Connect with us

DIPLOMACY

Israel concerned about Trump’s Syria troop withdrawal plan

Published

on

Israel is concerned about US President Donald Trump’s intention to withdraw thousands of American troops from Syria, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported.

KAN reported that senior White House officials conveyed to their Israeli counterparts the message that Trump plans to withdraw thousands of US troops from Syria.

In the news report, it was stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Syria would cause great concern in Tel Aviv, and it was evaluated that ‘this move is expected to affect the Kurds in Syria’.

It was noted that Trump’s plan to withdraw thousands of American troops from Syria has caused concerns in the political and military spheres in Israel.

‘Occupation is permanent’

Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz emphasized that Israel will be ‘permanent’ on the Sheikh (Hermon) Mountain, where it expanded its occupation of the Golan Heights, which is Syrian territory according to international law.

According to the statement made by the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Katz stressed that Israel would establish contact with ‘friendly peoples’ in southern Syria and said, ‘We will especially focus on the large Druze communities that have historical and close family ties with our Druze brothers and sisters in Israel.’

The Israeli army also shared images of the ‘temporary’ military outposts it established on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, where it expanded its occupation.

The Israeli army, which entered the buffer zone around the Golan Heights after the overthrow of the Assad regime, carried the occupation further and entered 20 kilometers close to the capital Damascus.

Trump and Netanyahu to meet on 4 February

On the other hand, it was announced that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet at the White House on 4 February.

In a written statement made by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Press Office, it was detailed that Netanyahu was the first foreign leader Trump invited to the White House after he took the presidency for the second time.

According to the Israeli press, Trump and Netanyahu are expected to discuss regional issues, especially the ceasefire in Gaza.

DIPLOMACY

First official Russia-US talks since Ukraine war begin in Riyadh

Published

on

Representatives from Russia and the United States (US) have commenced their first official high-level talks since the onset of the Ukrainian war in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is being held at the Diriyah Palace, a residence of the Saudi royal family. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy President Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) President Kirill Dmitriev. Representing the US are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Discussions are anticipated to cover preparations for potential negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the arrangement of a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Before the talks began, RDIF President Dmitriev indicated that Russia had presented the US with several proposals in the trade and economic sectors, anticipating progress within two to three months.

“The American business community has lost over $300 billion by withdrawing from the Russian market. Thus, identifying mutual economic avenues and constructive solutions is crucial for the United States and other nations, which are recognizing the Russian market’s appeal and the necessity of maintaining a presence there,” Dmitriev stated.

Dmitriev further mentioned that Russia and the US should initiate joint projects, particularly in the Arctic.

A Washington Post source revealed that the Kremlin’s primary objective in the negotiations is the removal of sanctions against Russia, including those impacting senior officials and prominent Russian billionaires.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky previously stated that Kyiv would not acknowledge the outcomes of the Russia-US talks in Riyadh.

“Ukraine views any discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation as unproductive. We cannot accept any outcomes or agreements made about us without our involvement,” Zelensky asserted.

NBC News television sources reported that the US plans to conduct a separate meeting with Ukrainian officials prior to direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Continue Reading

DIPLOMACY

NATO criticizes Ukrainian army’s ‘wasteful’ use of Western weapons

Published

on

The Sunday Telegraph, citing a source, reported that NATO is dissatisfied with the Ukrainian army’s use of Western-supplied weapons alongside Soviet ones.

This is resulting in the wasteful use of weapons provided by allies due to their different approaches to using weapons.

According to the newspaper, NATO advocates the use of high-precision weapons from different sources, while the Soviet approach calls for intensive use of cheap firepower.

An official involved in the training of Ukrainian soldiers told the newspaper that the Ukrainians were using British-supplied NLAW anti-tank missiles (around 5,000) as hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs).

It was reported that the soldiers were firing salvos of five or six rockets, but that each rocket cost around £20,000 (2.2 million rubles at the time).

It was emphasized that using RPGs was not that costly. The launch of the rockets was reportedly recorded on video, and Ukraine provided the footage for reporting purposes.

Other sources told the newspaper that Ukrainian troops often abandon their equipment during withdrawals and that NATO’s principle is to “leave nothing behind” due to the cost of the weapons.

In particular, it was noted that the Ukrainian army did not take the launchers of the Javelin anti-tank missiles, which cost $100,000, from the abandoned positions.

“The Russian army probably has more Javelins than the British army,” one of the newspaper’s sources said. The Russian side has been reporting the seizure of such anti-tank missile systems since 2022.

The Telegraph listed the reasons for Kiev’s departure from Western tactics as the lack of time to train Ukrainians and disagreements with instructors who were unfamiliar with real combat conditions.

It was stated that this situation caused Ukraine to demand cheaper firepower and that the West was forced to turn to former Warsaw Pact countries for Soviet weapons.

“Foreign training is not only ineffective, but also dangerous, unless it is adapted to Ukrainian conditions and integrated into existing unit practices,” said Sergey Filimonov, commander of Ukraine’s 108th battalion.

Continue Reading

DIPLOMACY

Possible US-Russia talks on Ukraine to be held in Riyadh

Published

on

Russian and American delegations may meet in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on February 18 to discuss the Ukraine issue.

Sources informed Kommersant that talks between the US and Russian official delegations on Ukraine could take place in Riyadh.

According to Axios, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend the talks, while the US delegation will be headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The US delegation is also expected to include the President’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Bloomberg had previously reported that Russia could be represented at the talks by Vice President Yuri Ushakov, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin, and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Chairman Kirill Dmitriev.

US President Donald Trump announced last week that talks between the US and Russia would begin in Saudi Arabia.

Trump stated that these talks would take place before his personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he held a one-and-a-half-hour meeting on February 12 and agreed to work to resolve the military conflict in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia in the coming days.

“I will not only meet with Russians,” Zelensky said. “As I said, we see the order of the talks as follows: first the United States, then Europe, and then the Russians.”

US Secretary of State Rubio stated that Ukrainian and European leaders will take part in the decisive stage of the peace talks, while the bilateral meeting between representatives of the United States and Russia is aimed at starting the negotiation process.

According to Bloomberg, Trump expects a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.

Senior Ukrainian and Western officials told the Financial Times that Trump is trying to reach an agreement with Putin by that date.

Another possible date for a deal is May 9, when Russia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War.

Continue Reading

MOST READ

Turkey