Latest news with #Sergei Lavrov
Al Arabiya
17 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
North Korea's Kim Jong Un urges military to be ready for ‘real war'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged his military to be ready 'for real war' as he observed a firing contest of artillery units, Pyongyang state media said Thursday. Kim's remarks follow the North's deployment of troops and weapons to help Russia during its more than three-year long offensive in Ukraine. Video footage aired by state-run Korea Central Television on Thursday showed soldiers from artillery units firing shells towards the sea. Kim is seen looking through binoculars at an observation post, flanked by two military officials, but the location for Wednesday's contest was not disclosed. He urged the soldiers to be ready 'for real war' at 'anytime' and be capable of 'destroying the enemy in every battle', the Korean Central News Agency reported in an English dispatch. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have reported Pyongyang sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk region last year, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. Kim offered Moscow his full support for its war in Ukraine during recent talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, state media reported previously. The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Don't expect miracles in new peace talks, Russia warns
Russia has warned there will be no 'miracles' in a third round of direct peace talks with Ukraine set for Wednesday. Delegates from Kyiv and Moscow are due to meet in Istanbul, but the sides remain far apart on how to end the war started by Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion on Feb 24, 2022. Hopes therefore remain low that Ukraine and Russia will make any progress towards stopping the fighting, despite US efforts to push the peace process forward. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has praised previous talks in Istanbul, but a Kremlin spokesman has moved to dampen expectations - Pavel Bednyakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images 'There is no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles – it is hardly possible in the current situation,' said Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman. 'We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning.' Mr Peskov also declined to give any indication of a possible timeline to reach an agreement to end the war. Ukrainian and Western officials have accused the Kremlin of stalling the talks in order for its bigger army to capture more Ukrainian land. Russia currently holds about 20 per cent of Ukraine. Russia's approach – setting low expectations – comes just one day after Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, renewed his offer to meet directly with Putin to negotiate a ceasefire, and expressed interest in speeding up the talks. 'Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that it itself started,' Mr Zelensky posted online. The talks will be the third direct round of such meetings. Rustem Umerov, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, will lead the delegation on behalf of Kyiv. Moscow has not yet announced who it will send. 'The agenda from our side is clear: The return of prisoners of war, the return of the children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders' meeting,' Mr Zelensky said, outlining priorities for the talks. The earlier Istanbul talks in May and June led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war, and the remains of fallen soldiers – but no real breakthrough on a peace agreement in a war that has been grinding on for three and a half years. Mr Zelensky has insisted that lower-level delegations will not be as effective as a face-to-face meeting between the two countries' leaders, but Putin has repeatedly rejected the idea – even as Donald Trump last week threatened to slap Russia with new sanctions if a peace deal is not agreed in 50 days, a period that will expire on Sept 2. Demands from both sides remain far apart – particularly on the issue of returning occupied Ukrainian territory. The Kremlin has made clear that it wants Ukraine to give up the regions that Moscow claims have been integrated into Russia. Russia also wants promises that Ukraine will not be allowed to join Nato, to limit the size of the Ukrainian military, and to recognise Russian as an official language in Ukraine. Ukrainian and Russian representatives first met in Istanbul in May, with proceedings overseen by Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister - Arda Kucukkaya/Turkish Foreign Ministry via Reuters But such demands have already been rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. The Trump administration has pushed for an unconditional ceasefire before more substantial talks on a final has agreed to this, but Russia has refused unless certain conditions are met. Russia and Ukraine are continuing to launch attacks at each other's cities as they prepare for the talks. Russian forces attacked Ukrainian cities in three regions overnight on Monday, killing a child and injuring at least 40 others, officials said. And in a statement on Russia's Telegram channel, it has said that its forces took control of the village of Novotoretske in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Ukraine also launched an attack against Russia using long-range drones. The defence ministry in Moscow said that its air defences shot down 35 such drones overnight, including three over the capital. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea bans foreigners from seaside resort weeks after opening
North Korea has announced that its newly opened seaside resort will not be receiving foreign tourists. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, opened on 1 July, has been touted as a key part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's ambitions to boost tourism. In the lead-up to its opening, the resort was promoted as an attraction for both locals and foreigners. But as of this week, a notice on North Korea's tourism website says that foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit. Last week, the first Russian tourists reportedly arrived at the resort in Wonsan - around the same time that Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met Kim in the city. Lavrov hailed the seaside development as a "good tourist attraction", and said he hoped it would become popular among Russians, AFP reported. The two countries are set to launch direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang by the end of the month. A Russian tour guide previously told NK News that they had planned several more trips to the resort in the coming months. Wonsan, a city along North Korea's east coast, is home to some of the country's missile