Tag: russia

Categories
-Top News Europe USA

Russia officially pulls out of Open Skies Treaty

Putin

The law went into effect upon publication by the Kremlin on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law withdrawing Moscow from the Open Skies treaty, an arms control pact with the US that permitted unarmed surveillance flights over military facilities in both countries.

The law went into effect upon publication by the Kremlin on Monday, reports dpa news agency.

Putin himself had ordered the withdrawal from Open Skies.

The military observation flights were seen as key to building confidence between Russia and the West after the Cold War.

The decision to abandon the pact was mutual.

The administration of former US president Donald Trump announced a year ago that Washingtonwould withdraw from Open Skies, alleging Russia had violated its terms.

The incumbent Joe Biden administration decided in May to stick to that decision.

Russia blamed the US for the end of the agreement.

Last week, Russia’s upper house of parliament voted to scrap the treaty.

Putin’s signature was the last legal act to withdraw from the deal, signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992.

It has been in force since 2002.

The topic is now expected to be off the table at Putin’s summit with Biden on June 16 in Geneva.

Only one key arms control agreement remains between the US and Russia — the New START nuclear disarmament treaty.

Shortly before it was set to expire in February, Biden and Putin had agreed on an extension.

The New START treaty limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries to 800 delivery systems and 1,550 ready-to-use nuclear warheads.

ALSO READ: Russian Parliament votes to exit Open Skies Treaty

Categories
-Top News Europe USA

US ‘looking closely’ at retaliation over ransomware attack

Joe Biden

The latest ransomware attack came weeks after a similar cyberattack targeting Colonial Pipeline…reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden said that his administration was “looking closely” at whether to retaliate against Russia for a recent ransomware attack.

“We’re looking closely at that issue,” Biden told reporters at the White House on Wednesday when asked if the US would retaliate against Russia for the latest ransomware attack.

Biden replied “no” when asked if he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin was testing him with the hack ahead of their first-ever face-to-face meeting in Geneva on June 16.

Major meat producer JBS USA said on Sunday that it suffered a cyberattack and notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia.

The US was in direct touch with Russia and conveyed concerns about the issue, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday.

“We do expect this to be one of the issues that the president will discuss with President Putin at the summit.

“Harbouring criminal entities that are intending to do harm, that are doing harm to the critical infrastructure in the United States is not acceptable,” she added.

The latest ransomware attack came weeks after a similar cyberattack targeting Colonial Pipeline, which forced the company to shut down approximately 5,500 miles of fuel pipeline for days.

The Biden administration concluded that the Kremlin was not involved in the attack against Colonial Pipeline, while indicating criminals behind the hack were living in Russia.

The President said last month that he would raise the cybercrime issue in talks with Putin.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years.

The two sides have obvious differences on issues related to Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and US election interference.

The Biden administration noted it seeks “a more predictable, stable relationship” with Russia.

The much-anticipated Russia-US summit in a third country was first proposed by Biden during a telephone conversation with Putin on April 13, according to the Kremlin.

ALSO READ: Biden announces vaccine sharing plan

Categories
Defence Europe USA

Russian Parliament votes to exit Open Skies Treaty

Russia has presented concrete proposals aimed at preserving the treaty, but the US has not responded, according to Karasin…reports Asian Lite News

The Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, passed a bill on Wednesday to withdraw from the arms-control Treaty on Open Skies.

The decision was made in response to the US pullout from the pact in November 2020, head of the chamber’s International Affairs Committee Grigory Karasin said in a statement.

He criticised the US move for significantly undermining the balance of interests and hurting the treaty’s key role in building confidence and transparency.

Russia has presented concrete proposals aimed at preserving the treaty, but the US has not responded, according to Karasin.

“Considering that our partners were not ready for reciprocal steps, and proceeding from the need to ensure national security interests, Russia has decided to withdraw from the treaty,” he said.

The Russian State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, greenlighted the bill on the withdrawal last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to soon sign the bill into law.

The multilateral Treaty on Open Skies, which came into effect in 2002, allows its states-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others’ territories to collect data on military forces and activities.

After Washington announced its withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the official pullout from the treaty.

Last week, the US government said that it has decided not to rejoin the Open Skies Treaty.

“The US regrets that the Treaty on Open Skies has been undermined by Russia’s violations. In concluding its review of the treaty, the US therefore does not intend to seek to rejoin it, given Russia’s failure to take any actions to return to compliance,” a State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying in a statement.

