Latest news with #peaceProcess
Russia Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia has ‘fair concern' about NATO expansion
Russia's concerns about NATO expanding to its doorstep are 'fair,' US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg said Thursday in an interview with ABC News, as he discussed Moscow's expected proposal, aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict. Russia hopes to hold a new round of negotiations with Ukraine on Monday in Istanbul, where both parties would exchange draft memorandums on the next steps in the peace process, including a conditional cease-fire. Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration at not receiving the Russian draft in advance and said they might boycott the meeting. 'I always caution [Kiev's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov]: don't say things like that,' Kellogg said. 'Part of life is showing up, and you need to show you're serious.' ABC's Kyra Phillips cited reports that Moscow wants NATO leaders to issue a written commitment halting further enlargement — particularly the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Kellogg has acknowledged that Russia's long-standing security concerns regarding the US-led alliance were reasonable. 'We're saying: okay, comprehensively we can stop the expansion of NATO coming close to your border,' he said, adding that such a move would ultimately require a presidential-level decision. During the Cold War, the United States gave the Soviet Union assurances that NATO would not expand eastward in exchange for support for German reunification. Since the 1990s, Russia has cited the alliance's enlargement as evidence of Western duplicity. Moscow has labeled NATO's 2008 promise to eventually admit Ukraine a key factor behind the current conflict. In 2021, the Kremlin offered a diplomatic proposal to ease tensions, but the United States and other NATO members said the organization's open-door policy was non-negotiable. NATO has described Ukraine's path to membership as 'irreversible.' However, US President Donald Trump's administration maintains that Kiev's accession is off the table. Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary peace agreement in Istanbul in 2022, but Kiev later withdrew from talks, aiming for a military breakthrough with support from Western nations. Moscow sees the renewed talks launched earlier this month as a chance to revisit the proposal, which involves Ukraine adopting a stance of neutrality and limiting its military. Phillips pressed Kellogg on whether those terms were 'pretty extreme,' suggesting they were proof that Russia does not seek peace. Kellogg responded that ending the conflict was in Moscow's interest.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia proposes new round of Istanbul talks; Ukraine pushes for memorandum
Russia has proposed a new round of direct talks with Ukraine in Turkiye's Istanbul on Monday with the goal of securing a lasting ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says, after heavy bombardment of its neighbour and aerial exchanges in the past week. 'We hope that all those who are sincerely, and not just in words, interested in the success of the peace process will support holding a new round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul,' Lavrov said in a statement on Wednesday. Kyiv responded a short time later, saying it had already submitted its version of the memorandum on peace to the Russian delegation. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov urged Moscow to share its version without delay: 'We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their 'memorandum', so that the meeting won't be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war', he said. 'The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review,' he added. The Moscow proposal followed a rare meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16, the first direct contact in more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The talks resulted in an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each, but failed to produce a ceasefire, which remains a key demand of Ukraine and its Western allies. Moscow has insisted that certain conditions must be met before halting military operations. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, said on Telegram that he had contacted Umerov to suggest a date and venue for the next meeting. 'Let me emphasise: right there, on the spot, we are ready to begin an essential, substantive discussion of each of the points of the package agreement on a possible ceasefire,' Medinsky said, adding that he expected a reply from Ukraine. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari in Moscow said the Russians had been preparing this for the last few days after a meeting with Turkish officials on Tuesday. At the top of Russia's agenda is 'likely to be a list of demands, about what a possible ceasefire deal would look like. Russia has made it very clear that they are not going to back down by ensuring their security is a top priority,' she said. Al Jazeera's John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, added that from the Ukrainian perspective, Russia is making 'maximalist demands' by blocking Ukraine from joining NATO, asking Kyiv to withdraw troops from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, and imposing limits on the size of the Ukrainian military – all of which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said is off the table. The renewed diplomatic push from Moscow comes after growing pressure from United States President Donald Trump. Speaking on Wednesday, he suggested that Russian leader Vladimir Putin might be stalling the peace process. 'We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently,' Trump said, likely referring to imposing more sanctions on Moscow as Ukraine's European allies have done recently. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump appeared 'not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation'. Trump, who has previously expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of sanctions, said he was reluctant to impose new penalties on Moscow, fearing they could derail the fragile ceasefire efforts. 