53 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying authoritarian strength

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

53 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

60 h. ago China parades statecraft and hardware as world faces ‘critical’ choices

China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against...

Events

5 d. ago Jude Law became ‘obsessive’ Putin watcher for role as Russian leader

British actor Jude Law on Sunday said he became an “obsessive” watcher of Vladimir Putin as he prepared for his role as the Russian leader in his new film The Wizard of the Kremlin which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Law, 52, bears an uncanny resemblance to Putin, aping his scowl and distinctive walking style in the film by French director Olivier Assayas, which charts the rise of the former intelligence officer. “There’s a lot of footage one could watch and, personally, when I start...

Politics

7 d. ago Putin would have ‘played’ Trump if he doesn’t meet Zelensky, Macron says

The leaders of France and Germany on Friday vowed to step up pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine, warning that President Vladimir Putin was showing little appetite to end Moscow’s 3½-year onslaught against its neighbour. French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin would have “played” US President Donald Trump if the Russian leader failed to fulfil a pledge to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added it looked like Putin was “unwilling” to...

Politics

1 week ago Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had talked to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin since meeting in Washington last week with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. Trump was last known to have spoken to Putin on August 18, when he interrupted his talks with Zelensky and the Europeans at the White House to call the Russian leader. “Yes, I have,” Trump told reporters when asked if he had talked to Putin since then. Asked how the latest talks went, Trump replied: “Every...

Politics

1 week ago Alaska summit heralds change of direction for global diplomacy

When Russian President Vladimir Putin met US President Donald Trump on August 15, in Anchorage, Alaska, the geographic significance of the event was not lost on Russian observers. Putin became the first Russian leader to visit the former colony at a time when the Arctic is a high priority in Russia’s foreign policy strategy. However, the summit itself was an anticlimax. Peace in Ukraine remained postponed; there was a meagre readout and the delegation lunch was cancelled. As Putin remarked...

Politics

2 w. ago EU envoys mull skipping China military parade over Putin’s attendance: sources

European envoys in Beijing are discussing plans to skip China’s massive military parade next month after considering the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the possible participation of Russian troops, the Post has learned. According to five sources familiar with the matter, European missions in Beijing have been invited to the parade and events on the same day but are particularly troubled by the Russian leader’s attendance as Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian...

Events

3 w. ago Putin keeps Xi in loop on Trump summit but little hope for Ukraine ceasefire

Just hours before US President Donald Trump announced his summit with Vladimir Putin next week, the Russian leader was on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping to secure Beijing’s backing. While the call on Friday underscored a high level of coordination between Beijing and Moscow in their approach to Washington, Chinese experts voiced scepticism about the prospects for the Alaska summit and its aim of negotiating an end to the Ukraine war. They cautioned that although Trump’s first...

Politics