“Further, Russia’s behaviour, including its recent actions with respect to Ukraine, is not that of a partner committed to confidence-building,” the statement added.

The multilateral Treaty on Open Skies, which became effective in 2002, allows its 34 state-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others’ entire territories to collect data on military forces and activities.

After the US withdrawal on November 22, 2020, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced this January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the official pullout from the Treaty.

Last week, the Russian State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, unanimously approved a bill on the country’s withdrawal from the treaty.

The US and Russia have blamed each other for non-compliance with the treaty.

The treaty is aimed at building confidence and familiarity among state parties through their participation in the overflights.

By 2019, over 1,500 Open Skies flights have been conducted since the deal entered into force, according to media report

ALSO READ: Russia vows response to EU hostility yet ready for dialogue

Categories
-Top News Asia News Europe

Putin’s visit to Pakistan on the cards

Both Pakistan and Russia have been working to materialise Putin’s visit….reports Asian Lite News

After Pakistan and Russia signed a fresh agreement to lay a gas pipeline, prospects of Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting Islamabad for the very first time were on the cards.

The project, previously named The North-South Gas Pipeline, has now been renamed as Pakistan Steam Gas Pipeline, in which a gas pipeline will be laid from Pakistan’s Karachi city to Kasur.

It is a flagship project between the two countries, which intends to remove the memories of rivalry of the Cold War and bring both countries on the road to bilateral ties.

Both Pakistan and Russia have been working to materialise Putin’s visit.

In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad after a gap of at least nine years.

As per official details, Lavrov came with a message that Moscow was willing to extend all possible help to Islamabad and create pathways for bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has already extended a formal invitation to President Putin.

Experts have said that with the signing of the Pakistan Steam Pipeline agreement, the visit of President Putin has become even more significant and important.

Pakistan is anxious to have President Putin inaugurate the groundbreaking of the gas pipeline project, which is expected to be held later this year or in early 2022.

Pakistan and Russia are also seeking more avenues of cooperation.

ALSO READ: BRICS Focus On High Performance Computing

As per sources, Russia is keen on selling arms to Pakistan, something it avoided in the past because of opposition by India.

It is pertinent to mention that both countries have been holding regular joint military exercises since 2016.

Russia and Pakistan are also in close contact in the peace process and ongoing regional security issues including Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Steam Gas Pipeline is a stepping-stone in normalisation of relations between the two countries, which has been strained for years due to Cold War rivalry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

The project was originally signed in 2015. However, it could not be initiated due to possible sanctions by the US on Russian companies.

Initially, Russia was to built 100 per cent of the pipeline under the “build, operate and transfer” model.

However, with the new and amended agreement, Pakistan will have at least 74 per cent stakes.

The total cost of the project is around $2.25 billion. It will be beneficial in meeting the gas shortage in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

Analysts say that the project not only has economic significance but also holds great strategic importance for Pakistan.

ALSO READ: Biden vows to press Putin on human rights at Geneva meet

Categories
-Top News Asia News EU News

Russia vows response to EU hostility yet ready for dialogue


He said that while the bloc is mulling anti-Russian moves, initiators of such hostile policies should consider whether they are in line with the EU’s interests, reports Xinhua news agency…reports Asian Lite News.

 Russia will retaliate against any “unfriendly” moves and hostility from the European Union (EU) but remains ready for an open dialogue based on equality, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We will not leave unfriendly moves, including attempts to talk from a position of strength and interference in internal affairs, without a response,” Lavrov said at the opening of a conference on Russian-EU relations here on Monday.

He said that while the bloc is mulling anti-Russian moves, initiators of such hostile policies should consider whether they are in line with the EU’s interests, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lavrov criticised the EU for preferring “ungrounded accusations” to “fact-based dialogue”.

Nevertheless, the Minister said that Russia is interested in conversations with the EU.

“We have repeatedly said that we are open for constructive cooperation with the EU that would be based on the principles of equality and mutual respect,” he added.

According to Lavrov, the two sides could work together to counter international terrorism, combat drug trafficking, curb cybercrimes, preserve strategic stability, address climate change, and fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said that the country’s national security strategy is being renewed aimed at addressing new threats.

“Political and economic pressure is being used to contain Russia, and attempts are being made to destabilise our socio-political situation, incite and radicalize protests, and erode traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” Patrushev was quoted as saying to the government’s official newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Monday.

On May 28, President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of permanent members of the Security Council to discuss the draft of the new national security strategy.

