Latest news with #diplomaticTensions
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. Premier David Eby answers questions during a news conference following a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, on Thursday. Eby on Monday called out U.S. leadership for comments about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and alcohol.
B.C. Premier David Eby said he believes U.S. leadership has "very little awareness" of how offensive their remarks are, in response to the U.S. ambassador to Canada saying that President Donald Trump thinks Canadians are "nasty" to deal with because of U.S. boycotts. "Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the U.S.'?" Eby said in an interview on CBC's Power and Politics Monday evening in Huntsville, Ont., where premiers are meeting this week. "Obviously, Canadians are outraged." Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, made the remarks about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and booze when he was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash. The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador's comments by Eby's office, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience. Eby said in a statement that Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up." WATCH | Hoekstra says call '51st state' comments term of endearment: A representative of Hoekstra's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ambassador made the remarks in response to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year's FIFA World Cup. President 'out on his own': Eby "Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said. "There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps." Hoekstra added that he "can get alcohol across the border if [he] wanted to." "We go back and forth to Michigan and they don't check my car when I come back," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. WATCH | What you need to know about Canada's premiers meeting in Ontario: On Power and Politics, Eby said Canadians should "stick with it, hold the line, but at the end of the day, we need to get past that." The premier said he believes Americans don't share their government's stance. "They're saying things like, 'I'm sorry.' We're friends, we're neighbours, we're partners. Canadians feel the same way about everyday Americans and I think the president is out on his own on this," Eby said. B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kremlin acknowledges strain in ties with Azerbaijan, hopes they will recover
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia-Azerbaijan relations are going through a difficult phase but Moscow is hopeful they will recover, the Kremlin said on Monday. On Saturday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane last December, killing 38 people on board, and to punish those responsible. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have also escalated in recent weeks following the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani men in Russian police custody. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said relations between the two countries were based on a solid foundation and common interests. "But sometimes it happens that there are difficult periods in the relations between the two countries. This is one such period, and we hope that this period will pass," he told reporters.
Gulf Business
23-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
India, Pakistan extend airspace closures for each other's airlines
Image credit: Getty Images Pakistan and India have extended airspace restrictions for each other's aircraft in tit-for-tat moves, both countries said on Friday, amid continuing diplomatic tensions between the neighbours after a brief tensions this month. Read- The Pakistan Airports Authority said the restriction applied to 'all aircraft registered, operated, owned, or leased by India', including military planes, until 4:59 am local time on June 24. (2359 GMT on June 23) India's Civil Aviation Ministry issued a corresponding NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), saying Pakistani-registered, operated, owned, or leased aircraft, including military flights, would be barred from Indian airspace through June 23.
Russia Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Why the Russia-Ukraine peace talks are doomed before they begin
Diplomatic tensions are rising once again. Just days ago, the focus was on Moscow's 80th anniversary Victory Day parade. Now, all eyes are suddenly on Istanbul, where direct talks between Russia and Ukraine – the first since the spring of 2022 – could take place as early as Thursday. The significance of these prospective talks has snowballed. What began with Russian President Vladimir Putin responding to a Western call for a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12 has now escalated into a high-stakes international spectacle. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky initially appeared ready to reject the proposal outright, but after pressure – bordering on an ultimatum – from Donald Trump, he reversed course. Zelensky, however, introduced his own conditions. He demanded that talks be held at the highest level immediately, or not at all, and threatened new sanctions against Russia if his terms were ignored. As a result, expectations for the Istanbul meeting have soared. But are they realistic? Are we truly on the verge of a breakthrough? In short: no. Thursday's meeting, if it happens at all, is almost certain to fail – for two clear reasons. 