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- By RFE/RL
Russia Says Suspected Mastermind Of Moscow Subway Attacks Dead
The National Counterterrorism Committee said Magomedali Vagabov was among five militants killed in a clash in the village of Gunib, southwest of the regional capital, Makhachkala, where the militants were holed up in a house.
Insurgency websites, however, quoted official Russian sources as saying he was killed in Gubden, his native village in Daghestan.
Liz Fuller, RFE/RL's North Caucasus analyst, says Vagabov had become the second-most-powerful figure within the insurgency hierarchy after self-styled Caucasus Emirate head Doku Umarov.
"Magomedali Vagabov was one of the younger generation of field commanders following the split in the ranks of the insurgency earlier this month," Fuller says.
"When four Chechen commanders said they would no longer consider themselves subordinate to Doku Umarov, Vagabov emerged as effectively the second-in-command after Umarov. He has pledged his own personal loyalty to Umarov and he has called on all other fighters to do the same."
The National Counterterrorism Committee said the operation in Gunib showed that "even the most sophisticated means will not allow bandits to escape responsibility for their deeds."
Training Of Suicide Bombers
Vagabov was suspected of organizing the double suicide bombings on the Moscow subway on March 29, in which 40 people were killed and more than 100 wounded.
Russian security officials claimed Vagabov was the husband of Mariam Sharipova, one of the two women from Daghestan identified as the suicide bombers.
The committee said he had received training at a militant camp in Pakistan and had contacts with a number of international terror groups who had also passed on financing.
The statement said Vagabov was also actively involved in recruiting youth and organized the training of suicide bombers.
Besides the Moscow subway attacks, it said Vagabov had also planned a string of attacks against security forces and on railway infrastructure.
"His reputation was primarily as an ideologue of jihad -- he had studied in Pakistan -- rather than as a military man. He recruited young men and trained them as militant fighters, but there is very little evidence that he actually had any combat experience himself," analyst Fuller says.
According to a biography posted this month on a militant website, Jamaat.Shariat.com, Vagabov was born in April 1975.
with agency reports
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Trump Says Had 'Lengthy and Productive' Call With Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump says he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
"We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media outlet.
"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. "
Russian MP Valuev Barred From Entering Azerbaijan Over ‘Offensive’ Remarks
Azerbaijan has banned Russian State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Valuev from entering the country after he accused Baku of using Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia for criminal activities.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizade said Baku made the decision after Valuev’s “offensive statements against Azerbaijan and our people.”
“His threatening remarks against our country are absolutely unacceptable,” Hajizade said in a statement.
A former world heavyweight boxing champion, Valuev is the third Russian lawmaker to be banned from entering Azerbaijan.
Hajizadeh noted in his statement that all three Russian MPs declared persona non grata “regretfully” belong to the ruling United Russia party.
Valuev made his comments after Azerbaijan last week ordered the closure of the so-called Russia House, a local branch of Russia’s state-run cultural diplomacy agency Rossotrudnichestvo.
The Russian lawmaker wrote on his Telegram channel that while Azerbaijan does not have a similar institution in Russia, it has a diaspora that has "nothing to do with cultural exchange, but money."
"To put it tactfully, this money is not always legal.... isn't it time to a take a closer look at [the diaspora]?" he wrote.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said the Russian cultural center lacked legal registration and it expected Moscow to take steps to rectify it. Moscow says it has ”repeatedly” requested Baku to help with the registration but has not received a response.
Local media, citing unnamed sources, said Russia House in Baku was closed due to alleged involvement in intelligence gathering.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have soured since the December 25 downing of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 near the Kazakh city of Aqtau by Russian forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the disaster, which killed 38 and injured 29 people, and said air defenses were activated in the Chechnya region to repel an alleged Ukrainian drone attack.
Hegseth Says Return To Ukraine's Pre-2014 Borders 'Unrealistic'
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says it's "unrealistic" to expect Ukraine's borders to return to their pre-2014 positions after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv could offer Moscow territory seized by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in exchange for land occupied by Russia.
Hegseth, on his first foreign trip since being confirmed, told a meeting of Ukraine's military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 12 that Washington would not deploy troops to Ukraine in any agreed peace deal and that NATO membership is not seen by the White House as part of the solution to the conflict.
He added that U.S. forces would not be part of any security guarantee in a peace settlement.
"We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective," Hegseth said in the most direct public statement so far by a U.S. official on how President Donald Trump will approach ending the almost three-year-old war.
"To be clear as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine," Hegseth told a group of some 50 member countries who have been supporting Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Hegseth's comments came after Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that Ukraine was willing to "exchange one territory for another," though he did not know what territory Kyiv would request from Moscow in exchange for part of the Kursk region Ukrainian forces currently control.
"I don't know, we'll see. But all our territories are important, there is no priority here," Zelenskyy said in the interview published on February 11. In the past he has refused to give up any territory taken by Russia during the invasion.
Asked about Zelenskyy's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move is "impossible."
"Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his troops will eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk, but has declined to put a timeline on when he sees this happening.
Ukrainian political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko told RFE/RL that he believes a territorial swap is possible, with the most likely scenario involving a mutual withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Kursk and Russian troops from Kharkiv.
"Unlike other occupied regions, Kharkiv has not been annexed. This makes a withdrawal there more likely," Fesenko said.
Zelenskyy, who will meet on February 14 at the Munich Security Conference with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. officials, described himself as ready for serious talks.
"I think it's very important for us to meet with the American side before they meet with the Russian side because the war is on our soil," Zelenskyy said.
The interview was published as the White House announced that Moscow had released American teacher Marc Fogel, who had been deemed wrongfully detained by Moscow, and just hours ahead of another deadly Russian missile strike on Kyiv.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said the missiles hit in the early hours of February 12 after authorities issued a ballistic alert and at least one person was killed and four others wounded.
"Russia carried out a missile strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv region," Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy's office, said on Telegram. "This is how [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants the war to end."
Emergency services were called to at least four districts of the Ukrainian capital, and the military administration said that fires broke out at several residential and nonresidential buildings.
Strikes in the Sumy region on February 11 killed at least two civilians, injured two others, and caused widespread damage to apartment buildings and other property, the press service of the regional military administration said.
The White House described the release of Fogel as a "good faith" sign by Russia that could help advance the prospects for peace negotiations to end the full-scale war launched by Russia nearly three years ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been skeptical about continuing U.S. support for Kyiv, is pushing for a settlement of the war and has increased diplomatic efforts in recent days. His envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will also attend the Munich Security Conference and will travel to Ukraine afterward.
In a recent interview with Reuters, Kellogg said Washington wants Ukraine to hold elections, possibly by the end of the year. When asked about that possibility, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainians are alarmed by such statements and don't understand why the country is being pushed to hold elections during the war.
"It is very important for Kellogg to come to Ukraine. Then he would understand the people and all our circumstances,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump has complained bitterly about the cost of aid that the United States has poured into Ukraine and has indicated the United States will demand something in return.
“They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian some day. They may not be Russian some day, but we’re gonna have all this money in there and I said I want it back,” said Trump in an interview with Fox News on February 10.
Zelenskyy told the Guardian that he pitched the idea to Trump last year that the United States would get priority access to Ukraine’s rare earths in a deal to end the war.
Ukraine has the biggest uranium and titanium reserves in Europe, Zelenskyy said, and pointed out to Trump that it would not be in the interests of the United States for these reserves to be in Russian hands and potentially shared with North Korea, China, or Iran -- all allies of Moscow.
Trump recently mentioned rare earth minerals being part of a deal on the war in Ukraine and said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would travel to Ukraine to discuss rare earth mineral resources. The White House has not released any details on Bessent's trip.
