Current Events

Iran director of the International Crisis Group

17 May 2025 5 5

Jon B. Alterman

Inserted 15 hours ago

“Governments and publics throughout the gulf like Trump a lot. They feel Western liberals want to shame them on their domestic issues, everything from L.G.B.T. rights to abuse of migrant workers. While there certainly are rising liberal voices in the gulf, most people there see Trump as a common-sense, like-minded leader.”

Global security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington

17 May 2025 8 6

Andrew Leber

Inserted 15 hours ago

“The trip was intended to deliver a series of economic, diplomatic and public relations wins for the countries involved. Saudi Arabia got the opportunity to highlight the changing nature of its society and economy, and present itself as a leader in global affairs, both in terms of business opportunities and diplomacy. Mr. Trump got a trip that essentially could not go wrong for him. This was the one place that's guaranteed to give him a very enthusiastic, warm and tightly controlled welcome. If he went anywhere in Latin America, there would be protests. If he went anywhere in Europe, there would be protests. This is a place that's going to speak with him and deal with him on very transactional terms, that's going to put on a big show and where there's not going to be any domestic protests whatsoever.”

Assistant professor at Tulane University in Louisiana, who focuses on the U.S.-Saudi relationship

17 May 2025 5 6

Zeina Khodr

Inserted 16 hours ago

“At the opening of the Arab Summit in Baghdad, speaker after speaker has been talking about the desperate conditions under which Palestinians are living. There is a real fear among the Arab leaders that Israel plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza, resettle the Palestinians, and depopulate this whole region. This is why the statements we have been hearing since this morning are rejecting this plan, saying that the Palestinian people should remain on their own land. But it's Israel that's calling the shots, not these Arab leaders. Israel's actions in recent days - by stepping up the military offensive and talking about permanently staying in Gaza - are sending a message that it is not interested in ending the war. Many will say that unless they have the US on board to help end this war, the Arab states have very little leverage on Israel. The normalisation of relations with Israel is not on the table until Israel commits to Palestinian statehood, and the Arab states are using this as some sort of leverage.”

Aje

Al Jazeera’s journalist reporting from Baghdad, Iraq

17 May 2025 6 5

Gideon Levy

Inserted 17 hours ago

“The possibility of Iran and the US reaching a nuclear agreement is a very hopeful development. Those who believe only in bombing Iran as the only solution, what can they do? Israel cannot go for an attack over Iran without at least American approval. And if there will be a deal, there will be no approval. And I think many lives will be saved, but Israel can do nothing about it.”

Aje

Israeli journalist and author

17 May 2025 5 4

Nicole Grajewski

Inserted 15 hours ago

“Russia exploited the fact that Syria remained sanctioned and that the United States and Europe were dragging their feet on sanctions removal. While the decision to lift sanctions is significant, it is not transformative as Syria still needs investment and there are outstanding issues between minorities and the government as well as the status of the Kurds. Iran, however, is pretty much out of the picture for now. They lack the economic capital to help with reconstruction and are viewed [by Syrians] much more negatively than Russia.”

Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

16 May 2025 10 4

Kirill Martynov

Inserted 1 day ago

“Putin is not going to end this war, at least not on any reasonable terms. But what he is interested in is building some new relations with the US administration. If negotiations collapse and Europe fails to achieve some kind of joint action against Putin...then Ukraine will be the main loser - because, once again, Putin will essentially be able to continue the war. Putin's goal is to keep the war going while avoiding a complete falling out with Trump.”

Editor in chief of the Latvia-based Russian language media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe

16 May 2025 6 3

Mark Rutte

Inserted 1 day ago

“I think Putin made a mistake by sending a low-level delegation with this historian leading the delegation, who was also there in the talks in 2022. The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. He has to play ball. He has to be serious about wanting peace. So I think all the pressure is now on Putin.”

Secretary General of NATO

16 May 2025 4 3

Donald Trump

Inserted 1 day ago

“He [Putin] and I will meet, and I think we'll solve it or maybe not.”

President of the United States

16 May 2025 2 2

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Inserted 1 day ago

“Ukraine's number one priority is a full, unconditional, and honest cease-fire. This must happen immediately to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy. If the Russian delegation in Istanbul does not agree to a cease-fire, the world must respond. There needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions Russia's energy sector and banks. This week we had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war. If only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkey.”

President of Ukraine

16 May 2025 8 3

Mina al-Lami

Inserted 15 hours ago

“Jihadist and hard-line Islamists inside and outside of Syria worry that Sharaa [Ahmed al-Sharaa] will sell out foreign fighters and normalize ties with Israel, and even crack down on Islamic projects in Syria. Nevertheless, hardliners are struggling to rally broader support, as the lifting of sanctions is widely seen as a major win for Sharaa, and a clear boost to his image and credibility as a political leader.”

