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Putin Set for Gulf Diplomatic Outreach

In Riyadh, President Putin and Mohammed bin Salman will discuss “issues of bilateral cooperation in trade…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the first time since 2019, with meetings scheduled with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, Russian news agency TASS reported.

It quoted the Kremlin as saying in a press statement, “During the negotiations with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, [Putin is] expected to review the state and perspectives of further development of the multifaceted Russian-Emirati cooperation, as well as the current international agenda with an emphasis with the situation in the Middle East (amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict).”

In Riyadh, President Putin and Mohammed bin Salman will discuss “issues of bilateral cooperation in trade, economy and investments, as well as various aspects of cooperation in multilateral formats.” The sides also plan to have “an exchange of opinion on regional and international agenda.”

Previously, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said oil would also be on the agenda of these visits. He pointed out that while such discussions are being carried out within the OPEC+ format, the national leaders will discuss this topic as well.

The spokesman also noted that Putin’s visit to both countries will happen “effectively within a 24-hour timespan.”

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia are all members of OPEC+, the alliance between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers, which last week agreed to extend and deepen its production cuts.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rejected the idea that an international force could be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip after the war, saying that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) should retain control of the disarmament of Gaza, CNN reported on Wednesday.

According to CNN, this is not the first time Netanyahu has called for post-war Israeli military control in Gaza.

“On the day after, Gaza must be disarmed. And in order for Gaza to be disarmed, there’s only one force that can ensure that — and this force is the IDF,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday during a news conference. “No international force can be responsible for that,” he said, adding, “We saw what happened to other places where international forces were brought for disarmament purposes.”

In November, Netanyahu told CNN that Israel’s security role in a post-war Gaza would be an “over-riding, over-reaching military envelope,” but did not explain what that meant.Meanwhile, the Israeli military encircled the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces’ chief of the general staff said, CNN reported.

“Sixty days after the war began, our forces are now encircling the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip,” IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday, adding, “Simultaneously, we continue to secure our accomplishments in the northern Gaza Strip.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: UAE President, UN Chief Discuss COP28 Agenda

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‘Putin won’t make peace in Ukraine before 2024 polls’

Zelensky has invited Trump, who has said he could end the war in 24 hours if reelected…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not make peace in Ukraine before he knows the results of the November 2024 US election, a senior US State Department official said on Tuesday, amid concerns that a potential victory for former President Donald Trump could upend Western support for Kyiv.

Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of US support for Kyiv.

A senior official briefing reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels said the alliance reiterated its support for Ukraine knowing that a peace agreement in the next year is unlikely.

“My expectation is that Putin won’t make a peace or a meaningful peace before he sees the result of our election,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the outcomes of the meeting.

Asked whether they were expressing a personal opinion or the view of the US government, the official said it was a “widely shared premise.”

“That was the context in which the allies all expressed strong support for Ukraine” in the NATO meeting on Tuesday, the official added, without mentioning Trump by name or explicitly saying how the election result would affect support for Ukraine.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has given massive military aid and other support to Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, but additional funding for Ukraine is being held up by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month invited Trump, who has said he could end the war in 24 hours if reelected, to Ukraine to see the scale of the conflict for himself.

Russia has never refused talks, says Putin

Earlier, Putin had said that Moscow has never refused peace negotiations with Kyiv and blamed Ukraine for pulling out of the negotiation process. He called military actions a tragedy for people and stressed that the world must think about how to stop this tragedy.

In his virtual address at the G20 Leaders Summit, Putin said that some of the leaders in their speeches said that they are “shocked by Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.”

Putin said, “Of course, military actions are always a tragedy for people, families, and the country as a whole. And, of course, we must think about how to stop this tragedy.”

“By the way, Russia has never refused peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is not Russia, but Ukraine, that has publicly announced that it is withdrawing from the negotiation process. And moreover, a decree was signed by the head of state prohibiting such negotiations with Russia,” he added.

Putin emphasised that the situation in the world requires collective and consensus decisions that reflect the opinions of the majority of the international community, including developed and developing nations.

He said, “Now the situation in the global economy and in the world as a whole requires collective, consensus decisions that reflect the opinions of the overwhelming majority of the international community–both developed and developing countries.”

“The world is undergoing processes of radical transformation. New powerful centres of global economic development are emerging and strengthening. A significant share of global investment, trade and consumption activity is shifting to Asian, African and Latin American regions, where the majority of the world’s population lives,” he added.

He stated that the first ships with free Russian grain had been sent to Africa. He stressed that the turbulence in the markets is increasing. Putin noted that the world economy is experiencing a “direct consequence of the ill-conceived macroeconomic policies of some states.”

