BEIJING: Russia&#39;s foreign minister said that his country could make up for China&#39;s energy shortages as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is choked by the US-Israeli war with Iran, Russian state media reported Wednesday. &quot;Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen&quot; for China and &quot;other countries that are interested in working with us&quot; Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Beijing, in response to a question about the Hormuz blockage. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in the first half of the year, Moscow&#39;s TASS state news agency reported. Russia and China&#39;s close economic and political partnership has deepened since Moscow&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov, who began a two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday and met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, characterised the bilateral relationship as &quot;unshakable in the face of any storms&quot;, Russia&#39;s TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies reported. Ties between the countries &quot;play a stabilising role in world affairs&quot; and are &quot;becoming increasingly important... for the global majority that does not want problems or turbulence&quot;, he said. Lavrov&#39;s visit comes during the same week as a string of foreign leaders meet with Xi in the Chinese capital, including To Lam of Vietnam and Pedro Sanchez of Spain.

China

Asia

Sergei Lavrov says Russia can offset China’s energy shortfall amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow and Beijing deepen strategic ties.

Russia can 'compensate' for China's resource gap from Iran war

BEIJING: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit China this week, Beijing said on Monday, as the two sides hope to boost cooperation. &quot;Russia&#39;s foreign minister Lavrov will pay an official visit to China from April 14 to 15,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference. Lavrov will hold talks with China&#39;s top diplomat Wang Yi in which the two will &quot;exchange views and coordinate positions on the development of bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common concern&quot;, Guo said. The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that the pair would discuss the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. Beijing and Moscow are close economic and political partners, and the relationship has deepened further since Russia&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Wang held a call with Lavrov on April 5, when the pair agreed Beijing and Moscow would work together to deescalate tensions in the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit China on April 14-15 for talks with Wang Yi on bilateral ties, Ukraine and the Middle East, as Beijing and Moscow seek closer coordination.

Russian FM to visit China April 14-15: Beijing

MOSCOW: Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is in the United States for talks on the economy, Russia said Friday, stressing that he would not be holding discussions on the Ukraine war. &quot;Kirill Dmitriev is not conducting negotiations on a settlement of the Ukrainian issue. This does not constitute a resumption of negotiations,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP. &quot;Kirill Dmitriev heads the economic affairs group and he continues his work within the framework of this group.&quot; Dmitriev, who heads a Russian state investment fund, has been one of Moscow&#39;s main conduits for talks with Washington since Donald Trump returned to the White House last year and has travelled to the US several times, including last month. He is pushing for the US to relax sanctions and boost business ties with Russia, though has made little progress. Talks on the Ukraine war have been stalled for weeks, with Moscow sticking to hard-line territorial and political demands that Ukraine has ruled out. Trump has flipped between putting pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict, which he claimed he would resolve within hours of returning to office.

Americas

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is in Washington for economic talks, Russia said, stressing he is not discussing Ukraine, as broader negotiations remain stalled and Moscow continues pressing for sanctions relief.

Russian envoy in US for economy talks: Kremlin

MOSCOW: Russia on Monday ordered a diplomat at the British embassy in Moscow to leave the country over allegations he was working as a spy, Russia&#39;s FSB security service reported. Moscow and London have expelled multiple embassy staff over the last decade, both trading accusations of espionage. Expulsions from one side have typically been followed by a tit-for-tat response from the other. The diplomat, whom the FSB named as 29-year-old embassy secretary Albertus Gerhardus Janse Van Rensburg, was expelled for engaging in &quot;subversive intelligence activities that threaten Russia&#39;s security&quot;, the FSB said. &quot;A decision was made to strip Janse Van Rensburg of his accreditation, and he was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks,&quot; it added. The Russian foreign ministry said it had summoned Britain&#39;s charge d&#39;affaires over the incident and warned the United Kingdom not to retaliate. Relations between London and Moscow, currently at a low point over the Ukraine war, have been strained by spying allegations for decades. In 2006, former FSB officer and Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko was killed in London, poisoned by polonium in what British investigators said was a hit by the Russian secret service. In 2018, the UK said Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in the British cathedral city of Salisbury. One member of the public was killed after handling the delivery device, a discarded perfume bottle, triggering the largest Western expulsion of Russian diplomats alleged to be spies in decades. The UK has, however, refuted Russia&#39;s claim. UK calls Russia claims of spying &#39;complete nonsense&#39;Britain on Monday accused Russia of an &quot;aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment&quot; after a British diplomat was expelled from Moscow over allegations he was working as a spy. &quot;The accusations made today by Russia against our diplomats are complete nonsense,&quot; a foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding Russia was &quot;pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work&quot;.