Jihadi media specialist

15 May 2025 9 6

Dmitry Peskov

Inserted 1 day ago

“Such a meeting is certainly necessary. It is necessary both primarily from the point of view of bilateral Russian-US relations and from the point of view of having a serious conversation at the highest level about international affairs and on regional problems, including, of course, about the crisis over Ukraine.”

Kremlin spokesman

15 May 2025 6 2

Jean-Noel Barrot

Inserted 2 days ago

“Russia has found ways to circumvent the blockage imposed by Europe and the United States, so closing the tap would grab Russia by the throat.”

French Foreign Minister

15 May 2025 4 3

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Inserted 2 days ago

“I believe the Kremlin ruler must demonstrate leadership, and if he is ready for negotiations, then he should meet without any preconditions. Let's meet. We're in Ankara now. After this, we're sending a delegation to Istanbul. He's not here, he's not in Istanbul. We can't run all over the world looking for the man.”

President of Ukraine

15 May 2025 6 2

Donald Trump

Inserted 2 days ago

“Nothing's going to happen until Russian President Vladimir Putin and I get together, OK?”

Aje

President of the United States

15 May 2025 4 4

Mick Ryan

Inserted 2 days ago

“For Putin, this may be yet another carefully calculated move to show that he controls the levers of this war. He is playing a high-risk game, however. The Russian president has calculated so far that Donald Trump, unwilling to escalate the conflict, will continue to tolerate Putin's insults and brutal behavior against Ukraine. But Putin's decision might also be seen by Trump and others in his administration as a deliberate insult. It could (if we squint our eyes enough) finally force Trump to take action against the Russians. This might comprise additional sanctions, and potentially, an increase in the amount of US weaponry that Trump permits Ukraine to purchase.”

Strategist and retired major general from the Australian Army

15 May 2025 8 2

Ivan Preobrazhensky

Inserted 2 days ago

“By brushing off the challenge from Zelenskyy, Putin wriggled out of the difficult diplomatic situation that he had gotten himself into, and in general [it means] he will continue to lie and fight [the war against Ukraine].”

Former White House National Security Council official for Russia and Ukraine

15 May 2025 3 4

Mark Rutte

Inserted 2 days ago

“I think we have a window of opportunity this week and in the next 10 days - two weeks - to bring the issue of Ukraine to a more constructive level.”

Secretary General of NATO

15 May 2025 1 1

Hossein Derakhshan

Inserted 15 hours ago

“Iran needs to understand that this opportunity will not repeat itself and the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions is worth suspending uranium enrichment for 25 years, or even more!”

UK-based political commentator

14 May 2025 6 3

Omar Abu Layla

Inserted 3 days ago

“Now the ball is in the court of the new government. Despite tremendous challenges, Syrians were willing to give the new government a chance. But Mr. al-Shara had to focus on improving the lives of citizens, by expanding basic services like security, water and electricity.”

Syrian political analyst

14 May 2025 4 4

Karam Shaar

Inserted 3 days ago

“It could take longer, however, for individual Syrians to feel the difference. Economically, I think the impacts will take a lot longer to start flowing in because lifting sanctions is not as easy as just flipping a switch. You can't just make a political announcement. It is much more complicated.”

Director of a Middle East consulting firm

14 May 2025 5 2

Hashem Ahelbarra

Inserted 3 days ago

“This is a massive breakthrough, giving the new authorities in Syria more legitimacy internationally. Trump's decision would likely also pave the way for the GCC to commit more financial aid to the authorities in Syria. US sanctions had previously held them back from investing.”

Al Jazeera’s journalist reporting from Riyadh

14 May 2025 4 2

Andriy Yermak

Inserted 3 days ago

“If Putin is missing in Turkey on May 15, it will signal that Moscow does not want peace and is not ready for serious negotiations. We don't trust Russia... But we want to end this conflict, and we are ready to accept any negotiation format.”

Ukraine's presidential chief of staff

14 May 2025 (approx) 5 1

Natalia Shavshukova

Inserted 3 days ago

“Putin's only interest is a direct meeting with Trump... And Ukraine has become an excuse for the two leaders to meet. Putin doesn't appear interested in making a peace deal with Ukraine at the moment.”

Russian independent political scientist

14 May 2025 4 1

Donald Trump

Inserted 3 days ago

“We've liked each other and worked with each other. And now we can work in the highest capacity.”

President of the United States

14 May 2025 3 2

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Inserted 3 days ago

“I'll try to talk to Putin. It costs me nothing to say, 'hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit'.”

Brazil’s President

14 May 2025 3 2

Donald Trump

Inserted 3 days ago

“I don't know that he [Putin] would be there if I'm not there. I know he would like me to be there, and that's a possibility. If we could end the war, I'd be thinking about that.”

President of the United States

14 May 2025 5 1

Dmitry Peskov

Inserted 3 days ago

“The Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15. I will provide an update when we get the relevant instructions from the president. No such instructions have been received yet.”

