logo
Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel's Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says

Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel's Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says

Yomiuri Shimbun15-06-2025
Reuters
Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with participants of the 'Time of Heroes' project established for Russian service members and veterans at the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday.
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, focusing on hostilities between Israel and Iran and calling for efforts to bring them to an end.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin condemned the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressed concern about the risks of escalation.
Trump, in his account on Truth Social, said most of the discussion centered on the Middle East, but that he also told Putin that Russia's war in Ukraine should end.
'Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East,' Ushakov told reporters.
Ushakov said Trump described events in the Middle East as 'very alarming'. But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran's nuclear programme, Ushakov said.
Ushakov said U.S. negotiators were ready to hold further talks with Iranian representatives, with Oman as mediator. The latest round, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, has been cancelled.
The Kremlin aide said Putin told Trump that Russia stood by proposals to ease tension and resolve issues concerning Iran's nuclear programme.
'The Russian president recalled that prior to the current rise in tension our side had proposed concrete steps intended to find mutually acceptable agreements during talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives about the Iranian nuclear programme,' Ushakov said.
'Russia's principled approach and interest in a resolution is unchanged and, as Vladimir Putin noted, we will continue to act based on this.'
Trump's account of the conversation included what amounted to his first explicit appeal for the hostilities to end.
'The call lasted approximately 1 hour,' Trump wrote. 'He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.'
Trump said he and Putin mostly discussed the Middle East and spent 'much less time' talking about the war in Ukraine. Trump hinted at follow-up discussions on the war in Ukraine in the coming week.
On Ukraine, Ushakov said Putin told the U.S. leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to state news agency RIA.
Ushakov also said that the presidents expressed satisfaction 'at their personal relations which have allowed for them to speak in a business-like manner to seek solutions to issues that are bilateral or on the international agenda, however complex those issues might be'.
Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Can BRICS spearhead a new multipolar world order?
Can BRICS spearhead a new multipolar world order?

Nikkei Asia

timean hour ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Can BRICS spearhead a new multipolar world order?

Leaders of the newly expanded BRICS group pose for a photo at the summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7. © Reuters TORU TAKAHASHI TOKYO -- One of the most pressing strategic challenges facing Japan, and many other Asian countries, is how to navigate a world marked by growing uncertainty while safeguarding the principles of multilateralism. Unfortunately, this critical issue received little attention during Japan's recent upper house election. Yet the long-standing norm of multilateral cooperation -- a cornerstone of the existing international order -- is under strain. Two recent international summits underscored this "clear and present danger" and its far-reaching repercussions.

New TV show imagines China invasion, gives Taiwan viewers wake-up call
New TV show imagines China invasion, gives Taiwan viewers wake-up call

Asahi Shimbun

time2 hours ago

  • Asahi Shimbun

New TV show imagines China invasion, gives Taiwan viewers wake-up call

A supporter of the recall election poses for a photo at a preview event for the upcoming Taiwanese drama series 'Zero Day Attack' in Taipei on July 23. (REUTERS) TAIPEI--A new Taiwanese television series that imagines the run-up to a Chinese invasion is getting rave reviews from viewers, who said the first program featuring the sensitive topic is a wake-up call for the public facing heightened Chinese military threat. In the show, 'Zero Day Attack,' a Chinese warplane goes missing near Taiwan. China then sends swarms of military boats and planes for a blockade as Taiwan goes on a war footing. Panic ensues on the streets of Taipei. At viewings in Taipei last week attendees have included the top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan Raymond Greene, who is director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and Taiwanese tycoon Robert Tsao, a strident critic of Beijing. The series is set to premiere on August 2 in Taiwan, followed by its Japanese release on Amazon Prime Video. 'Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day,' said Blair Yeh, a 35-year-old engineer, after watching the first episode in the Taipei premier last week. The premise of 'Zero Day Attack' is a topic that has for years been considered too sensitive for many Taiwan filmmakers and television show creators, who fear losing access to the lucrative Chinese entertainment market. More than half of the show's crew asked to remain anonymous on the crew list, and some people including a director pulled out of the production at the last minute, its showrunner Cheng Hsin Mei told Reuters. But as China steps up military threats, including at least six rounds of major war games in the past five years and daily military activities close to Taiwan, the upcoming drama confronts the fear by setting the 10-episode series around a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The drama focuses on several scenarios Taiwan might face in the days leading up to a Chinese attack, including a global financial collapse, the activation of Chinese sleeper agents and panicked residents trying to flee the island. 'Without freedom, Taiwan is not Taiwan,' the actor who plays a fictional Taiwan president says in a televised speech, urging unity after declaring war on China, in the show's trailer. The live broadcast then gets abruptly cut off, replaced by a feed of a Chinese state television anchor calling for Taiwanese to surrender and to report 'hidden pro-independence activists' to Chinese soldiers after their landing in Taiwan. 'We've been comfortable for a long time now,' said viewer Leon Yu, 43-year-old semiconductor industry professional, adding Taiwan's freedom and democracy must be kept. 'There's still a lot of people out there burying their head in the sand and don't want to face the dangers of the present.'