- By Todd Prince
U.S. Awaits Release Of Another American After Fogel Freed By Russia
WASHINGTON -- The White House expects another American citizen to be released just hours after President Donald Trump welcomed back Marc Fogel, a teacher freed by Moscow after spending 3 1/2 years in a prison.
After welcoming Fogel back at a meeting at the White House late on February 11, Trump said a "very special" person familiar to the media be released on February 12. He would not elaborate on the person's identity, nor did he confirm that it would be someone currently held in Russia.
Trump added that Fogel's release was based on a "very fair" deal -- he gave no details, and was an indication of Russia's "good will in terms of the war" in Ukraine.
"I think this could be a very important element, a big part of getting the war over," Trump said, standing next to Fogel, who had an American flag draped over his shoulders.
"I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now," Fogel said. "I want you to know I am not a hero in this at all. President Trump is a hero. These men who came over from the diplomatic service are heroes," Fogel said. "I love our country and I’m happy to be back here."
Fogel added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "was very generous and statesmanlike in granting me a pardon."
He also thanked Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for Trump, who traveled to Russia on February 11, met with Putin, and accompanied Fogel on his flight back to the United States.
Earlier on February 11 the White House said the release of Fogel, who had been deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, was a show of “good faith” by Russia.
Fogel had been sentenced to serve 14 years in a Russian jail after being detained by Russian police in 2021 for possession of medical marijuana he says was prescribed to him after back surgery. He was sentenced a year later.
“President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” a statement released by national-security adviser Mike Waltz said.
The White House described his release as part of an "exchange" but did not say what the United States had given in return.
Trump answered "not much" when he was asked by a reporter earlier on February 11 what Russia had received.
"We were treated very nicely by the Russians," Trump said. "Actually, I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war."
Fogel, who taught at the Anglo-American School in the Russian capital, had been passed over in previous U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps.
He was one of several Americans arrested in recent years in Russia on spurious charges and given stiff sentences. Washington has labeled most of these “hostages” of the Kremlin to be used as bargaining chips to free Russians locked up in the West after being convicted of serious crimes.
Fogel’s family in Pennsylvania, including his 95-year-old mother, had pushed for his release after he was left out of prisoner swaps negotiated under President Joe Biden, including the December 2022 release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in exchange for international arms dealer Viktor Bout and the exchange of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed for drug trafficker Konstantin Yaroshchenko in April of that year.
A much larger exchange took place in August 2024, when Russia freed 16 people, including RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan. Eight Russians were returned home in that exchange, the largest prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War.
In addition to Fogel, that deal left several other Americans behind and locked up in Russian jails, including musician Michael Travis Leake, U.S. Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, and Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina.
During his confirmation hearing last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said improving U.S.-Russian relations would be impossible unless Fogel were freed.
The release of Fogel “is at the minimum the kind of thing you would hope to see of anyone who is serious about improving relations, especially if we can get the situation in Ukraine to a peaceful standing," Rubio said in the hearing, calling the case against him “ridiculous.”
Rubio said in a statement on February 11 that Trump had promised Fogel's family he would "bring Marc home." He added that Fogel's release "is also a reminder that other American citizens are still detained in Russia" and said Trump is committed to bringing all of them home.
While the White House gave no information about who or what it offered in exchange for Fogel, there are a number of high-profile Russians who have been convicted in the United States whose names have surfaced in the context of previous prisoner swaps.
One is Aleksandr Vinnik, known as Mr. Bitcoin, who was arrested in 2017 on a Greek beach and extradited via France -- where he was also wanted -- to the United States in 2022 to face money laundering charges.
Vinnik in May pleaded guilty and was scheduled to be sentenced by California Judge Susan Illston in June.
Illston held an unplanned videoconference on February 11 with Vinnik and his attorneys, according to a court entry. There was no filing associated with the videoconference. When contacted by RFE/RL, Arkady Bukh, one of Vinnik’s lawyers, said he couldn't comment on the hearing as the judge ordered the proceedings to be sealed.
In previous interviews with RFE/RL, Bukh said Vinnik’s mother has lobbied the Kremlin for his release, while his lawyers have lobbied the U.S. administrations.
Vinnik has been held by Western authorities for almost eight years. Russian cybercriminals who plead guilty rarely receive more than a 10-year sentence, an RFE/RL investigation of more than a dozen recent cases showed.
- By Todd Prince
Release Of American Is 'Good Faith' Move By Russia As U.S. Seeks End To War In Ukraine, White House Says
WASHINGTON -- An American teacher serving a 14-year sentence in Russia on charges of marijuana possession has been freed in an exchange that the White House said "serves as a show of good faith from the Russians" as the United States seeks a settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
A statement from the national-security adviser on February 11 said the release of Marc Fogel was also a "sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine."
The statement said special envoy Steve Witkoff was leaving Russian airspace with Fogel, who was detained by Russian police in 2021 upon arrival in Moscow for possession of medical marijuana he says was prescribed to him after back surgery. He was sentenced a year later.
Fogel, who taught at the Anglo-American School in the Russian capital following a stint at the U.S. Embassy, had been passed over in previous U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps.
The White House described his release as part of an "exchange" but did not say what the United States had given in return.
President Donald Trump answered "not much" when he was asked by a reporter at the White House what Russia had received in exchange.
"We were treated very nicely by the Russians," Trump said. "Actually, I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war."
In August 2024, Russia, the United States, and several other countries carried out the largest prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War, freeing 16 people, including RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Those freed also included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan.
Eight Russians were returned home in that exchange.
Kosovar Parties Shut Out PM Kurti, Refuse Coalition After His Election Victory
PRISTINA -- The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) say they will not enter a coalition government with incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement (LVV), which won last weekend's parliamentary elections.
Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on February 11 said that with 99 percent of ballots counted, LVV had around 41 percent of the vote, short of a majority.
PDK secured 22 percent of the ballots followed by Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 18 percent and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and its partner NISMA with around 7 percent. Observers say diaspora ballots will slightly shift the shares of vote, likely in Kurti's favor.
The weekend elections were seen as key in determining who will lead Kosovo amid stalled talks on normalizing ties with Serbia and while foreign funding for one of Europe's poorest countries has been thrown into doubt. Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Forecasts for the distribution of seats in parliament give Kurti 54 mandates, meaning he would need seven more to form a majority.
"It's unlikely that [Kurti] will be able to form a government, but I don't think even the opposition have the unity to form a coalition," Rrahman Paçarizi, professor at the Department of Journalism at the University of Pristina, told RFE/RL, adding that the odds of an early election were high due to the political deadlock.
Kurti's rival and PDK candidate Bedri Hamza told a news conference on February 10 that there were "major differences" that prevented the formation of a coalition and accused LVV of wanting "absolute power" and of having "no plan" to run the country.
AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj struck a similar tone, saying he would "gladly cooperate with Albanian opposition parties" to form a majority government.
Lumir Abdixhiku, the leader of LDK, said the party will comment after the vote count.
Despite winning the February 9 elections, LVV’s support fell by around 10 percent compared to the 2021 elections.
David Kanin, professor of European Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, told RFE/RL that it remains to be seen if Kurti sticks to his pledge not to form a coalition if it means being shut out of power.
"Part of it depends on whether Kurti really means what he says when he says he won't go into a coalition. I don't know if he really believes that," Kanin said.
'Frightened' Iran Ready To Make Nuclear Deal, Trump Says
U.S. President Donald Trump says he believes a deal with Iran over its nuclear program can be reached as Tehran is eager to negotiate and avoid an escalation that could involve a military option.
Speaking in an interview on Fox News late on February 10, Trump said Iranian officials were "worried and frightened" of the consequences should a deal not be reached, hours after Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian questioned Washington’s sincerity in seeking negotiations with Tehran.
"Everyone thinks Israel, with our help or our approval, will go in and bomb the hell out of them. I would prefer that not happen," Trump said.
"You cannot allow Iran…to have a nuclear weapon, but there's two ways to stopping them: with bombs or a written piece of paper.... I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them."
Trump said Tehran has been weakened by a "massive loss" to its air defenses, an apparent reference to Israeli strikes in late October that analysts have said dealt a "significant blow" to Iran's ability to produce long-range ballistic missiles.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week dismissed the prospect of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting negotiations would not address Iran's problems days after Trump had talked of making a deal where Iranians could "get on" with their lives.
On February 4, Trump signed an order to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes.
A landmark deal with world powers in 2015 had restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement during his first term and reimposed sanctions in 2018, leading Tehran to accelerate its uranium enrichment and limit international inspections of its nuclear sites.
When he pulled out of the nuclear deal, Trump said Tehran was not living up to the spirit of the deal and was continuing attempts to develop nuclear weapons. He also accused Iran of supporting extremist violence in the region, which Tehran denied.
Trump told Fox News that any new agreement with Tehran must include being able to monitor, inspect, and verify Iran's nuclear activities and destroy nuclear material or simply ensure that "it is no longer nuclear."
He did not give any further details of what a deal would encompass.
Hundreds Of Russian Soldiers Treated In Hospitals In North Korea
Hundreds of Russian soldiers are being treated in North Korean hospitals, a Russian diplomat said, comments that provide another glimpse into the scale of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in the Ukraine war.
In an interview with the state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper, Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Aleksandr Matsegora, provided few details as to how many Russians have been hospitalized in North Korea, nor did he give specifics on casualties or deaths.
"A clear example of the brotherly attitude [between Moscow and Pyongyang] is the rehabilitation of hundreds of wounded soldiers of the [Ukraine war] in Korean sanatoriums and hospitals," he was quoted as saying.
Moscow turned to North Korea for help in its all-out invasion of Ukraine roughly six months after its start in February 2022.
Western intelligence said Russia was buying millions of artillery shells from North Korea -- reports that were backed up by satellite imagery showing reconstruction of railyards, railway bridges, and port facilities along their shared border, on the Pacific Coast.
Last fall, North Korean soldiers began appearing on battlefields along Russia's border, primarily in the Kursk region, which Ukraine invaded in August.
In November, President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership treaty, deepening their economic and political ties.
Western and Ukrainian officials have said between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to the Kursk region; Ukrainian troops have captured an unknown number of prisoners.
Last month, however, Ukrainian officials reported that North Korean troops had vanished from the front lines in Kursk, apparently due to high casualty rates. It was unclear however if the contingent had been withdrawn entirely or merely rotated out for rest or resupply.
In the interview, Matsegora also said Russia was supplying coal, food, and medical supplies to North Korea, and he said some children of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine had been sent to North Korea for holidays.
Western officials estimate Russian casualties over the nearly three years since it invaded Ukraine at more than 700,000.
- By RFE/RL
Ukrainian Drones Damage Industrial Facility In Russia's Saratov Region, Governor Says
A Ukrainian drone attack damaged an industrial facility in Russia's Saratov region, regional Governor Roman Busargin said early on February 11.
"According to preliminary information, there are no casualties," Busargin said on Telegram.
"The air-defense forces eliminated the [drones]. There is damage at an industrial enterprise in Saratov. Operational services are working in places where debris may have fallen," Busargin said.
Video posted on social media that have been verified by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty showed fire in the area of the facility.
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Eighteen of the drones were destroyed over the Saratov region, the ministry said on Telegram. The rest were downed over four other regions in Russia's south and west, it said.
The Russian aviation watchdog suspended flights at four airports to ensure safety.
Several unofficial Russian Telegram news channels reported explosions and fires in the area of the oil refinery in Saratov, a city on the Volga River about 725 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
A Ukrainian attack in January on an oil depot near a military air base in Engels in the Saratov region sparked a fire that took days to extinguish.
The governor of Belgorod region said earlier that Ukrainian drones attacked four villages in the region. One of the drones hit a car in Kukuyevka, injuring the driver.
Another drone attacked a residential building, piercing the roof, smashing windows, and damaging a car parked nearby, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
He said there was also a drone attack on the warehouse premises of an agricultural enterprise.
Kyiv has said its air attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts and are in retaliation for Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine, especially its electrical infrastructure.
The Ukrainian Air Force said earlier that several groups of Russian drones attacked Ukraine late on February 10, and an air alert was declared in a number of regions.
Shaded drones were detected moving over the Odesa, Kherson, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia regions around 11:30 p.m. local time.
The Ukrainian military advised citizens not to ignore air alerts.
The Air Force also warned that there were likely launches of Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea. An air alert was declared in Kyiv and a number of regions. There were no reports of damage from the Ukrainian side.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and Itar-Tass
Trump Warns Kyiv Ukraine 'May Be Russian Someday'
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is seeking hundreds of billions of dollars worth of rare earth resources from Ukraine in exchange for Washington's support in the war against Russia, implying that failing to do so could mean a loss of the country's sovereignty.
Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News late on February 10 as the White House embarks on a diplomacy offensive in Europe this week just days before the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars.... I told them I want the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earth and they've essentially agreed to do that," Trump said in the interview.
He added: "And, you know, they may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian some day, or they may not be Russian some day, but we’re going to have all this money in there and I say we’re going to want it back."
Trump said he will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week while his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia will go to Ukraine soon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meets leaders from around Europe during a trip to Poland, Belgium, and France.
Zelenskyy appeared ready to accept Trump's condition, telling The Guardian in an interview published on February 11 that he wants Ukraine to be in a position of strength when it enters peace negotiations and that U.S. companies could be at the forefront of reconstruction efforts.
“Those who are helping us to save Ukraine will [have the chance to] renovate it, with their businesses together with Ukrainian businesses. All these things we are ready to speak about in detail,” he said, adding "Ukraine may swap territories with Russia."
Trump did not say when the envoy, Keith Kellogg, would visit Ukraine, but CNN reported the trip would take place next week, while AFP quoted a source in the Ukrainian presidency as saying the visit would take place on February 20.
Kellogg is already expected to meet with Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference, which opens on February 14, and the Ukrainian president will meet with Vice President J. D. Vance on the sidelines of the conference, Zelenskyy spokesman Sergiy Nykyforov said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth also are scheduled to be in Munich, while Trump said he was sending Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine this week as part of initial discussions aimed at securing U.S. access to critical minerals.
At his first press conference in Germany, Hegseth told reporters in the city of Stuttgart that he will push European allies to spend more on defense and ruled out the involvement of U.S. troops in Ukraine.
"The European continent deserves to be free from any aggression, but it ought be those in the neighborhood investing the most in that individual and collective defense," he said.
Trump is pushing for a swift end to the war, while Zelenskyy is calling for solid security guarantees as part of any deal with Russia.
Kyiv fears any agreement that does not include hard military commitments -- such as NATO membership or the deployment of peacekeeping troops -- will allow the Kremlin time to regroup and rearm for a fresh attack.
Over the weekend, Trump said he had spoken to Russia's Vladimir Putin but he declined to specify whether the talks took place before or after he was inaugurated on January 20.
He added that he believes there has been progress toward ending the war but declined to elaborate on what he and Putin spoke about.
The Kremlin has said it could neither confirm nor deny whether Putin and Trump had spoken, but on February 11, it appeared to seize on Trump's comments on what could happen if Kyiv doesn't agree to a deal for its resources. saying, "a considerable part of Ukraine wants to be Russia and has already become Russia."
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a Moscow news briefing on February 10 that demands set out by Putin last June were unchanged, including that Ukraine drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from all the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia.
