Mikhail Bogdanov
“The bases are still there, where they were on Syrian territory. No other decisions have been made for the moment. They were there at the Syrians' request with the aim of fighting terrorists from the Islamic State. I am proceeding on the basis of the notion that everyone agrees that the fight against terrorism, and what remains of [ISIL], is not over.”
7 hours ago
Stephen Zunes
“Israeli military's push into Syrian territory is a clear case of further expansionism by an opportunistic Israel. One can argue about whether Israel should bomb weapons facilities that could get into 'the wrong hands', as they say. But the ground invasion has no logic to it whatsoever, no strategic rationale. This is clearly taking advantage of the fact that Syria is not in a position to defend itself any more. With most of their navy and air force destroyed, with the leadership in flux and the government trying to desperately hold things together. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for further expansionism. Already there are tweets from Israelis looking forward to building a ski resort on Mount Hermon and talking about holding on to this area for an extended period. I mean, they clearly feel they can get away with this.”
7 hours ago
Yun Sun
“Beijing will play it safe when there's no protocol or precedent for a Chinese leader to attend the inauguration of a U.S. president. I don't think the Chinese will take the risk. There could be risks in the guest list, for example. Taiwan's top diplomat in the U.S. attended the swearing-in of President Joe Biden in 2021. Should Trump slap tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods upon taking office as he's threatened, Xi would look like a fool if he had chosen to attend, and that's unacceptable to Beijing.”
7 hours ago
Donald Trump
“We have a good relationship with China. I have a surprising relationship. Now, when the COVID came in, I sort of cut it off. That was a step too far.”
8 hours ago
Daniel Russel
“Xi's attendance, if he accepts, could be construed as the Chinese president celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader. Can you imagine Xi Jinping sitting outdoors in Washington, DC, in January at the feet of the podium, surrounded by hawkish members of Congress, gazing up at Donald Trump as he delivers his inaugural address?”
8 hours ago
Scott Kennedy
“This is diplomatic theater, nothing more. Other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, haven't attended US presidential inaugurations.”
8 hours ago
Karoline Leavitt
“This [invitation for Xi Jinping to attend the inauguration ceremony] is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too.”
8 hours ago
Antonio Rodrigue
“The security situation is only getting worse. Armed gangs are becoming increasingly violent and are operating without any fear or restraint. In spite of the embargo imposed by Security Council Resolution 2653, these weapons are coming from outside Haiti because Haiti itself doesn't manufacture any weapons at all - assault weapons and automatic weapons which were originally designed for wars and now to be found in the hands of Haitian gangs.”
11 hours ago
Donald Trump
“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done.”
11 hours ago
Sylvain Crépon
“Le Pen chose the least suicidal option. If the National Rally had not voted to topple the government, it would have become the party under the government's thumb, and they would have lost their protest-vote electorate, who hate Macron.”
14 hours ago
Bruno Jeanbart
“I think it was a difficult decision for her [Marine Le Pen], that goes against her strategy to make the National Rally more mainstream. But the pressure of the voters was getting too strong. It was more important for her to secure her core voters than to catch new ones at a time when a moderate centrist presidential candidate for 2027 hasn't yet emerged.”
14 hours ago
Marine Le Pen
“I don't gamble, I don't play at the casino … I take political decisions. We were faced with an irresponsible budget, and we tried to be responsible.”
14 hours ago
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
“Relations between our states are improving. Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent state visit to Astana added momentum to the advancement of strategic partnership and allied relations of our states. I feel optimistic about the future of our interaction.”
14 hours ago
Rob Geist Pinfold
“The deck is being reshuffled and all options are in play in a new Syria. I think there is some cause for optimism there in Sullivan's statement because previously, while the Assad regime was around and ISIS was very strong, while al-Qaeda was present in Syria, there were a lot of organisations the Americans would not talk to, saying they're beyond the pale, they're terrorists, they're autocrats, dictators, what have you. In this new Syria, I think it really shows you how the deck is being reshuffled and all options are in play now that the US is basically saying we're prepared to talk to all these organisations, including ones it has labelled terrorists, like HTS.”
14 hours ago
Oleksandr Syrsky
“Unconventional decisions must be made to enhance the resilience of our defense and ensure more effective destruction of the occupiers. The battles are exceptionally fierce. The Russians are throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our defenses.”
17 hours ago
Mikhail Bogdanov
“The bases are still there, where they were on Syrian territory. No other decisions have been made for the moment. They were there at the Syrians' request with the aim of fighting terrorists from the Islamic State. I am proceeding on the basis of the notion that everyone agrees that the fight against terrorism, and what remains of [ISIL], is not over.”
7 hours ago
Stephen Zunes
“Israeli military's push into Syrian territory is a clear case of further expansionism by an opportunistic Israel. One can argue about whether Israel should bomb weapons facilities that could get into 'the wrong hands', as they say. But the ground invasion has no logic to it whatsoever, no strategic rationale. This is clearly taking advantage of the fact that Syria is not in a position to defend itself any more. With most of their navy and air force destroyed, with the leadership in flux and the government trying to desperately hold things together. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for further expansionism. Already there are tweets from Israelis looking forward to building a ski resort on Mount Hermon and talking about holding on to this area for an extended period. I mean, they clearly feel they can get away with this.”
7 hours ago
Yun Sun
“Beijing will play it safe when there's no protocol or precedent for a Chinese leader to attend the inauguration of a U.S. president. I don't think the Chinese will take the risk. There could be risks in the guest list, for example. Taiwan's top diplomat in the U.S. attended the swearing-in of President Joe Biden in 2021. Should Trump slap tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods upon taking office as he's threatened, Xi would look like a fool if he had chosen to attend, and that's unacceptable to Beijing.”
7 hours ago
Donald Trump
“We have a good relationship with China. I have a surprising relationship. Now, when the COVID came in, I sort of cut it off. That was a step too far.”
8 hours ago
Daniel Russel
“Xi's attendance, if he accepts, could be construed as the Chinese president celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader. Can you imagine Xi Jinping sitting outdoors in Washington, DC, in January at the feet of the podium, surrounded by hawkish members of Congress, gazing up at Donald Trump as he delivers his inaugural address?”
8 hours ago
Scott Kennedy
“This is diplomatic theater, nothing more. Other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, haven't attended US presidential inaugurations.”
8 hours ago
Karoline Leavitt
“This [invitation for Xi Jinping to attend the inauguration ceremony] is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too.”
8 hours ago
Antonio Rodrigue
“The security situation is only getting worse. Armed gangs are becoming increasingly violent and are operating without any fear or restraint. In spite of the embargo imposed by Security Council Resolution 2653, these weapons are coming from outside Haiti because Haiti itself doesn't manufacture any weapons at all - assault weapons and automatic weapons which were originally designed for wars and now to be found in the hands of Haitian gangs.”
11 hours ago
Donald Trump
“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done.”
11 hours ago
Sylvain Crépon
“Le Pen chose the least suicidal option. If the National Rally had not voted to topple the government, it would have become the party under the government's thumb, and they would have lost their protest-vote electorate, who hate Macron.”
14 hours ago
Bruno Jeanbart
“I think it was a difficult decision for her [Marine Le Pen], that goes against her strategy to make the National Rally more mainstream. But the pressure of the voters was getting too strong. It was more important for her to secure her core voters than to catch new ones at a time when a moderate centrist presidential candidate for 2027 hasn't yet emerged.”
14 hours ago
Marine Le Pen
“I don't gamble, I don't play at the casino … I take political decisions. We were faced with an irresponsible budget, and we tried to be responsible.”
14 hours ago
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
“Relations between our states are improving. Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent state visit to Astana added momentum to the advancement of strategic partnership and allied relations of our states. I feel optimistic about the future of our interaction.”
14 hours ago
Rob Geist Pinfold
“The deck is being reshuffled and all options are in play in a new Syria. I think there is some cause for optimism there in Sullivan's statement because previously, while the Assad regime was around and ISIS was very strong, while al-Qaeda was present in Syria, there were a lot of organisations the Americans would not talk to, saying they're beyond the pale, they're terrorists, they're autocrats, dictators, what have you. In this new Syria, I think it really shows you how the deck is being reshuffled and all options are in play now that the US is basically saying we're prepared to talk to all these organisations, including ones it has labelled terrorists, like HTS.”
14 hours ago
Oleksandr Syrsky
“Unconventional decisions must be made to enhance the resilience of our defense and ensure more effective destruction of the occupiers. The battles are exceptionally fierce. The Russians are throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our defenses.”
17 hours ago
“The outgoing administration in Washington will continue to shore up everything we're doing for Ukraine in the months before Trump assumes the presidency. President Biden fully intends to drive through the tape and use every day to continue to do what we have done these last four years, which is strengthen this alliance [NATO].”
“While international and local observers agreed that election day was generally well-administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence. International observers have not declared the result to be free and fair.”
“The focus is on options to capitalize on this moment and next steps to move the process forward. Going back to the negotiations on cease-fire and the hostages, one of the things we're doing is looking at whether there are different options that we can pursue to get us to a conclusion, to get us to a result.”
“China should not use it [the speech of Taiwanese President William Lai] in any fashion as a pretext for provocative actions. On the contrary, we want to reinforce - and many other countries want to reinforce - the imperative of preserving the status quo, and neither party taking any actions that might undermine it. Fifty percent of commercial container traffic goes through the Taiwan Strait every day; more than 70 percent of the high-end semiconductors that the world needs are produced on Taiwan, so there's a strong interest around the world on maintaining peace and stability, preserving the status quo, avoiding any kind of conflict that could disrupt things that are so essential to the global economy.”
“So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up.”
“The United States did not know about, nor was it involved in, these incidents. We're still gathering the information and gathering the facts. Broadly speaking we've been very clear and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we're trying to resolve in Gaza.”
“Russia has now received shipments with these ballistic missiles, and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukraine. The supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line in Ukraine. This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran's destabilizing influence reaches far beyond the Middle East.”
“This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.”
“We've been working from day one not only to try to get to a better place in Gaza but also to prevent the conflict from spreading, whether it's the north with Lebanon and Hezbollah, whether it's the Red Sea with the Houthis, whether it's Iran, Syria, Iraq, you name it. A big key to trying to make sure that doesn't happen, and that we can move to a better place, is getting the ceasefire.”
“We've seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people. It's critical that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and electoral observers without delay and that the electoral authorities publish detailed tabulation of votes.”
“I emphasize [Israel's] right to defend its citizens and our determination to make sure that they're able to do that. But we also don't want to see the conflict escalate. We don't want to see it spread. It's so important that we help defuse that conflict, not only prevent it from escalating, prevent it from spreading, but to defuse it because you have so many people in both countries, in both Israel and Lebanon, who've been displaced from their homes.”
“What is success? And for me, for us, I think success is very clear. It's a Ukraine that is a strong, successful country, increasingly integrated with the West, and a country that can stand on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically. But it's also critical that Ukraine develop the capability to deter and defend against aggression going forward over many years. President Biden led the way in getting now more than 30 countries to agree to negotiate bilateral security agreements with Ukraine over a decade. The United States is trying to stimulate private investment in Ukraine so that its economy can grow and thrive. Now, of course, for both its military capacity and its economic capacity, you've got to make sure that you have air defences in place to try to protect the areas in which you're making investments. We're driving that. I think you'll see more news on that in the coming weeks as we get to the NATO summit actually next week.”
“Our purpose now is to put in place the bridge to bring Ukraine closer to and then ultimately into NATO. As I said, it's a bridge that I think you'll see emerge at the summit.”
“Under our own ten-year agreement, the United States will support the defence and security across a range of essential capabilities - from its air force to its air defence, from drones to demining. If Russia or anyone else were to attack Ukraine, we will work with Ukraine immediately at the highest levels to coordinate how to help you beat back the threat.”
“I saw that Huawei just put out a new laptop that it boasted was AI capable, that uses an Intel chip. I think it demonstrates that what we're focused on is only the most sensitive technology that could pose a threat to our security. We're not focused on cutting off trade, or for that matter containing or holding back China.”
“China alone is producing more than 100 percent of global demand for products like solar panels and electric vehicles, and was responsible for one-third of global production but only one-tenth of global demand. This is a movie that we've seen before, and we know how it ends. With American businesses shuttered and American jobs lost.”
“When it comes to Russia's defense industrial base the primary contributor in this moment to that is China. We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, other dual use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defense industrial base. China can't have it both ways. It can't afford that. You want to have positive, friendly relations with countries in Europe, and at the same time, you are fueling the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.”