Kremlin spokesman

14 May 2025 4 1

Christopher Mahoney

Inserted 3 days ago

“I think you have to immediately believe that, if there is a fight in one geographic area, because of these relationships, they will immediately metastasize or have a geographic, a geopolitical protraction. It can't be avoided. America's traditional assumptions about conflict escalation no longer hold. The idea of a short, sharp conflict, I think, is a fantasy. It just will not happen.”

Assistant commandant of the US Marine Corps

13 May 2025 6 2

James Bays

Inserted 4 days ago

“I think the words the Saudis will like to hear from the US president are, 'We like each other a lot,' because that's how Donald Trump does business. It's all about personal relations, transactional business, but all based on getting to know the person and liking the person. It's clear, I think, from the body language we've seen - not just now but also in the past - that the Saudi crown prince and the US president get on. They are people who can do business together.”

Aje

Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor

13 May 2025 6 2

Abdulaziz Alghashian

Inserted 4 days ago

“The extent of the many agreements reached between the US and Saudi Arabia speaks to the depth of their relationship, says. Saudi Arabia still sees the US as their main security partner and trading partner. It won't come at the cost of relations with others, but there's still a great deal of keenness to develop relations with the US and that's what we can see from the long list [of agreements] the Saudi Royal Court has just explained and highlighted.”

Aje

Director of research at the Riyadh-based Observer Research Foundation Middle East

13 May 2025 6 1

Oleh Saakyan

Inserted 4 days ago

“The whole cease-fire and talks spectacle has been staged for one spectator - Trump - in order to expose Putin as someone you can't do business with. The focus is likely now to shift toward the trans-Atlantic axis and the readiness of the West to actually and jointly impose sanctions on Russia. This is key now, and it will greatly shape the future of talks.”

Political commentator

13 May 2025 5 1

Alexander Friedman

Inserted 4 days ago

“If Putin shows up in Istanbul, it would already be a defeat. Simply entering negotiations with Zelenskyy would signal a loss for him - especially if he arrives under pressure, to a summit he clearly never planned to attend. Most likely, Russia won't be able to offer anything that would satisfy the Americans, the Ukrainians, or the Europeans. That could mark the end of the negotiations altogether.”

Russian political observer and historian

13 May 2025 7 2

Kaja Kallas

Inserted 4 days ago

“I don't think they (Russia) are interested in peace. They are still bombing Ukraine. If they were interested in peace, they could stop right now.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

13 May 2025 5 3

Alan Boswell

Inserted 4 days ago

“The army's regional backers could respond to the RSF's increased use of drones by doubling down on their support for the army. The obvious risk [from the attacks on Port Sudan] is that it brings other [regional powers] into deeper involvement on the army's side. We could see an escalating war with greater and greater firepower, and nothing would be left of Sudan's infrastructure by the end of it.”

Sudan expert for the International Crisis Group

13 May 2025 5 2

Hakan Fidan

Inserted 5 days ago

“I think the [conflicting] parties will reach a compromise and get together in the next few days. The two sides are making efforts to get American support. This is a normal situation.”

Tass

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye

12 May 2025 2 1

Zhiwei Zhang

Inserted 5 days ago

“The agreement is good starting point for both countries. From China's perspective, the outcome of this meeting is a success, as China took a tough stance on the U.S. threat of high tariffs and eventually managed to get the tariffs down significantly without making concessions.”

President and chief economist of Pinpoint Asset Management, an investment firm in Hong Kong

12 May 2025 5 3

Mark Williams

Inserted 5 days ago

“The agreement is another substantial retreat from the Trump administration's aggressive stance, because it does not include any commitments by China on its currency or trade imbalances. There is no guarantee that a 90-day truce will give way to a lasting agreement, especially if the United States continues trying to rally other countries to limit trade with China.”

Chief Asia economist for Capital Economics

12 May 2025 5 4

Scott Bessent

Inserted 5 days ago

“The consensus from both delegations is neither side wants to be decoupled. The tariffs were the equivalent of an embargo, something neither side favoured.”

United States Secretary of the Treasury

12 May 2025 3 3

Yair Lapid

Inserted 5 days ago

“The Americans are fed up with Netanyahu. We are happy to see every hostage return home to their family, to their parents - but those who remain in the tunnels are Israeli citizens. They were not released because the Israeli government did not make a deal to free them.”

Aje

Israeli opposition leader

12 May 2025 5 2

Simon Tyler

Inserted 5 days ago

“Starvation is being deliberately used as a weapon of war. The continued inaction of the UK alongside some of the most powerful governments in the world in the face of the Israeli authorities' deadly blockade is indefensible and could be judged as complicity under international law. Their 'deep concern' means nothing without action. More than two million people are at stake.”