He also warned that relations with Washington "are balancing on the brink of a breakup."
"We have repeatedly said that they [Russian-U.S. relations] are on the verge of rupture," he said, adding the "confrontational content" of bilateral relations has intensified.
Concerns that Washington and Moscow may agree on a peace settlement without the involvement of Ukraine are rampant in Kyiv, which insists it be at the negotiating table no matter what.
"It's essential to understand that when we talk about the principle of 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,' we mean that decisions shouldn't be made without Ukraine's participation," Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian deputy and the chair of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary relations, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
"Putin doesn't want negotiations, and he wants to decide Ukraine's fate without Ukraine's participation. He hopes that the United States and Russia will agree on Ukraine's fate, and Ukraine will become part of Russia's sphere of influence."
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Steps Down Amid Crisis Over Scrapped Election
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said he is resigning from his position amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's annulment of the presidential election in which right-wing, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round.
Iohannis said on February 10 that he was stepping down and will leave office on February 12.
Ovidiu Voicu, executive director of the Center for Public Innovation, told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that efforts to impeach Iohannis would have had no chance of getting the required votes in parliament anyway.
However, the ruling coalition "pushed" Iohannis to resign so that they could present it as a gesture to "calm the country down and bring peace and stability."
Senate leader Ilie Bolojan will succeed Iohannis on an interim basis once lawmakers approve his resignation.
The new presidential vote is planned for May 4, with a possible run-off vote scheduled for May 18.
The Constitutional Court had asked Iohannis to stay on after his term ended in mid-December because of the annulment.
The Constitutional Court canceled the election two days before the second round was to be held between Georgescu and pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi.
It cited state documents that allegedly showed Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate, had benefitted from an unfair social media campaign likely orchestrated by Russia. Moscow denies interfering in the election.
"It only deepens the political chaos that is in the country at the moment and disrupts our image internationally," one Bucharest resident told RFE/RL.
"It may be a gesture of the last common sense on his part. But it’s not like it solves the problem."
- By RFE/RL
Germany's Scholz Reiterates Refusal To Send Taurus Missiles To Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again ruled out sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, opposing actions that would "deliver destructive weapons" deep inside of Russia, and hitting out at his conservative political rival, who has expressed more openness to delivering such weapons to Kyiv.
"I do not think it is right to deliver destructive weapons deep into the Russian hinterland," Scholz said on February 9 during a 90-minute televised debate ahead of national elections in two weeks.
"That is, I believe, exactly the kind of step not to make if you carry responsibility for Germany," he added.
Friedrich Merz, whose conservative CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls against Scholz’s center-left SPD, said he has "always been very clear" regarding his position on sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
"I have always said the delivery of cruise missiles must be decided in the European Union. The United States delivers, France delivers, Britain delivers; we should also have delivered," Merz said.
Merz told German media in October that he would approve delivery to Kyiv of the missiles -- which have a range of some 500 kilometers -- under certain conditions.
If Russian strikes on Ukraine "don't stop, then the first step is this: Lift the range restriction [on current Ukraine missile launchings]. And the second step is that we deliver the Taurus," he said.
That way, he added, Russian President Vladimir Putin "has it in his hands how far he wants to escalate this war further."
Germany's DW reported in July that Merz spoke in favor of Berlin aiding Kyiv to protect against Russian aggression and supply it with combat aircraft.
"I believe that we should help Ukraine at least restore sovereignty over its own airspace," he was quoted as saying.
Although Scholz has been reluctant to send Kyiv heavy weaponry, Berlin trails only Washington in the amount of support provided to Ukraine. Scholz has insisted that it is essential to secure the "sovereignty of Ukraine and [ensure] that it will not be forced to submit to a dictated peace."
In November, Scholz attacked the final declaration of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro for not plainly stating that Russia was responsible for the war in Ukraine, even as he restated his opposition to sending long-range missiles to Kyiv.
"In my view, supplying cruise missiles would be a mistake for many reasons," he said at the time -- including the danger that it would bring Germany closer to direct conflict with Russia.
Domestically, Scholz, seeking a bounce-back in the polls ahead of the February 23 election, accused Merz of seeking support from the far-right Alternative for Deutschland (Germany) or AfD, which would break the taboo against the mainstream parties in the country cooperating with the party.
Following World War II, Germany has done "very well in the past decades when the democratic parties agreed not to cooperate with the extreme right," Scholz said.
Merz underlined that his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian CSU allies would not cooperate or rule with the virulently anti-immigration AfD.
"I want to make it clear here once again that we will not do that," Merz said. “There are no similarities between the AfD and the [CDU/CSU]."
The CDU/CSU alliance, which is polling at about 30 percent, has itself pressed for tougher immigration policies in an effort to draw voters away from the AfD, which is polling at around 20 percent.
Scholz said Merz's proposal to reject all migrants at Germany's borders "contradicts European law."
Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Greens each are at around 15-18 percent support ahead of the vote for the next parliament, or Bundestag.
ING bank analyst Carsten Brzeski wrote that the debate likely ended in a draw and -- though heated at times -- was relatively "well-behaved," which could leave open the possibility of a "grand coalition" involving the CDU and other groups in an effort to shut out the AfD, which has been accused of having ties to Russia.
Initial public opinion polls also scored the two politicians' performances in the debate as roughly equal.
Scholz and Merz are scheduled to meet again in a head-to-head debate on February 19.
They are also scheduled meet in a four-way debate on February 16 with AfD's Alice Weidel and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from the Greens.
With reporting by dpa and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Trump Talked To Putin About Ukraine War But Details Remain Unclear
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has spoken to Russia's Vladimir Putin and that he believes "we are making progress" in ending the war in Ukraine, raising fears in Kyiv that it was being sidelined in the process.
Speaking to reporters on February 9 aboard Air Force One as he traveled to the Super Bowl, the American football championship game, in New Orleans, Trump confirmed reports he had spoken with Putin, but he declined to specify whether the talks took place before or after he was inaugurated on January 20.
"I've had it. Let's just say I've had it [a conversation with Putin]...And I expect to have many more conversations. We have to get that war ended," Trump said.
"If we are talking, I don’t want to tell you about the conversations. I do believe we're making progress. We want to stop the Ukraine-Russia war," he added.
He also said his administration was in contact with Ukrainian officials, without being specific.
"We're talking to both sides," he said.
That did little to assuage fears in Kyiv over talks between Moscow and Washington taking place without Ukraine's direct participation.
"It's essential to understand that when we talk about the principle of 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,' we mean that decisions shouldn't be made without Ukraine's participation," Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian deputy and the chair of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary relations, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
"Putin doesn't want negotiations, and he wants to decide Ukraine's fate without Ukraine's participation. He hopes that the United States and Russia will agree on Ukraine's fate, and Ukraine will become part of Russia's sphere of influence."
The Kremlin on February 10 reiterated its statement from the previous day that it could neither confirm nor deny whether Putin and Trump had spoken.
Trump's remarks came ahead of what could be a major week in diplomacy related to the Russia-Ukraine war in which both sides have suffered massive losses since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022.
The lead White House envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference, which opens on February 14.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is also expected to attend the conference and meet with Zelenskyy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are scheduled to be in Munich.
Trump has promised to end the war but has not set out yet in public how he would do so.
In an interview published on February 8 by The New York Post, Trump first said he had spoken to Putin, but he did not indicate when the conversation occurred or give further details.
Earlier on February 10, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told state media that Moscow had not received any proposals serious enough to warrant talks, without being specific.
Trump, meanwhile, said on February 7 that he is likely to meet with Zelenskyy soon as U.S. efforts to end the war gather force. He gave no details, but said the meeting could be held in Washington as "I'm not going to Kyiv."