“Turbulence in the markets is increasing. Chronic problems in the international financial sector, energy and food security are worsening. By the way, Russia fulfills all its obligations in this area and remains one of the largest food exporters. And today, I want to inform you that the first ships with free Russian grain have been sent to Africa, for example, to countries in need,” he said.

Putin said that “unlawful restrictions” on trade for the sake of strengthening their own competitiveness continue to have a negative impact. He also spoke about the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline system.

The Russian President said, “Unlawful restrictions on trade and the biased-climate agenda of some countries for the sake of strengthening their own competitiveness continue to have a negative effect.To eliminate competitors and gain advantages, unfair methods of competition are also used.”

He further said, “I mean, in particular, not only the destruction of transport and logistics chains and international payment channels, but also acts of state terrorism. A blatant example of this is the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline system, laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.”

ALSO READ: Sisi and Putin Push for Gaza Ceasefire in Urgent Phone Call

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Putin Officials Filmed in China with ‘Nuclear Briefcase’

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping posed for a family photograph ceremony at the 3rd International Forum “One Belt, One Road” on Wednesday….reports Asian Lite News

Rare video footage captured Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, flanked by officers carrying the the “nuclear briefcase,” a crucial tool for authorising a nuclear strike. Following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin was observed proceeding to another engagement, surrounded by security personnel, while two Russian naval officers, each holding a briefcase, accompanied him.

Russia’s nuclear briefcase, known as the “Cheget” and traditionally entrusted to a naval officer, remains in the president’s vicinity at all times but is seldom seen on film. According to Kremlin correspondents from the state news agency RIA, these briefcases are indispensable companions on Putin’s trips. In a separate clip, Putin exits a meeting in Beijing, with the naval officers once again accompanying him as he descends a flight of stairs.

The US president also possesses a similar device, referred to as the “nuclear football,” which contains the codes required for authenticating an order to launch nuclear missiles if the president is not at the White House.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping posed for a family photograph ceremony at the 3rd International Forum “One Belt, One Road” on Wednesday.

Various heads of delegation participated in the event with the two leaders during the forum being held in China.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs took to X to post, “President of Russia Vladimir Putin took part in an official family photo ceremony with heads of delegations participating in the III International Forum “One Belt, One Road”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin attended the official meeting ceremony with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, heads of delegations participating in the “Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF).”

Sharing it on their social media ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed his visit to the forum.

“President Vladimir Putin arrives at the Third #BeltandRoad Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, takes part in the welcome & family photo ceremonies,” the post said.

Putin arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit to China. Xinping greeted President Putin on his arrival, following which the two leaders held a brief conversation.

ALSO READ: BRICS now richer than G7, says Putin

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Dollar-Centric System Faces ‘Gradual Collapse,’ Putin Predicts

The Russian President says dollar-based global financial system does not meet the interests of all countries

The dollar-based global financial system is not balanced as it does not meet the interests of all countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club.

According to Putin, the dominance of the American currency has to end, which is already happening, while the US authorities are “shooting themselves in the foot”, RT reported.

“The Bretton Woods system — it was once created on the basis of the dollar, but all this is gradually collapsing. Currency is a derivative of the power of the country’s economy, which issues this currency,” the Russian leader pointed out.

In addition, the share of the US economy in global GDP is declining, as evidenced by statistical data, Putin emphasized.

According to the President, Washington is used to printing money in order to cover its budget deficit, and will continue this policy as long as needed, RT reported.

“They will print more. They printed, well, more than $9 trillion during the Covid and post-Covid period. Therefore, it costs them nothing to print something else and scatter it all over the world, thus increasing food inflation. They will do it for sure,” Putin predicted.

ALSO READ: Putin: Ukraine Won’t Last A Week Without Western Aid

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Putin: Ukraine Won’t Last A Week Without Western Aid

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden said that he “does worry” US support for Ukraine might get derailed, reports Asian Lite News

As the West continues to provide aid for war-torn Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Ukraine would not survive for more than “a week” without Western military and financial aid, reported Al Jazeera.

Putin made this claim on the same day when the European Union official warned that the bloc could not replace the funding gap if the US’s support dries up for Kyiv.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden said that he “does worry” US support for Ukraine might get derailed.

Putin while speaking at the meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, said that Ukraine was being propped up “thanks to multi-billion donations that come each month”.

“If one just stops, it will all die in a week,” Putin said.

“The same applies to the defence system. Just imagine the aid stops tomorrow. It will live for only a week when they run out of ammo,” he added.

Additionally, Putin further noted that Ukraine had lost over 90,000 troops since Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces till date.

Moreover, while addressing a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Spain on Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the EU could not replace the US as Kyiv’s primary donor.

At a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Spain on Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU could not replace the US as Kyiv’s primary donor.

