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The Advertiser
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Zelensky says 'Ayatollah Putin' wants to wage war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being uninterested in peace and acting like the authoritarian ruler of Iran, calling him 'Ayatollah Putin.' His comments came after Putin said that in his view, the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy. The Ukrainian leader also said that despite Putin's assertions at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, which ended on Friday, the Russian economy is declining and he would like to push it further down. "The Russian economy is already crumbling. We will support this process even more," he said in Kiev. "Ayatollah Putin can look at his friends in Iran to see where such regimes end up, and how far into decay they drive their countries." Putin had reiterated Russia's claim to Ukraine at the forum and said he viewed Russians and Ukrainians as one people. He also said Russia had a saying -"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours." Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha denounced Friday's statements as evidence of Russian "disdain" for US peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, "he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation," Sybiha said. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and President Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace - Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the US state of Virginia. "Russia wants to wage war," Zelensky said in his nightly video address. The continued threats coming from Russia mean that "the pressure the world is applying isn't hurting them enough yet." Zelenskiy said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had "various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region." Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being uninterested in peace and acting like the authoritarian ruler of Iran, calling him 'Ayatollah Putin.' His comments came after Putin said that in his view, the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy. The Ukrainian leader also said that despite Putin's assertions at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, which ended on Friday, the Russian economy is declining and he would like to push it further down. "The Russian economy is already crumbling. We will support this process even more," he said in Kiev. "Ayatollah Putin can look at his friends in Iran to see where such regimes end up, and how far into decay they drive their countries." Putin had reiterated Russia's claim to Ukraine at the forum and said he viewed Russians and Ukrainians as one people. He also said Russia had a saying -"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours." Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha denounced Friday's statements as evidence of Russian "disdain" for US peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, "he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation," Sybiha said. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and President Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace - Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the US state of Virginia. "Russia wants to wage war," Zelensky said in his nightly video address. The continued threats coming from Russia mean that "the pressure the world is applying isn't hurting them enough yet." Zelenskiy said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had "various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region." Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being uninterested in peace and acting like the authoritarian ruler of Iran, calling him 'Ayatollah Putin.' His comments came after Putin said that in his view, the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy. The Ukrainian leader also said that despite Putin's assertions at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, which ended on Friday, the Russian economy is declining and he would like to push it further down. "The Russian economy is already crumbling. We will support this process even more," he said in Kiev. "Ayatollah Putin can look at his friends in Iran to see where such regimes end up, and how far into decay they drive their countries." Putin had reiterated Russia's claim to Ukraine at the forum and said he viewed Russians and Ukrainians as one people. He also said Russia had a saying -"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours." Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha denounced Friday's statements as evidence of Russian "disdain" for US peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, "he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation," Sybiha said. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and President Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace - Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the US state of Virginia. "Russia wants to wage war," Zelensky said in his nightly video address. The continued threats coming from Russia mean that "the pressure the world is applying isn't hurting them enough yet." Zelenskiy said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had "various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region." Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being uninterested in peace and acting like the authoritarian ruler of Iran, calling him 'Ayatollah Putin.' His comments came after Putin said that in his view, the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy. The Ukrainian leader also said that despite Putin's assertions at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, which ended on Friday, the Russian economy is declining and he would like to push it further down. "The Russian economy is already crumbling. We will support this process even more," he said in Kiev. "Ayatollah Putin can look at his friends in Iran to see where such regimes end up, and how far into decay they drive their countries." Putin had reiterated Russia's claim to Ukraine at the forum and said he viewed Russians and Ukrainians as one people. He also said Russia had a saying -"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours." Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha denounced Friday's statements as evidence of Russian "disdain" for US peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, "he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation," Sybiha said. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and President Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace - Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the US state of Virginia. "Russia wants to wage war," Zelensky said in his nightly video address. The continued threats coming from Russia mean that "the pressure the world is applying isn't hurting them enough yet." Zelenskiy said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had "various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region." Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory.
