Putin says he is open to direct peace talks with Ukraine

Short Url
Updated 21 April 2025
Follow

Putin says he is open to direct peace talks with Ukraine

  • Putin says Russia is open to peace initiatives
  • Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violating truce
  • Russia launched missiles, drones, Ukraine says

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin, under pressure from Washington to show willingness to make peace in Ukraine, proposed on Monday bilateral talks with Kyiv for the first time in years, and said he was open to more ceasefires after a one-day Easter truce.
Putin said fighting had resumed after his surprise 30-hour ceasefire, which he announced unilaterally on Saturday. Both sides had accused each other of violating Putin’s truce, which Kyiv had largely dismissed from the outset as a stunt.
Washington said it would welcome an extension of the truce. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called for it to be extended into a 30-day ceasefire protecting civilian targets.
US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to end the three-year-old war swiftly, has reoriented US policy away from its staunch support of Ukraine toward accepting Russia’s account of the war, but has so far won few concessions from Moscow.
Russia rejected a Trump proposal last month for a full 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had accepted. US officials held parallel talks with both sides in Saudi Arabia, but they agreed only to limited pauses on attacks on energy targets, which they accuse each other of violating.
Speaking to a Russian state TV reporter, Putin said Moscow was open to any peace initiatives and expected the same from Kyiv.
“We always have a positive attitude toward a truce, which is why we came up with such an initiative, especially since we are talking about the bright Easter days,” Putin said.
Asked about Zelensky’s proposed 30-day truce on civilian targets, he said: “This is all a subject for careful study, perhaps even bilaterally. We do not rule this out.”
His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later confirmed that Putin was referring to the possibility of direct talks with Ukraine. The two sides are not known to have held any such talks since a failed peace effort in the early months of the war three years ago.
“When the president said that it was possible to discuss the issue of not striking civilian targets, including bilaterally, the president had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said, according to Interfax news agency.
There was no immediate response from Kyiv to Putin’s remarks. A spokeswoman for President Volodymyr Zelensky did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AIR STRIKES
Zelensky said early on Monday that his forces were instructed to continue to mirror the Russian army’s actions.
“The nature of Ukraine’s actions will remain symmetrical: ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defense. Actions always speak louder than words,” he said on social network X.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both announced on Friday that Washington could walk away from peace talks in Ukraine altogether if the sides do not make more progress within days. Trump struck a more optimistic note Sunday, saying that “hopefully” the two sides would make a deal “this week.”
Russia has yet to row back from any of its major demands, including that Ukraine cede all the land Putin claims to have annexed and accept permanent neutrality. Ukraine says that would amount to surrender and leave it undefended if Moscow attacks again.
Asked about Trump’s remarks on a possible peace deal soon, Peskov told a daily conference call with reporters: “I don’t want to make any comments right now, especially about the timeframe.
“President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful settlement. We are continuing to work with the American side and, of course, we hope that this work will yield results.”
While there were no air raid alerts in Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian forces reported nearly 3,000 violations of Russia’s ceasefire with the heaviest attacks and shelling seen along the Pokrovsk part of the frontline, Zelensky said earlier on Monday.
Russia’s defense ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times and said it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks, saying also that there were deaths and injuries among the civilian population.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.


Taiwan says China opening flight path raises regional unease

Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Taiwan says China opening flight path raises regional unease

  • Chinese civil aviation authority opened another west-to-east connecting route above the sensitive waterway
  • Statement: China ‘unilaterally violated the consensus’ three times by launching the routes without consulting Taiwan
TAIPEI: Taipei condemned Sunday China’s move to open a sensitive aviation route that runs through the Taiwan Strait, warning the change could increase tensions between the two sides and “regional unease.”
Taiwan’s top China policy body criticized Beijing after its civil aviation authority opened another west-to-east connecting route above the sensitive waterway.
China has shown “complete disregard for the consensus of both sides and Taiwan’s public opinion, using unilateral actions to change the status quo and increase cross-strait and regional unease,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said.
Beijing adjusted the M503 north-to-south route through the Taiwan Strait in January 2024 and opened two west-to-east connecting flight paths months later.
The newly-activated west-to-east route is intended to “alleviate the pressure caused by the increase of flights,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said Sunday, quoted by state news agency Xinhua.
But Taipei’s Mainland Affairs Council denied there had been an increase in air traffic.
It said China had “unilaterally violated the consensus” three times by launching the routes without consulting Taiwan and urged Beijing to engage in negotiations.
“The current cross-strait and Asia-Pacific situation is complex, the Mainland’s unilateral actions will escalate regional tensions, which no party wishes to see,” the Council said.
Beijing insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
Beijing regularly deploys fighter jets, warships and coast guard ships near Taiwan, and has held several major military exercises around the island in recent years.

