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 UN General Assembly vote highlights Israel's isolation

UN General Assembly vote highlights Israel's isolation

Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel.  The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month. The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document. Israel voted against it, alongside nine other countries – Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States – while 12 nations abstained. The vote highlights the current Israeli international isolation as a result of its current policies. Prior to the vote, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont recalled that the New York Declaration “lays out a single roadmap to deliver the two-State solution”. This involves an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages held there, and the establishment of a Palestinian State that is both viable and sovereign. The roadmap further calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization between Israel and the Arab countries, as well as collective security guarantees.
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Stumbling blocks for Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Road to SCO Membership

Stumbling blocks for Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Road to SCO Membership

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held on August 31–September 1, 2025, in Tianjin, China, brought together leaders of the 10 member states, as well as representatives from over 20 countries and 10 international organisations. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Tianjin Declaration and the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, outlining key directions for cooperation and security. Armenia officially announced its intention to join the SCO on July 3, 2025, emphasising its commitment to the organisation’s core principles, territorial integrity, non-use of force, and inviolability of borders. Azerbaijan submitted its application later, in August. Currently, the process of admitting Armenia and Azerbaijan to the SCO is in the preliminary co-ordination stage, involving the attainment of partner status with the prospect of transitioning to full membership in the future.

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Six hours that did not change the world but made Putin stronger

Six hours that did not change the world but made Putin stronger

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was in Alaska for only six hours, for his summit meeting with US president, Donald Trump. Trump emboldened by his use of choreography a week before, when dealing with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the White House, tried again on Friday (15 August) in Anchorage: Red carpet, fighter aircraft lined up as if for inspection, and a backdrop with the optimistic message "pursuing peace" for after. But the sly fox of the Kremlin outsmarted the usually verbose real estate dealer. Putin used the choreography for his own advantage, making Trump look like an extra in a movie. The six hours that the Russian leader spent on US soil, may not have changed the world. Nothing seems to be have been agreed, and Putin and Trump left a press conference hurriedly after making brief statements, without taking questions. But the Alaska summit left Vladimir Putin looking strong and emboldened. With one stroke he ended his international isolation, which has been all but total, since his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It brought Russia where it has wanted to be for the last thirty years – looking as the equal and natural partner of the US. And you Europeans and Ukrainians don’t you dare put spokes in our wheels, president Putin said defiantly. The world must now pick up the pieces, and hope that Trump will see the error of his ways.
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Zelensky to visit Berlin on Wednesday for talks with EU leaders and Trump

Zelensky to visit Berlin on Wednesday for talks with EU leaders and Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Berlin on Wednesday (13 August) to join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a video call with other European leaders and US President Donald Trump. The talks, initiated by Merz, are seen as a last-ditch attempt by Europe to influence Friday's meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
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EU leaders call on Trump to include Ukraine in summit with Putin

EU leaders call on Trump to include Ukraine in summit with Putin

European Union leaders have appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to defend their security interests at a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday 15 August over the war in Ukraine. EU leaders are doing their best to exert some influence over the summit that they have been sidelined from. It remains unclear whether even Ukraine will take part but EU leaders underlined that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.” According to AP, Trump has said that he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war now in its fourth year. In a statement on Tuesday 12 August, EU leaders said that they “welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” The European Union will make a fresh attempt to rally Trump to Ukraine’s cause on Wednesday at virtual meetings convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump did not confirm whether he would take part, but he stated: “I’m going to get everybody’s ideas” before meeting with Putin.
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Historic moment in Washington as Armenia and Azerbaijan end decades of conflict and open the door for a new era

Historic moment in Washington as Armenia and Azerbaijan end decades of conflict and open the door for a new era

Armenia and Azerbaijan have ended decades of conflict between them, and opened the door for a new era for them, and for the entire South Caucasus. In a historic meeting in Washington DC, facilitated by US President, Donald Trump, the two sides initialed the Peace Agreement between them that has been under discussion for a long time. The agreement still has to be signed and ratified. The two side also issued a joint declaration which was signed by the two leaders, and countersigned by the US president, as witness. The document emphasised the importance of sustainable peace between the two countries. commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment that the Washington meeting took a long time in coming, and many had started wondering if the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan had the political will and stamina to bring peace to the region, but in the end, with a bit of nudging by president Trump they did it. Congratulations to all concerned. In many ways, the work starts now, and Armenian and Azerbaijani societies must be involved and must make their contribution so that the Washington agreements can be successfully implemented .
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Trump says  Armenia and Azerbaijan will today sign peace agreement

Trump says Armenia and Azerbaijan will today sign peace agreement

​ US president Donald Trump has said that Armenia and  Azerbaijan will today sign a peace agreement. "President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan will join me at the White House for the official signing ceremony of the peace agreement," Trump wrote on the Truth Social social network. The US president said he was looking forward to hosting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House. "These two nations have been at war for a long time, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many leaders have tried to end the war, but to no avail," he said. ​