“Ukraine will insist on this, and it will have the full support of Germany in doing so,” Wadephul said
Turkiye had also held separate meetings with Moscow and Kyiv before getting the sides together
ANKARA: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the planned Budapest talks between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were a second attempt to make the Russian president recognize the need to negotiate seriously with Ukraine.
“I see the talks in Budapest as a second attempt, after the talks in Alaska, to convince Putin at last to negotiate seriously with Ukraine,” he told reporters during a trip to Turkiye.
“Ukraine will insist on this, and it will have the full support of Germany in doing so,” he added.
Speaking alongside Wadephul, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he did not view the meeting in Budapest as one that excludes Ukraine, adding Turkiye had also held separate meetings with Moscow and Kyiv before getting the sides together for three rounds of talks in Istanbul.
“I don’t think him meeting with Mr. Putin here means taking a decision in Ukraine’s absence, the United States does not have a mediator approach in that sense here, they are talking to both sides separately,” Fidan said.
“Now, he is meeting Mr. Zelensky first and he will get the latest data from him. Then, he will meet with Mr. Putin and we think he will have a picture emerging then,” he said.
Budapest is another stab at getting Putin to negotiate seriously with Ukraine, German foreign minister says
Budapest is another stab at getting Putin to negotiate seriously with Ukraine, German foreign minister says
Pakistan name six uncapped players in ODI squad for Bangladesh series
- Series in Dhaka from Mar. 11-15 marks Pakistan’s second visit as ties between the two countries improve
- PCB says fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead Pakistan’s ODI side in three-match series
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday it picked six uncapped players in its 15-member One Day International (ODI) squad for a three-match series scheduled from Mar. 11-15 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in what will be Pakistan’s second visit since relations between the two countries began to improve in 2024.
The two sides have been strengthening cricketing ties. Earlier this year, Pakistan briefly threatened to boycott its Twenty20 World Cup match against India in Colombo, citing what it called unfair treatment of Bangladesh after the International Cricket Council (ICC) moved Dhaka off the tournament schedule after the team refused to play in India over security concerns.
Pakistan later reversed its decision following negotiations, with officials saying Bangladesh’s concerns had been addressed by the ICC.
“Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side, with six uncapped players included in the squad,” the PCB said in a statement.
“The uncapped players are Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.”
The Pakistan team will reach Dhaka on Mar. 8 and play a practice match on Mar. 10 before the series begins.
The first ODI will be played on Mar. 11, followed by the second on Mar. 13, with the third and final match scheduled for Mar. 15.
All three matches will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
The series comes amid a broader thaw in diplomatic ties between the two South Asian nations, which were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over relations.
Relations have warmed since August 2024, after the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was widely viewed as close to India.
Cricket has often reflected political currents in South Asia.
15-MEMBER SQUAD
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain
