“That is my hope and expectation. We are working on it,” Biden told reporters when asked if he plans to meet Putin during his upcoming trip to Europe…reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he expects to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Europe in June.
“That is my hope and expectation. We are working on it,” Biden told reporters when asked if he plans to meet Putin during his upcoming trip to Europe, the first overseas visit since he took office in January.
Biden will attend the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Cornwall, Britain from June 11 to 13, and hold bilateral meetings with leaders of G7 members. He will then travel to Brussels, Belgium to participate in the NATO Summit on June 14, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Russian President Vladmir Putin
Biden had proposed a summit with Putin in Europe this summer to address a range of bilateral issues. US media reported earlier that the White House is hammering out the details of the summit.
Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine and cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference.
US President Joe Biden has invited Putin among other world leaders to the event scheduled for Thursday and Friday…reports Asian Lite News
Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a speech at a US-initiated summit on climate change via video link on Thursday, the Kremlin said.
“Putin will outline Russia’s approaches to establishing broad international cooperation aimed at overcoming the negative consequences of global climate change,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday.
US President Joe Biden has invited Putin among other world leaders to the event scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.
US President Joe Biden
The summit comes at a critical juncture, with the latest UNFCCC report stating that the collective climate action pledges according to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are far off track from the goals envisaged in the Paris Agreement, most notably to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
There are also increasing calls to developed countries to step up financial support for climate action in developing countries, in particular for adaptation.
Macron has put himself at the forefront of the diplomatic push to ease the latest flare up in Ukraine’s conflict….reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “unacceptable” that Russian troops are amassing along Ukraine’s eastern border and called for a tough stance against the threat of fresh military aggression from Moscow.
“The situation today and the level of tension at the border is absolutely counterproductive and unacceptable,” Macron said in an interview that aired on Sunday, DPA news agency reported.
While he was in favour of accelerating diplomatic efforts to ease the tensions, Macron said the discussions with Moscow needed to be “clear and tough”.
“I think we have to define clear red lines with Russia,” Macron told US television channel CBS.
“This is the only way to be credible. I think that sanctions are not sufficient in itself, in themselves, but sanctions are part of the package,” he said.
Macron has put himself at the forefront of the diplomatic push to ease the latest flare up in Ukraine’s conflict.
He held discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. The three demanded Russia pull back troops and urged that a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine be recommitted to.
Ukrainian border patrol troops guard the country’s border to Hungary on Wednesday. Moscow is warning countries not to supply weapons to Kiev, amid an escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Photo: -/Ukrinform/dpa/IANS
New consultation-level talks with Franco-German mediation are planned for Monday, according to Zelensky.
Anxiety is growing about the conflict that erupted between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatist rebels in 2014, the same year that Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula further south.
Parts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions along the Russian border have been controlled by rebels supported by Moscow for nearly seven years.
In the US’ policy towards Russia, there is increased pressure in all fields and tougher rhetoric is nothing new,said Lavrov…reports Asian Lite News
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow-Washington ties were at their lowest point due to increased confrontation, and he hopes that “common sense and prudence” will eventually prevail.
In the US’ policy towards Russia, there is increased pressure in all fields and tougher rhetoric is nothing new, Xinhua news agency quoted Lavrov as saying in an interview with a local TV program on Thursday.
He stressed that there is few chance for serious dialogue between Russia and the US, if Washington continues to blame Moscow for the consequences of its own reckless policy.
According to the Ministert, Western countries feel “a threat to their dominance” and are therefore inventing new rules on which they think the world order should be based, ones that contradict those outlined in the UN charter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Lavrov’s remarks came a day after Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told a joint meeting of the Federation Council, upper house of Parliament, that bilateral ties were in the midst of a deep crisis, which has grown partly due to the reluctance of the American President Joe Biden’s administration to solve problems with Moscow.
Antonov returned to Moscow on March 22 after he was recalled following Biden’s comments that Russia will “pay a price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election.
Washington is destroying the foundations of Russia-US interactions as the incumbent administration has continued to “unwind the sanctions spiral under false pretexts”, he told lawmakers.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
The diplomat believes that Washington will not change its stance substantially and the “systemic containment” of Russia will remain a priority.
A US intelligence report released on March 21 day directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a wide-ranging influence operation to interfere in the election, intending to hurt Biden’s campaign.
In the ABC News interview, Biden also agreed with the interviewer’s claim that Putin was “a killer”.
The bill received nod form lower house of parliament, the State Duma, a week ago. Putin is expected to sign it into law soon…reports Asian Lite News
Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has passed a bill enabling incumbent President Vladimir Putin to run for two more terms starting 2024.
The bill was approved by the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, a week ago. Putin is expected to sign it into law soon, Xinhua news agency reported.
The draft law on elections was made in pursuance of constitutional amendments adopted in a nationwide referendum in July 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
One of the 206 constitutional amendments stipulates that the limit of two presidential terms applies to the incumbent head of state, but without taking into account his previous terms.
In light of the amendment, the bill, cleared by the upper house on Wednesday, grants Putin the possibility of starting his presidency from scratch in 2024 and holding the office for two more terms until 2036.
The leaders paid particular attention to joining efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including the possibility of registering, using and producing the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in European Union (EU) countries…reports Asian Lite News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy3d6MElnD0
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron held a video-conference on Tuesday to discuss cooperation and international affairs, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The leaders paid particular attention to joining efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including the possibility of registering, using and producing the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in European Union (EU) countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
As for the situation in Ukraine, Putin urged Kiev to fulfill agreements on establishing direct dialogue with Donbass and settling the legal issues regarding the region’s special status.
The Russian side voiced “serious concerns” over the escalation of the armed confrontation between the Donbass insurgents and the Ukrainian government forces, which was “provoked” by Kiev.
Discussing the situation in Belarus, Putin stressed the inadmissibility of external interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.
Putin reiterated Russia’s readiness to restore “normal, depoliticized” interactions with the EU, if the bloc shows reciprocal interest.
According to the Kremlin, the three leaders expressed support for preserving and implementing the Iran nuclear deal and further coordinating steps in this direction.
Putin explained to Merkel and Macron the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
They also discussed the situations in Syria and Libya.
Anatoly Antonov during an interview with Xinhua in Moscow, Russia
Russia recalled its top US envoy after President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russia will “pay a price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election….reports Asian Lite News
The Russian Embassy in Washington confirmed that the country’s Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov has returned to Moscow for consultations after he was recalled late last week.
“Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov is on his way to Moscow to participate in consultations on rectifying Russia-US relations,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Embassy as saying in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The Embassy also posted two pictures along with the post, one showing Antonov, in a black jacket, at an airport and the other, an airplane, which appeared to be the one the Ambassador would fly in, with a Russian flag on the outside surface of the cockpit.
Antonov flew from New York, as there is no direct flight between Washington and Moscow amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
He will arrive in Moscow on Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russia recalled its top envoy in the US after President Joe Biden said in an ABC News interview on March 17 that Russia will “pay a price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election.
A US intelligence report released the previous day directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a wide-ranging influence operation to interfere in the election, intending to hurt Biden’s campaign.
In the ABC News interview, Biden also agreed with the interviewer’s claim that Putin was “a killer”.
Responding directly to Biden’s remarks, Putin said on March 18: “I would say to him: I wish you good health. I say that without irony or joking.
“I would like to offer President Biden (the opportunity) to continue our discussion, but on condition that we’ll do so what is called live, online. Without anything pre-recorded, in an open and direct discussion.
“It seems to me, it would be interesting both for the Russian people and for the US people, as well as for many other countries.”
Joe Biden
Asked by reporters whether Biden regretted the “killer” statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a press briefing on March 18: “Nope. The President gave a direct answer to a direct question.”
She added Washington still wishes to develop its relationship with Moscow.
But, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “The current US administration never ceases to surprise us with its absurd public statements.
“It’s not just about the unseemly attacks against Russia’s top officials, but also the absurd accusations of Russia’s interference in last year’s presidential election in the US.”