Aje

Executive director of Doctors of the World UK

12 May 2025 6 1

Omer Celik

Inserted 5 days ago

“If the new PKK decision is fully implemented, shutting down all PKK branches, illegal structures, it will be a turning point. If terrorism is completely eradicated, it will open the door to a new era. The decision must apply to all PKK branches, affiliates and illegal structures.”

Spokesman for the governing Justice and Development Party, or AK Party

12 May 2025 3 2

Dmitry Peskov

Inserted 5 days ago

“Before this warning [new sanctions if a ceasefire is not established in Ukraine], we had already heard warnings the day before yesterday, and they were also voiced in the form of an ultimatum. But this language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia, it is not suitable. You can't talk to Russia in this language.”

Kremlin spokesman

12 May 2025 5 3

Stefan Kornelius

Inserted 5 days ago

“The clock is ticking- there are still twelve hours until the end of the day. Russia must agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of Monday, or it will face new sanctions. When today is over, preparations for sanctions measures will be initiated at the level of political advisors. At the same time, we are preparing the 17th package of sanctions in Brussels. These preparations are taking place in parallel with the negotiations [in Istanbul].”

German government spokesperson

12 May 2025 6 2

Tatiana Stanovaya

Inserted 3 days ago

“Putin's call for direct negotiations means that he sees an opportunity to draw Ukraine into an 'Istanbul-2' process, closely resembling the talks of March-April 2022, to pursue the same objectives - now including the newly annexed territories. The reality is that neither Moscow nor Kyiv is ready to agree to a durable peace, as their positions are fundamentally irreconcilable. The American initiative to broker a deal is doomed to fail - at least at this stage. Without internal upheaval in Russia or a battlefield breakthrough for Ukraine, which is unlikely at this point, external pressure on Moscow - such as tighter sanctions - would not change Putin's position. His objective remains to turn Ukraine into a 'friendly' state, and so long as he remains in power, he will continue either to fight or to coerce capitulation.”

Senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

11 May 2025 10 3

David French

Inserted 6 days ago

“Leo will forge his own path, and it's important not to read too much into various tweets and social media posts. But if there is one thing we can glean from the new pope's words and the way he has lived his life, it's that he shares Pope Francis' love for the poor and the vulnerable. He's expressing and trying to embody a religious faith that views all life as precious. I don't know what kind of pope Leo will ultimately become. But on Thursday, I felt the cultural wind shift just a tiny bit. An American man who confounds political categories now leads the world's largest church. As a friend texted me right after the pope's selection was announced, that shift 'almost feels like … hope'.”

New York Times Opinion columnist

11 May 2025 6 1

Abbas Araghchi

Inserted 6 days ago

“Enrichment is one of the achievements and honours of the Iranian nation. We have paid a heavy price for enrichment. The blood of our nuclear scientists has been spilled for this achievement.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran

11 May 2025 3 4

Olof Gill

Inserted 6 days ago

“E.U. standards, particularly as they relate to food, health and safety, are sacrosanct - that's not part of the negotiation, and never will be. That's a red line.”

Spokesperson for Economic Security, Trade, Financial Services, UK relations, Customs

11 May 2025 (approx) 9 2

Jamieson Greer

Inserted 6 days ago

“It's important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought. We're confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us work toward resolving that national emergency [unbalanced trade between the countries].”

U.S. trade representative

11 May 2025 4 3

Srinath Raghavan

Inserted 6 days ago

“Going back historically, many of the India-Pakistan conflicts have been stopped because of external intervention. Neither country has a significant military industrial base, and the need to rely on weapons sales from abroad means outside pressure can have an effect. But the positions of both sides appeared more extreme this time, and India in particular seemed to want to see if it could achieve an outcome different from previous conflicts. I think there is a stronger sort of determination, it seems, on the part of the Indian government to sort of make sure that the Pakistanis do not feel that they can just get away or get even. Which definitely is part of the escalatory thing. Both sides seem to feel that they cannot let this end with the other side feeling that they have somehow got the upper hand.”

Military historian and strategic analyst

11 May 2025 5 2

Donald Tusk

Inserted 6 days ago

“In response to our appeal, the Russians have proposed peace talks starting 15 May. The world, however, іs waiting for univocal decision on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine is ready. No more victims!”

Polish Prime Minister

11 May 2025 6 2

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Inserted 6 days ago

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”

X

President of Ukraine

11 May 2025 7 6

Péter Szijjártó

Inserted 1 week ago

“European leaders are postponing the moment of concluding peace in Ukraine due to concerns that they will have to bear responsibility for their wrong strategy of conflict solving. Statements of Europeans that Kiev can win on the battlefield and the time for truce has not yet come are only protracting the conflict in Ukraine. European politicians chose the wrong strategy. This created problems in the daily life of their citizens and the end of war will have consequences for these politicians. Therefore, they want to postpone this moment for as long as possible.”

