Russia to support Palestinian bid for Security Council mandate for statehood - http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Russia-to-support-Palestinian-bid-for-Security-Council-mandate-for-statehood-378653
Russia announced on Sunday that it intends to support the Palestinian Authority's draft resolution to the UN Security Council mandating an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, according to Russian news media.
"I cannot see any reasons to cavil about this text, or about Palestinian people's wish to say once again 'let's have a look at this situation, in the UN framework'," Moscow's deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, told RIA Novosti. "So we say [to Palestinians], if you find one option or another suitable, then we will support you as friends. You know better what you need and how to achieve it. We think that the Palestinian case is fair, meaning that people have a right to self-determination, up to establishing their state."
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas vowed last month to join the International Criminal Court at The Hague in the event that his efforts at the UN Security Council to set a timetable forcing the withdrawal of Israel to the pre-1967 lines should fail.
The Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency quoted Abbas as telling reporters in Ramallah: "We started work on the resolution to get a state on the '67 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital which we will submit to the Security Council."
He said under the plan, "the occupation would be ended in two or three years."
Abbas said he would submit the plan, mandating an Israeli withdrawal within a defined time frame, in two to three weeks to the UN Security Council. Should the US choose to veto the resolution, Abbas said he would then go the ICC route, which could potentially lead to a war crimes probe against Israel, and even against the Palestinians themselves.
Vladimir Putin issues new 'large nuclear power' warning to West - Tom Parfitt - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/11167192/Vladimir-Putin-issues-new-large-nuclear-power-warning-to-West.html
Russia's president says "attempts to blackmail Russia" are "imprudent" and claims neo-Nazism on the rise in Baltics in comments ahead of Italy summit
Vladimir Putin has warned Western states that attempts to "blackmail" Russia using sanctions could strike "discord between large nuclear powers" as he prepares to meet European leaders in Italy.
The Russian president told a Serbian newspaper that the "economic health of Europe and the world" could be "seriously undermined" because of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
"Our partners should be well aware that attempts to put pressure on Russia with unilateral and illegitimate restrictive measures will not bring about a settlement, but rather impede the dialogue," Mr Putin said in an interview with Respublika.
"How can we talk about de-escalation in Ukraine while the decisions on new sanctions are introduced almost simultaneously with the agreements on the peace process? If the main goal is to isolate our country, it's an absurd and illusory goal."
The Russian leader added: "We are hoping that our partners will understand the imprudence of attempts to blackmail Russia, [and] remember what discord between large nuclear powers can do to strategic stability."
It is the second time that the Kremlin chief has alluded to Russia's nuclear might in the last two months. At the end of August he told a group of Russian youngsters that it was "best not mess with us", adding: "Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers."
Mr Putin travels to Serbia on Thursday on his way to the Europe-Asia summit in Milan, where he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Petro Poroshenko, the president of Ukraine, and Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor.
In Belgrade he will join a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the city's liberation from Nazi occupation.
Serbia is a traditional ally of Russia and remains close despite its aspirations to join the EU. Mr Putin is guest of honour at the parade - the first of its kind for almost 30 years in the Serbian capital - and is promised an effusive welcome.
In his interview, Mr Putin praised the heroism of Soviet soldiers and Yugoslav partisans who drove the Nazis out of Belgrade during World War II.
Moscow calls the Ukrainian government that took over after the flight of Vladimir Yanukovych, its Russian-leaning president, in February a "fascist junta" and the Russian president used similar language in his speech.
"Regrettably, in some European countries the Nazi virus 'vaccine' created at the Nuremberg Tribunal is losing its effect," he said. "This is clearly demonstrated by open manifestations of neo-Nazism that have already become commonplace in Latvia and other Baltic states."
Nationalists in Ukraine were also a threat, he said.
Also on Thursday, Sergei Ivanov, Mr Putin's chief of staff, admitted in a newspaper interview that US and EU sanctions had done "a certain amount of damage" to Russia but said they had had "a psychologically positive effect on public opinion".
"Many representatives of liberal society have said to me: 'Listen, now we finally understand that however much we aspire to be Europeans, whatever we do, they will still attack us. And attack us unfairly."
Mr Ivanov said that 99.9 per cent of Russians were not bothered by a Kremlin import ban imposed on US and European foodstuffs, introduced in response to Western sanctions.
The remaining 0.1 per cent could "calmly board a plane to Tallinn or Helsinki, it's not even necessary to fly to Zurich or Paris, to buy up lots of cured ham and parmesan," he said.
David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is due to attend the Europe-Asia summit, which is being held on Thursday and Friday in Milan and is expected to focus on the Ukraine crisis and economic issues.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY PROPHECY WEBSITES...............................
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.