Tag: NATO

  • Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops on Monday to “maintain peace” in two rebel regions of eastern Ukraine.

    The development came forward hours after Putin recognised pro-Moscow separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities in a televised national address, reports Reuters.

    “I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics,” Putin announced despite West’s warnings.

    Putin termed United States-backed Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly kept suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia. He said, “Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.”

    He demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in Kyiv and warned, saying, “Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine.”

    Talking about North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the Russian President stated, “US strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the US and NATO? We know that too. It’s Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security.”

    “We will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests, and our values,” he said while adding that the country has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its security. That is exactly what we will do.

    Responding to the news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his nation and said that the country had initiated an emergency meeting with the Normandy Four (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France), reports CNN.

    In a video address, Zelensky said the move was a violation of Ukraine’s “national integrity and sovereignty.”

    Ukraine is deeply divided, with a large Russian and Russian-speaking minority. Since fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, separatist rebels of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have been accused of being proxies for Russian interests.

    Several leaders of the state across the globe have condemned the act. The US is reportedly coordinating with allies and will announce new sanctions against its long rival Russia

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is set to visit tomorrow (Wednesday). In August, Putin and PM Khan talked over the phone and exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral relations.

  • VIDEO: Reporter asks Biden’s spokesperson to show ‘evidence’ that Russia is starting a war in Ukraine

    VIDEO: Reporter asks Biden’s spokesperson to show ‘evidence’ that Russia is starting a war in Ukraine

    United States (US) State Department Spokesperson Ned Price was questioned by Associated Press (AP) reporter Matt Lee about the evidence behind US officials’ belief that Russia intended to release an elaborate propaganda video on Ukraine in order to justify beginning a war.

    A heated argument between the two [Price and Lee] can be heard in a video. Lee demanded Price to show the evidence to which he responded by saying that the information came from US intelligence, thus is classified.

    “Okay, well, where is it? Where is this information?” Lee asked. Price responded by asking Lee if he would want a printed-out transcript of the briefing.

    “That’s not evidence, that’s you saying it. I would like to see some proof that shows that the Russians are doing that,” Lee continued the argument.

    Following the press briefing, Price said that he and Lee have had their fair share of sparring sessions. “Nothing but respect for him, which I underscored in a call to him after the briefing,” he added.

    Russia has long resisted Ukraine’s move towards European institutions, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as it shares a border with Ukraine.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky have denied the news of an invasion. However, the US argued that Russia has no explanation for the troops posted close to Ukraine.

  • United States and Russia ready to talk

    United States and Russia ready to talk

    Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed tensions with the west over growing concerns about troop buildup on its border near Ukraine, reports BBC.

    The Russian president wanted quick surety on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to stem the crisis.

    “The ball is in their court, they have to give us some response,” Putin said at his annual press conference.

    The United States (US) warned of sanctions if Putin does not refrain from his actions.

    Ukraine security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to its borders, and the US has threatened Putin with sanctions “like none he’s ever seen” if Ukraine comes under attack.

    Russia wanted Nato to give up all military action in Eastern Europe.

    “It’s you who must give us guarantees, and give them immediately, now,” Putin said on Thursday, stressing that military measures were not his preferred choice.

    United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she welcomed the fact that Moscow had “signalled it is willing to enter talks in January”, but warned any Russian attack would be met with sanctions that would hit Russia’s economy.

  • US President Biden invites Pakistan for virtual summit on democracy, leaves China and Turkey out

    United States (US) President Joe Biden has invited 110 countries, including Pakistan, for a virtual summit on democracy. The summit is expected to take place on December 9 and 10.

    According to a list posted on the US State Department website, America’s top rival China and North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) ally Turkey are missing from the list.

    Surprisingly, US traditional Arab allies Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are also not invited. From the Middle East region, only Israel and Iraq are excepted to join other countries for the meeting.

    The conference was a campaign pledge by Biden, who has placed the struggle between democracies and “autocratic governments” at the heart of his foreign policy, reports Dawn. However, the second edition of this meeting will take place in person next year.

    While announcing the summit in August, the White House said the meeting would “galvanise commitments and initiatives across three principal themes: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights”.

  • ‘US clueless and in state of shock over Taliban takeover’: PM Khan

    ‘US clueless and in state of shock over Taliban takeover’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, while speaking with CNN journalist Becky Anderson, said the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to engage with the Taliban and incentivise them on issues such as women’s rights and inclusive government.

    “The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could go to chaos. The biggest humanitarian crisis, a huge refugee problem,” Khan said.

    “No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people,” he said. “So rather than sitting here and thinking that we can control them, we should incentivise them. Because Afghanistan, this current government, clearly feels that without international aid and help, they will not be able to stop this crisis. So we should push them in the right direction.”

    “Our intelligence agencies told us that the Taliban would not be able to take over all of Afghanistan, and if they tried to take Afghanistan militarily, there would be a protracted civil war, which is what we were scared of because we are the ones who would suffer the most,” Khan said. Now, he said, the world should “give them time” to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises.

    PM Khan commenting on women’s rights in Afghanistan said, “I feel very strongly that it is a mistake to think that someone from the outside will give Afghan women their rights [because] Afghan women are strong. Give them time, and they will get their rights.”

    “Women should have the ability in society to fulfil their potential in life [but] you cannot impose women’s rights in Afghanistan from abroad,” said Khan.

    When questioned about the decision of the United States (US) and NATO forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, PM Khan said that the “US should have attempted a political settlement with the Taliban from a position of strength.”

    “Just because we sided with the US, we became an ally of the US after 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. The suffering this country went through with at one point there were 50 militant groups attacking our government … on top of it, they must also know there were 480 drone attacks by the US in Pakistan,” he said.

