Russia confirms negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President "demands" fairness, Iran counters Israel

The World and Vietnam Newspaper highlights some outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (right) and Yuri Ushakov - foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin, will attend talks with the US delegation on February 18 in Saudi Arabia. (Source: TASS)

Europe

* Russia announced the composition of the delegation attending the meeting with the US in Saudi Arabia on February 18, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Mr. Yuri Ushakov - Foreign Policy Advisor to President Vladimir Putin.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the meeting aimed to discuss mending bilateral relations as well as focusing on preparations for possible peace talks on the Ukraine issue. (Reuters)

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded a "fair" deal, with security guarantees from the US required if Kiev agreed to a US proposal for access to vital minerals.

"If Ukraine does not receive security guarantees from the United States, I believe the economic agreement will not work. Everything must be fair," Mr. Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky had previously rejected a major mineral deal with the United States, pushed by President Donald Trump, citing a lack of necessary security guarantees for Ukraine. (Reuters)

* Deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine after a potential peace deal is a “complicated issue” that has not yet been discussed in depth, according to Kremlin spokesman Peskov.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Kier Staimer and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard noted that once peace is established in Ukraine, it is important to ensure that peace is maintained, while leaving open the possibility of deploying forces to maintain peace.

On the German side, Prime Minister Olaf Scholz announced that he would rule out sending troops to Ukraine, possibly only as a peacekeeping force, but noted that there needed to be a specific roadmap. (Reuters)

* France convened a European summit, bringing together the leaders of Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The meeting took place on the afternoon of February 17 to discuss the war in Ukraine and European security, after President Trump's Special Envoy declared that Europe would have no seat at the peace negotiating table for Ukraine. (AFP)

* Ukrainian President Zelensky will visit Saudi Arabia on February 19, just one day after talks between the US and Russia are also held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

President Zelensky announced the trip last week, but did not specify the date and said he had no plans to meet Russian or US officials there. (The Guardian)

* German Chancellor candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel has pledged to prevent Friedrich Merz - her opponent from the conservative bloc Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) - from transferring Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. (DW)

Asia-Pacific

* China has asked Washington to “correct its mistakes” regarding the Taiwan issue after the US State Department removed previous content on its website that did not support the peninsula's independence.

"The changes to the Taiwan-related content on the US State Department website are a major step backward and 'send a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces,'" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in a statement. (Reuters)

* President Yoon Suk Yeol's resignation will not solve all problems, whether it is legal or constitutional, according to the interim leader of South Korea's ruling People's Power Party (PPP).

Kwon Young-se dismissed speculation that President Yoon Suk Yeol might voluntarily resign before the Constitutional Court's ruling, saying such a move was unrealistic and inappropriate. (Yonhap)

* Malaysia will not be drawn into "competition between major powers" , Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on February 17 at the China-Southeast Asia Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr. Anwar emphasized that Malaysia supports a rules-based multilateral system that ensures fairness, transparency and representation for all, especially the countries of the Global South, and said that ASEAN must also expand its relations globally beyond its traditional partners. (The Star)

* Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, his wife and a high-ranking delegation will pay an official visit to Thailand on February 20.

The visit aims to continue to consolidate and enhance the friendship and cooperation on the basis of long-standing good neighborliness between the two countries, as well as the strategic partnership for prosperity and sustainable development between Laos and Thailand. (VNA)

* Iran and India are determined to improve comprehensive relations based on mutual interests, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. The statement was made by Araghchi during a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in the Oman capital Muscat. (Press TV)

Middle East-Africa

* Iran has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that his country will complete its work against Tehran with US support, as a violation of the United Nations Charter.

“Threatening other countries is a serious violation of international law,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, adding that Israel “can do nothing” against Iran.

Besides, Mr. Baghaei affirmed that Iran has been, is and will protect its "peaceful nuclear program" as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. (IRNA)

* Taliban delegation visits Japan , a rare diplomatic trip outside the region. The Afghan delegation left Kabul on February 15. According to local media, the week-long visit includes officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Foreign Affairs and Economy.

"We look forward to engaging with the world in a dignified manner to build a united, advanced, prosperous, developed Afghanistan that is an active member of the international community," Taliban Deputy Minister of Economy Latif Nazari, a member of the delegation, posted on social media X on February 15. (AFP)

* Hamas has set conditions for handing over control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority, including ensuring that former Hamas officials working in the Mediterranean coastal strip have jobs in the new government or allowing them to retire early with a commitment to pay their full salaries. (RIA)

America

* The US wants Ukraine to return the investments Washington has made, according to US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

European aid to Ukraine comes in the form of a loan secured by interest paid on Russian assets, and Americans deserve “some form of return” in return, he argued.

* The US continues to repatriate illegal immigrants from India. Accordingly, a plane carrying 112 Indians deported from the US for illegal residence landed in Amritsar, Punjab state on the night of February 16.

This is the third flight in 10 days as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. (NDTV)

* Washington will allow Europe to buy weapons and other products from the US defense industry to aid Ukraine. The statement was made by US President Donald Trump on February 16. (Bloomberg)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-172-nga-xac-nhan-dam-phan-voi-my-o-saudi-arabia-tong-thong-ukraine-doi-cong-bang-iran-phan-phao-israel-304660.html