Nato must prepare for the possibility that its looming high-stakes talks with Russia will fail, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.
Mr Stoltenberg said next week’s talks on the crisis in Ukraine are a chance for Moscow to “demonstrate that it is serious” about ensuring European security, despite its continued troop build-up posing a “very real” risk of conflict.
But he signalled that Nato would not cede to Russia’s demands to stop third parties such as Sweden, Finland and Ukraine from choosing to join the alliance in future.
“There’s no way that Nato can compromise on the principle of the right of every nation to choose its own path,” he said after talks between the alliance’s foreign ministers on Friday.
Ministers put on a show of unity at a virtual conference that prepared the ground for next week’s series of diplomatic showdowns with Russia.
The US and Russia will hold talks in Geneva on Monday before the Nato-Russia Council assembles for discussions on European security on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the virtual Nato conference that his country is "prepared to respond forcefully to further Russian aggression".
"Certainly part of the [Russian] playbook is to put out a list of absolutely non-starter demands, and then to claim that the other side is not engaging and then to use that as somehow justification for aggressive action," said Mr Blinken.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said reports the Biden administration is developing options for pulling back US forces in Eastern Europe ahead of next week's dialogue "not accurate", and said Nato would reinforce its Eastern Flank if Moscow were to invade Ukraine.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meanwhile said that at the Nato-Russia meeting, Moscow would be called on to de-escalate and show transparency in regard to its military activities.
The unexplained build-up of tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine has prompted fears of a Russian invasion, although Moscow denies such intentions. It annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 in a move not recognised by most of the international community.
Ms Truss said there was “no justification” for Russia’s “aggressive and unprovoked stance towards Ukraine”.
“We stand with our Nato allies in urging Russia to end its malign activity,” she said. “Our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.”
Diplomats from the US, Spain, Slovakia, Lithuania and Latvia stressed the alliance’s unity in the face of Russian manoeuvres.
It came after the EU expressed concerns over old rivals in Moscow and Washington dominating the talks on Europe’s future. But the White House has promised to consult its allies.
“Whatever the solution, Europe has to be involved,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
Germany said dialogue with Russia must be grounded in basic principles of European security, echoing Mr Stoltenberg’s message.
The secretary general said the alliance was consulting with non-members Georgia, Moldova, Sweden and Finland, which would be affected by Russia’s call to stop further Nato expansion into what was once Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, who has said she does not plan to apply for Nato membership, held talks with Mr Stoltenberg on Friday.
Mr Stoltenberg said Nato would engage in good faith in the talks with Moscow, that it is “always ready to listen to Russia’s concerns” and would “make every effort to find a political way forward”.
But “we must also be prepared for the possibility that diplomacy will fail”, he said.
“We regret that despite the calls of the international community over many weeks, Russia has not taken steps to de-escalate.
“So, today, ministers stressed that any further aggression against Ukraine would have significant consequences and carry a heavy price for Russia.”
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: now
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