Zelenskyy has voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Putin into ending the war.
In an interview with British broadcaster ITV on February 7, Zelenskyy said talks between Ukraine and Russia are possible, but only if the West doesn't abandon Kyiv.
"If I had the understanding that America and Europe would not abandon us, and that they would support us and give us security guarantees, then I would be ready for any format of negotiations," Zelenskyy said.
Trump several times has said he was planning to meet with Putin for talks on ending the conflict, although no specifics have been discussed publicly.
Hard-line Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, head of the parliament's international affairs committee, was quoted by state media as saying preparations for a Trump-Putin meeting were at "an advanced stage" and that it could occur in February or March, although the Kremlin has not confirmed the report.
Putin has said he was open to discussing a deal with Trump but ruled out making any major territorial concessions and insists that Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Trump Announces New Tariffs, Further Widening Global Trade War
President Donald Trump on February 10 announced 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum products entering the United States, threatening to further ignite the trade war that has shaken markets worldwide.
Trump signed proclamations raising the U.S. tariff rate on aluminum to 25 percent from his previous 10 percent rate and eliminating country exceptions, quota deals, and product-specific tariff exclusions for both metals. A White House official confirmed the measures would take effect on March 4.
The tariffs will apply to millions of tons of steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, and other countries that had been entering the U.S. duty free under the carve-outs.
The move will simplify tariffs on the metals, Trump told reporters at the White House.
"It's 25 percent without exceptions or exemptions. That's all countries, no matter where it comes from, all countries," he said.
Trump later said he would give "great consideration" to Australia's request for an exemption to the steel tariffs due to that country's trade deficit with the United States.
Government and industry statistics show that Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea are the biggest sources of U.S. steel imports. Canada supplies nearly 80 percent of U.S. imports of aluminum.
Trump also told reporters he would on either February 11 or 12 "probably" unveil "reciprocal tariffs" on countries that already have levied duties on U.S. products.
"If they are charging us 130 percent and we're charging them nothing, it's not going to stay that way," Trump said.
Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro said the latest measures would help U.S. steel and aluminum producers and shore up America's economic and national security.
"The steel and aluminum tariffs 2.0 will put an end to foreign dumping, boost domestic production and secure our steel and aluminum industries as the backbone and pillar industries of America's economic and national security," he told reporters.
"This isn't just about trade. It's about ensuring that America never has to rely on foreign nations for critical industries like steel and aluminum."
Experts have said the tariffs could roil the world economy.
On February 3, Trump warned Americans they may face economic "pain" because of the trade tariffs he had announced over the previous weekend on Canada, Mexico, and China -- the top three U.S. trading partners.
He later stated tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be paused for 30 days after he said the leaders of the two countries pledged stronger border measures to stop migrant crossings and illicit drugs.
Trump has also said placing tariffs on foreign goods will help bring production of such items back to the United States.
The U.S. president has also threatened tariffs on goods from the European Union, saying they would "definitely happen" and "pretty soon." He also suggested Britain could be the target of tariffs.
Trump has long complained about the EU's 10 percent tariffs on U.S. cars when the U.S. rate on European cars is 2.5 percent, although rates vary depending on the vehicles.
French President Emmanuel Macron on February 9 said U.S. tariffs on Europe would increase inflation in the United States and told CNN that Trump should not focus his attention on America's allies within the EU.
Stock markets worldwide tumbled after Trump initially announced tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China, but they rallied after he expressed willingness to negotiate on the levies.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
Kurti Falls Short Of Majority Setting Up Potential Political Deadlock In Kosovo
PRISTINA -- Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling Self-Determination Movement (LVV) looks set to win the most votes in Kosovo's parliamentary elections, although it appears the party will fall short of a majority, opening the door to political instability at a crucial time for the country.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) on February 10 said that, with 93 percent of ballots counted, LVV had 41 percent of the vote, in line with opinion polls ahead of the election that indicated a result of under 50 percent.
It was followed by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) with 22 percent, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 18 percent, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and partner NISMA with 7.6 percent.
The Serbian List had 4 percent. A special panel in Kosovo on December 25 overturned a decision by the election commission that had barred the country's largest ethnic-Serbian party from participating in the elections due to its strong links with Belgrade.
About 41 percent of more than 1.9 million eligible voters cast ballots for the 120-seat parliament, according to election officials.
The results could allow for the opposition to form a government in the small, pro-West Balkan nation, as well as shaping its relationship with the EU and the United States, Kosovo's two biggest sponsors.
"Unfortunately, due to the moment we are in and the unpredictability of the course of things, there is a possibility that the people will also feel consequences," Washington-based foreign policy expert Adrian Shtuni told RFE/RL's Kosovo service, noting the EU has blocked development funds to the country.
"Whoever forms the government must wake up and understand that we are facing a decisive moment for the future of Kosovo."
Although the overall outcome remained unclear, Kurti declared victory for his party and its partners, the Guxo Party and Alternativa, following the vote.
"The elections were free, democratic, and fair,” he told a Pristina news conference.
"I thank the voters of LVV and our winning coalition. We are in first place, and this is a confirmation of our good and progressive governance. Our winning coalition will form the new government," he said without providing his projected voting figures.
"We don't have the official results yet, but the preliminary ones show that even if the second and third place parties combine their votes, they still don't match [LVV]," he added.
Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of LDK -- a former ruling party -- said the group's total of around 18 percent was disappointing but that "it is an outcome we respect, and I take responsibility for this result." Nevertheless, he rejected the idea of him resigning as party chairman.
Official final results could be delayed as the CEC experienced intermittent difficulties with its website reporting figures. President Vjosa Osmani said she was confident that despite a "software failure," the integrity of the electoral process would be ensured.
Dritero Arifi, a political science professor at the University for Business and Technology (UBT) in Pristina, said Kurti could face a difficult task to form a government.
“Even though [LVV] is the winner, they suffered quite a decline [in support]," he told RFE/RL, referring to the party's showing of 50.28 percent in 2021.
"This shows the citizens' distrust toward the ruling party. There will be a major battle over how the government is formed."
He said it was not clear if Kurti will be able to quickly put together a coalition or if the country will suffer through "several months" of negotiations and uncertainty.
"There is a lot of uncertainty. [The LVV] is a party that does not shift from its initial positions and will have a hard time relinquishing power."
Some 1.97 million citizens were registered to vote in the country that has long been allied with the United States but which has frayed those ties with recent policies that Washington sees as fomenting tensions with its ethnic-Serb minority.
Kurti’s left-wing LVV was favored to win the election but was not seen able to garner enough votes to govern on its own. That left open the possibility the other three contenders could join ranks if Kurti fails to form a Cabinet.
An opposition coalition could alter Kosovo's relations with the West and potentially step up peace talks with rival Serbia. Kurti's opponents for the prime minister's post have expressed the need to maintain and deepen U.S. ties, insisting they are crucial for Kosovo's future.
Kurti has also stated his desires to remain closely tied to the United States, despite recent disagreements.
Pristina has sought to reestablish authority in northern Kosovo, where most of the ethnic Serbs live and have attempted to maintain parallel governance structures with Belgrade's support.
Kurti has insisted the actions were necessary to ensure the rule of law in the north and that they were in line with the country's constitution.
The elections could also shape relations with the European Union.
Kosovo’s EU application, submitted in 2022, has been stalled ever since, as it needs a consensus of support among the 27 members. The biggest hurdle is the five EU countries -- Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain -- that do not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo's relations with Washington and Brussels are centered around the EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, which began in 2011 and aims to normalize relations between the two neighbors and rivals.
Kosovo was an autonomous region of Serbia until an armed uprising in 1998-99 by the ethnic Albanian majority population triggered a bloody crackdown by Belgrade. A NATO bombing campaign to force Serbia’s troops out of Kosovo ended the war.