Europe

Russia ordered a British embassy diplomat to leave within two weeks, accusing him of espionage. The move deepens already fraught UK-Russia ties, marked by years of mutual expulsions, spying allegations and tensions heightened further by the war in Ukraine.

Russia expels UK diplomat on spying allegations

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Russia&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry has estimated that Afghanistan hosts between 20,000 and 23,000 fighters from various international terrorist groups, raising concerns over regional security, according to Afghan media.&nbsp;Ariana News, quoting Russia&#39;s foreign ministry, reported that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000-7,000 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-warns-ttp-emerging-as-significant-regional-threat-from-afghan-soil" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)</a>, and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda. Smaller groups reportedly include the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU/Turkestan Islamic Party), and Jamaat Ansarullah.&nbsp;The assessment noted that Daesh remains hostile toward Afghan authorities but lacks the ability to seize territory, focusing instead on undermining public confidence.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025934201611252211&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0f788f5019564c51946ce9062ca401b85a0de722&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban-led Interim Afghan government, rejected the report.&nbsp;Speaking to TOLO News, he claimed Afghanistan is under a unified authority, and no foreign terrorist groups operate freely within its borders.&nbsp;Mujahid dismissed Russia&rsquo;s report as politically motivated, drawing parallels with similar allegations made during the US occupation.&nbsp; &ldquo;Afghanistan is secure, and these reports do not reflect ground realities,&rdquo; he said, urging Russia to base its assessments on objective facts.

Afghanistan

Its foreign ministry says that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000 to 7,000 from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda.

Russia estimates up to 23,000 terrorists present in Afghanistan 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, on Tuesday met Russia&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert P. Khorev, to discuss security threats posed by armed groups based in Afghanistan.&nbsp;In a post on X, Sadiq said the two sides reviewed matters of mutual interest, including regional security dynamics and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-clerics-forbid-use-of-soil-for-crossborder-terrorism" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">cross-border terrorism</a>. He noted that coordinated diplomatic efforts were also discussed to address shared security concerns stemming from militant activity in Afghanistan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 744px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023654317803393210&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=c4aff7d45fa999c492b8c3fc05352fa678a38b55&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The meeting comes amid a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-warns-ttp-emerging-as-significant-regional-threat-from-afghan-soil" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">rise in terrorism in Pakistan</a>. Islamabad has repeatedly alleged that groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operate from Afghan territory &mdash; an allegation the Afghan Taliban authorities have denied.&nbsp;International organizations have similarly warned about the presence of various extremist and militant outfits in Afghanistan, cautioning that their activities could threaten regional stability.&nbsp;Earlier, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) said numerous international militant groups remain active in Afghanistan, raising the risk of security challenges spreading to neighboring states, including Russia and Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq meets Russian Ambassador Albert P. Khorev in Islamabad on Feb. 17, 2026, to discuss regional security, cross-border terrorism and threats from groups based in Afghanistan. (Photo: X/@Ambassa

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan says coordinated diplomatic efforts were also discussed to address shared security concerns stemming from militant activity in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, Russia discuss security threats from Afghanistan-based groups

GENEVA: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet Tuesday in Geneva for fresh US-brokered talks seeking to end the four-year war, hours after both sides launched a fresh wave of long-range strikes. US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker of the conflict unleashed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have yielded no breakthroughs. Before the meetings began Ukraine accused Russia of undermining peace efforts by launching 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that authorities said killed one, wounded others and cut power to tens of thousands. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. He repeated Ukraine&#39;s call for allies to exert greater pressure on Russia to negotiate in good faith by applying more sanctions on Moscow. The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Ukraine better come to the table, fast,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his team had already arrived in Geneva on Monday, while a source with the Russian delegation confirmed Tuesday that their team had touched down in the Swiss city in the early hours. Russia meanwhile claimed to have repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones mainly over southern regions and Crimean peninsula, occupied by the Kremlin in 2014. Officials said an oil depot in southern Russia caught fire. &nbsp;Sticking points&nbsp; The war has spiralled into Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes in Ukraine and much of the eastern and southern part of the country scarred by war. Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine -- including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 -- and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken prior to the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swathes of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected this deeply unpopular demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the west before agreeing to any proposals with Russia. Russia&#39;s better-resourced army has been making steady gains across the sprawling front line in the eastern and southern Ukraine in recent months. But Ukrainian forces have recently made significant battlefield gains, recapturing 201 square kilometres (78 square miles) last week, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The counterattacks likely leveraged Russian forces&#39; lack of access to Starlink, which has disrupted communications, the ISW said. The territorial gain is concentrated mainly around 80 kilometres east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, a region that Moscow claims is part of Russia, and where its troops have made significant progress since last summer. The centrally located region hosts Europe&#39;s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia currently controls -- another sticking point in negotiations. For the talks in Geneva, the Kremlin has reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator. &quot;This time, we plan to discuss a broader set of issues, focusing on key ones related to the territories and other demands,&quot; a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin told reporters, including AFP, explaining the personnel change. Kyiv&#39;s team will be led by national security chief Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to dispatch Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Negotiating teams from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to bring an end to the four-year long war between their countries.