“Can Europe fill the gap left by the US? Well, certainly Europe cannot replace the US,” Borrell said.

War in Ukraine. (Photo: Instagram)

Moreover, the EU and the US, which includes most NATO members are crucial in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Over this period of time, the EU and its member states have promised over USD 100 billion of aid to Ukraine, including financing weapon deliveries.

Meanwhile, Washington has committed USD 43 billion in military assistance, whereas, Congress has approved USD 113 billion, including humanitarian aid.

However, following the weekend deal struck with opposition Republicans to avert the US government shutdown, the new US funding for Ukraine has been at a standstill.

Following the US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to oust Republican Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, it has made the Ukraine support even more uncertain.

Hours after the short-term spending bill was passed to avoid a government shutdown, US President Joe Biden assured that Washington will “not walk away” from supporting Ukraine, CNN reported.

“I want to assure our American allies and the American people and the people of Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away,” CNN quoted Biden as saying.

Moreover, some of the hardliners also want US aid to Ukraine to cease, according to Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking to the meeting in Spain of European leaders on Thursday expressed concerns about Washington’s “political storms” but noted that he was confident that he still had US bipartisan backing.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron reassured Zelenskyy of further support and pledged “tireless” support for Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron reinforced that message in a meeting with Zelenskyy, pledging “tireless” support for Ukraine. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Ongoing War Costs Ukraine’s Infrastructure $151.2 Billion

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Putin Hints at Russia’s Return to Nuclear Testing

Putin highlighted that Russia has tested a new nuclear-powered missile delivery system but had not decided whether to resume explosives testing…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin while speaking at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, suggested that Russia could return to nuclear weapons testing and might withdraw from the nuclear test ban treaty, reported Al Jazeera.

Putin on Thursday spoke about concerns regarding nuclear weapons, energy and the war in Ukraine.

Russian President said that it was “theoretically” possible for Russia to withdraw from the nuclear test ban treaty, pointing out that it generally prohibits the testing of nuclear weapons, but that no decision has been made yet, Al Jazeera reported.

He further highlighted that Russia has tested a new nuclear-powered missile delivery system but had not decided whether to resume explosives testing, Al Jazeera reported.

“I think no person of sound mind and clear memory would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia,” Putin said in his speech at a foreign policy forum experts in Sochi.

“I hear calls to start testing nuclear weapons, to return to testing,” he added. “I am not ready to say whether we really need to conduct tests or not.”

He later announced that Russia has effectively completed the development of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile. Moreover, he said that he would work on putting them into production.

“We conducted the last successful test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered global-range cruise missile,” he said. It was the first announcement of a successful test of the Burevestnik and is translated as “Storm Petrel.

Burevestnik was code-named Skyfall by NATO and many Western experts have been sceptical about it, stating that a nuclear engine could be highly unreliable, reported Al Jazeera.

Putin highlighted the country’s nuclear capabilities in his speech, as relations between Russia and Western powers remain tense over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On February 24, 2022, Russia send troops into Ukraine in an escalation of the Russia-Ukrainian War which began in 2014. The ‘invasion’ killed tens of thousands on both sides.

Russian forces have been accused of mass civilian casualties and of torturing captured Ukrainian soldiers, reported Al Jazeera.

Since then, thousands of civilians have been killed and millions of others have fled the country, according to the United Nations.

On Thursday, a Russian missile strike resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, marking one of the most devastating attacks on civilians since the conflict’s onset.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that Moscow’s forces targeted a cafe and a shop in Hroza, located in the Kharkiv region, just after midday local time.

Putin also reiterated Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s accession to NATO, which he considered as a tool of US foreign policy, according to Al Jazeera.

However, he said that he has no objections to Ukraine joining the European Union. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Leadership led by national interests’: Putin Heaps Praise on India

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‘Leadership led by national interests’: Putin Heaps Praise on India

Putin alleged that the West is trying to cast everyone “who is not ready to blindly follow these Western elites as the enemy”….reports Asian Lite News

Heaping praise on India, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Indian leadership is “self-directed” and led by the country’s national interests, according to Reuters.

Speaking at an event, Putin alleged that the West is trying to cast everyone “who is not ready to blindly follow these Western elites as the enemy”.

“At a certain point in time, they tried to do the same with India. Now they are flirting, of course. We all understand this very well. We feel and see the situation in Asia. Everything is clear. I want to say that the Indian leadership is self-directed. It is led by the national interests. I think that those attempts make no sense. But, they continue. They are trying to cast Arabs as the enemy. They are trying to be careful, but overall, that’s what it all boils down to,” Putin said.

The Russian President said countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa deserve more representation in the UN Security Council and added that the UN should be reformed but gradually, according to Reuters.