'If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that,' he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump warned on Tuesday that Putin was 'playing with fire' and suggested 'really bad' things would have already happened to Russia were it not for his intervention. On Monday, Trump lambasted Putin, describing him as 'absolutely crazy' after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine, killing at least 13 people. It was a rare rebuke of Putin from the US president. In the meantime, Lavrov spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to discuss preparations for a next round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said Lavrov briefed Rubio on Russia's efforts to implement agreements reached after a phone call between Putin and Trump on May 19. Putin previously said Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum for a future peace accord, but nevertheless has resisted any move towards an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. Meanwhile, Germany and Ukraine announced plans to jointly develop long-range missiles as part of their deepening defence cooperation. 'Our defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a joint news conference in Berlin with Zelenskyy on Wednesday. 'There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,' he added. Merz had announced two days earlier that Ukraine's Western allies had lifted range restrictions on the weapons they have been supplying. The Kremlin has previously warned that any long-range Western-provided weapons, such as Taurus missiles, striking inside the country would be seen as an escalation.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Macron navigates rocky path to recognizing Palestinian state
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron is leaning toward recognizing a Palestinian state, but diplomats and experts say such a move may prove a premature and ineffective way to pressure Israel into moving toward a peace deal with the Palestinians. They say it could deepen Western splits, not only within the already-divided European Union, but also with the US, Israel's staunchest ally, and would need to be accompanied by other measures such as sanctions and trade bans if recognition were to be anything more than a symbolic gesture. French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. 'Only a political solution will make it possible to restore peace and build for the long term,' Macron said on Wednesday during a visit to Indonesia. 'Together with Saudi Arabia, we will soon be organizing a conference on Gaza in New York to give fresh impetus to the recognition of a Palestinian state and the recognition of the State of Israel and its right to live in peace and security in this region,' added Macron. If Macron does go ahead, France, home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, would become the first Western heavyweight to recognize a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement hitherto dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel. Macron's stance has shifted amid Israel's intensified Gaza offensive and escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and there is a growing sense of urgency in Paris to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Macron navigates rocky path toward recognising Palestinian state amid global tensions
No decision taken but Macron favours Palestinian recognition Paris wants to create momentum as two-state solution dissipates Israeli lobbies to convince Paris to change course PARIS, May 28 — French President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state, but diplomats and experts say such a move may prove a premature and ineffective way to pressure Israel into moving towards a peace deal with the Palestinians. They say it could deepen Western splits, not only within the already-divided European Union, but also with the United States, Israel's staunchest ally, and would need to be accompanied by other measures such as sanctions and trade bans if recognition were to be anything more than a symbolic gesture. French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. 'Only a political solution will make it possible to restore peace and build for the long term,' Macron said on Wednesday during a visit to Indonesia. 'Together with Saudi Arabia, we will soon be organising a conference on Gaza in New York to give fresh impetus to the recognition of a Palestinian state and the recognition of the State of Israel and its right to live in peace and security in this region,' added Macron. If Macron does go ahead, France, home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, would become the first Western heavyweight to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement hitherto dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel. 'If France moves, several countries will follow,' Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters. Macron's stance has shifted amid Israel's intensified Gaza offensive and escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and there is a growing sense of urgency in Paris to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever. 'We must move from words to deeds. Faced with facts on the ground, the prospect of a Palestinian state must be maintained. Irreversible and concrete measures are necessary,' Macron's Middle East adviser Anne-Claire Legendre said last week. Diplomats caution that while Macron now favours the move, he has yet to make a final decision, and things could change — including a potential Gaza ceasefire accord — before mid-June. However, his diplomats are scrambling to ensure the best conditions are in place for him to make the decision, including full assessments at the UN conference on the reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarming Hamas or future reconstruction. Israeli lobbying Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have described as 'a nuclear bomb' for bilateral relations. The idea that France, one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, could recognise a Palestinian state, would certainly infuriate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When Britain and Canada joined France this month to say they could impose concrete measures on Israel and commit to recognising a Palestinian state, Netanyahu issued a firm rebuke, accusing the leaders of the three countries of antisemitism. Diplomats say Canada and Britain remain lukewarm for now about recognition, suggesting the priority is to make a difference on the ground, something that may dampen Macron's ambitions. According to two sources familiar with the matter, Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives — even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Whether that would materialise seems unlikely, given the likely international fallout fuelling one of Israel's greatest fears: deepening isolation, particularly with regard to Europe, its key trade partner. '(But) the reaction will be negative across the board (in Israel),' Tamir Hayman, Executive Director at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) told Reuters, adding it would feed an ultra-right narrative in Israel that the world is against it. 