Moscow, Kyiv meet for US-brokered talks after fresh attacks

KYIV: Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia was undermining peace efforts by launching dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones ahead of talks in Geneva aimed at ending Russia&#39;s four-year invasion. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that local officials said targeted critical infrastructure.

The Ukranian FM has lamented Russia's attack ahead of peace talks

Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with overnight attack before talks: Ukraine FM

Rubio, on a brief visit to Slovakia, said Navalny's death was "very serious" and the US decision not to join the report "doesn't mean we disagree with the outcome".

US 'not disputing' European report on Navalny poisoning: Rubio

MUNICH: EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas pushed back Sunday against &quot;bashing&quot; of Europe by the United States, saying Russia must be forced to make concessions in talks to end the war in Ukraine. &quot;Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/chinese-fm-wants-to-work-with-canadian-counterpart-to-eliminate-interference" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Europe</a> is not facing civilizational erasure,&quot; Kallas said on the last day of the Munich Security Conference. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-and-europe-belong-together-rubio" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">US Secretary of State Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;on Saturday reassured allies by saying Washington and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/european-debate-over-nuclear-weapons-gains-pace-at-munich-security-conference" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Europe</a> &quot;belong together&quot; -- but insisted the continent must defend against mass migration to protect its &quot;civilization&quot;. &quot;The message that we heard is that America and Europe are intertwined, have been in the past and will be in the future. I think this is important,&quot; Kallas said. &quot;It is also clear that we don&#39;t see eye to eye in all the issues, and this will remain the case,&quot; she said. The gathering in Munich has seen European officials insist that the continent must take the lead in its defense in the face of an aggressive Russia and doubts about the reliability of the United States, as President Donald Trump upends ties. &lsquo;Need to reclaim European agency&rsquo;&quot;There is an urgent need to reclaim European agency,&quot; Kallas said. She said European defense &quot;starts in Ukraine&quot; and depends on how Russia&#39;s war ends as the United States pushes efforts to stop the fighting. &quot;Let&#39;s be clear-eyed about Russia. Russia is no superpower,&quot; Kallas said, insisting the country was &quot;broken.&quot; &quot;The greatest threat Russia presents right now is that it gains more at the negotiation table than it has achieved on the battlefield.&quot; Size of Russia&rsquo;s military&nbsp;The EU top diplomat called for the size of Russia&#39;s military to be capped, said Moscow must pay for damages caused, and be held accountable for war crimes. France&#39;s Europe minister, Benjamin Haddad, backed calls for Europe to pay less attention to what the US says and to focus on bolstering its own capabilities. &quot;I think the worst lesson we could draw from this weekend is to say, well, I can cling to some love words that I heard in part of his speech and push the snooze button,&quot; Haddad said of Rubio&#39;s address. &quot;Focus on what we can control, focus on our rearmament, on the support for Ukraine and the threat that Russia poses to all of our democracies.&quot;

‘Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure,’ says Kaja Kallas on the last day of the Munich Security Conference.

Articles tagged with "Russia,"

Russia can 'compensate' for China's resource gap from Iran war

Russian FM to visit China April 14-15: Beijing

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Russia expels UK diplomat on spying allegations

Russia estimates up to 23,000 terrorists present in Afghanistan

Pakistan, Russia discuss security threats from Afghanistan-based groups

Moscow, Kyiv meet for US-brokered talks after fresh attacks

Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with overnight attack before talks: Ukraine FM

US 'not disputing' European report on Navalny poisoning: Rubio

EU top diplomat rejects Europe 'bashing' by US

Russia can 'compensate' for China's resource gap from Iran war