UNITED NATIONS: Hope is “just barely” alive in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, a senior UN official said Thursday, denouncing the recent “brutal surge in largescale Russian attacks” against Ukraine.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council that the “cautious hope” she expressed a month ago has diminished in the face of recent aggressions.
“According to Ukrainian officials, with 355 drones, Monday’s attack was the largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion,” DiCarlo said, adding: “This topped the previous record from the night before.”
Despite no declaration of a ceasefire, DiCarlo praised diplomatic efforts in Istanbul on May 16 when Ukrainian and Russian delegations met, saying “it is encouraging that the sides have reportedly agreed to continue the process.”
Russia’s deadly invasion began in February 2022.
“The massive wave of attacks over the weekend is a stark warning of how quickly this war can reach new destructive levels. Further escalation would not only aggravate the devastating toll on civilians but also endanger the already challenging peace efforts,” DiCarlo said.
“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” DiCarlo said.
The US representative added that prolonging the war was not in anyone’s best interest.
“If Russia makes the wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war, the United States will have to consider stepping back from our negotiation efforts to end this conflict,” said John Kelley, acting US alternate representative.
“Additional sanctions on Russia are still on the table.”
The Kremlin said Thursday that it was awaiting Kiev’s response to its proposal for new talks in Istanbul next Monday.
Ukraine, which accuses Russia of buying time, seeks Moscow’s conditions before any meeting.
“Serious, demonstrable and good faith efforts are needed — now — to get back on the road that could lead to a just peace. A full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire is such an effort, if only an initial one,” DiCarlo said.
According to the UN, a “just peace” respects sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“A peace process will not be easy, and it will take time. But it must not wait. The people of Ukraine, especially, cannot wait.”
Russia-Ukraine talks ‘barely’ alive, says United Nations official
https://arab.news/btrzv
Russia-Ukraine talks ‘barely’ alive, says United Nations official
- “Cautious hope” for truce diminished in face of recent “brutal surge in largescale Russian attack, says official
- Russia launched its largest drone attack Monday on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion
India, Arab League target $500bn in trade by 2030
- It was the first such gathering of India–Arab FMs since the forum’s inauguration in 2016
- India and Arab states agree to link their startup ecosystems, cooperate in the space sector
NEW DELHI: India and the Arab League have committed to doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, as their top diplomats met in New Delhi for the India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The foreign ministers’ forum is the highest mechanism guiding India’s partnership with the Arab world. It was established in March 2002, with an agreement to institutionalize dialogue between India and the League of Arab States, a regional bloc of 22 Arab countries from the Middle East and North Africa.
The New Delhi meeting on Saturday was the first gathering in a decade, following the inaugural forum in Bahrain in 2016.
India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said in his opening remarks that the forum was taking place amid a transformation in the global order.
“Nowhere is this more apparent than in West Asia or the Middle East, where the landscape itself has undergone a dramatic change in the last year,” he said. “This obviously impacts all of us, and India as a proximate region. To a considerable degree, its implications are relevant for India’s relationship with Arab nations as well.”
Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart co-chaired the talks, which aimed at producing a cooperation agenda for 2026-28.
“It currently covers energy, environment, agriculture, tourism, human resource development, culture and education, amongst others,” Jaishankar said.
“India looks forward to more contemporary dimensions of cooperation being included, such as digital, space, start-ups, innovation, etc.”
According to the “executive program” released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the roadmap agreed by India and the League outlined their planned collaboration, which included the target “to double trade between India and LAS to US$500 billion by 2030, from the current trade of US$240 billion.”
Under the roadmap, they also agreed to link their startup ecosystems by facilitating market access, joint projects, and investment opportunities — especially health tech, fintech, agritech, and green technologies — and strengthen cooperation in space with the establishment of an India–Arab Space Cooperation Working Group, of which the first meeting is scheduled for next year.
Over the past few years, there has been a growing momentum in Indo-Arab relations focused on economic, business, trade and investment ties between the regions that have some of the world’s youngest demographics, resulting in a “commonality of circumstances, visions and goals,” according to Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
“The focus of the summit meeting was on capitalizing on the economic opportunities … including in the field of energy security, sustainability, renewables, food and water security, environmental security, trade, investments, entrepreneurship, start-ups, technological innovations, educational cooperation, cultural cooperation, youth engagement, etc.,” Quamar told Arab News.
“A number of critical decisions have been taken for furthering future cooperation in this regard. In terms of opportunities, there is immense potential.”
