on many products. Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods. At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump, who threatened them with 100 percent tariffs if they undercut the US currency. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will host this week's meeting that will be attended by Russia's Sergei Lavrov and China's Wang Yi among others. Speaking to Brazil's O Globo newspaper, Lavrov said that BRICS nations planned to 'increase the share of national currencies in transactions' between member states but said the talk of transitioning towards a unified BRICS currency was 'premature.' The group is also likely to discuss the war in Ukraine, as Trump seeks to push Moscow and Kyiv toward a peace agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin caused surprise on Monday by announcing a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10. The White House suggested however that the pause was not satisfactory, saying that Trump had 'made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first.' Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis's funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was 'just tapping me along.' At the same time he has been pressuring Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea. Climate change is also expected to feature high on Brazil's agenda for the talks, which take place months before the major UN COP30 climate summit being hosted in the Amazon city of Belem. The BRICS will be joined for discussions on Tuesday by nine other 'partner' countries, including several former Soviet states, as well as Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Nigeria. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