1. The conditions for real peace talks simply don't exist. Militarily, Ukraine's situation remains precarious. While its forces are still holding defensive lines in the Donbass, morale and manpower are faltering. Some positions are visibly collapsing. Yet politically, Kiev continues to act as though it holds the upper hand, buoyed by support from the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' – Britain, France, and Germany. These European states have consistently obstructed any serious effort by Washington to push for a quick peace. Zelensky's current strategy is transparent: appease Trump just enough to avoid backlash, but stop short of agreeing to anything that might commit Ukraine to a negotiated settlement. Even in a weakened state, Kiev shows no willingness to make meaningful concessions – or even to engage directly with Moscow. On the Russian side, there is little incentive to indulge a Western-managed process designed to give President Trump a diplomatic win. Russia is holding firm on the front line and continues to expand its gains methodically. There is no reason to offer a ceasefire now, just when progress is being made. Moscow's current approach is clear: test Kiev's seriousness through exploratory contacts, but avoid binding itself to any formal ceasefire until the military campaign yields stronger leverage. There's a pragmatic desire in the Kremlin to buy time – finish the job this spring and summer, and then talk from a position of strength. The recent flurry of ultimatums exchanged between Kiev, Moscow, and Washington wasn't diplomacy. It was a game of political brinkmanship. Each side hoped to provoke the other into rejecting talks, thereby gaining the moral upper hand. In reality, no one was particularly eager to negotiate sincerely. 2. All previous ceasefire attempts have failed – and this one will too. Let's not forget the fate of earlier efforts: the naval ceasefire, the moratorium on energy strikes, and the much-hyped 'Easter' and 'Victory Day' ceasefires. Each of these collapsed under the weight of unrealistic expectations, conflicting interpretations, and total lack of enforcement mechanisms. Since the start of the year, the US has been juggling multiple contradictory peace tracks, hoping to fashion a settlement from irreconcilable demands. But no formal agreements have been reached, no unified documents signed, and no real monitoring structures put in place. Each side has its own idea of what a ceasefire entails. The result? All rhetoric, no results. The build-up to Istanbul bears a strong resemblance to these previous failures. No one really knows what's on the agenda. There is no clarity on whether the two sides even share a common understanding of what they're meeting to discuss. The level of the delegations is also in flux – even the question of who's coming remains unanswered. Zelensky insists he will attend in person, but only if he can meet directly with Putin. He says he wants to discuss the 30-day ceasefire – and nothing else. Putin, meanwhile, seems uninterested in performative diplomacy. He has no reason to show up merely to satisfy Western optics, and is more likely to focus on concrete treaty discussions, if and when the moment is right. So far, the Russian side is expected to be represented by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. Trump, currently in Saudi Arabia, has said he 'might' fly to Istanbul – if he feels like it. If not, Secretary of State Marco Rubio could lead the US team, alongside advisers Keith Kellogg and Steve Witkoff. What does this all mean in practical terms? At best, the delegations from Moscow and Kiev will arrive in Istanbul, hold separate meetings with US and Turkish intermediaries, and leave with a vague commitment to 'continue discussions.' At worst, they'll fail to meet at all – speaking only to the Americans and Turks before departing and blaming each other for sabotaging the process. In the best-case scenario, the long-dormant corpse known as the 'Ukrainian peace process' might be kept breathing a little longer. In the worst-case scenario, we can pronounce it officially dead – and any hopes for real progress will be shelved. Whether that's a tragedy or a relief depends on your point of view. But one thing is certain: on Thursday no peace deal is coming. The Istanbul summit will be another chapter in the long and cynical theater of diplomacy, where each player enters the stage knowing full well how the script ends. This article was first published by the online newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team
Times of Oman
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Pakistan declares Indian staff in High Commission as persona non grata in diplomatic row
Islamabad): Following India's decision to declare a Pakistani citizen at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi "persona non grata," Pakistan also declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad "persona non grata," citing involvement in activities incompatible with their official status. The Indian Charge d'Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Pakistan conveyed its decision, directing the concerned official to depart the country within 24 hours. Sharing a post on X, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote, "A Staff Member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, Declared as Persona Non Grata. The Government of Pakistan has declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, as persona non grata for engaging in activities incompatible with his privileged status. The concerned official has been directed to leave Pakistan within 24 hours." "The Indian Charge d'Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today for a demarche, conveying this decision," the post added. Notably, India on Tuesday declared a Pakistani citizen, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, as 'persona non grata' for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The said person was working as a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs stated, "The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d' Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today." Earlier in April, India summoned Pakistan's top diplomat in Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handed over the formal Persona Non Grata note for its military diplomats.
