Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov drew attention in Anchorage on Friday when he arrived for a high-profile summit between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin wearing a vintage sweatshirt bearing the Soviet-era “CCCP” emblem.
Lavrov, a senior member of Russia’s delegation, landed in Alaska ahead of Putin and was seen stepping out of a black vehicle in a black gilet over a sweatshirt emblazoned with the Russian abbreviation for the USSR. The outfit appeared to play on accusations from Putin’s critics that he seeks to restore Soviet influence.
In recent years, statues of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin have reappeared in Russia, including a monument unveiled in a Moscow metro station earlier this year. Speaking before the summit, Lavrov said Russia “never plans ahead” in response to Trump’s remarks that there was a 25% chance the meeting to arrange peace between Ukraine and Russia could fail. “We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it,” he said in a video posted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
In a Fox News radio interview on Thursday, Trump said he was unsure if an “immediate ceasefire” could be reached but wanted a broad peace deal concluded quickly. The Kremlin has said the summit will begin with a one-on-one between the two leaders, followed by delegation talks and a working breakfast, ending with a joint press conference.
Trump has shifted in describing the meeting, initially calling it a “feel-out” session but also warning of “very severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to end the fighting. He has suggested that any deal could involve “some swapping of territories,” though it is unclear what that would entail. Other reports have pointed to potential financial incentives for Russia, including access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders have voiced concern over the idea of land swaps, with Zelensky warning that Putin is “bluffing” about a ceasefire. Trump has said that if talks with Putin go well, he will move to arrange a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overn...
North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex in the northwest of the country and begun operating an expa...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex in the northwest of the country and begun operating an expanded site at Kangson, near the capital Pyongyang, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog has said.
Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banned 12 British nationals from entering the country, escalating a diplomatic row with London over Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 9th of September, covering the latest developments.
The United States has announced a ban on a range of Canadian products, including alcoholic beverages, dairy goods and motorcycles, as retaliatory Canadian tariffs on U.S. imports take effect.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment