The US has said repeatedly that it will engage in talks of diplomacy after Moscow unnerved the West with a troop build-up near Ukraine. AP
The US has said repeatedly that it will engage in talks of diplomacy after Moscow unnerved the West with a troop build-up near Ukraine. AP
The US has said repeatedly that it will engage in talks of diplomacy after Moscow unnerved the West with a troop build-up near Ukraine. AP
The US has said repeatedly that it will engage in talks of diplomacy after Moscow unnerved the West with a troop build-up near Ukraine. AP

US says it is ready to engage in diplomacy with Russia


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US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told his Russian equivalent on Monday that Washington is ready to engage in diplomacy through several channels, including bilateral engagement, the White House said.

Mr Sullivan told Yuriy Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that "any dialogue must be based on reciprocity and address our concerns about Russia's actions", Washington said.

Moscow, which has unnerved the West with a troop build-up near Ukraine, last week unveiled a wish list of security proposals it wants to negotiate, including a promise that Nato would give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.

Washington has said some of Russia's proposals are unacceptable, but that the US will respond at some time this week with more concrete proposals on the format of any talks.

Konstantin Gavrilov, a Russian diplomat in Vienna, said that relations between Moscow and Nato had reached a "moment of truth".

"The conversation needs to be serious and everyone in Nato understands perfectly well despite their strength and power that concrete political action needs to be taken, otherwise the alternative is a military-technical and military response from Russia," Mr Gavrilov told RIA news agency.

The US response is likely to affect Moscow's thinking over Ukraine, which has become the main flashpoint in East-West relations.

The US and Ukraine say Russia may be preparing an invasion of its former Soviet neighbour.

Russia denies that and says it is Ukraine's growing relationship with Nato that has caused the stand-off to intensify. It has compared it to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the world came to the brink of nuclear war.

Meanwhile, the US State Department on Monday advised its citizens to not travel to Ukraine because of “increased threats” from Russia along the border.

The State Department regularly issues travel advisories and had one in place for Ukraine already because of Covid-19.

But this was unusual because of the direct warning about the massing of Russian troops along the border.

Agencies contributed to this report

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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RESULT

Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')

Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)

Race card:

6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.

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10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

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Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
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  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
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  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

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Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

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Updated: December 21, 2021, 5:26 AM`