MOSCOW: Russia outlines demands for Ukraine ahead of the second round of talks; Russia stands ready to respond to NATO’s provocations in t...
MOSCOW: Russia outlines demands for Ukraine ahead of the second round of talks; Russia stands ready to respond to NATO’s provocations in the Baltic Sea; and Israel aims to undermine US-Iran negotiations. These stories have topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Media: Russia outlines demands for Ukraine ahead of second round of talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced that Moscow proposes the second round of talks with Ukraine on resolving the crisis be held in Istanbul in June. The top diplomat also clarified what Moscow expects of Kiev, Vedomosti notes.
Lavrov pointed out that previously, in Istanbul, the Russian delegation insisted on the elimination of Ukraine’s discriminatory legislation. Those concern the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and restrictions on the Russian language. Another reason behind the conflict, according to Lavrov, is Kiev’s movement towards joining NATO, while Russia recognized Ukraine’s independence in light of its neutral, non-bloc and non-nuclear status, enshrined in the 1991 declaration of independence.
There is nothing new in these conditions, said Nikolay Silayev, a researcher at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. They are going to be included in the memorandum that Russia is working on, as well as in the future peace agreement. "And it will be a legally binding document. When signing the agreement, the parties may introduce a provision that Russia’s security guarantees for Ukraine will remain in effect as long as Ukraine adheres to these terms," the expert elaborated.
According to Andrey Kortunov, an expert with the Valdai International Discussion Club, Lavrov’s words mean that Russia may demand Ukraine bring the provisions of its declaration of sovereignty back into its fundamental doctrinal documents, with the US and the EU potentially providing guarantees to ensure a specific agreement on that.
The atmosphere is very tense ahead of the second round of talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of Moscow State Pedagogical University’s Institute of History and Politics, noted. Ukraine and Europe are clearly seeking to undermine the negotiation process by staging provocations. "The United States, in contrast, is not doing anything like that. Talks seem to be important for them," the expert told Izvestia.
"Vladimir Zelensky is simply trying to buy time. Since Washington’s Ukraine policy has changed, he has switched to relying on support from Europe, primarily, Germany," Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Russian Presidential Council on Inter-Ethnic Relations, believes. "The only goal is to put pressure on Russia because it will in no way impact the negotiation process. Zelensky dreams of involving Western countries in the conflict, so Ukraine won’t be alone, and it will be the West, not Kiev, that Russia will have to fight against," the expert concluded.
Izvestia: Russia ready to respond to NATO’s provocations in Baltic Sea
Unfriendly countries seek to prevent the movement of Russian cargoes in the Baltic Sea, said Nikolay Patrushev, presidential aide and Maritime board chairman. He emphasized that such measures give Russia the right to take retaliatory action, Izvestia writes.
Today, the Baltic region is the focus of NATO’s military buildup because this is where the main maritime routes lie that Russia actively uses, Tigran Meloyan, an analyst with the Center for Mediterranean Studies at the Higher School of Economics, noted. Besides, the region also hosts the Russian military’s important strategic facilities and headquarters. "We need to be prepared for a situation where the Baltic region potentially becomes another hotspot of confrontation between Russia and the West in the new era that comes after the conflict in Ukraine is resolved," the expert observed.
Such steps increase the risk of an escalation and a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, particularly given that there are no ‘buffer zones’ or neutral countries left in the region. Today, Russian warships and aircraft have to escort commercial tankers in the narrow part of the Gulf of Finland. Any miscalculated maneuver or a deliberate act of provocation that certain Western countries could stage as the Russian military performs missions to escort ships may put the region at risk of a major conflict, Meloyan stressed.
A maritime blockade against Russia in the Baltic Sea would actually mean a formal declaration of war. This is an additional constraint preventing the countries of the region from going beyond provocations and shows of strength. It is also forcing them to look for legal loopholes to limit Moscow’s room for maneuver and create as many difficulties for Russia as possible, while avoiding a direct armed clash, Nikita Lipunov, junior researcher with the Institute for International Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, pointed out.
"In response, Moscow demonstrates readiness to protect its interests by force and similarly works to boost its military presence in the region," he emphasized.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Israel aims to undermine US-Iran negotiations
Israel has notified the US of plans to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities despite the fact that Washington and Tehran continue negotiations, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports, citing US media outlets. The US intelligence community suspects that the Jewish state may launch an operation against Iran on its own, without informing the White House. However, such a campaign is unfeasible without US assistance.
