Latest news with #escalation
Russia Today
27-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Kremlin warns of potential German-led ‘escalation'
Moscow considers Berlin's potential shift on Ukraine's use of German long-range weapons against Russia as a sign of 'serious escalation,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday. His comments came in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's declaration on Monday that there are now 'no more range restrictions' on Western-supplied weapons used by Kiev against Russian military targets. 'If this is true, then this is an escalation and a serious escalation, which most severely undermines attempts for a peaceful settlement that have been made,' Peskov said, referring to the first direct peace talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine earlier this month. Merz said on Monday that missiles from the UK, France, Germany, and the US could now be used without geographic limits against Russian military targets. His remarks sparked confusion over whether he was announcing a new policy and drew concern from within his own coalition. German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said no new decisions had been made on the range of Ukrainian strikes using German weapons beyond those set by the previous government. Ralf Stegner, a member of Merz's coalition partner, the SPD, called the comments 'unhelpful' and called for a stronger focus on diplomacy. Merz later clarified that the decision to lift restrictions on Western arms used by Ukraine had been made months ago, further confusing the public and reigniting debate over the possible delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev. With a range of up to 500 kilometers, the missiles could strike deep inside Russian territory, including the Russian capital. Moscow has warned that supplying such weapons would make Germany a direct party to the conflict. Peskov noted that any change in Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons must be officially approved and coordinated with the US due to the integrated nature of defense components. 'Any European weapon has American-made spare parts. And according to the rules of military-technical cooperation, permission to use a French missile with American chips embedded in it must be given,' he said. According to Peskov, Merz's remarks signal a lack of serious interest among EU states in resolving the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy. 'We see that the Europeans do not want peace. The Europeans are intent on further increasing pressure on Russia. They still dream that something can be achieved from Russia by pressure, not by willingness to listen. This is probably the biggest utopia that can be imagined on the European continent.'
LBCI
20-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Starmer says UK, France, and Canada appalled by escalation in Gaza
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that he and the leaders of France and Canada are appalled by the escalation in the Gaza Strip. He added that they renewed their call for a ceasefire. Reuters
Al Jazeera
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
India and Pakistan are 'keen to avoid further escalation'
Military Analyst Sean Bell discusses the India-Pakistan ceasefire, noting that it required little international pressure because both sides want to avoid further escalations.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside the White House's effort to pull India, Pakistan back from the brink of war
As officials in the White House became increasingly concerned about the escalation in the conflict between Pakistan and India, it was decided Friday morning that Vice President JD Vance would call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Twenty-four hours before President Donald Trump announced on social media Saturday morning that a ceasefire had been reached, the scramble in the White House began. Senior officials began to fear that the situation could spiral out of control with neither side seriously considering options for de-escalation after Pakistan hit back at Indian military sites on Friday following an Indian missile attack on Pakistan. The strikes mark the latest escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals, a move triggered by a mass shooting for which India blames Pakistan. Pakistan Says It Has Struck Military Targets Inside India In Series Of New Attacks In his noon phone call with Modi, Vance made it clear that the U.S. believed that there was a high probability of dramatic escalation as the conflict went into the weekend. Read On The Fox News App The vice president encouraged Modi to consider de-escalation options, including a potential off-ramp that U.S. officials knew the Pakistanis would be amenable to. Modi listened to the vice president's message, although he didn't explicitly indicate openness to any of the options put forth. Vance's call to Modi came less than a month after he met with the Indian leader in New Delhi to discuss trade talks. From that point, key U.S. officials continued to work the phones with their counterparts in India and Pakistan into the night to help re-establish communications between the two sides, allowing them to work out terms for a ceasefire in the next 12 to 18 hours. Pakistan, India Suggest Possible De-escalation Amid Both Countries' Missile Strikes "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social just before 8 a.m. on Saturday. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., reacted to the president's announcement by referring to him in a post on X as "The Peace President." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in a statement that he and Vance had engaged with officials from the two foreign countries. "Over the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik," Rubio said in the statement. "I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site," he continued. "We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace." Vance wrote in a post on X, "Great work from the President's team, especially Secretary Rubio. And my gratitude to the leaders of India and Pakistan for their hard work and willingness to engage in this ceasefire."Original article source: Inside the White House's effort to pull India, Pakistan back from the brink of war
Fox News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Inside the White House's effort to pull India, Pakistan back from the brink of war
As officials in the White House became increasingly concerned about the escalation in the conflict between Pakistan and India, it was decided Friday morning that Vice President JD Vance would call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Twenty-four hours before President Donald Trump announced on social media Saturday morning that a ceasefire had been reached, the scramble in the White House began. Senior officials began to fear that the situation could spiral out of control with neither side seriously considering options for de-escalation after Pakistan hit back at Indian military sites on Friday following an Indian missile attack on Pakistan. The strikes mark the latest escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals, a move triggered by a mass shooting for which India blames Pakistan. In his noon phone call with Modi, Vance made it clear that the U.S. believed that there was a high probability of dramatic escalation as the conflict went into the weekend. The vice president encouraged Modi to consider de-escalation options, including a potential off-ramp that U.S. officials knew the Pakistanis would be amenable to. Modi listened to the vice president's message, although he didn't explicitly indicate openness to any of the options put forth. Vance's call to Modi came less than a month after he met with the Indian leader in New Delhi to discuss trade talks. From that point, key U.S. officials continued to work the phones with their counterparts in India and Pakistan into the night to help re-establish communications between the two sides, allowing them to work out terms for a ceasefire in the next 12 to 18 hours. "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social just before 8 a.m. on Saturday. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., reacted to the president's announcement by referring to him in a post on X as "The Peace President." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in a statement that he and Vance had engaged with officials from the two foreign countries. "Over the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik," Rubio said in the statement. "I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site," he continued. "We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace." Vance wrote in a post on X, "Great work from the President's team, especially Secretary Rubio. And my gratitude to the leaders of India and Pakistan for their hard work and willingness to engage in this ceasefire."
