US President faces criticism for conceding Putin’s “election meddling” remark
In a major development in the international political arena President of US Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have committed for improving relations between the two major countries, with Putin saying there was no longer any reason for tensions between their countries.
However, media in both the countries indicate that Trump has lost the battle against Russia while US political circle call it a bad performance by their president in Helsinki.
The two leaders met in the Finnish capital Helsinki on Monday to talk about “everything from trade to military to missiles to China”.
“There are no objective reasons for difficulties [between Russia and the US]. The Cold War is a thing of the past, the situation in the world has drastically changed,” said Putin.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump blamed his country’s past “foolishness and stupidity” for the two powers’ hostile relations.
At a press conference following the summit, Trump praised their “direct, open and deeply productive dialogue” and emphasised the need for continued diplomacy over confrontation. “A productive dialogue is not only good for the United States and good for Russia, but it is good for the world,” he said.
“Our relationship has never been worse than it is now, however that changed as of about four hours ago… To refuse to engage would not accomplish anything.”
Putin said the two countries would need to work together to cope with challenges such as terrorism, international crime, the economy and the environment, while pointing to counterterrorism and cyber security as areas in which they are already doing so.
“As major nuclear powers, we bear special responsibility for maintaining international security,” he said.
Putin said the US and Russia could collaborate to “establish peace and reconciliation” in Syria, with Trump adding by working together to end the conflict, the US and Russia could “save hundreds of thousands of lives”.
The two leaders also committed to securing Israel’s border with Syria in accordance with the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria.
However, quick scanning of Russian and American media indicates that Trump has won while US has lost during the Helsinki summit. Russian media has been appreciative of Putin’s moves while US media and political leaders have started criticizing Trump of being “caved” under Putin’s prowess.
The Moscow Times published its lead story “Trump says ‘No reason to believe’ Russia hacked US election” with a hand-shake picture depicting Putin scaring into Trump’s eyes, give lots of score in favour of Putin.
The story intro say, “US President Donald Trump said on Monday he saw no reason to believe Russia had hacked the 2016 US presidential election to help him win, and Vladimir Putin “was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”
Moscow Times further reports, “At a rambling news conference after a one-on-one meeting with the Russian president, Trump said not a single critical word about Russia on any of the issues that have brought relations between the Washington and Moscow to a post-Cold War low.”
The Russian daily said, “Asked if he trusted U.S. intelligence agencies which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, he said he had been told by his CIA chief that it was Russia, but that he saw no reason to believe it.”
However, one of the several tweets Donald Trump posted during transatlantic flight taking him to Washington, his words seemed changed:
As I said today and many times before, “I have GREAT confidence in MY intelligence people.” However, I also recognize that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past – as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along! #HELSINKI2018
Russian official TASS news agency report says, “Russian President Vladimir Putin has called his summit talks with US President Donald Trump the first move towards “clearing the backlog” of problems in relations between the two countries.
It quoted Putin saying, “Of course, numerous problems persist, and we have failed to clear the backlog in full, it was impossible to do this, but I believe we have made the first important step in that direction.”
Putin said, “The talks with President of the United States Mr. Donald Trump were held in a frank, business-like atmosphere,” he said. “I view them as successful and useful.”
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On the other hand CNN reports that after President Donald Trump’s stunning news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, members of Congress including some powerful Republicans were quick to rebuke Trump’s performance on the world stage and Trump’s refusal to call Putin out for interfering in the US election.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, contradicted several comments Trump made during his Helsinki news conference, most notably backing the US intelligence community assessment that Russia meddled with the US 2016 presidential election.
Ryan said, “There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world. That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence.”
He continued, “The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke briefly with reporters Monday, giving his support to the US intelligence community.
Former Vice President John McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona, who has consistently criticized the President, said Trump’s comments were “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said the President “made us look like a pushover” and that Putin was probably eating caviar on the plane home.
“I was very disappointed and saddened with the equivalency that he gave between them (the US intelligence agencies) and what Putin was saying,” said Corker.
Several Republicans in both the houses, even some typically seen as allies of the President, said, in the hours following the Helsinki press conference, that they were concerned over what they heard on Monday.
Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican, Senator Susan Collins, Maine Republican and many more spoke against Trump’s performance during the summit.
“I am confident former CIA Director and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, DNI Dan Coats, Ambassador Nikki Haley, FBI Director Chris Wray, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others will be able to communicate to the President it is possible to conclude Russia interfered with our election in 2016 without delegitimizing his electoral success,” Gowdy said in a statement.
Meanwhile, New York Times report said,“For nearly two years, Republicans have watched uncomfortably, and often in silence, as President Trump has swatted away accusations that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential race, attacked his own intelligence agencies and flattered President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.”
Stephen Collinson, a CNN analyst writes, “For as long as history remembers Donald Trump, it will be a day that will live in infamy.” He further said, “The President’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday is already one of the most notorious moments in the tortured relations between Washington and Moscow.”
At one point, Collinson writes, “It was his hubris and desire to be unchained from his staff that led him to meet Putin alone for nearly two hours in Helsinki — fueling rumours that he is under the Russian leader’s spell.”
A January 2017 assessment bby theoffice of the Director of National Intelligence (CDN) stated that Russian leadership favored presidential candidate Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, and that Russian president Vladimir Putin personally ordered an “influence campaign” to harm Clinton’s electoral chances and “undermine public faith in the US democratic process”.
Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.
Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks
Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.
“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.
Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.
The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.
Iran’s message at the UN
Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.
Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.
The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.
Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself
Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.
His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.
PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney
Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.
The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.
Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.
India-Canada trade talks
India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.
In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.
During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.
Modi’s proposed Canada visit
Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.
The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.
The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.
Trump issues fresh Iran warning at UN General Assembly, signals deal after midterms
US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran during his UN General Assembly address, saying he faces a choice between a deal and further escalation.
US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to outline what he described as a major decision over Iran, putting the possibility of a deal against further military escalation.
Speaking at the UN in New York, Trump said he had a “big decision” to make. He questioned whether the United States should pursue an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild or instead take further action against the Islamic Republic.
Trump later indicated that he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3.
Trump says deal with Iran remains possible
During his speech, Trump presented two possible paths. He said a deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become a stronger country, while also raising the possibility of destroying the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached.
Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, arguing that Iran was waiting to see the outcome of the US midterm elections.
His comments came amid the continuing US-Iran conflict and renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the confrontation. Trump’s UN appearance came as Washington was also engaged in discussions with multiple international leaders over the Iran conflict and other global issues.
Iranian delegation walks out during Trump’s speech
The Iranian delegation reportedly left the General Assembly chamber as Trump began describing the military confrontation with Iran.
According to the report, only one person from the Iranian delegation remained seated as Trump spoke about the conflict and the military strikes of the past six months.
The walkout came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high, with both sides facing pressure over the continuation of the conflict.
Trump’s latest warning follows earlier comments
Trump’s UN remarks came days after he said he was approaching a major decision over whether to intensify military action against Iran or pursue another route.
He had also indicated before his UN appearance that he could be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York.
The possibility of renewed negotiations comes against the backdrop of continuing military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
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