Tass

Hungarian Foreign Minister

10 May 2025 4 3

Moeed Yusuf

Inserted 1 week ago

“I think this should be a lesson to everybody involved. A war under nuclear umbrella, any kind of war, ultimately will lead you to depend on good fortune than strategy to extract yourself from being sucked into a catastrophic end. The only way to truly avoid escalation in a nuclear environment is to prevent crises rather than manage them. Prevention of crises requires dispute resolution. For third parties, such as the US, coming in to deal with the situation is not a new thing. But once the crisis is managed, everybody goes on their merry ways and forgets the fact that the reasons for crisis still exist. It is critical that third parties push Pakistan and India to sit down and resolve, or at least work towards resolving their differences and disputes over time, so that, at the very least, they do not [end] up in a crisis every so often.”

Aje

Pakistan’s former National Security Adviser

10 May 2025 5 2

Andrii Sybiha

Inserted 1 week ago

“Ukraine and all allies are ready for a full unconditional cease-fire on land, air, and at sea for at least 30 days starting already on Monday, May 12. If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a durable ceasefire and confidence-building measures can pave the way to peace negotiations.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

10 May 2025 4 3

Keir Starmer

Inserted 1 week ago

“So all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it. No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.”

UK Prime Minister

10 May 2025 5 3

Elizabeth Threlkeld

Inserted 1 week ago

“This is a moment of the United States stepping in and claiming a more direct mediatory role than in other confrontations between India and Pakistan. I think it's important to recognise that the ceasefire was no sure thing, particularly as things escalated quite significantly in the past 24 hours. This was arguably the most serious crisis between the two sides since they got nuclear weapons. But how to avoid getting to this point again becomes the next question. There are real fundamental political issues that need to be addressed so we don't find ourselves again in a militarised crisis. The timing is significant since there is significant water flow between India and Pakistan because of the season at the moment. But in a few months' time, that will start to dry up. India does not necessarily have the infrastructure to meaningfully divert water right now, but it will gain that capacity when there's less flow. So, that will have to be on the agenda of the talks if the two sides are to come together.”

Aje

Director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Center

10 May 2025 5 4

Dmitry Peskov

Inserted 1 week ago

“They [Ukrainian authorities] are not ready for immediate negotiations. Ceasefire negotiations were supported by President Putin but he asked several questions. For the time being, Russian troops are advancing in quite a confident way.”

Tass

Kremlin spokesman

10 May 2025 5 3

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Inserted 1 week ago

“As for the question of the demilitarised zone, the disengagement of troops, I've heard about it in the media and not only in the media, from many different people, from many intelligence services. Officially, Ukraine has not proposed anything like this. But... like sappers, everyone is looking for some opportunities to conduct an experiment on us. The issue of the demilitarised zone in both directions is 15 kilometres - why 15 kilometres? And from which line will we measure it - from the border, from the contact line... Even if we talk about 15 kilometres, what are we going to do with Kherson? This means that there will be no our troops in Kherson. If our troops aren't in Kherson, we won't have Kherson.”

President of Ukraine

10 May 2025 5 4

Mohmad Waseem Malla

Inserted 1 week ago

“Given the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the last few days and a tangible risk of escalating into full-spectrum kinetic and non-kinetic engagement, the ceasefire serves as a face-saving mechanism. The strategic messaging in the press briefings of the two countries, both putting the onus of de-escalation on the other, signalled it. What this ceasefire agreement does is it provides a mutually face-saving mechanism for de-escalation, allowing both parties to step back from the brink and restore a degree of stability. More importantly the announcement would also mean that a window for diplomatic recalibration and the possibility of re-establishing a dialogue, however limited that may be, to discuss mutual issues of concern has opened. But simultaneously, how the two sides are able to sell this to their domestic audiences will decide the scope of such diplomatic engagements.”

Aje

Research fellow at International Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi

10 May 2025 6 2

Miles Pattenden

Inserted 1 week ago

“He's like a dual passport holder, he's the perfect pontiff for the present moment.”

Politico

Papal historian and lecturer at Oxford University

09 May 2025 2 1

Kamran Bokhari

Inserted 1 week ago

“The current situation is much more dangerous than in 2019. India appeared to be locked into an escalatory spiral. In case Pakistan makes a move, India will respond and up the ante. This is a new situation for Pakistan. For the military to say that it will respond in a time of its own choosing suggests they want to think it through, to strike in a manner that does not lead to escalation. But how that materialises is a function of capability and constraint.”

Senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC

09 May 2025 3 2

Christopher Clary

Inserted 1 week ago

“We have already seen this with air defence-focused strikes. But I fear other strikes are likely in the next 24 hours. I think we are still several days from de-escalation. More deaths are likely.”

Assistant professor of political science at the University at Albany

09 May 2025 3 2

Fiona Hill

Inserted 1 week ago

“This is the end of the international system as we know it. Frankly, it's been crumbling for quite a long time. President Trump no longer wants to either pay for this [international order] or support it, even in terms of political leadership, and that goes for domestic institutions that are also related to that projection of US influence and power on the outside.”