'It would be useless and a waste of time.' Shifting French views Macron strongly backed Israel after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. But he has steadily sharpened his language against Israel over its actions in Gaza, where the death toll among Palestinians has risen to more than 50,000, according to Palestinian health officials. 'We need to move towards recognition. Over the next few months, we will,' Macron said during an interview on April 9. Even then, he hedged, setting vague conditions and saying he aimed to build momentum with a coalition backing France while nudging Muslim states toward recognising Israel. However, there are no indications for now that any new Muslim states — including Saudi Arabia — are ready to move towards normalising ties with Israel, given the widespread anger over Gaza's plight. Macron's critics argue that recognition should come as part of negotiations towards a two-state solution — not before — and warning that an early move could weaken incentives for Palestinians to engage. Underlining divisions within the EU, one European diplomat said: 'It is our view that this recognition would not be helpful now or encourage more action within the member states.' Others say recognition must be twinned with other measures such as a Europe-wide ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories and specific sanctions on Israeli officials. French officials say they will not be swayed by such criticism or by the Israeli pressure. 'If there is a moment in history to recognise a Palestinian state even if it's just symbolic then I would say that moment has probably come,' said a senior French official, adding that Macron may also want to leave a trace in history before his presidential mandate expires in 2027. — Reuters
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Anwar hails ‘significant' engagement on Myanmar as South-east Asian leaders meet
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today hailed 'significant' steps to engage warring sides in Myanmar, as South-east Asian leaders met for talks to address the protracted conflict and offset global trade uncertainty from US President Donald Trump's tariff threats. Myanmar has been in turmoil since its military overthrew the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering pro-democracy protests that morphed into a widening rebellion and conflict that has displaced more than 3.5 million people, according to the United Nations. Association of South-east Asian Nations leaders were expected to discuss ways to jumpstart Asean's faltering Myanmar peace process and build on recent efforts by Anwar, the bloc's current chair, to bring rival groups to the table. Anwar last month held a closed-door meeting in Bangkok with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and virtual talks with the shadow National Unity Government, describing those today as 'significant', but fragile. 'We have been able to move the needle forward in our efforts for the eventual resolution of the Myanmar crisis,' he said while opening the summit in Kuala Lumpur. 'I wish to stress that throughout this process, quiet engagement has mattered. The steps may be small and the bridge may be fragile but as they say, in matters of peace, even a fragile bridge is better than a widening gulf.' The junta aims to hold an election later this year, which critics have widely derided as a one-sided sham to keep the military in power through proxies. Asean has yet to discuss a common position on the election. Asean's top diplomats held special meetings on Myanmar at the weekend, where Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stressed a lot of negotiating was needed and said he would visit Myanmar next month. The ministers agreed to discuss creating a permanent Asean envoy for Myanmar, possibly for terms of three years, rather than changing envoys each year, he added. Thailand's foreign minister last week said he intends to propose broader international engagement with the junta, which remains barred from Asean summits over its failure to follow the peace plan. Tariff tremors Asean leaders will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang for an economic summit tomorrow along with counterparts from Gulf countries, at a time of global market volatility and slowing economic growth sparked by Trump's trade tariff threats. Six South-east Asian countries targeted by Washington face steep tariffs of between 32 per cent and 49 per cent in July, unless negotiations on reductions succeed. Anwar said today he had written to Trump requesting a meeting on the tariffs between the United States and Asean, a region with a combined gross domestic product of US$3.8 trillion (RMRM16 trillion). In remarks ahead of the summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Asean leaders would compare responses to the tariffs, adding 'we must find a way to find consensus amongst the disparate situations that the different member states are operating under'. Marty Natalegawa, an Indonesian former foreign minister, said Asean should identify key areas to guide each member country's negotiations with Washington. 'Otherwise, there could be a risk of a lose-lose cycle in our own region,' he said. Also up for discussion is advancing Asean's drawn-out talks with Beijing on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, where tensions have long simmered over the activities of China's coast guard in the exclusive economic zones of its neighbours. China says it is operating lawfully in what are its waters. The most heated confrontations have taken place between China and the Philippines, with Marcos today calling for urgency in completing a legally binding code. 'This is to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations,' he said. — Reuters
