12-25-2024, 07:31 AM
Otky WATCH: Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping
WASHINGTON AP 鈥?Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday in the highest-level known contact between the two sides since stanley cup Russia invaded Ukraine, with Blinken urging Russia to accept a deal to win the release of聽American detainees Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.Russian officials gave no public hint whether Blinken had made any headway, only issuing a chiding statement afterward urging the U.S. to pursue the Americans ; freedom through quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information.U.S. officials have in recent days publicized their efforts to get back Griner, a WNBA star, and Whelan, a corporate security executive, whose cases have drawn widespread national attention. While the direct outreach to Russian officials allows the Biden stanley cup administration to show it is going all out to try to free the two U.S. citizens, it also risks undermining a core U.S. message to allies abroad: that isolating Russia diplomatically and economically will ultimately force Russia to pull its troops from Ukraine.Blinken did not provide details of Lavrovs response to what he had previously called a substantial proposal for Russia to release Whelan and Griner. Blinken had p stanley cup ublicly requested the call and revealed the existence of the offer to Russia. People familiar with the offer say the U.S. wants to swap Whelan and Griner for convicted聽Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.WATCH: White House offers Russia deal to Lefg British Prime Minister Sunak sets July 4 election date as his Conservatives face an uphill battle
BRUSSELS AP 鈥?The European Union top official on Wednesday called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia and target the country biggest bank and major broadcasters in a sixth package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Fr stanley cup ance, proposed having EU member nations phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year.WATCH: Russia launches as adidas originals sault on Mariupol as Ukraine unveils evidence of war crimes outside KyivWe will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative sup salomon ply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets, von der Leyen said.The proposals must be unanimously approved to take effect and are likely to be the subject of fierce debate. Von der Leyen conceded that getting all 27 member countries 鈥?some of them landlocked and highly dependent on Russia for energy supplies 鈥?to agree on oil sanctions will not be easy.The EU gets about 25 percent of its oil from Russia, most of which goes toward gasoline and diesel for vehicles. Russia supplies about 14 percent of diesel, SP Global analysts said, and a cutoff could send already high prices for truck and tractor fuel towering.If approved, the ban on oil imports would be the second package of EU sanctions targeting Russia lucrative en
WASHINGTON AP 鈥?Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday in the highest-level known contact between the two sides since stanley cup Russia invaded Ukraine, with Blinken urging Russia to accept a deal to win the release of聽American detainees Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.Russian officials gave no public hint whether Blinken had made any headway, only issuing a chiding statement afterward urging the U.S. to pursue the Americans ; freedom through quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information.U.S. officials have in recent days publicized their efforts to get back Griner, a WNBA star, and Whelan, a corporate security executive, whose cases have drawn widespread national attention. While the direct outreach to Russian officials allows the Biden stanley cup administration to show it is going all out to try to free the two U.S. citizens, it also risks undermining a core U.S. message to allies abroad: that isolating Russia diplomatically and economically will ultimately force Russia to pull its troops from Ukraine.Blinken did not provide details of Lavrovs response to what he had previously called a substantial proposal for Russia to release Whelan and Griner. Blinken had p stanley cup ublicly requested the call and revealed the existence of the offer to Russia. People familiar with the offer say the U.S. wants to swap Whelan and Griner for convicted聽Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.WATCH: White House offers Russia deal to Lefg British Prime Minister Sunak sets July 4 election date as his Conservatives face an uphill battle
BRUSSELS AP 鈥?The European Union top official on Wednesday called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia and target the country biggest bank and major broadcasters in a sixth package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Fr stanley cup ance, proposed having EU member nations phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year.WATCH: Russia launches as adidas originals sault on Mariupol as Ukraine unveils evidence of war crimes outside KyivWe will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative sup salomon ply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets, von der Leyen said.The proposals must be unanimously approved to take effect and are likely to be the subject of fierce debate. Von der Leyen conceded that getting all 27 member countries 鈥?some of them landlocked and highly dependent on Russia for energy supplies 鈥?to agree on oil sanctions will not be easy.The EU gets about 25 percent of its oil from Russia, most of which goes toward gasoline and diesel for vehicles. Russia supplies about 14 percent of diesel, SP Global analysts said, and a cutoff could send already high prices for truck and tractor fuel towering.If approved, the ban on oil imports would be the second package of EU sanctions targeting Russia lucrative en