Trump’s former Russia adviser during his first term

09 May 2025 7 3

Chris Gunness

Inserted 1 week ago

“There's only one word to describe this, and this is aid washing. This is a cynical attempt by the state of Israel and its allies …. to use aid to hide the fact that what's actually going on is people are being starved into submission. They're being starved as a part of the mass and illegal force displacement, which is very much part of Israel's genocidal ambitions against the Palestinians.”

Former UNRWA spokesman

09 May 2025 7 1

Shafqat Ali Khan

Inserted 1 week ago

“It is most unfortunate that India's reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict. India's jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world.”

Aje

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman

09 May 2025 5 1

Mehbooba Mufti

Inserted 1 week ago

“Children, women and the elderly are dying and getting displaced on both sides of the border. There is an urgent need for restraint. The heads of both countries should carefully consider the situation and aim for de-escalation. Military action only addresses the symptoms, not the cause of the illness. It does not guarantee a solution or peace. Likewise, Irtiza Abbas, a 7-year-old killed on the other side of Kashmir. They are all caught in this crossfire. What is their mistake in all of this?”

Aje

Former chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir

09 May 2025 7 3

Afra Al Hameli

Inserted 1 week ago

“The UAE strongly rejects the suggestion that it is supplying weaponry to any party involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan. These claims are baseless and lack substantiated evidence. The UAE reaffirms its consistent and clear position: it is not providing arms or military support to any of the warring parties in Sudan. This has been conveyed directly to the United Nations and is reflected in the latest report of the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on the Sudan sanctions regime, which makes no findings against the UAE and provides no support to the allegations of UAE involvement in arms transfers to Sudan. The howitzer referenced in the report is a system manufactured outside the UAE and has been available on the international market for nearly a decade. The assertion that only one country has procured or transferred this system is invalid.”

X

Director of Strategic Communications of UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs

08 May 2025 7 3

Donald Trump

Inserted 1 week ago

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Truthsocial

President of the United States

08 May 2025 6 1

Praveen Donthi

Inserted 1 week ago

“It's only the United States which can actually put an end to these hostilities, which it did successfully in 2019. Because power really works. You know, there have been other friendly nations from the Middle East who've been trying to mediate, but that's not going to really work unless the U.S. steps in with full sincerity.”

Npr

Senior analyst at the International Crisis Group

08 May 2025 3 1

Robert Orsi

Inserted 1 week ago

“Leo XIII transformed how the Catholic church approached workers. But he also strongly put down a movement called Americanism. This movement was a kind of a nationalist impulse within Catholicism, with national churches claiming to have their own identities, their own particular ways of doing things. And I think by choosing the name Leo XIV, this pope was, without a doubt, signaling a return to a global Catholicism. The Vatican under the new Pope Leo would be subtle and wise with how he deals with the Trump administration. But I think they will also be strong on the issues that were mentioned, climate change, migration, immigration, workers, justice and so forth.”

Aje

Professor of religious studies at Northwestern University

08 May 2025 9 1

Hoda Abdel-Hamid

Inserted 1 week ago

“In his first public words, Pope Leo told supporters, 'peace be with all of you'. He emphasised the theme of peace throughout the address. He is clearly setting the tone for his papacy. He also had a political tone there, calling for peace everywhere, calling for disarmament, calling for building bridges. So we do get an idea in which direction he will be heading.”

Aje

Al Jazeera’s journalist reporting from Vatican City

08 May 2025 4 1

Andreas Thonhauser

Inserted 1 week ago

“Leo the XIII, back in the 19th century, wrote Rerum Novarum, which was the first time that the church really tackled the problems of the modern workforce. It's a balance between socialism and laissez-faire, free market capitalism. It was the base of Catholic social teaching, and is very relevant, I believe, today. This was not chosen by accident.”

Aje

Vatican journalist

08 May 2025 6 1

Vladimir Putin

Inserted 1 week ago

“I am certain that the constructive dialogue and interaction that has been established between Russia and the Vatican will develop further on the basis of the Christian values that unite us.”

Aje

08 May 2025 3 1

James Bretzke

Inserted 1 week ago

“The choice of name - Pope Leo XIV - is significant as Pope Leo XIII was the first pope to create the idea of social ethics in the Catholic church. Leo XIII, who ruled 1878 to 1903, wrote an encyclical which recognised how capitalism worked and the right of labour to organise and work for just living conditions and working conditions, which was really foundational in the church. Up until that time, the church's hierarchy tended to be identified with the upper class, and so Leo XIII put a redirection on the church, and certainly many of the popes since that time have built on that. I think we can see a deepening of the church's commitment to workers and the marginalised.”

Aje

Professor of theology at John Carroll University

08 May 2025 8 1

Vladimir Putin

Inserted 1 week ago

“The victory over fascism, achieved at the cost of enormous sacrifices, is of timeless importance. Russia and China firmly stand guard over historical truth and protect the memory of the events of the war years. Russia and China oppose modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism.”

President of Russia

08 May 2025 4 1

Denis Volkov

Inserted 1 week ago

“Russian consumers are grumbling about food prices, which rose at an annual rate of more than 12 percent in March, but these concerns have so far have not translated into broader dissatisfaction with the government. Rising wages, government subsidies for the poor, and decades of living with high inflation mean that in surveys conducted as recently as April more Russians say that their economic situation is improving, rather than worsening.”

Head of Moscow-based independent pollster Levada Center

08 May 2025 (approx) 7 2

Alexander Kolyandr

Inserted 1 week ago

“Mr. Putin has played down these challenges, accepting short-term economic pain and diplomatic setbacks in the hope that his persistence will eventually yield a triumph of historic proportions. They are convinced that they are more resilient than their opponents. They believe that victory will not go to the side that is the best, but to the one that remains standing the longest.”

Russian economy expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis

08 May 2025 3 4

Ursula von der Leyen

Inserted 1 week ago

“We believe there are good deals to be made for the benefit of consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities, and the consultation launched today will help guide us in this necessary work.”

President of the European Commission

08 May 2025 5 2

Michael Kugelman

Inserted 1 week ago

“India has said it has no intention of further military action, unless it is attacked by Pakistan. For now, Pakistan has vowed retaliation for the initial Indian airstrikes but it has also said it wants de-escalation. Amid reports of missile and drone attacks, Pakistan's vow to respond may sharpen. We've gone beyond the strike, counterstrike, de-escalation pattern that has marked the most recent crises. Additional action by either side would send escalation risks through the roof. So the next few hours will be critical.”

Aje

Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC

08 May 2025 6 2

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry

Inserted 1 week ago

“It appears that India has apparently lost the plot and, rather than going on a path of rationality, is further escalating in a highly charged environment. Pakistan Armed Forces remain fully vigilant to any type of threat.”

Pakistan Army spokesperson

08 May 2025 3 2

James David Vance

Inserted 1 week ago

“I'm not yet that pessimistic on this, I wouldn't say that the Russians are 'uninterested'. What I'd say is right now the Russians are asking for a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much. The step that we would like to make right now is: we'd like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another. Obviously, the United States is happy to participate in these conversations. But it's very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another. There remains a wide gap between the Russian and Ukrainian positions on what would constitute an acceptable end to the war. We think the next step in the negotiations is to try to close that gulf.”

US Vice President

07 May 2025 5 3

Asfandyar Mir

Inserted 1 week ago

“The scale and nature of the attacks by India are likely to provoke a significant retaliation by Pakistan. After attacks against Indian security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir in 2016 and 2019, India conducted more limited strikes in Pakistani-controlled territory. But this time, India has crossed two significant thresholds in its military action by hitting a large number of sites in Pakistan and striking the Pakistani heartland in Punjab.”

Senior fellow in the South Asia program at the Stimson Center in Washington

07 May 2025 5 2

Khawaja Asif

Inserted 1 week ago

“If they (India) impose an all-out war on the region and if such dangers arise in which there is a standoff, then at any time a nuclear war can break out. If they [India] aggravate this [matter] then if a chance of war arises in which there is a sign of nuclear option being used on both sides, then the responsibility for that will be on India.”

Dawn

Minister of Defence of Pakistan

07 May 2025 4 2

Gilles Verniers

Inserted 1 week ago

“Pakistan has multiple options for retaliation, primarily across the Line of Control that divides Kashmir, but will seek to avoid being seen as responsible for escalating the conflict. Both parties will want to claim that their responses remain proportionate, which may be a factor of moderation. The key question is whether the habitual moderating factors that intervene in moments of tension can be effective. There has been no diplomatic dialogue between India and Pakistan in recent years. Also Pakistan remains mired in political unrest and the United States has lost some of its leverage on Islamabad since its withdrawal from the region in 2020. The combination of these factors is fuelling uncertainty in this crisis.”

Aje

Senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi

07 May 2025 7 3

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry

Inserted 1 week ago

“We must remember that India targeted mosques in Pakistan. Targeting mosques and places of worship reflects the narrow-minded thinking that grows under the dominance of Hindutva [ideology] adopted by Modi's government, where minorities, especially Muslims, are deprived of their religious freedom and targeted.”

Aje

Pakistan Army spokesperson

07 May 2025 8 2

Shahid Hussain

Inserted 1 week ago

“Pakistan has effectively conveyed that any further escalation will be met with a proportionate response. The message is clear: Pakistan reserves the right to strike back if provocations persist. Pakistan has questioned how it could be responsible for a terror attack while simultaneously being targeted by external destabilisation efforts. Pakistan is victim of terrorism itself, how can a country which is a victim of terrorism themselves go into Indian-occupied Kashmir and carry out an attack itself?”

