Future Russia - Switzerland’s Post

After Trading Prisoners with Russia: Can the World Negotiate with Putin? Thursday, August 8, 2024 By: Donald N. Jensen, Ph.D.; Iuliia Osmolovska Last week’s prisoner exchange with Russia — the largest since the Cold War, with 24 captives exchanged among seven countries — sparked hopes internationally that, just maybe, similarly determined diplomacy might help thaw the frigid relations between Russia and the West and open space for a negotiated end to Russia’s aggressions abroad. Unfortunately, the prisoner deal’s underlying message is that Vladimir Putin’s regime uses negotiations only when it sees the outcome, as it did last week, as a victory at the expense of its perceived enemies. The deal illustrates the narrowness of opportunity for any negotiated solution to settle the sides’ differences.

[S. Korea ‘strongly’ protests Japan’s claim over Dokdo in diplomatic bluebook] South Korea's Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest Tuesday against Japan's renewed assertion of its unjust sovereignty claim over Dokdo, the easternmost sovereign islets of South Korea, in its annual report on diplomatic policy. A Japanese diplomat was also summoned by the Foreign Ministry less than two hours after the ministry's spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, issued a formal denunciation. "The government strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated inclusion of unjust sovereignty claims over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of our territory historically, geographically and under international law, in its Diplomatic Bluebook released on April 16," read a commentary issued under the name of Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson. "The government urges the Japanese government to immediately withdraw such claims." The Diplomatic Bluebook is an annual publication by Japan's Foreign Ministry, outlining Japan's foreign policy objectives and activities. "The government once again makes it clear that any claim by the Japanese government regarding Dokdo, the inherent territory of the Republic of Korea, cannot in any way affect our sovereignty," the commentary read, referring to South Korea by its official name. "We clearly affirm that we will continue to respond firmly in the future." South Korea's Foreign Ministry also summoned Taisuke Mibae, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, on Tuesday morning. Mibae, who was called in by Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at the Foreign Ministry, did not respond to requests for comments at the building of the Foreign Ministry. Tap below to read full story. #Dokdo #독도 #Korea #SouthKorea #territory #geography #WWII #statement #diplomacy #claim #history #international #protest #EastSea https://lnkd.in/g_FCTSpd

New Switzerland: Russia and the USA both trust Turkey Ankara’s mediation in the prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington shows that both powers trust Turkey. The August 1 swap was the largest since the Cold War. It saw eight Russian nationals previously held captive in the West return home, in exchange for 16 individuals, including two convicted American spies. Washington has called the exchange “a feat of diplomacy” and thanked the Turkish government for making it possible. President Vladimir Putin personally greeted the plane with the returning Russians at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport. Historically known for its steadfast neutrality, Switzerland has seen a significant erosion of trust as a neutral mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This shift is primarily due to its government's alignment with sanctions against Russia, which has compromised its traditional stance of impartiality. The repercussions for Switzerland are severe, as this perceived partiality undermines its reputation as a reliable intermediary in global conflicts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia, defying the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Despite international pressure to detain him, Mongolia welcomed Putin due to its dependence on Russia for energy, balancing its legal obligations with its diplomatic ties to Russia. Read Full Article Here: https://lnkd.in/djGg__ju #breakingnews #updates #latestnews #diplomat #internationalcourt #worldcourt #russia #mongolia #ukraine #internationalcriminalcourt #dailyupdates

While many have welcomed this — long overdue — development, it is clear that Russia’s agreement to strike a rare deal with the US and several other Western countries will not move the needle on diplomacy and keep the Russia-West relations at their lowest point in decades. I spoke with GZERO Media’s John Haltiwanger today about whether the prisoner swap is a sign of Moscow’s willingness to engage in broader diplomatic efforts with the West… Alas. “Even though some will interpret the latest move as a signal of potential Russian openness to hold constructive negotiations on Ukraine, it is too soon to jump to those conclusions.” We are, after all, talking about the Putin regime, and compromising against its national interests “on good faith” is not characteristic for the Russian state. In case while reading the headlines, you’re inspired to book that ticket to Moscow or St. Petersburg—please hold off. Russia will continue to be a very unsafe place for many Westerners. The threat posed by the Kremlin will unfortunately persist even after this very positive development. More 👇 #Gershkovich #Whelan #prisonerswap #Russia #Putin #breakingnews

[ARTICLE] Hiroyuki Akita, "Is the China-Russia friendship facade set to crumble?": "In their highly publicized meeting on Feb. 4, 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a display of unity and camaraderie, declaring that the friendship between the two countries has "no limits." Despite these outward demonstrations of solidarity, genuine trust remains elusive between China and Russia, whose shared history is marred by border conflicts stemming from ideological and territorial disputes. The tensions culminated in armed clashes in 1969. Yet this facade of friendship persists due to their shared goal of disrupting the U.S.-led global order." Read the entire article on the WPC website, originally published by Nikkei Asia ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRjVvVj9

Here is a summary of the key points in the video: * Ukraine has been in a frozen conflict with Russia since 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea. * Ukraine has tried to speak with Russia, but Russia has lied and not shown any willingness to engage in meaningful diplomacy. * In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine again, and this time the war was not just a conflict between two armies, but a campaign of terrorism against the Ukrainian people. * Russia has killed thousands of civilians, including women and children, and committed horrible atrocities. * Russia must leave Ukraine's territory before any diplomacy can begin. * There is no alternative to Ukrainian victory. The alternative is to allow Russia to continue its aggression, which would threaten the keamanan of Europe, the unity of NATO, and the very existence of democracy. * The author believes that the world is united in its support for Ukraine and democracy, and he trusts his people and his warriors to achieve victory. I agree with the author's main points. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law and a threat to the global order. The free world must stand united in its support for Ukraine and help it to defeat Russia's aggression. Only then can peace and diplomacy be restored.

This episode of “Ukraine Through the Eyes of Others” features Hugues Mingarelli, former EU #ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019. In this interview, Hugues discusses his role in signing the Association Agreement in 2014, the prospects of #Ukraine joining the EU, the current political landscape in Europe, and the role of Russian disinformation and propaganda in the #EU. The conversation focuses on integration, international diplomacy, European perspectives on Ukraine, and the impact of significant international organisations during the #war.

The US has stood with Ukraine for a decade now against Russian aggression. It is crucial to the future of Ukraine that this relationship continue well past the war. Read more about Ukrainian diplomacy on our substack https://lnkd.in/gEAG3zDx #standwithukraine #ukraine

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