Since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Belgrade, which Serbia and several other nations still reject, there have been ongoing tensions between the two neighboring countries.
A NATO-led KFOR protection force has been deployed in Kosovo since 1999 to help maintain the peace.
Adrian Shtuni, a Washington-based security expert, praised the smooth running of Kosovo's election and told RFE/RL it should stand as an example to other countries in the region, saying it reflects the "consolidation of democracy" in the country.
But he cautioned that the relatively low voter turnout stood as "a message to politicians in Kosovo [that] the people are tired of aggressive rhetoric and clashes."
Trump Tells New York Post He's Spoken With Putin About Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump said he's spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, reportedly discussing ways to resolve Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is nearing its third anniversary.
In an interview published on February 8 by The New York Post, Trump did not indicate when the conversation occurred or give further details as to the content of their talks. The Post said the interview was conducted on February 7 while Trump was traveling on Air Force One, the presidential plane.
"He wants to see people stop dying," Trump was quoted as saying.
"Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing," he said, adding that he "better not say" when asked how many times the two leaders had spoken.
“I always had a good relationship with Putin," he said.
RFE/RL sent an e-mail to the White House seeking confirmation of the report but did not receive an immediate response.
In Moscow, however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested it was possible the two men had spoken and that he had been made aware of it.
"As the administration in Washington carries out its work, many different types of communications emerge, and these communications are conducted through various channels," Peskov told reporters on February 9.
"Of course, against the backdrop of these many communications, I personally may not know something or be unaware of something. Therefore, in this case, I cannot confirm nor deny it."
Even before taking office on January 20, Trump vowed to bring an end to the conflict, which has killed or wounded more than 1 million soldiers on both sides, according to Western estimates.
Trump's top national-security aides have publicly indicated that U.S. officials would seek to both coerce and induce Moscow and Kyiv to come to the bargaining table for cease-fire talks.
When asked on NBC's Meet The Press on February 9 about Trump's claim to have spoken with Putin, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz did not directly answer the question, but he did say there is a need to "get all sides of the table and end this war."
He added that the United States needs to "recoup" its costs in Ukraine by partnering with Ukraine "in terms of their rare earths, their natural resources, and their oil and gas."
The lead White House envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference, which opens on February 14.
Trump, meanwhile, said on February 7 that he is likely to meet with Zelenskyy next week, as U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine gather force. He gave no details, but said the meeting could be held in Washington as "I'm not going to Kyiv."
Trump and members of his administration have provided few details about any specific proposal for ending the war, but Kellogg said recently that both sides would have to "give a little bit," meaning make compromises.
In Kyiv, meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have watched warily as pressure builds for talks between Moscow and Kyiv, most likely with U.S. oversight.
Until recently, Putin had said he considered Zelenskyy to be a illegitimate president and would not negotiate with him, though he has since softened that stance.
The report of the interview comes ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Zelenskyy during the Munich Security Conference.
Zelenskyy has voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Putin into ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
In an interview with British broadcaster ITV on February 7, Zelenskyy said talks between Ukraine and Russia are possible, but only if the West doesn't abandon Kyiv.
"If I had the understanding that America and Europe would not abandon us, and that they would support us and give us security guarantees, then I would be ready for any format of negotiations," Zelenskyy said.
In a separate part of the interview with the New York Post, Trump said he would "like a deal done with Iran" over its nuclear program to avoid an escalation of tensions with Tehran.
Trump refused to give any details on what any deal with Iran would look like.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 7 dismissed the prospect of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting that negotiations would not address Iran's problems.
Days earlier, Trump had talked of making a deal where Iranians could "get on" with their lives.
On February 4, Trump signed an order to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes.
- By RFE/RL
Iran Says Ready To Negotiate With U.S., But Not Under 'Maximum Pressure'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his country is ready to negotiate with Washington regarding its nuclear program and related sanctions, but he said talks couldn’t take place under President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” strategy.
"The lifting of sanctions requires negotiations, but not within the framework of a 'maximum pressure' policy, because it would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender," Araqchi said on social media.
"Iran does not want to negotiate with a country that is simultaneously imposing new sanctions," he said.
Trump on February 4 signed an order to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program.
He ordered the Treasury Department to impose the pressure through sanctions and enforcement mechanisms on individuals and entities that violate existing sanctions.
He also directed the Treasury and State Departments to implement a campaign aimed at "driving Iran's oil exports to zero."
As he signed the memo, Trump described it as very tough but also said he was open to a deal with Iran and expressed a willingness to talk to the Iranian leadership.
"With me, it's very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump added.
A landmark deal with world powers in 2015 restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement during his first term and reimposed sanctions in 2018, leading Tehran to accelerate its uranium enrichment and limit international inspections of its nuclear sites.
When he pulled out of the nuclear deal, Trump said Tehran was not living up to the spirit of the deal and was continuing attempts to develop nuclear weapons. He also accused Iran of supporting extremist violence in the region, which Tehran denied.
Araqchi said that “Iran has already made abundantly clear that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons."
He added it was “not difficult to reach practical assurances that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, provided that objective guarantees are also provided that hostile measures against Iran -- including economic pressures and sanctions -- will be effectively terminated.”
A day earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the prospect of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting that negotiations would not address Iran's problems days after Trump talked of making a deal where Iranians could "get on" with their lives.
"The reality that we must understand is that negotiating with America has no effect in resolving the country's problems," Khamenei said on February 7 in an annual address to Iranian Air Force officers.
The latest comments come as several thousand Iranians from across Europe rallied in Paris on February 8, urging world leaders to put more pressure on Iran’s ruling clerics.
"Instead of appeasing the mullahs, [the world] should stand side by side with the Iranian people," Maryam Radjavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told the rally.
The council is the political wing of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, which Tehran regards as a "terrorist" organization.
"The Iranian region will fall like the Syrian regime fell -- at a speed that no one would have predicted," Riad al-Asaad, a former Syrian rebel leader, told the gathering by a video link.
Tehran has been accused by international organizations, Western leaders, and activists of rights violations, most recently linked to massive street protests that erupted across Iran in 2022 following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Reuters, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
North Korea's Kim Vows Continued Support For Russia's Military Amid Heavy Losses
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on February 8 vowed to maintain his country's support for Russia in its war against Ukraine and threatened to bolster his nuclear forces to counter U.S. military cooperation with Japan and South Korea in the region.
"The army and people of [North Korea] will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian Army and people to defend their sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership between [North Korea] and Russia," Kim was quoted by state media as saying.
Western leaders and Ukrainian officials say North Korea has since last fall sent an estimated 11,000 troops to fight alongside of Kremlin troops, mainly in the Russian region of Kursk.
Their current status is uncertain, with some intelligence sources saying many of the troops have been rotated out of the front lines after suffering horrific losses in fighting against Ukrainian forces.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 8 said Russia's "cooperation with North Korea will continue to expand."
Zelenskyy has publicly accused Russia and North Korea of trying to cover up evidence of the deployments by issuing fake papers to North Korean soldiers identifying them as Russian citizens.
The Kremlin and Pyongyang have not commented directly on the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia or the reported high losses.
Kim, speaking at the Defense Ministry to mark the country’s Army Day, also threatened to build up his nuclear forces and use other "countermeasures" as he blasted the military cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
Pyongyang "does not want unnecessary tension of the regional situation but will take sustained countermeasures to ensure the regional military balance," Kim said.
Kim said U.S. involvement in the region -- including deployment of nuclear assets, war maneuvers, and ties to the Japanese and South Korean militaries -- would lead to a military imbalance in the region and endanger the security situation, state-run KCNA reported.
