French and German diplomats “wrongfooted” other EU member states at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday by proposing to invite Putin to a summit with the bloc’s leaders, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing “people with knowledge of the discussions.” According to FT, Merkel wants to revive EU relations …
Read More »Biden-Putin meeting shows Russia-US relations are set for a return to the Cold War-era. Strangely, that might be an improvement
While the fears were originally bigger than the hopes, the worst possible outcomes failed to materialize, and the summit served its purpose of getting Moscow and Washington to sit down and do business. Both leaders signed up to a well-polished joint statement that denounced nuclear war and signaled their determination …
Read More »Putin expects to discuss ways to fix Russia-US relations, disarmament & Covid-19 during first talks with Biden in Geneva
Putin revealed the “approximate agenda” of his much-anticipated face-to-face talks with Biden, scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland on June 16, during his appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday. “We’re going to discuss the issues of bilateral relations. I proceed from the fact that we …
Read More »Austrian leader Kurz laments state of EU/Russia relations, says real peace in Europe can only be achieved if they work together
Kurz gave an interview to TASS on Thursday, ahead of his virtual appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, where he will be speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. According to Kurz, despite the wide range of existing disagreements …
Read More »Danish PM insists relations with European allies don’t need repairing amid US spying connection allegations
On Tuesday, Denmark’s public broadcaster reported that the US exploited its relationship with the Nordic nation’s intelligence agency to spy on political figures in France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden between 2012 and 2014. America’s National Security Agency (NSA) reportedly used internet cables to and from Denmark, which hosts key landing …
Read More »‘Very business-like’: Top US diplomat acknowledges stable relations with Russia would be ‘good’ for world
“A more stable, predictable relationship with them [Russia], I think, would be good for us [the US], good for them, and I’d even argue good for the world,” Blinken told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on Sunday following his recent talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The secretary of state …
Read More »Biden wants to avoid Trump’s fate of US-Russia relations dominating his presidency, so White House needs summit more than Kremlin
The US and Russia have announced that Blinken and Lavrov will be convening in a side session during a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, scheduled for May 20, 2021. While any meeting between the individuals responsible for the foreign relations of their respective governments is always noteworthy, especially when tensions are at …
Read More »Relations between Russia & US have shifted from ‘rivalry’ to ‘confrontation’ & are back to Cold War level – ex-president Medvedev
“In recent years, relations between Russia and the United States have actually shifted from rivalry to confrontation, essentially returning to the Cold War era,” Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, wrote in an article for news agency RIA Novosti on Friday. “Sanctions pressure, …
Read More »Biden’s new ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine with Russia runs risk of Moscow deciding it has nothing to gain from good US relations
The measures, among the most extreme options available to Washington, ban American financial institutions from directly purchasing Russian sovereign debt, in response to unproven allegations that Moscow sought to meddle in the 2020 US presidential election. While Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, insisted on Friday that the country’s economy remains “robust” …
Read More »Despite rock bottom relations back home on Earth, Russia & US embrace space partnership for another decade of rocket-sharing
On Saturday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved the proposals, extending the agreement until the end of 2030. According to a missive from officials, it will underwrite “the exploration and the use of outer space for peaceful purposes” for the best part of the coming decade. “This document is one …
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