Tag: diplomacy

Iran nuclear talks: US says it is ready to make ‘difficult decisions’

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – A deal to restore the pact limiting Iran’s nuclear program is not imminent, but Washington is prepared to take “difficult decisions” to make it happen, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Monday. Price told journalists he could not discuss the specifics of the final remaining issues in the 11 month-old negotiations over restoring the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aims at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear […]

British-Iranians reunited with family in UK after Tehran release

by Charles ONIANS Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Two British-Iranians imprisoned for years in Iran were reunited with their families in the early hours of Thursday, tears of joy and long hugs marking the culmination of years of campaigning and earlier false hopes. Their release on Wednesday came as the British government confirmed it had paid a longstanding debt over a cancelled defence contract, and as major powers inch closer to renewing the […]

US, Iran ‘close to deal’ on reviving nuclear pact: State Dept

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – The United States and Iran are near to reaching an agreement over reviving the 2015 deal on limiting Tehran’s nuclear program, the State Department said Wednesday. “We are close to a possible deal, but we’re not there yet,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. “We do think the remaining issues can be bridged.” Speaking to reporters, Price declined to confirm Tehran’s claim that there were just two final issues […]

Vote at UN Council postponed again on Russia’s ‘humanitarian’ resolution on Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Moscow asked Wednesday to postpone again a UN Security Council vote on a resolution it drafted about the “humanitarian” situation in Ukraine, where Russian troops have launched an all-out assault. Some diplomats believe, however, that the text could ultimately be abandoned due to lack of support from Russia’s allies. Discussions are also underway, according to other diplomatic sources, to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak to the United […]

Hamas faces risk, opportunity from warming Israel-Turkey ties

by Adel Zaanoun Agence France-Presse GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – A diplomatic thaw between Israel and Turkey has created challenges for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which counts on Ankara’s support, but could also offer it a more “trustworthy” middleman to deal with the Jewish state, experts say. With Turkey’s ties to Israel effectively broken for more than a decade, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fostered a close relationship with Hamas, which took power in […]

Russia calls for UN Council vote on Ukraine-linked ‘humanitarian’ resolution

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Moscow’s envoys to the United Nations on Tuesday called for a Security Council vote on a resolution it has drafted about the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Ukraine, where Russian troops have launched an all-out assault. Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said he regretted that France and Mexico opted not to present a draft resolution on humanitarian aid to the Council, and that Moscow would put forth its […]

UN Security Council to meet Friday on biological weapons at Moscow’s request

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting Friday at the request of Russia over the alleged development of biological weapons in Ukraine. Russia on Thursday accused the United States of funding research into the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, which has faced an assault by tens of thousands of Russian troops since February 24. Both Washington and Kyiv have denied the existence of laboratories intended to […]

Russia’s Lavrov slams ‘dangerous’ arms deliveries to Ukraine

  ANTALYA, Turkey (AFP) — Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the European Union and other countries of “dangerously” backing the supply of arms to Ukraine, as it resists an incursion by thousands of Russian troops. “We see how dangerously our Western colleagues, including in the European Union, are acting now, which, in violation of all their so-called principles and values, encourage the supply of deadly weapons to Ukraine,” Lavrov said. “We believe […]

Top Russia, Ukraine diplomats arrive in Turkey for talks

ANTALYA, Turkey (AFP) – The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine have arrived in Turkey for face-to-face talks set for Thursday morning, officials said, in the first high-level contact between the two sides since Moscow invaded its ex-Soviet neighbour. Officials from Kyiv and Moscow have held several rounds of discussions in Belarus, but the meeting in the southern city of Antalya represents the first time Russia has sent a minister for talks on the crisis. […]

Israel’s president heads to Turkey in bid to rebuild ties

by Jonah Mandel JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel’s president heads to Turkey Wednesday to meet his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the first visit by an Israeli head of state since 2007, as the countries seek to mend fractured ties. President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Ankara and Istanbul was in the making weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, but the conflict could feature at the talks, with both Israel and Turkey playing mediation roles in recent days. […]

How US might help Ukraine — without broadening the war

by Sylvie Lanteaume and Francesco Fontemaggi The United States believes Russia is digging in for a protracted war, and Washington wants to help Kyiv resist, but an overarching goal remains — limiting the conflict to Ukraine to avoid spillover that could provoke “World War III.” The US military establishment is walking a tightrope as it seeks to balance such demands and avoid nuclear escalation, according to public statements by American leaders and AFP interviews with […]

Israeli PM vows more Ukraine talks, even if prospects ‘not great’

  JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s premier said Sunday his country had a “moral obligation” to help stem fighting in Ukraine even if chances of success were “not great”, after shuttle diplomacy that saw him visit the Kremlin. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met for three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, before flying to Berlin to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Israeli premier, acting after Kyiv requested him to launch a […]