The report said Kim "clarified once again the unshakable policy of more highly developing the nuclear forces" after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on February 7 and expressed concerns about North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korean state media assailed South Korea's recent military activity with the United States and warned that any aggressive action would be met forcefully.
"Anyone could easily guess how we would take the fact that they carried out war exercises that were more intense than ever before at a time when diplomacy schedules were being canceled due to political turmoil," KCNA said.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Far-Right Rallies In Budapest As Orban Flexes Nationalist Muscle In Madrid
The streets of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, were tense but calm as thousands of people took part in an annual right-wing event linked to World War II while antifascist demonstrators protested nearby against the global rise of the far right.
The activity on February 8 came as nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban headlined a group of far-right leaders and firebrands at a gathering in Madrid labeled "Make Europe Great Again," praising U.S. President Donald Trump and declaring their movement to now be "mainstream."
It also came as Orban is scheduled to meet party leader Alice Weidel of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party -- which has scored gains in recent German elections -- in Budapest on February 11-12.
The street demonstrations appeared to proceed peacefully – unlike in some previous years when clashes broke out during the so-called Day of Honor events, traditionally set as February 11.
Far-right groups across Europe meet annually in the Hungarian capital to mark a failed attempt by Nazi and Hungarian troops in 1945 to break out of Buda Castle to escape a Soviet siege and reach nearby German lines.
Far-right supporters say the WWII soldiers were "protecting Western Europe against the threat of the Red Army," researcher Hunyadi Bulcsu of the Political Capital think tank told AFP.
But since the attempt was carried out "in the name of Nazi Germany," it cannot be "glorified" in any way, Bulcsu added.
AFP journalists estimated that 4,000 people participated in a "memorial hike" leading away from Buda Castle. Many of the marchers wore far-right markings and some wore Nazi uniforms.
AFP quoted Zsolt – a 33-year-old insurance broker -- as saying he wanted to honor "the heroes...the real Hungarians who defended the city" 80 years ago.
Police watched over the streets, using dogs, drones, and vehicles, as several antifascist demonstrators stood by.
"With the resurgence of fascism in Germany, not to mention Austria, and the whole world heading for a terrible fate," it was important to take to the streets, Julia Zsolnay, a retiree, told AFP
The Hungarian government had warned it would prevent a repeat of what happened in 2023, when clashes broke out between the far-right and leftist protesters.
Orban and his government have been criticized by the West for democratic backsliding and support for right-wing causes throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, Orban looked to press his far-right credentials at the rally in Madrid, sponsored by the nationalist Spanish Vox party and attended by some 2,000 supporters of the right-wing Patriots for Europe bloc in the European Parliament.
Also there were Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders of the Dutch PVV party, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
Many of the leaders praised the return of Trump to the U.S. presidency.
"Trump tornado has changed the world in just a few weeks...yesterday we were heretics, today we're mainstream," Orban told the gathering.
Orban's scheduled talks in Budapest on February 11-12 with AfD leader Weidel will likely be meeting of two politicians with similar outlooks.
The AfD, like Orban, seeks to rebuild Europe's relations with Moscow despite Russia's ongoing Ukraine war and has pushed strong anti-immigration policies.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Baltic States Cut Ties With Russia's Power Grid Ahead Of EU Switch
The three Baltic states disconnected their electricity systems from Russia's power grid on February 8, the region's operators said.
In doing so, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have severed their link to a Soviet-era electricity transmission grid that connects Russia, Belarus, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
The three EU members are due to join the synchronous grid of Continental Europe -- which includes most European countries, from Portugal in the west to Ukraine and Turkey in the east -- as part of a plan to integrate the countries more closely with the European Union and boost security.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will speak at a ceremony on February 9 to mark the switch to the EU system, her office said on February 7.
"We've reached the goal we for strived for, for so long. We are now in control," Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told a news conference.
Immediately after disconnecting, Latvian workers used a crane to reach the high-voltage wires in Vilaka, 100 meters from the Russian border, and cut them. They handed out chopped wire as keepsakes to cheering observers.
"We will never use it again. We are moving on," Latvian Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis said.
Plans for the Baltics to decouple from the IPS/UPS transmission grid had been debated for decades, but gained momentum following Moscow's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The grid was the final remaining link to Russia for the three countries, which reemerged as independent nations in the early 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.
Some 1.6 billion euros ($1.65 billion) have been invested in the project to synchronize the power systems of the Baltic countries and Poland.
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Russian Service
Pakistan's Opposition Takes To Streets On Anniversary Of Disputed Elections
SWABI, Pakistan -- Pakistani opposition parties, including the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, staged demonstrations on February 8 to mark the first anniversary of the country’s general elections, which triggered widespread allegations of vote-rigging.
The opposition parties are demanding that new elections be held in the country, which the current coalition government made up of Khan’s rivals -- the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) -- have rejected.
WATCH: Pakistani Opposition Rallies In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
Khan’s PTI and other opposition parties allege that the Pakistani military rigged the February 8, 2024, elections in favor of the ruling PML-N. The allegations have been denied by the PML-N, the military, and the Pakistani Election Commission.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has also rejected the request to void the election, which prompted the United States, Britain, and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.
Other parties participating in the February 8 demonstrations, included the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), PTI and Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi).
Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan ally and chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, repeated the allegations of widespread fraud in a video address to party workers ahead of the so-called “Black Day” demonstrations on February 8.
Caravans of demonstrators from across the province traveled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district, where thousands gathered to call for Khan’s release.
Ahead of the demonstrations, the federal government in Islamabad and provincial authorities in Balochistan and Punjab enacted measures to restrict public gatherings, citing security concerns.
Scores of PTI members and leaders over the past two years have been targeted for protesting the jailing of Khan and the military's alleged meddling in politics.
Khan last month was sentenced to 14 years in prison on fresh corruption charges in a case he denounced as politically motivated. His wife was also convicted and sentenced to seven years.
The 72-year-old former cricket superstar-turned-politician, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in jail since August 2023.
- By RFE/RL
Trudeau Among Mourners At Aga Khan Memorial Service In Lisbon
Mourners including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gathered in Lisbon on February 8 to commemorate the Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the world's Shi'ite Ismaili Muslims, who died in the Portuguese capital at the age of 88 earlier this week.
Mourners at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon included community leaders, Portuguese officials, and foreign dignitaries who arrived to pay their respects to the wealthy philanthropist known for juggling religious matters with his business interests.
Following the announcement of Aga Khan’s death on February 5, Trudeau noted that he had been a “dear” family friend and praised him as “a friend to all Canadians, and to everyone who dreams of a more peaceful world.”
Following the funeral service, the late leader of a multiethnic community scattered across several countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America is to be buried at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt on February 9.
The Ismaili Imamat announced on February 5 that his son, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, was named his successor as the hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims.
There are at least 2.5 million Ismailis in the world, with some estimates going as high as 15 million. The largest Ismaili community is in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region.
Born Prince Karim al-Husayn Shah in Geneva on December 13, 1936, the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather in 1957 as the 49th imam of the Ismailis at the age of 21.
He spearheaded international development projects that benefited both Ismailis and many others in some of the poorest regions of Asia and Africa under the auspices of his Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which invested in many fields, including education, health care, rural development, and microfinance, as well as in cultural initiatives.
The projects -- implemented in partnership with governments, organizations, and communities -- provided employment opportunities and economic self-reliance, as well as better education and health care for the very poor.
In media interviews and speeches, the Aga Khan said that one of the "continuing objectives" of his projects was trying to improve people's quality of life and to contribute to the elimination of poverty.
The Muslim leader, who endeavored to present moderate Islam and promote religious tolerance, said assisting the poor by providing them economic opportunities would help prevent extremism.
