US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict and its impact on global energy supplies during a phone call.
In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Saturday, Putin said that such a move by Trump would "lead to the destruction of our relations. At least the positive tendencies that have appeared in these relations."
This comes despite Russia on Monday stating that Lavrov and Rubio held a "constructive" conversation as part of preparations for the meeting between their two presidents in Budapest, Hungary, Russian media has reported.
Trump's one-on-one meetings with Putin during his first term were clouded with mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. Aides had a difficult time ascertaining if the two reached any agreements. After one such meeting, in Germany, Trump asked his interpreter to discard his notes.
As Russia continues to escalate its strikes on Ukraine, United States President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) said that he has plans to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, as several European leaders are expected to visit the United States for what he described as 'very interesting discussions' aimed at resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The unusual security measure was said to be aimed at preventing foreign powers from obtaining information about the Russian leader's health.
Despite the lack of a formal agreement, Trump described the summit as a success
'There are times when India should stand up without hesitation and voice its indignation over the US' pressure tactic. This is one such moment,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
There were apprehensions that additional secondary tariffs would have hit India in case the US decided to enforce them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism about Russia-US relations, citing potential cooperation in the Arctic and Alaska. He acknowledged the current low level of relations but sees improvement with President Trump's administration. Putin also emphasized the importance of Russia's sovereignty and the role of its nuclear industry.
India welcomes the summit talks between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska and hopes for an early end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Supporting Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, Zelenskyy said, "Key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this."
'No respite from economic pain is worth the loss of dignity and self-respect,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The point to note for India is that we must not panic. The United States may be our largest export destination, but high tariffs will not exactly mean gloom and doom. Sure, we can throw some morsels as we continue negotiating, but we must be firm that some red lines cannot be crossed, no matter what, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
In a post on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed that he and Trump had held a "long and substantive" call, beginning with one-on-one talks and later including European leaders in a broader discussion, where Trump briefed him on his recent meeting with Putin.
Speaking shortly after, Trump stated he had yet to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but would do so imminently, along with other European leaders. He suggested a formal deal was not yet in place.
Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict.
The summit, scheduled for Friday, marks the first in-person meeting between the leaders of the US and Russia in over four years.
Notably, US President Donald Trump and his administration have continuously targeted India over its purchase of Russian crude oil. India, on the other hand, has always maintained that India's purchases are based on its domestic needs and economic security.
Stressing that wars are "very bad", Trump said that he seems to have "an ability to end them, to get people together" for which he uses the "power of the United States".
Trump reiterated that he is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but rather aiming to bring the parties to the negotiating table.
Trump also repeated his claim that seven fighter jets or more were shot down during the hostilities.
Trump has played throughout his career as a deal-maker who could deliver where others could not, and Ukraine represents the ultimate test of that image, notes Manish Dabhade.
If India caves in to US pressure as Trump hopes it will, he will further try to blackmail it into submission, points out Ramesh Menon.
China on Wednesday said it was opposed to the joint Indo-US military exercises being held near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), asserting that it violates the spirit of the two border agreements signed between New Delhi and Beijing.
The armies of India and the US on Tuesday began an over two-week mega military exercise at a military facility in Uttarakhand with the aim of exchanging best practices and tactics in sync with growing defence ties between the two countries.
United States fighter jets on Saturday shot down an unidentified, unmanned high-altitude airborne object over northern Canada that had entered its airspace from Alaska, President Joe Biden said.
A United States fighter jet Friday shot down an object, the size of a small car, flying with payloads at a height of about 40,000 feet off the northern coast of Alaska on the direction of President Joe Biden, officials said.
Indian Army personnel are taking part in a joint military exercise with their American counterparts involving airborne specialist operations in sub-zero temperatures in Alaska.
Indian armymen are holding an annual joint military exercise with their American counterparts involving airborne specialist operations in sub-zero temperatures in Alaska.The fortnight-long exercise, which began on November 1, will witness 200 Indian infantrymen carrying out joint operations training, Yudh Abhyas (War Drill), at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richarson with airborne forces of the US army, Indian army officers said on Thursday.
On Sunday morning Eastern US time, four astronauts will zoom into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Commanding the spaceflight is Raja Chari, a United States Air Force colonel.
Codenamed Red Flag Alaska 16-1, the exercises are being conducted in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, the largest instrumented air, ground and electronic combat training range in the world at more than 65,000 square miles.
Raja Chari is in training to go to space in 2019. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel presents the story of his journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to NASA. A Rediff.com Exclusive!
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