A tense Russia-Nato summit ended on Wednesday with diplomats saying further talks were needed to reconcile “significant differences” over Ukraine and the future of European security.
Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said the opposing views were “not easy to bridge”, with Moscow demanding a say in the membership of Nato and the US insisting that any progress must include a withdrawal of Russian troops near Ukraine.
Russia's representative, deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko, described the talks as “a heart-to-heart”.
“The conversation was quite frank, direct, deep, intense, but at the same time it revealed a large number of differences on fundamental issues.”
The talks in Brussels, described by Mr Stoltenberg as a “defining moment for European security,” were the second part of this week’s peace efforts after Russia and the US met on Monday.
They took place as Russian troop movements led to fear of an invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Stoltenberg said Nato and Russia had “expressed the need to resume dialogue and explore a schedule of further meetings” as diplomats try to reduce tensions.
But he said Nato was “united on the core principle that each and every nation has the right to choose its own path”, and that “Russia doesn't have a veto” on who can join the military alliance.
Mr Grushko said that any further deterioration in relations could lead to the “most unpredictable and most dire consequences for European security".
He later said Moscow would use military means to neutralise security threats if diplomacy proved insufficient.
Moscow’s key objective is to stop any eastward expansion of Nato, a condition rejected by the US, the alliance and potential candidate countries such as Ukraine.
It wants Nato forces withdrawn from central and eastern European nations that joined the US-led bloc after the Cold War ended.
Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state who led the American delegation, said Russia brought nothing new to Wednesday's talks and had not been clear about whether it took diplomacy seriously.
“It's very hard to have dialogue, to have diplomacy that is conducive to success when in fact you have 100,000 troops live-fire exercises, propaganda, disinformation, other efforts to subvert that environment,” she said.
She repeated US vows to “exact a severe ongoing price for Russia’s economy and financial system” should it escalate its military activity in Ukraine.
To that end, Ms Sherman also met with European External Action Service secretary-general Stefano Sannino in Brussels to discuss potential financial penalties on Russia.
Those measures could include Germany terminating its agreement to put the Nord Stream 2 oil pipeline from Russia into operation.
The US and Nato have also vowed to shore up the alliance’s eastern flank if Russia does not back down. Alternatively, Nato has offered a series of areas to enhance co-operation with Russia in order to lower the temperature.
“The Nato allies offered their views on areas where Nato and Russia could make progress together in a way that strengthens security for all of us, and indeed for the world,” Ms Sherman said.
“These include reciprocal actions around risk reduction and transparency, improved communication and arms control.”
Following the meeting, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss reiterated support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and said Russia’s military build-up on the border of Ukraine and in illegally annexed Crimea was unacceptable.
She condemned Russia’s “aggression and destabilising activity”, saying Nato was pushing back against the Kremlin’s threatening behaviour.
She said that a further military incursion into Ukraine would come with a severe cost on Russia’s economy, including co-ordinated sanctions.
“The quagmire of a long-running conflict would cost lives and damage communities on both sides. This is the reality of armed conflict, as we have seen before.”
“What happens next will be absolutely critical to peace and security in Europe. The only way forward is for Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful discussions,” Ms Truss said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, spokesman at the talks, repeated Russia's denials on Wednesday that it intends to invade Ukraine.
“We are not negotiating from a position of strength; there is not, and nor can there be, any place for ultimatums here,” he said.
Josep Borrell, European Union foreign affairs chief, said Russia's proposals to end the stand-off “contravene the principles of the European security architecture".
He claimed Russia sought “to challenge the political and security order born after the Cold War”, which included the right of each state “to freely choose to belong, or not to belong, to an international organisation and to be a party to treaties or alliances".
Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to Nato, said Washington would push back on proposals from Russia “that are simply non-starters”.
“We will not allow anyone to slam Nato’s open-door policy shut,” Ms Smith said, speaking before the meeting.
The allies prepared for the meeting by consulting with Ms Sherman on the outcome of her talks with Russia on Monday. Those talks in Geneva ended with no breakthrough.
Denmark’s delegation to Nato said it hoped for a “meaningful dialogue” with Russia but said the Kremlin must “choose co-operation over confrontation”.
The Nato-Russia Council was established in 2002, and has kept going after most ties were severed following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The talks will continue with a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on Thursday. Russia said on Tuesday that it would not let the security talks drag on indefinitely.
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
65
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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps