French President Emmanuel Macron has over the last few years maintained that Europe must keep channels with Russia open. Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron has over the last few years maintained that Europe must keep channels with Russia open. Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron has over the last few years maintained that Europe must keep channels with Russia open. Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron has over the last few years maintained that Europe must keep channels with Russia open. Reuters

Macron set for Moscow crisis talks after vowing to ‘step up peace process’


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

French President Emmanuel Macron is to visit Moscow for Ukraine crisis talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after vowing to “step up the peace process” to avoid a further escalations in tension.

Mr Macron will touch down in the Russian capital on Monday before heading to Kiev on Tuesday for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The pair spoke on the phone on Thursday and agreed to continue their dialogue to “counter security challenges” in Europe.

They also “agreed on further joint steps to maintain Ukraine’s stability and enhance financial and economic co-operation”, according to a tweet by Mr Zelenskiy.

Mr Macron’s trip to Moscow will be the highest profile effort by a western leader to de-escalate the security crisis on the edge of the EU.

The Kremlin said Mr Putin would discuss Washington’s reply to his security demands when he meets Mr Macron next week.

In a letter hand delivered to the Kremlin by the US ambassador in Moscow, the Biden administration repeated its previous refusal to bow to Russian demands.

The Kremlin had asked for assurances that Ukraine would never be allowed to join Nato, and that the trans-Atlantic treaty would scale back its deployments in eastern Europe.

The US said stressed its commitment to the military alliance’s “open-door” policy.

The Kremlin said Mr Putin will explain to Mr Macron how Russia understands the US position, and said his visit is considered to be an important one.

Mr Putin was expected to be welcomed to Beijing by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday for talks on their relations.

In comments carried by Chinese state media, Mr Xi said China and Russia’s strategic co-operation was unshakeable and would continue to be in the future.

Mr Macron, who has called for a de-escalation in the crisis, has repeatedly held telephone talks with Mr Putin and Mr Zelenskiy over the last days, as well as with US President Joe Biden.

His office said the discussions sought “to identify the elements that should lead to a de-escalation".

Moscow has stationed about 100,000 troops close to Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it wants to invade Ukrainian territory but has expressed concern about the expansion of Nato and the increasing military presence in eastern Europe.

In a possible nod to those worries, Mr Macron’s office said exchanges had started on the “strategic balance” in Europe, which should make it possible to achieve “a reduction in the risks on the ground and guarantee security".

Russian President Vladimir Putin will welcome France's President Emmanuel Macron to Moscow on Monday. AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin will welcome France's President Emmanuel Macron to Moscow on Monday. AFP

Western powers have been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts over the past weeks over Russia’s military build-up. Critics have expressed scepticism over Russia’s denials about an invasion and many say Mr Putin is incensed over Ukraine’s tilt to the West and pro-European moves.

Although Ukraine has sought to play down the risk of an invasion, tension is running high after the Pentagon said on Thursday that it had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify a real assault.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also indicated he plans to visit Russia soon, although the timing is not immediately clear.

The French president has over the last couple of years maintained that Europe must keep channels open to talk with Russia.

He has insisted that a “demanding dialogue” is preferable to open confrontation with Moscow in a fast-changing world dominated by the rise of China.

Mr Macron paid his only visit to Russia as president in May 2018 when he attended the Saint Petersburg economic forum and met Mr Putin.

His last face-to-face meeting with the Russian president dates back to a summit in summer 2019 at his residence in the South of France. A planned visit to Moscow in May 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 640hp

Torque: 760nm

On sale: 2026

Price: Not announced yet

U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

  • Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs 
  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
  • Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh 

UAE squad:

Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith  

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

liverpool youngsters

Ki-Jana Hoever

The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.

 

Herbie Kane

Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.

 

Luis Longstaff

Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.

 

Yasser Larouci

An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.

 

Adam Lewis

Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.

3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.

4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.

5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.

The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Don't get fined

The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:

  • Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
  • All tax invoices and tax credit notes
  • Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
  • All tax invoices and tax credit notes
  • Alternative documents issued
  • Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: February 04, 2022, 11:48 AM`