The current version was adopted in 2015 and should be modified every six years in accordance with law.

According to Patrushev, the updated strategy will be aimed at significantly improving the well-being of the population, strengthening Russia’s defence capabilities, cementing internal unity, and achieving national development goals.

Particular attention is paid to preserving Russia’s nuclear deterrence at a sufficient level, maintaining the combat readiness of the armed forces, and keeping a leading position in the development and production of advanced weapons, he said.

The senior official stressed the importance of including cyber threats in the new version of the strategy.

He said it is necessary to protect Russia’s sovereignty in the cyberspace given foreign attempts to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs through cyber attacks and large-scale disinformation campaigns.

ALSO READ-‘Economic cooperation with Russia increasingly difficult’

READ MORE-Russia to release $500m loan to Belarus

Categories
-Top News Europe USA

Biden vows to press Putin on human rights at Geneva meet

Putin-Biden

Though US-Russia relations are on rough patch, the White House had confirmed that it was moving ahead with the summit between the two leaders….reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden will press his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to respect human rights when the two leaders meet on June 16 in Geneva, according to reports.

“I’m meeting with President Putin in a couple weeks in Geneva making it clear we will not, we will not stand by and let him abuse those rights,” Biden was quoted as saying during a speech honouring the US holiday Memorial Day.

Though US-Russia relations are on rough patch, the White House had confirmed that it was moving ahead with the summit between the two leaders.

Last week, Microsoft flagged a cyberattack on US government agencies by Nobelium, the group behind last year’s SolarWind hack that originated from Russia. However, Moscow said it had nothing to do with the attack.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had earlier informed that Biden and Putin will discuss “the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the US-Russia relationship.”

Earlier this month, the White House said that President Biden believed that his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be a good step forward in the US-Russia relationship to de-escalate tensions and have stable relations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(Twitter)

“There is not a meeting with the President locked in yet. Obviously, the President, our President invited him to participate in that meeting because he thinks it would be a good step forward in the relationship to de-escalate, to ensure we have a more stable relationship moving forward, but there is no meeting to confirm at this point in time,” she said.

Last month, Biden held a phone call with Putin, where he had voiced his concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions.

He had reaffirmed his goal of building a stable and predictable relationship with Russia consistent with US interests and proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months to discuss the full range of issues between the United States and Russia.

The conversation came in the backdrop of Washington imposing sanctions on 32 Russian entities and individuals for their alleged interference in the 2020 US presidential election and the purported hacking of US software supply chain networks.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to refute all accusations of its engagement in US elections meddling and cyberattacks. (with inputs from ANI)

ALSO READ: Biden pitches mammoth $6 trillion budget

Categories
-Top News EU News Europe

‘Economic cooperation with Russia increasingly difficult’

EU President Ursula von der Leyen

Von der Leyen said she is planning new proposals for dealing with Russia, including regarding the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline…reports Asian Lite News

Economic cooperation between Europe and Russia is becoming increasingly difficult, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“Many attempts on our side over many, many years, almost decades to improve [the] relationship with Russia did not have (the) success they deserved,” dpa news agency quoted von der Leyen as saying at an EU summit here on Monday.

“Economic cooperation over time has gotten more and more difficult,” she said, adding that the Russian economy needs to be modernised.

“What we see today is an economy that is lacking an enormous amount of modernization that would be necessary, an economy that is highly depending on energy revenues, but a regime that is not willing to interact in a constructive way with us.”

Von der Leyen said she is planning new proposals for dealing with Russia, including regarding the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline.

She said the options would be discussed in a report on relations with Russia at the end of June.

The report will present “the different policy options that will show how we can deal with Russia”, she added.

Moscow, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sputnik via Xinhua/IANS)

Meanwhile, on Monday, leaders of the EU member states had agreed to cut the bloc’s air links with Belarus following Sunday’s Ryanair flight diversion incident.

According to the conclusions of the special EU summit, the 27-member bloc strongly condemned the incident which endangered aviation safety and called on the International Civil Aviation Organisation to urgently investigate “this unprecedented and unacceptable incident.”

Leaders of the member states urged the European Council to adopt the necessary measures to ban overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines; prevent access to bloc’s airports of Belarusian flights; and called on all EU-based carriers to avoid overflight of Belarus, according to the conclusions.