An autonomous military scenario would mean a stress test for bilateral relations between Israel and the United States, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have made his own assessment. The US media point out that members of Netanyahu’s close circle are convinced that if direct confrontation breaks out, the US will inevitably join it, providing support to Israel, its ally in the Middle East.
"Although the Israel Defense Force’s air units are unrivaled in the world in terms of their capacity as they are capable of carrying out a massive group raid in a tactical echelon formation of fighter jets, an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites would still require US assistance," Middle East expert Anton Mardasov explained. "Israel can act alone as it has broad intelligence capabilities and an arsenal of long-range missiles and high-precision weapons to hit targets deep inside enemy territory, but Iran’s nuclear facilities are well fortified and scattered all around the country, which makes them difficult to neutralize quickly," he remarked.
If Israel launches an operation, the specifics of Iranian targets will require "at least major logistics support from the United States, or even intelligence support and assistance in disabling air defenses and stuff," the analyst added. "It is one thing when operations are conducted that involve cyber technologies and drones, or strikes are carried out from Iraq’s airspace, with Iran capable of ignoring them or declaring them a failure regardless of the result, but a massive attack on nuclear sites is a totally different thing," Mardasov stressed. "It would be unacceptable for Iran in terms of its image and Tehran will have to retaliate, for instance, frantically launching missiles at US facilities in the Middle East, too," he noted.
Media: Yemen looking to Russia to help restore peace
Russia maintains an active position on resolving the crisis in Yemen, as it remains in contact with both the internationally recognized government and the Houthis that control a large part of the country. On May 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Rashad Mohammad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who had arrived in Moscow for an official visit. The politician expressed hope that Russia would be able to help Yemen restore peace, order and security, Izvestia writes.
Yemen remains the theater of a complicated conflict. The Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) control the country’s north, while the Yemeni government recognized by the international community holds southern and eastern provinces. The Southern Transitional Council, based in the city of Aden, is the third center of power, competing with both the Houthis and al-Alimi’s government.
As for the current development of relations with Russia, there are three areas that interest Yemen the most, Yemeni economist Nazim Saleh said. First, Yemen could rely on Russia’s support within international organizations. Second, economic cooperation is important, particularly in the fields of energy and trade. Third, Moscow is capable of playing the role of a mediator in settling the Yemen conflict, as it maintains relations with various parties to the conflict. In general, according to Saleh, Russia can become a factor of stability in the region and Yemen’s ally in terms of resolving domestic issues and ensuring the safety of international navigation.
Russia has always been willing to help settle the conflict in Yemen, both as a member of the United Nations Security Council and a country with extensive diplomatic experience in the region, Grigory Lukyanov, a researcher with the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies, told Vedomosti. "Russia sees the country’s future not through ‘cancelling’ the Houthi movement, but through including its demands into the agenda of the negotiation process. Moscow could become one of the sponsors of a potential solution, provided that other actors are also interested in that," the expert noted.
Izvestia: Russia, Qatar discuss plans to create agricultural hub
Moscow and Doha are discussing plans to create an agricultural hub in Qatar, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told Izvestia. If the parties reach specific agreements, the initiative may open up new export pathways for Russian producers.
The establishment of such a logistics and distribution center could significantly ease access to the Gulf countries’ markets for Russian agricultural companies, while also reducing transportation costs. The idea is in line with both countries’ interests, as Russia is looking for new export channels and Qatar aims to diversify food supplies and strengthen regional logistics chains.
Qatar’s advantageous strategic position and active development have made it possible for Doha to set up a diverse and extensive network of agricultural supplies, said Middle East expert Leonid Tsukanov. "Ties between Moscow and Doha are getting closer as the Qataris seek to further expand and secure their status as an international mediator in terms of agricultural distribution, which fits into the strategy of increasing Doha’s influence on Arab and African countries.
Besides, as for dialogue with Russia, the niche of agriculture is not currently occupied by other Gulf monarchies (as is the case with the digital and oil sectors), which provides Qatar with an opportunity to enter without facing strong resistance from its neighbors," the expert observed.
Meanwhile, Russian producers are boosting their presence in the region. Russia’s agricultural exports to Qatar rose by almost 75% in 2024 compared to the previous year, Tsukanov said. "The trend is the same for the entire region," the expert pointed out.
In 2024, Saudi Arabia became the largest buyer of Russian meat products, increasing imports by 66% to 84,000 metric tons. The United Arab Emirates came second, followed by Iran. The projected hub in Qatar could turn into a logistics gateway between Russian producers and the Gulf nations, where demand for high-quality food continues to grow.
-News Feed
COMMENTS