The Aga Khan said that in some of the poorest regions of the world, violence and terrorism "come from poverty" and that "changing the basics of the quality of life and [by] replacing despair with hope" would help stop the situation "from becoming explosive."
He often called on his followers and their leaders not to exclusively help Ismailis but anyone who is in need.
"He was an example for humanity for all around the world. He served all his life for the people, not only for the Ismaili Community, he was not only a symbol for the Ismaili Community," Shahnaz Hussaini, a 34-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, told the Associated Press after the announcement of his death on February 5.
The Aga Khan had seen his Ismaili community and many of his philanthropic projects and properties face difficult challenges in volatile regions around the world.
Most recently, the Tajik government appropriated several major AKDN properties -- including a hotel, a private school, and a city park -- in the restive Gorno-Badakhshan region.
The Aga Khan inherited a vast fortune, and his net worth had been estimated at between $800 million and several billion dollars.
In 2009, Forbes put the Aga Khan among the 15 richest royals in the world. He was known for a jet-setting lifestyle and was the owner of opulent residences, a multimillion-dollar yacht, and aircraft, though he denied he led a "lavish" lifestyle.
He is survived by one daughter, three sons, and several grandchildren.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
- By RFE/RL
Iran's Supreme Leader Hosts Hamas Officials In Tehran As Israeli Hostages Released
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with acting Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya and two other leaders of the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group in Tehran on February 8, Iranian state media reported.
The reports quoted Khamenei as saying the people of Gaza had defeated Israel and the United States in the recent conflict and photos were posted of Khamenei meeting Hayya, Muhammad Darwish, the head of Hamas's leadership council, and senior Hamas official Nizar Awadallah.
Iran supports Hamas in its war with Israel and views the Palestinian group as a key ally in its broader strategy to oppose Israeli and Western influence in the Middle East.
The West accuses Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region through the use of proxies, such as Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, also listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and other countries.
The meeting came on the same day that Hamas freed three more Israeli hostages taken in an October 2023 attack on Israel.
Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben-Ami, 56, and Or Levi, 34, were first handed over to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military. The hostages had been in captivity for 491 days.
Before they were handed over to the Red Cross, the hostages -- looking pale and exhausted -- were paraded on a stage before a crowd in Gaza by Hamas members, a move that Israel condemned.
"The shocking images we saw today will not pass without response," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
The hospital treating the released hostages said Levy and Sharabi were in a "poor medical condition" and that Ben-Ami was in a "severe nutritional state."
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group called the images "disturbing" and show that "we must get them all out."
"Our hearts tremble and our minds struggle to comprehend the sight of Or, who has returned to us in such a devastating state. His face bears witness to the hell he endured during 491 days in the hands of Hamas monsters," a statement by the Levy family stated.
With the latest returns, 73 out of the 251 hostages taken during the October 2023 attack still remain in Gaza. The Israeli military has said 34 of those taken are now dead.
In exchange for the released hostages, Israel is set to free 183 Palestinian prisoners, 18 of whom were sentenced to life in prison.
Israeli authorities on February 8 began the process of this prisoner release, freeing dozens of Palestinians from incarceration.
The truce and the hostage release, agreed on January 15 after months of negotiations, is the first step in a multistage process aimed at ending the 15-month conflict in Gaza.
The conflict broke out when Iran-backed Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.
Israel retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed over 46,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Trump Order Cuts Aid For South Africa Over Land Law, Genocide Case Against Israel
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, the White House said on February 7.
The order cited a law that took effect last year on land expropriation, the country’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, and its move to reinvigorate relations with Iran.
“The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,” Trump's order said.
The order said South Africa’s new law seizes the agricultural property of ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensating them. Afrikaners are mostly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers.
The order also said the United States will promote the “resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”
The United States allocated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, the most recent U.S. government data shows.
Trump has complained about South Africa's land policy, saying that "South Africa is confiscating land" and "certain classes of people" are being treated "very badly." In addition, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump has named as his "efficiency czar," has accused South Africa of having "openly racist ownership laws" and suggested white people were the victims.
The question of land ownership is politically charged in South Africa due to the dispossession of land from blacks during colonialism and apartheid. White landowners still own three-quarters of South Africa's freehold farmland. This contrasts with 4 percent owned by black people, who make up 80 percent of the population, according to the 2017 land audit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa defended South Africa's land policy last week, saying the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at ensuring equitable public access to land.
"The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution," Ramaphosa said on X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on February 5 that he will not attend a Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting later this month in South Africa.
Washington has also complained about the case brought by South Africa at the ICJ against Israel, accusing the close U.S. ally of genocide over its military assault on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Israel says it has acted in self-defense following the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
The order didn't elaborate on South Africa's ties to Iran except to say that they were reinvigorated to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskyy Hints At 'Intensive' Talks With Trump, Accuses Putin Of Rebuilding Forces To Continue War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not confirmed that he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week but said the coming weeks may be "very intensive in diplomacy."
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Trump said on February 7 that he is likely to meet with Zelenskyy next week. The site of the meeting "could be Washington," he said, adding that he would not be going to Kyiv.
He also said he would "probably" be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon but did not give a time frame. Zelenskyy said it is important that he and Trump meet in person before the U.S. president meets with Putin.
Zelenskyy did not confirm a meeting with Trump but said diplomacy would be ramping up.
"The coming weeks may be very intensive in diplomacy, and we will do what’s needed to make this time effective and productive. We always appreciate working with President Trump," he said shortly after Trump spoke.
"We're also planning meetings and talks at the teams’ level. Right now Ukrainian and American teams are working out the details. A solid, lasting peace shall become closer."
Zelenskyy on February 8 accused Putin of rebuilding Russia's military capabilities in order to continue the war against Ukraine.
"Intelligence reports confirm that Russia is forming new divisions and developing new military production facilities," Zelenskyy said on X without being specific.
“This means one simple thing -- Putin is preparing not for negotiations, not for peace, but for the continuation of the war -- and not only against Ukraine.
"They are now increasing their army by more than a hundred thousand soldiers,” Zelenskyy wrote, also citing a continued influx of North Korean soldiers.
In his comments earlier at the White House, Trump reiterated that he is interested in tying continued military aid to access to Ukraine's raw materials.
"One of the things we're looking at with President Zelenskyy is having the security of their assets. They have assets underground, rare earth and other things, but primarily rare earth," he said.
"We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things,” Trump said on February 3.
He said on February 7 that the United States wants "an equal amount of something" in exchange for U.S. support. “We would like them to equalize," Trump said.
More than four dozen minerals, including several types of rare earths, nickel, and lithium, are considered critical to the U.S. economy and national defense. Ukraine has large deposits of uranium, lithium, and titanium.
Ukraine floated the idea of opening its critical minerals to investment by allies last year when it presented its plan to end the war and now suggests it could be open to a deal.
"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal. We are only for it," Zelenskyy said on February 7, emphasizing Ukraine's need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement of the war.
"Strong security always has many elements, and each one matters," he said on X. "Ukraine possesses some of the largest strategic resource reserves in Europe, and protecting Ukraine also means protecting these resources."
Less than 20 percent of Ukraine's mineral resources, including about half its rare earth deposits, are under Russian occupation, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters published on February 7. Moscow could open those resources to North Korea and Iran if it maintains its hold on the territories.
"We need to stop Putin and protect what we have -- a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine," he told Reuters.
Zelenskyy is likely to further discuss the idea with allies next week at the Munich Security Conference.
Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said this week he plans to attend the conference, but denied a report that he will present Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine at the gathering, which starts on February 14.
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, said he had spoken to Kellogg about the battlefield situation, the safety of Ukrainian civilians, and meetings at the annual security conference. He also said Ukraine is looking forward to Kellogg’s visit later this month.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa
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