ALSO READ: UK’s most wanted fugitive arrested in Dubai

Categories
-Top News USA

Talks with Blinken very frank: Lavrov

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(Twitter)

During their discussion held on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting in Reykjavik, Lavrov and Blinken expressed willingness to cooperate but also admitted “serious differences” amid the two countries’ tense relations, reports Asian Lite News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he had “very frank” talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their first-ever meeting earlier this week in Iceland.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, Lavrov said Blinken listened attentively after accusing Russia of interfering in the US presidential elections and launching cyber attacks on important systems.

The US side provided no evidence to prove these charges, he said.

During their discussion held on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting in Reykjavik, Lavrov and Blinken expressed willingness to cooperate but also admitted “serious differences” amid the two countries’ tense relations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing on Friday that Russian and Us diplomats are making efforts to mend bilateral relations.

Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Iceland.(pic credit: https://twitter.com/SecBlinken)

He said that mutual understanding between scientists, technologists, students and visionaries can become “the foundation for normalising ties”.

Wednesday’s meeting was the first between a member of US President Joe Biden’s administration and a high-ranking Russian official.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has suggested a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladmir Putin in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether the latter will accept the invitation.

US-Russia ties have nose-dived over Washington’s allegations of election interference and cyberattacks, the treatment of Navalny and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The two sides have imposed a wave of sanctions and counter-sanctions.

ALSO READ – Blinken, Lavrov discuss stable ties despite differences

Categories
-Top News China Europe

Xi, Putin open new chapter in nuclear ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei/IANS)

Speaking at the ceremony, Xi extended congratulations on the launch of the China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation project and paid high respect to the constructors from the two countries….reports Asian Lite News

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony of a bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project, Tianwan nuclear power plant and Xudapu nuclear power plant, via video link.

Xi arrived at the main venue of the Great Hall of the People at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday and waved to Putin, who had joined in from the main venue of the Kremlin, reports Xinhua news agency.

He Lifeng, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission, co-chaired the ceremony with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Speaking at the ceremony, Xi extended congratulations on the launch of the China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation project and paid high respect to the constructors from the two countries.

Xi stressed that energy cooperation has always been the most important area of practical cooperation which generates the largest achievement and covers the widest scope between the two countries.

Noting that nuclear energy is the strategic priority for bilateral cooperation and a series of major projects have been completed and put into operation, Xi said the four nuclear power units that kicked off construction on Wednesday mark another major landmark in China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation.

ALSO READ: Queen’s cousin offers to sell access to Putin: Report

“Responding to climate change is a common task for all countries,” the Chinese leader said, adding that China and Russia should promote more low-carbon cooperation projects and play a constructive role in achieving global sustainable development goals.

For his part, Putin said that Russia has the confidence to work with China to smoothly and safely advance the project’s construction.

He said cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy marks a significant part of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries, and it is believed that the start of the four nuclear power units will also help achieve the goals to peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.

It will also contribute to coping with global climate change and realising the sustainable development of humanity, Putin added.

Units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant and units 3 and 4 of the Xudapu nuclear power plant are significant projects in a package cooperation deal on nuclear energy.

It was signed by the two heads of state in June 2018.

When completed and put into operation, the annual power generation will reach 37.6 billion kilowatt-hours, which is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30.68 million tonnes per year.

The event on Wednesday is also the first online bilateral exchange at the head-of-state level between the two sides since the beginning of this year.

ALSO READ: Queen’s cousin offers to sell access to Putin: Report

Categories
-Top News Europe USA

Blinken, Lavrov set for 1st meeting

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the face-to-face between Lavrov and Blinken was arranged to discuss “key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda.”…reports Asian Lite News

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Wednesday meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the first time, on the margins of the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Iceland, a Department of State spokesman said.

“The bilateral meeting will take place after the evening’s final Arctic Council event and will provide an opportunity to test the proposition of whether we can achieve a relationship with Moscow that is more stable and predictable,” Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday evening, DPA news agency reported.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the face-to-face between Lavrov and Blinken was arranged to discuss “key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

A topic expected to be discussed will be a potential meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The US president had suggested the two meet in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether Putin will accept the invitation.

Biden will take his first overseas trip as president in June, when he is scheduled to attend the G7 summit in Britain and then travel to Belgium for meetings with NATO. Top-level talks with EU officials are also planned.

US-Russia ties have nose-dived over Washington’s allegations of election interference and cyberattacks, the treatment of jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The two sides have imposed a wave of sanctions and counter-sanctions.

ALSO READ: Raab, Blinken discuss pandemic, FTA