facilities and a large maritime complex. It's also where Kim spent much of his youth, among holiday villas belonging to the country's elites. The new seaside resort has lined 4km (2.5 miles) of its beachfront with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park. It has a capacity of some 20,000 people, according to state media. However, since the resort began construction in 2018, human rights groups have protested the alleged mistreatment of its workers. They point to reports of people being forced to work long hours to finish the massive project, under harsh conditions and inadequate compensation. Russian ambassadors attended the resort's completion ceremony on 24 June, along with Kim and his family. Last year, North Korea allowed Russian tourists to visit North Korea after a years-long suspension of tourism during the pandemic. In February, North Korea also started to receive tourists from the West, including Australia, France, Germany and the UK. It abruptly halted tourism weeks later, however, without saying why. North Korea's Benidorm-style resort welcomes first Russian tourists North Korea to open beach resort as Kim bets on tourism
CNA
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
China's Xi vows greater support for Russia as he meets Lavrov
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's top diplomat on Tuesday (Jul 15) that their countries should "strengthen mutual support", state media said, as foreign ministers gathered in Beijing for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks. Beijing has long sought to present the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs such as NATO and has pushed for greater collaboration between its 10 members. Top diplomats from the grouping have arrived in Beijing for a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, including Russia's Sergei Lavrov, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iran's Abbas Araghchi. Meeting Lavrov in the Chinese capital, Xi said the two countries should "strengthen mutual support on multilateral forums", according to state news agency Xinhua. Beijing and Moscow should work to "unite countries of the global South and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction", Xi said, according to Xinhua. Russia's foreign ministry said in an earlier statement that "a number of issues of bilateral political contacts at the highest and high levels were discussed". They included preparations for President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to join a SCO summit and World War II anniversary celebrations. TRUMP'S TARIFF THREAT The meeting and pledges of support came just hours after US President Donald Trump warned Russia that he will impose "very severe" tariffs against Moscow's remaining trade partners if it doesn't resolve its war in Ukraine within 50 days. China, a diplomatic and economic ally of Moscow, in response said "coercion" by the United States would not resolve the conflict. "China firmly opposes all illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. There are no winners in a tariff war, and coercion and pressure will not solve problems," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. Lavrov met on Sunday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine and relations with the United States. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China following a visit to North Korea, where he received assurances of support in its conflict with Ukraine. Beijing claims to be neutral in the war but it has never denounced Russia's more than three-year military campaign, nor called for it to withdraw its troops. Many of Ukraine's allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. China regularly calls for an end to the fighting, while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Xi noted on Tuesday that "political mutual trust among member states has deepened", according to state broadcaster CCTV. The SCO "has successfully explored a path of regional cooperation that aligns with the trends of the times and meets the needs of all parties, setting a model for a new type of international relations", Xi said.
Malay Mail
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Xi Jinping tells Russia's Lavrov China will ‘strengthen mutual support' on global stage
BEIJING, July 15 — Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's top diplomat today that their countries should 'strengthen mutual support', state media said, as foreign ministers gathered in Beijing for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks. Meeting Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, Xi said the two countries should 'strengthen mutual support on multilateral forums', according to state news agency Xinhua. Beijing and Moscow should work to 'unite countries of the global South and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction', Xi said, according to Xinhua. Russia's foreign ministry said in an earlier statement that 'a number of issues of bilateral political contacts at the highest and high levels were discussed'. They included preparations for President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to join a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and World War II anniversary celebrations. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Xi met Lavrov after the Chinese president held a 'general meeting' with SCO foreign ministers. Lavrov met Sunday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine and relations with the United States. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China following a visit to North Korea, where he received assurances of support in its conflict with Ukraine. Beijing, a diplomatic and economic ally of Moscow, claims to be neutral in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But China has never denounced Russia's more than three-year military campaign nor called for it to withdraw its troops, and many of Ukraine's allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. China regularly calls for an end to the fighting, while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member SCO as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs such as NATO. It has pushed to strengthen collaboration between its member countries in politics, security, trade and science. Top diplomats from the SCO are convening in Beijing this week for a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, including Lavrov, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iran's Abbas Araghchi. Xi noted Tuesday that 'political mutual trust among member states has deepened', according to state broadcaster CCTV. The SCO 'has successfully explored a path of regional cooperation that aligns with the trends of the times and meets the needs of all parties, setting a model for a new type of international relations,' Xi said. bur-pfc/oho/rsc