Japan PM says won’t ‘easily compromise’ to Trump on tariffs

Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Japan PM says won’t ‘easily compromise’ to Trump on tariffs

  • American President Trump has said he was going to write a letter to Japan, asking it to “pay a 30 percent, 35 percent or whatever the number is that we determine,” and called the bilateral trade relation “unfair”

TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he won’t “easily compromise” in talks with Washington as Tokyo seeks to avert President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs of up to 35 percent on Japanese goods.
“We will not easily compromise. That’s why it is taking time and why it is tough,” Ishiba told a television talk show.
His comments came as Japan rushes to negotiate with the Trump administration before the Wednesday deadline for trade deals.
While Trump imposed a sweeping 10 percent tariff on imports from most trading partners in April, he unveiled — then paused — higher rates on dozens of economies including Japan to allow room for negotiations.
This pause will expire July 9, meaning the elevated rates are due to kick in if countries fail to reach agreements with Washington to avert them.
Trump has said he was going to write a letter to Japan, asking it to “pay a 30 percent, 35 percent or whatever the number is that we determine,” and called the bilateral trade relation “unfair.”
He has particularly pressed Japan to accept more US automobiles and rice.
Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo’s trade envoy, held telephone calls with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Saturday.
In the Sunday television show, Ishiba reiterated that Japan, as the biggest investor nation in the US economy, should be treated differently from other countries.
“What is unfair? How is it unfair? We need to examine each one” of the US claims, he said.
“We are allies, but we have to say what we have to say. We are the world’s largest investor nation and the largest job creator (in the US). We are different,” he said.
On another Sunday television show, Ishiba said Japan was “preparing to deal with all kinds of situations,” when asked about how he plans to deal with Trump’s letter.


Colombia arrests man suspected of organizing hit on politician

Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Colombia arrests man suspected of organizing hit on politician

  • Arteaga Hernandez, who has a long criminal record and a file with Interpol, coordinated the attack, hired the shooter and provided him with a gun, police said

BOGOTA: Colombian police probing the attempted assassination of a prominent right-wing presidential candidate arrested on Saturday a man they believe hired the teenager accused of pulling the trigger.
Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez was described by police as a key planner of the June 7 attack on conservative senator Miguel Uribe, who remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Arteaga Hernandez organized “the before of the attack, the during, and the after,” said police chief Carlos Fernando Triana Beltran.
Uribe, 39, was shot three times, including twice in the head, during a campaign rally in a park in Bogota.
Police have now arrested five suspects, including the 15-year-old alleged hitman.
Arteaga Hernandez, who has a long criminal record and a file with Interpol, coordinated the attack, hired the shooter and provided him with a gun, police said.
The shooter is believed to belong to a network of contract killers.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Arteaga Hernandez “had allegedly negotiated the execution of the crime” for the equivalent of about $250,000.
“He planned the cover, the movements, and even ordered one of his accomplices to be silenced after the incident,” Sanchez posted on X.
Uribe’s attorney, Victor Mosquera, has said the probe had revealed a “structured organization” with a “history of attacks on right-wing leaders.”
Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party, announced his intention last October to run in the May 2026 presidential election.


Sanctions? No big deal, say Russian middle class couple

Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Sanctions? No big deal, say Russian middle class couple

  • Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine
  • Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, many Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some Western brands for good

MYTISHCHI: For Sergei Duzhikov and Maria Tyabut, a middle-class couple living in a town just outside Moscow, Western sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine have been manageable.
The pair drive a Chinese car, vacation in Venezuela and buy “Camembert” cheese made in Russia.
Their modest two-bedroom apartment in Mytishchi, home to 300,000 people northeast of the capital, has been recently renovated and their Chinese-made fridge is stocked with Russian goods.
Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, they and many other Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some well-known Western brands for good.
“From the perspective of my everyday life — home, family, work, leisure, friends, hobbies, and interests, I honestly don’t feel the impact of sanctions,” said Maria, who works at a cosmetics company.
“There aren’t any brands that have left such a void that I can’t live without them,” the 43-year-old added.
Supermarkets have found a range of domestic and foreign alternatives to Western products, including Camembert cheese, one of Maria’s creature comforts.
“It’s delicious. I haven’t tried real French Camembert, so I can’t compare,” she admitted.
“Overall, my life hasn’t changed much,” she told AFP.


Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Those sanctions became significantly tighter following Moscow’s full-scale assault on its neighbor.
Moscow responded by ramping up production of domestic goods, shifting its trade away from the West to what it calls “friendly” nations like China and importing other items through third countries.
For ordinary Russians, the most noticeable effect of this was an exodus of Western brands from supermarket shelves and from the high street.
Among the most well-known brands to leave was fast-food chain McDonald’s, famously replaced by Russian-owned “Vkusno i tochka” (which translates to ‘Delicious, Full Stop’) in 2022.
Maria’s husband Sergei, a funeral director, said he had “no complaints” about the quality of the food.
“The kids love it,” he said of the restaurant chain.
When shopping, Maria buys a new brand of yoghurt that replaced one belonging to French company Danone.
Danone left the Russian market in 2022 and eventually sold its operations to a businessman linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Some Russian companies have also been able to import popular Western goods via third countries, albeit at a higher cost.
As for vacations, Maria and Sergei have opted for trips across Russia and Latin America.
Most European countries cut off direct flights to Russia shortly after the offensive began, while some tightened entry requirements for Russian citizens.
The couple said they had been to Venezuela, a country under US sanctions, which they described as a nation of “friendly people who love Russians.”


The couple admitted there were a few teething issues.
Two years ago, after a car accident, Sergei said he waited “three months” for spare parts to repair his Korean-made Kia because of sanctions.
“That’s when I realized that it probably made sense to sell my beloved Korean car and replace it with a similar Chinese one,” he told AFP.
Maria also said she noticed it was harder to find products in “certain” categories of goods.
But overall, she said, “I don’t feel deprived in any way. Certainly not when it comes to food. There’s a wide and rich selection.”
The Russian economy has been marked by volatility since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022, a military assault that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
The country reported strong economic expansion in 2023 and 2024, largely due to massive state defense spending on the conflict, but is now slowing down after a period of what officials called “overheating.”
Inflation has also been running high, clocking in at more than double the central bank’s target for over a year.
Maria and her husband’s combined income is around 300,000 rubles (around $3,800), higher than the average wage for one person of around 100,000.
While Maria acknowledged prices were going up, she said her family was not “crying” about it.
“It’s not like we used to buy a kilogramme (35 ounces) of buckwheat three years ago, and now we can only afford 600 grams,” she said.
“They are rising little by little.”


Alleged arsonist charged over fire at Australian synagogue

Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Alleged arsonist charged over fire at Australian synagogue

  • Angelo Loras appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and was charged with arson, endangering life and property damage

MELBOURNE: A man was charged Sunday over an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue in an apparent escalation of antisemitic violence in Australia’s second-most populous city.
Angelo Loras, 34, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court Sunday charged with arson, endangering life and property damage. He was also charged with possessing a “controlled weapon” on Saturday when he was arrested. The charge sheet does not say what that weapon was.
The Sydney resident did not enter a plea or apply to be released on bail. Magistrate John Lesser remanded Loras in custody to appear in court next on July 22.
Flammable liquid was ignited at the door of the East Melbourne Synagogue, also known as the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, on Friday night as 20 worshippers shared a Shabbat meal inside.
The congregation escaped without harm via a rear door and firefighters contained the blaze to the entrance area of the 148-year-old building.
It was the first of three apparent displays of antisemitic violence across the city on Friday and early Saturday morning.
Authorities have yet to establish a link between incidents at the synagogue and two businesses.
Antisemitism blamed for attacks on businesses
Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant.
A restaurant window was cracked, tables were flipped and chairs thrown as protesters chanted “Death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. A 28-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and charged with hindering police.
Police are also investigating the spray-painting of a business in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and an arson attack on three vehicles attached to the business before dawn on Saturday. The vehicles had also been graffitied.
Police said there were antisemitic “inferences” at the scene. The business had also been the target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the past year.
Political leaders condemn antisemitism
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke met with Jewish leaders at the damaged synagogue on Sunday.
Burke told reporters that investigators were searching for potential links between the three incidents.
“At this stage, our authorities have not drawn links between them. But obviously there’s a link in antisemitism. There’s a link in bigotry. There’s a link in a willingness to either call for violence, to chant violence or to take out violent actions. They are very much linked in that way,” Burke said.
“There were three attacks that night and none of them belonged in Australia. Arson attacks, the chanting calls for death, other attacks and graffiti — none of it belonged in Australia and they were attacks on Australia,” Burke added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Australian government to “take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.”
“I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday.
“The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of ‘death to the IDF’ and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted,” he added.