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EU Takes Small Step Towards Using Russian Assets for Ukraine

This is Beirut, 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Ukraine Donald Trump Russia Frozen Assets

EU leaders Thursday tasked the European Commission to move ahead with options for funding Ukraine for two more years, leaving the door open for a mammoth loan using frozen Russian assets. In broadly-worded conclusions adopted after marathon talks in Brussels, EU leaders stopped short of greenlighting plans for the 140-billion-euro ($162-billion) ...

Zelensky Hails 'Strong' Message' of US Sanctions on Russia

This is Beirut, 23/10 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky US Sanctions Donald Trump Russia Energy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday hailed the "strong and much-needed" message sent by US sanctions on Russia's energy sector, after President Donald Trump moved to ratchet up pressure on Moscow in step with the EU. "We waited for this. God bless, it will work, and this is very important," Zelensky told journalists at an EU summit ...

Russia Holds Scheduled Nuclear Drills, Week After NATO

This is Beirut, 22/10 16:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

russia nuclear drills NATO

Russia held planned strategic nuclear drills on Wednesday, a week after NATO began similar annual exercises, as tensions in Europe over the Ukraine war run high. "Today we are conducting planned, I would like to emphasise, planned, nuclear forces training," Russian President Vladimir Putin told generals in a televised meeting. NATO began similar ...

Trump and Putin's Budapest Summit Shelved

This is Beirut, 21/10 23:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Russia

US President Donald Trump put plans to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest on hold Tuesday, as efforts to end the war in Ukraine ran into yet another roadblock. Trump said just days ago that he would meet Putin within two weeks, while at the same time pressuring Ukraine to give up the eastern Donbas region in exchange for peace, a ...

Lavrov and Rubio Discuss Putin-Trump Summit, Zelensky Seeks Invite

This is Beirut, 20/10 19:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Russia United States Vladimir Putin Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in a call on Monday, both sides said. Rubio "emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the ...

Syrian FM Says Damascus Seeks to "Correct" Ties with Lebanon, Ensure Dignified Refugee Return

This is Beirut, 18/10 20:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Lebanon Russia Refugees

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani said Saturday that Damascus aims to “correct” its relationship with Lebanon and guarantee a “dignified return” for Syrian refugees, in comments broadcast on Syrian state television. Al-Shaibani, appointed earlier this year, said his government is “working to address the effects of the previous ...

Trump Suggests Too soon for Tomahawks in Talks with Zelensky

This is Beirut, 17/10 22:51 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump USA Russia Vladimir Putin

US President Donald Trump suggested Friday it would be premature to give Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, saying as he hosted Volodymyr Zelensky that he hoped to secure peace with Russia first. "Hopefully they won't need it. Hopefully we'll be able to get the war over with without thinking about Tomahawks," Trump told journalists including an AFP ...

The Kremlin Says it is Working to Organize a Putin-Trump Summit.

This is Beirut, 16/10 23:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine Conflict Kremlin Donald Trump Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin said Thursday it is working to arrange a new meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, possibly in Budapest, after a lengthy phone call between the two leaders that Moscow described as “extremely frank and marked by mutual trust.” The conversation, initiated by Russia, took place on the eve of Trump’s scheduled meeting ...

Trump and Putin Hold Phone Call Ahead of Zelensky's Visit to Washington

This is Beirut, 16/10 18:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Vladimir Putin US Russia

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin began a «long» phone conversation Thursday, according to the U.S. president. «I am currently in conversation with President Putin. The conversation is ongoing, it is long, and I will report on it, just like President Putin, at the end,» Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. The call ...

EU Says Drone Defenses Not 'Optional' in Push to Face Russia

This is Beirut, 16/10 16:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

European Union Europe Ukraine Brussels Russia

The EU had no choice but to build up anti-drone defenses against Russia, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday, as Brussels unveiled a "roadmap" to prepare for potential conflict by 2030. The initiative is one of several flagship projects in the EU's "readiness roadmap" aimed at preparing the bloc for a possible attack from ...

NATO and EU Scramble to Boost Drone Defenses to Counter Russia

This is Beirut, 15/10 21:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

NATO European Union Russia Mark Rutte

NATO and the EU on Wednesday sought ways to boost anti-drone defenses, as Europe scrambles to counter the threat from Russia after a series of air incursions. High-profile incidents in Poland and Estonia have set off a flurry of activity from European officials to plug gaps in the continent's defenses. NATO has launched a new mission and beefed ...

Extradition Treaties and the Assad Case

Mario Chartouni, 15/10 14:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Russia Ahmad al-Sharaa Vladimir Putin Bachar el-Assad extradition

This Wednesday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is visiting Moscow to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. According to Reuters, he may request the extradition of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been taking refuge in Russia since fleeing Damascus in December 2024. Behind this politically charged episode lies a longstanding and ...

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