Israeli navy intercepts Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg; unrest grips LA
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Yaacov Amidror – Former national security advisor to the Israeli PM
Cengiz Firat – Former Turkish ambassador
Ellie Cohanim – Former US deputy envoy
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Trump orders nuclear submarines moved after Russian ‘provocative statements'
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in 'the appropriate regions' in response to statements from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev ... I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,' Trump said in a social media post. He added: 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' He did not specify what he meant by 'nuclear submarines.' Submarines may be nuclear-powered, or armed with nuclear missiles. It is extremely rare for the US military to discuss the deployment and location of US submarines given their sensitive mission in nuclear deterrence. The US Navy declined comment. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump and Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, have traded taunts in recent days after Trump on Tuesday said Russia had '10 days from today' to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit with tariffs, along with its oil buyers. Medvedev on Thursday said Trump should remember that Moscow possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort, after Trump told Medvedev to 'watch his words.' Moscow, which has set out its own terms for peace in Ukraine, has given no indication that it will comply with Trump's deadline of August 8. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favor. He made no reference to the deadline. Trump, who in the past touted good relations with Putin, has expressed mounting frustration with the Russian leader, accusing him of 'bullshit' and describing Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as disgusting. Medvedev has emerged as one of the Kremlin's most outspoken anti-Western hawks since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Kremlin critics deride him as an irresponsible loose cannon, though some Western diplomats say his statements illustrate the thinking in senior Kremlin policy-making circles. Trump also rebuked Medvedev in July, accusing him of throwing around the 'N (nuclear) word' after the Russian official criticized US strikes on Iran and said 'a number of countries' were ready to supply Iran with nuclear warheads. 'I guess that's why Putin's 'THE BOSS',' Trump said at the time. The US president took office in January having promised to end the Ukraine war on Day One, but has not been able to get Moscow to agree to a ceasefire. Only six countries operate nuclear-powered submarines: the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and India. The US Navy has 71 commissioned submarines including 53 fast attack submarines, 14 ballistic-missile submarines, and four guided-missile submarines. All of them are nuclear-powered, but only some carry nuclear weapon-tipped missiles.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Finnish President Says Ready to Recognize Palestinian State
Finland's President Alexander Stubb has said he is ready to approve a recognition of a Palestinian state if the government moves forward with such a proposal. Many countries, including France and Canada, have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state alongside the 80th UN General Assembly in September. "The decisions by France, the United Kingdom and Canada reinforce the trend towards recognising Palestine as part of efforts to breathe new life into the peace process," Stubb said in a post to X Thursday, AFP reported. Finland's president, elected for six years, has limited powers but helps coordinate the country's foreign policy in close cooperation with the government. "If I receive a proposal to recognize the Palestinian state, I am prepared to approve it," Stubb said, deploring an "inhumane" situation in Gaza. He said he understood that Finns had "different opinions on the recognition of Palestine, and that there is also concern," calling for an "open" and "honest" debate. The far-right Finns Party and the Christian Democrats oppose recognizing a Palestinian state. Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Friday reiterated Helsinki's support for a two-state solution, without specifying whether the government was ready to recognise a Palestinian state. Discussions on foreign policy and the Middle East with the president would continue up to the UN conference at the end of September, he said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UK's Starmer, Ukraine's Zelenskiy Welcome Trump's Deadline for Russia
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed on Friday US President Donald Trump's new deadline for Russia to make progress towards ending its more than three-year-long war. "Both leaders welcomed the President's new deadline on Russia to stop their stalling tactics and make meaningful progress on a peace deal," a Downing Street spokeswoman said on Friday, following a call between the two. "It was clear Russia was the only barrier to peace, the leaders agreed.