U.S. and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year
U.S. and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year

Asahi Shimbun

time2 hours ago

  • Asahi Shimbun

U.S. and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year

WASHINGTON--When top U.S. and Chinese officials meet in Stockholm, they are almost certain to agree to at least leaving tariffs at the current levels while working toward a meeting between their presidents later this year for a more lasting trade deal between the world's two largest economies, analysts say. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are set to hold talks Monday for the third time this year — this round in the Swedish capital, nearly four months after President Donald Trump upset global trade with his sweeping tariff proposal, including an import tax that shot up to 145% on Chinese goods. 'We have the confines of a deal with China,' Trump said Friday before leaving for Scotland. Bessent told MSNBC on Wednesday that the two countries after talks in Geneva and London have reached a 'status quo,' with the U.S. taxing imported goods from China at 30% and China responding with a 10% tariff, on top of tariffs prior to the start of Trump's second term. 'Now we can move on to discussing other matters in terms of bringing the economic relationship into balance,' Bessent said. He was referring to the U.S. running a $295.5 billion trade deficit last year. The U.S. seeks an agreement that would enable it to export more to China and shift the Chinese economy more toward domestic consumer spending. The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing hopes 'there will be more consensus and cooperation and less misperception' coming out of the talks. With an eye on a possible leaders' summit, Stockholm could provide some answers as to the timeline and viability of that particular goal ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 'The meeting will be important in starting to set the stage for a fall meeting between Trump and Xi,' said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator and now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. 'Beijing will likely insist on detailed preparations before they agree to a leaders' meeting.' In Stockholm, the two sides are likely to focus on commercial announcements to be made at a leaders' summit as well as agreements to address 'major irritants,' such as China's industrial overcapacity and its lack of control over chemicals used to make fentanyl, also to be announced when Xi and Trump should meet, Cutler said. Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, said Stockholm could be the first real opportunity for the two governments to address structural reform issues including market access in China for U.S. companies. What businesses will be seeking coming out of Stockholm would largely be 'the atmosphere' — how the two sides characterize the discussions. They will also look for clues about a possible leaders' summit because any real deal will hinge on the two presidents meeting each other, he said. In Stockholm, Beijing will likely demand the removal of the 20% fentanyl-related tariff that Trump imposed earlier this year, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Center. This round of the U.S.-China trade dispute began with fentanyl, when Trump in February imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, citing that China failed to curb the outflow of the chemicals used to make the drug. The following month, Trump added another 10% tax for the same reason. Beijing retaliated with extra duties on some U.S. goods, including coal, liquefied natural gas, and farm products such as beef, chicken, pork and soy. In Geneva, both sides climbed down from three-digit tariffs rolled out following Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, but the U.S. kept the 20% 'fentanyl' tariffs, in addition to the 10% baseline rate — to which China responded by keeping the same 10% rate on U.S. products. These across-the-board duties were unchanged when the two sides met in London a month later to negotiate over non-tariff measures such as export controls on critical products. The Chinese government has long protested that American politicians blame China for the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. but argued the root problem lies with the U.S. itself. Washington says Beijing is not doing enough to regulate precursor chemicals that flow out of China into the hands of drug dealers. In July, China placed two fentanyl ingredients under enhanced control, a move seen as in response to U.S. pressure and signaling goodwill. Gabriel Wildau, managing director at the consultancy Teneo, said he doesn't expect any tariff to go away in Stockholm but that tariff relief could be part of a final trade deal. 'It's possible that Trump would cancel the 20% tariff that he has explicitly linked with fentanyl, but I would expect the final tariff level on China to be at least as high as the 15-20% rate contained in the recent deals with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam,' Wildau said. China's industrial overcapacity is as much a headache for the United States as it is for the European Union. Even Beijing has acknowledged the problem but suggested it might be difficult to address. America's trade imbalance with China has decreased from a peak of $418 billion in 2018, according to the Census Bureau. But China has found new markets for its goods and as the world's dominant manufacturer ran a global trade surplus approaching $1 trillion last year — somewhat larger than the size of the U.S. overall trade deficit in 2024. And China's emergence as a manufacturer of electric vehicles and other emerging technologies has suddenly made it more of a financial and geopolitical threat for those same industries based in the U.S., Europe, Japan and South Korea. 'Some enterprises, especially manufacturing enterprises, feel more deeply that China's manufacturing capabilities are too strong, and Chinese people are too hardworking. Factories run 24 hours a day,' Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday when hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing. 'Some people think this will cause some new problems in the balance of supply and demand in world production.' 'We see this problem too,' Li said. Bessent also said the Stockholm talks could address Chinese purchases of Russian and Iranian oil. However, Wildau of Teneo said China could demand some U.S. security concessions in exchange, such as a reduced U.S. military presence in East Asia and scaled-back diplomatic support for Taiwan and the Philippines. This would likely face political pushback in Washington. The Stockholm talks will be 'geared towards building a trade agreement based around Chinese purchase commitments and pledges of investment in the U.S. in exchange for partial relief from U.S. tariffs and export controls,' Wildau said. He doubts there will be a grand deal. Instead, he predicts 'a more limited agreement based around fentanyl.' 'That,' he said, 'is probably the preferred outcome for China hawks in the Trump administration, who worry that an overeager Trump might offer too much to Xi.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store