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Business Standard
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
No OPEC+ action needed amid Iran-Israel conflict, says Putin on oil market
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that oil prices had not risen significantly due to the conflict between Iran and Israel, and that there was no need for the OPEC+ group of oil producers to intervene in oil markets. Oil prices have rallied as a week-old air war between Israel and Iran escalated and uncertainty about potential US involvement kept investors on edge, with Brent crude futures touching their highest since late January. Putin said the price of oil now stands at around $75 per barrel, while before the conflict escalated it stood at $65. "Of course, we see that the current situation in the Middle East, the current situation related to the conflict between Iran and Israel, has led to a certain increase in prices. But this increase, in the opinion of our experts, is not significant," Putin told the St Petersburg Economic Forum. Iran is the third largest producer among members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Hostilities could disrupt its supply of oil and thereby increase prices. Putin also said OPEC and allies including Russia - a group known as OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world's oil - were increasing oil output, but doing so gradually, to ensure balance in the oil market and "comfortable" prices. "We will all see together how the situation unfolds. So far no immediate response is required," he said.
Arabian Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
OPEC+ Emerges as Pillar of Oil Market Stability
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told delegates at the St Petersburg Economic Forum on 19 June that OPEC+ has evolved into a 'key guarantor' of global oil prices and market stability. The alliance's capacity to respond to evolving economic and geopolitical realities distinguishes it as an effective and trustworthy instrument for safeguarding the sector. At the forum, Prince Abdulaziz emphasised that OPEC+ adapts proactively to prevailing conditions. He was clear that any action by Riyadh or Moscow to offset potential disruptions in Iranian oil exports will be guided strictly by actual developments. 'We only react to realities,' he stated, declining to engage in hypotheticals—a stance aligned with OPEC+'s collective decision-making framework. Analysts say his comments come amid a sharp surge in crude prices, driven by escalating tensions following an Israeli assault on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. According to Reuters, Brent crude has climbed more than $10 per barrel in just one week, inflating the geopolitical risk premium. Despite this volatility, there has been no significant disruption to Middle Eastern oil exports to date. ADVERTISEMENT Prince Abdulaziz underscored the cohesive nature of OPEC+, which comprises 22 member countries. He affirmed that decisions are taken collectively rather than unilaterally by dominant players, a principle reaffirmed by his preference to 'react to realities' rather than speculation. The alliance's next meeting is scheduled for 6 July, when eight core producers—including Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria and Kazakhstan—will discuss production levels for August and beyond. Global demand forecasts also featured prominently in forum discussions. OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais noted increasing consumption in developing economies, especially during the northern hemisphere summer, reinforcing the need for calibrated production policies. Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's RDIF, suggested that Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States might reprise their 2020-era role in stabilising oil markets, citing historical precedents from the pandemic response. Despite the ability to moderate price swings, the alliance faces internal tensions. In May, Saudi Arabia and Russia spearheaded a 411,000 barrels‑per‑day production increase, despite earlier preferences among some members for a pause. Leaks from the meeting revealed discontent with non-compliant producers, prompting Riyadh to push through the increase to protect its market interests. Analysts suggest this indicates a strategic pivot: reclaiming market share over propping up prices alone. Meanwhile, geopolitical variables are influencing OPEC+ strategy. Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, following conflict between Israel and Iran, have elevated concerns of supply disruption. However, as of mid‑June, the vital maritime route continues to operate without incident. The U.S. is reportedly weighing deeper engagement in the region, a development that could further complicate supply dynamics and pricing. The energy minister also highlighted collaboration beyond output quotas. Saudi Arabia and Russia are advancing joint efforts to create investor-friendly environments through joint ventures in energy and related sectors. Prince Abdulaziz confirmed plans for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak to visit Riyadh later this year, accompanied by a large business delegation. He said the initiative aims to 'deepen bilateral economic ties and foster diversified investment opportunities,' affirming both countries' commitment to mutual investment facilitation. These comments reinforce the perception of OPEC+ as a stabilising force comparable to a central bank's role in financial markets. Prince Abdulaziz described the alliance as 'the central bank and regulator of the global oil market,' emphasising its flexibility and responsiveness to global economic shifts. He further noted the Kingdom's support for Russia amid external pressures, affirming Riyadh's diplomatic solidarity. Looking ahead, OPEC+ is poised to navigate the balance between maintaining price stability and managing production share. The upcoming 6 July meeting will be pivotal in determining whether the group confirms further increases or holds current output steady amid signal mixed signals from demand forecasts and geopolitical uncertainty.