    On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would reassess its ties with Pakistan following the withdrawal. He told Congress during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that Pakistan has a “multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours”.

    “It is one that is involved hedging its bets constantly about the future of Afghanistan, it’s one that’s involved harbouring members of the Taliban … It is one that’s also involved in different points cooperation with us on counterterrorism,” Blinken said, Reuters reported.

    Khan called such comments “ignorant”, telling CNN: “I have never heard such ignorance.”

    “I cannot destroy my country to fight someone else’s war,” he said. “My responsibility would have been to the people of my country.”

    PM Khan also said that he hasn’t met President Joe Biden after the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

    “He did not call as he is a busy man, but our relationship with the US is not just dependent on a phone call, it needs to be a multidimensional relationship,” remarked Khan.

  • Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was held on Monday to deliberate on the emerging situation in Afghanistan. The NSC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by senior cabinet members and services chiefs.

    The participants were briefed on the latest developments in Afghanistan and their possible impact on Pakistan and the region.

    “The NSC noted that Pakistan was a victim of the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan and therefore desired peace and stability. Participants reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to an inclusive political settlement as the way forward representing all Afghan ethnic groups. It was reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country,” read a press release issued after the meeting.

    “The NSC called on all parties in Afghanistan to respect the rule of law, protect the fundamental human rights of all Afghans, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organisation/group against any country.”

    PM Khan said all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists, and staff of international organisations seeking to leave Afghanistan. The committee reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Afghanistan never had a military solution.

    “The ideal time to end the conflict through negotiations might have been when the United States (US)/ North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops were at maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Continuation of foreign military presence for a longer duration now would not have yielded a different outcome. Therefore, endorsement by the Biden administration of the previous US administration’s decision of troops withdrawal is indeed a logical conclusion to this conflict,” added the press release.

    “It is now time for the international community to work together to ensure an inclusive political settlement for long-term peace, security, and development of Afghanistan/ the region.”

  • Top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says steps to end military mission launched

    Top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says steps to end military mission launched

    The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General Scott Miller, on Sunday said an orderly withdrawal of foreign forces and the handing over of military bases and equipment to the Afghan forces had begun.

    Miller said he was acting on orders based on U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war, deeming the prolonged and intractable battle in Afghanistan no longer aligned with American priorities.

    Earlier this month Biden said he would withdraw troops from Afghanistan before Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the militant attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon that launched the Afghan war.

    Miller, who has been commanding the U.S. forces and the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan in their fight against the Taliban and other Islamist militant groups since 2018, said foreign forces will continue to have “the military means and capability to fully protect themselves during the ongoing retrograde and will support the Afghan security forces.”

    “I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Taliban members with the Taliban Political Commission, and I’ve told them a return to violence, an effort to force a military decision, would be a tragedy for Afghanistan and the Afghan people,” Miller told reporters in the capital Kabul.

    The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when they were ousted by U.S.-led forces. Since then they have waged a long-running insurgency and now control wide swathes of territory.

    Security experts in recent weeks said they doubt if the Taliban will allow U.S. forces, whom they call invaders, to peacefully exit the country at a time when clashes between the Afghan forces and the Taliban have not ebbed.

    Foreign force withdrawal is slated to begin on May 1, in line with an agreement with the Taliban in 2020.

    “As we retrograde to zero U.S. forces, we will turn over the (military) bases primarily to the (Afghan) Ministry of Defense and other Afghan forces,” Miller said adding that the Taliban have committed to break their relationship with al Qaeda, the Islamist extremist group.

    The Taliban government’s sheltering of Al-Qaeda was the key reason for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after the September 2001 attacks.

    A United Nations report in January said there were as many as 500 al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan and that the Taliban maintained a close relationship with them. The Taliban denies al Qaeda presence in Afghanistan.

  • VIDEO: Boris, Trudeau, Macron caught gossiping about Trump on camera

    VIDEO: Boris, Trudeau, Macron caught gossiping about Trump on camera

    The leaders of Britain, Canada, France and the Netherlands have been caught on camera at a Buckingham Palace reception mocking US President Donald Trump’s lengthy media appearances ahead of Wednesday’s Nato summit.

    The footage, shot by the British host’s camera pool on Tuesday evening and spotted and subtitled by Canada’s CBC, set the tone for the allies’ summit in Watford, just outside London.

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be heard asking France’s President Emmanuel Macron: “Is that why you were late?”

    Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interjects: “He was late because he takes a 40 minute press conference off the top.”

    In the video, Macron appears to tell an anecdote about his encounter with Trump, as Britain’s Princess Anne and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte look on, but the French leader’s back is to the camera and he is inaudible amid the hubbub.

    “Oh, yeah, yeah, he announced…” an amused Trudeau declares, adding: “You just watched his team’s jaw drop to the floor.”

    Watch video:

    Following the video, Trump responded by reviving his feud with Trudeau, labelling him “two-faced” over his leading role in the exchange.

    The prickly president’s honour was apparently satisfied by this, as he was later overheard on a second hot mic boasting: “That was funny when I said that guy was two-faced.”

    And in a final irony, Trump cancelled his scheduled press conference at the end of the summit, concluding not unreasonably that he had already said all he had to say during his ad hoc Q&As.

    It could have gone very differently, and Nato diplomats admitted that they feared the worst on Wednesday morning when video footage emerged of the leaders laughing about Trump at a Buckingham Palace reception.

    Meanwhile, in another press appearance, Trump told reporters, “He’s two-faced.”

    “With Trudeau, he’s a nice guy. I find him to be a nice guy, but the truth is, I called him out on the fact that he’s not paying two percent and I guess he’s not very happy about it,” he said.

    It is a known fact that Trump loves to dominate an international summit with impromptu, rambling press briefings that leave his fellow world leaders struggling to stick to their agenda.