Calling India a “powerful country”, Putin said that it is growing stronger and stronger under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia-based RT News reported.

“…India, more than 1.5 billion of population, more than 7 per cent of economic growth…that’s a powerful country, mighty country. And it’s growing stronger and stronger under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi…,” Putin said, according to a video shared by RT News.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin had called PM Modi a “very wise man”, adding that India is making great strides in development under his leadership, RT reported.

“We share very good political relations with Prime Minister Modi, he is a very wise man. And India has been making very great strides in development under his leadership. This fully meets the interest of both India and Russia to work on this agenda”.

Last month, too, he had praised PM Modi stating he was doing the “right thing” in promoting the Make in India programme. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Yudh Abhyas Cements India-US Military Ties

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No One Should Have the Right to Rule Other Nations, Says Putin

Moscow, Feb 21 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly (Russia's two-chamber Parliament), in Moscow on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The Russian President also stressed that a lasting global peace will not be established until all countries’ opinion is respected and all feel safe…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that imposing rules on any other country should be prohibited and no one has the right to rule the world for others.

Addressing the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin stressed the necessity to build an open, interconnected and diversified world where imposing rules on other countries should be prohibited.

“It should be forbidden to impose on any country or people how they should live, how they should feel. Only true cultural and civilisational diversity will ensure the well-being of people and the balance of interests,” he said, adding that no one has the right to rule the world for others.

“No one will decide for everyone, and not everyone will decide on everything, but those who are directly affected by a particular problem will agree on what to do and how to do it,” Putin said.

The Russian President also stressed that a lasting global peace will not be established until all countries’ opinion is respected and all feel safe, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Russia’s defence policy, Putin added that Russia will soon begin mass production of the Sarmat strategic missile system, and the last successful test of the Burevestnik, a global-range nuclear-powered cruise missile, has been conducted.

He noted that there is no need to change the nuclear weapons-related part of the national nuclear doctrine since “no lucid person would ever consider using nuclear weapons against Russia”.

ALSO READ: Putin accepts Xi’s invitation to visit China

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Putin accepts Xi’s invitation to visit China

Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday, July 04, 2023.(Photo:IANS/Kremlin)

Putin emphasized that this visit aligns perfectly with the interests of both Russia and China…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was pleased to accept an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit China in October for the Belt and Road Forum, Russian State Media reported.

“I was certainly pleased to accept the Chinese president’s invitation to visit China in October as part of an event promoting the [Chinese] president’s idea of One Belt, One Road, which has turned into an international brand,” Putin pointed out during a meeting with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, according to TASS.

Putin emphasized that this visit aligns perfectly with the interests of both Russia and China, “as it harmonizes our ideas to create a vast Eurasian space.” “We are quite in sync,” he added.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously stated that preparations were in progress for Putin’s visit to China, with the announcement of specific dates forthcoming.

The Belt and Road Initiative, a concept introduced by Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to symbolically recreate the ancient Silk Road, providing China with access to markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and other regions. The initiative also seeks to enhance international trade and investment projects involving a multitude of nations, utilizing both Chinese and foreign capital. To date, over 150 countries and international organizations have joined this initiative.

A couple of days back, North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia for a closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia marks his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic as during the pandemic, North Korea’s borders were sealed.

The standout moment of his trip was when he received five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor on his Moscow visit, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI)

ALSO READ: China poses threat to UK way of life, says Sunak

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Putin To Meet Erdogan In Sochi

MOSCOW, March 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 2020. Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday on a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan which lasted for about six hours. (Sputnik/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Their talks come a week before Turkey and the United Nations seek to revive a Ukraine grain export deal that aided ease a global food crisis.

President Vladimir Putin will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in Sochi, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Their talks come a week before Turkey and the United Nations seek to revive a Ukraine grain export deal that aided ease a global food crisis.

Peskov told the media persons on Friday, “It is true that the talks will be held on Monday. They will be in Sochi in the middle of the day.”

As international attempts to patch up the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which sent grain and other supplies to regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where famine is a growing threat, continue, the declaration put an end to weeks of speculation about when and where the two presidents may meet next. It came to an end in July when Russia abruptly withdrew from the agreement, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Russia and Ukraine are important global providers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products that are essential to developing countries.

The deal was mediated by Turkey and the UN in July 2022. During the war with Russia, it permitted Ukraine to resume exporting food from three of its Black Sea ports.

Under the initiative, vessels sailed to and from Ukraine while ship and cargo inspections were managed from Turkey. While the deal was in force, around 33,000 tonnes of grain left Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.

The UN said that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—which Russia refers to as a “special military operation”—was to blame for the world food crisis, which was addressed by the Black Sea grain agreement, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

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