U.S. President Joe Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden will hold another phone call with Vladimir Putin today at the request of the Russian side, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
The two leaders will "discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia," National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.
"The Biden Administration continues to engage in extensive diplomacy with our European Allies and partners, consulting and coordinating on a common approach in response to Russia’s military build-up on the border with Ukraine," the White House said.
Moscow "has put its concerns on the table and we are prepared to discuss them" - a Senior Biden Administration Official told reporters on a phone briefing, "The United States and our allies and partners will put our concerns on the table and expect Russia to be prepared to discuss them as well. "
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a State Department readout of that call, “the two discussed efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine and upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia.” Blinken also spoke with French, German, and UK Foreign Ministers ahead of today's call. "They reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” according to the State Department.
Officials from Washington and Moscow are scheduled to speak on Jan. 10 regarding Moscow's security demands, which were laid out earlier this month.
That meeting will be followed by a Jan. 12 dialogue of the NATO-Russia council and a Jan. 13 discussion of the OSCE Permanent Council. Biden and Putin are not expected to directly participate in those talks, which will be led by the State Department and include representatives from the National Security Council and Department of Defense, the Senior Administration Official said.
Washington is "prepared" to provide Ukraine with further assistance to defend its territory and respond to a potential Russian occupation should a further invasion proceed in the coming weeks. Yet, the official said, President Biden will make clear that there is a diplomatic path to de-escalating tensions in the region if Putin "is interested in taking it."
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
Politics
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On January 7, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes began an investigation into the case of the activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Mehman Aliyev, who is accused of illegal drug trafficking.
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On January 7, the head of state, Ilham Aliyev, gave an interview to local TV channels. As of 18:00, the content of the interview had not been published.
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In late December, the Nakhchivan Court for Serious Crimes concluded the trial of former Minister of Finance of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR), Rafael Aliyev, and former head of the Nakhchivan Customs Committee’s department, Mansur Askerov. Both were accused of embezzling state budget funds in collusion with others. In his testimony, Askerov revealed that illegal fees were being collected for cargo and from passengers. Sahat Habibbeyli, appointed head of Nakhchivan Customs in 2020, had instructed Askerov to include only a portion of the collected funds in the Transport and International Relations (TIR) program.
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The "Republican Alternative" Party (REAL) has proposed a program to reform local governance ahead of the municipal elections on January 29, aiming to expand opportunities for economic activity at the municipal level. The new program has been developed with consideration of the existing economic problems in the country. The government of Azerbaijan seeks to obtain external loans for its projects, the economic feasibility of which raises doubts.
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