Latest news with #YuriUshakov
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Russia, China condemn Israel's actions that violate UN charter, says Kremlin aide
Yuri Ushakov - File picture, Reuters MOSCOW (BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI): Russia and China adhere to identical approaches, and both condemn Israel's actions that violate the United Nations Charter, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on Thursday (June 19). "Both sides adhere to identical approaches and strongly condemn Israel's actions that violate the UN Charter and other norms of national law," Ushakov told reporters after a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping that took place earlier in the day. Xi told Putin that he believes that Russia's mediation efforts in the conflict between Iran and Israel will contribute to the de-escalation "in the current most important situation," the Kremlin aide added. "The conversation was mainly devoted to discussing the escalated situation in the Middle East... Both Moscow and Beijing fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme," he also said. - Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Putin and Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes in phone call, Kremlin says
Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide, attends a meeting with the Venezuelan delegation led by Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2025. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Putin and Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes in phone call, Kremlin says ST PETERSBURG - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday during which both leaders condemned Israel for its strikes on Iran and agreed de-escalation was needed, the Kremlin said. Both men "strongly condemn Israel's actions, which violate the U.N. Charter and other norms of international law," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. "Both Moscow and Beijing fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to Iran's nuclear programme. "This solution must be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means," said Ushakov. Russia has warned of catastrophe should the Israel-Iran conflict, now in its seventh day, escalate further, and has urged the U.S. not to join Israel's bombardment. Putin has been in touch with U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in recent days and has repeatedly said Russia stands ready to mediate between the warring sides. Thus far, no one has taken up Russia's offer. On Thursday, Putin reiterated that proposition in his phone call with Xi, a close ally. The Chinese leader expressed support for the idea, Ushakov said, "as he believes it could serve to de-escalate the current acute situation." The two men agreed to keep in close contact in the coming days. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia's Putin and China's Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes in phone call, Kremlin says
Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide, attends a meeting with the Venezuelan delegation led by Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2025. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Russia's Putin and China's Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes in phone call, Kremlin says MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday during which both leaders condemned Israel for its strikes on Iran and agreed de-escalation was needed, the Kremlin said. Both men had strongly condemned "Israeli actions which violated the U.N. Charter and other norms of international law," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. He said there was a consensus that Israeli and Western concerns about Iran's nuclear programme could not be solved militarily and that a diplomatic solution was needed. Xi had told Putin he was in favour of Russian mediation efforts on Iran because he believed it could help de-escalate the situation, Ushakov said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Putin T-shirts, robots and the Taliban -- but few Westerners at Russia's Davos
Once dubbed "Russia's Davos", the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is designed to attract foreign investment and is the biggest showcase of Russian technology and business. Some 20,000 guests from 140 countries are set to take part in the forum over the next four days, both online and in person, according to the Kremlin. But for the fourth year running high-profile European and American representatives have been absent amid Moscow's offensive on Ukraine, a stark contrast to before the conflict, when some Western leaders would attend. Among the states sending high-level government figures this year are the likes of China, Vietnam, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso. Taliban officials were also spotted at the expo, amid Russia's push to normalise ties with the militant Islamist group. Russian officials said some Western executives will attend. "American business representatives, but I can't say at what level," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. According to the official programme, not a particularly high one. A panel on Thursday, titled simply "Russia-USA", will feature the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, some private investors, the founder of a microphone manufacturer and head of a crypto project. But in one high-profile win for Putin, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto skipped an invitation to the G7 in Canada, choosing instead to meet Putin and attend SPIEF. Humanoid robot Among the events on the first day of the forum were panels focused on artificial intelligence and investment in the Global South. Russia has channelled its economic interests away from the West and towards emerging markets in Asia and Africa due to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. One stand handed out T-shirts featuring quotes from Vladimir Putin and other government officials. One from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov read: "Why the hell did I come here?" Technology was also on display. A humanoid robot flaunting a Dior handbag was seen walking around the exhibits. The forum comes amid intense speculation in Russia about the prospect of sanctions relief and the return of Western firms that left the country after Moscow launched its offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. Hundreds of companies sold off, abandoned or gave away their Russian operations -- ranging from McDonald's and Nike to Ford and Goldman Sachs. Putin has at times blasted them for departing, warned they will not be allowed to return and said Russia is better off without them. He has also introduced punitive counter-sanctions, restricting the ability of firms from so-called "unfriendly" countries from accessing their profits and imposing huge exit fees and taxes on any wishing to leave. Trump's return to the White House and opening of diplomacy with Russia led to a frenzy of headlines in Russian media about whether he would ease US sanctions. Russia's top economic negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, said Wednesday that the United States may "in the next couple of months" announce joint projects with Russia in the Arctic, without elaborating. "The very important process of improving relations between American society and American companies towards Russia is currently underway," he was quoted as saying by state media. Once a fixture of Europe's business calendar, SPIEF was where Western leaders, CEOs and major investors gathered to seal deals on entering and expanding their footprint in Russia. Then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended in 2013, as did Mark Rutte, the Netherlands' prime minister and now the Secretary General of NATO -- the man marshalling the military alliance's response to Putin's Ukraine offensive. Its prestige started to dip after 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and was hit with the first tranche of Western sanctions. But even as recently as 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat on stage alongside Putin.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump and Putin hold call, discuss Iran-Israel tensions, Ukraine war
Here's what to know about President Trump's changing tone on Russia Washington – President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute phone call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Ukraine peace talks, the White House and Kremlin confirmed. In a statement released by the White House, Mr. Trump said Putin called him on Saturday to "wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well." "We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week," Mr. Trump said, adding that the call lasted "approximately 1 hour." "He feels, as I do, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end." Mr. Trump did not provide additional details about the call. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said that during the conversation, Putin briefed Mr. Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia's proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue. "The dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East was naturally at the center of the exchange of opinions," Ushakov told journalists following the conversation between the two leaders. "Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict," he said, warning of "unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East." According to Ushakov, Putin also emphasized Russia's readiness to carry out possible mediation efforts and noted that Russia had proposed steps "aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements" during U.S.-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. "Russia's principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged," Ushakov said. Mr. Trump described the regional situation as "very alarming," Ushakov said, but acknowledged the "effectiveness" of Israel's strikes on targets in Iran. The leaders did not rule out a possible return to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, according to Ushakov. According to Ushakov, Putin told Mr. Trump about the implementation of the agreements during peace talks in Istanbul between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, including the exchange of prisoners of war. Mr. Trump said that Putin is moving forward with the planned prisoner swap. "He is doing the planned prisoner swaps - large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides." "Our president noted that an exchange of prisoners of war is taking place, including seriously wounded and prisoners of war under 25 years of age," Ushakov said, along with expressing readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians. Mr. Trump, he said, "noted his interest in a speedy end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict." The leaders last spoke on June 4 for over an hour, where they discussed Putin's plans to respond to Ukraine's drone strike on Russian air bases. Mr. Trump posted some details from the conversation on his Truth Social account and said they also discussed Iran. Before that, Mr. Trump's last known phone call with Putin was in May and lasted two hours.