Aje

Pakistani political commentator

07 May 2025 6 3

Praveen Donthi

Inserted 1 week ago

“In many ways, the May 7 Indian missile attacks were in keeping with the script New Delhi had outlined since the April 22 killings in Pahalgam. This moment aligns with India's self-projection as a strong security state with zero tolerance for terrorism, primarily directed against Pakistan, and Modi's strongman persona. It was a self-created litmus test that the Indian government needed to ace. There are likely domestic dividends for it. But, the Indian attack on Pakistan also portends future risks.”

Senior analyst at the International Crisis Group

07 May 2025 5 3

Rasheed Kidwai

Inserted 1 week ago

“The Pahalgam attack had emotionally driven a desire in the Indian public for retribution against the attackers and those seen as their enablers. And Modi, with his image as someone who delivers on national security, was catering to those sentiments. India is retaliating in a precise manner.”

Political analyst

07 May 2025 7 3

Michael Kugelman

Inserted 1 week ago

“There was a high level of pressure on Modi to respond with muscle. It would have been unfathomable for India's government not to respond militarily, given Modi's self-projection as an administrator who is strong, confident, decisive, determined to hit back hard against terrorism.”

Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC

07 May 2025 3 3

Sumantra Bose

Inserted 1 week ago

“Surgically targeted precision strikes do not change the fact that there have been these large explosions in major Pakistani population centres. This is proper Pakistan, not Pakistan-administered-Kashmir [claimed by India].”

Indian political scientist

07 May 2025 3 4

Karl-Rudolf Korte

Inserted 1 week ago

“These are times of dwindling certainty, not only as far as important political decisions are concerned, but also with regard to majorities.”

Politico

Political scientist

06 May 2025 1 3

Meron Rapoport

Inserted 1 week ago

“I don't think anyone really believes it will change anything, that it will stop the Houthis from launching other missiles into Israel. It's mostly I think for internal consumption and to show the world that it [Israel] can hit wherever it wants. While the Houthis remain a lower priority for Israeli intelligence compared to Hezbollah, their recent missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport was a significant blow. Israel portrayed the last attack as a failure of the [air defence] system. If it fails again [during a Houthi attack], then I think it will put Israel in a very difficult situation.”

Aje

Israeli journalist and writer

06 May 2025 5 2

Donald Trump

Inserted 1 week ago

“The Houthis have announced that they don't want to fight anymore. They just don't want to fight. And we will honour that, and we will, we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated, but more importantly, they we will take their word they say they will not be blowing up ships anymore. We just found out about that. So I think that's very, very positive … I will accept their word, and we are going to stop the bombing of the booties, effective immediately.”

Aje

President of the United States

06 May 2025 2 3

Hind Kabawat

Inserted 1 week ago

“He [President Ahmed al-Shara] listens to people, and this is the good thing about him. Every time there is a problem, we can send messages and they listen, they discuss. And this is their flexibility. Don't forget also that he's young. They're all young, by the way, and they know that. If they're not going to be flexible, listen to others, they're not going run a country that includes everybody. And if there is a mistake, we correct it together. We learn together and we empower each other. So he knows that he cannot run a country like Syria alone.”

Minister of Social Affairs and Labour in the new transitional government of Syria

06 May 2025 (approx) 1 4

Oleksandr Syrskyi

Inserted 1 week ago

“This [Kursk] operation, which has been underway for nine months, has achieved most of its objectives. Thanks to our active operations in Kursk Oblast, we prevented the Russians from launching an offensive campaign in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. The buffer zone established by Ukraine's defence forces in the border areas remains relevant today.”

Ukraine’s commander of ground forces

05 May 2025 5 4

Tamir Hayman

Inserted 1 week ago

“The attempts to pressure Hamas with overwhelming force had been exhausted after more than a year and a half of war. Eliminating Hamas as a terror organization by military force only is very difficult. Israel would be better off ending the war with Hamas, which has been weakened significantly and can be kept in check after the fighting ends.”

Executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank in Tel Aviv - Former head of Israel Defence Intelligence

05 May 2025 2 1

Emmanuel Macron

Inserted 1 week ago

“Nobody could imagine a few years ago that one of the great democracies of the world would eliminate research programs on the pretext that the word 'diversity' appeared in its program. It was unthinkable that a nation whose economy depends so heavily on free science would commit such an error.”

President of France

05 May 2025 5 4

Benjamin Netanyahu

Inserted 1 week ago

“We have not finished the war. We will perform this operation with a unified military, with a powerful army and deeply resolved soldiers.”

Prime Minister of Israel

04 May 2025 3 1

Nicusor Dan

Inserted 1 week ago

“This was a democratic process that Romania needed…this won't be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one. I call on all Romanians to be part of this battle, and I am optimistic that we will win.”