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.”
5 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.”
6 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.”
6 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.”
6 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?”
6 hours ago
Scott Kennedy
“This is diplomatic theater, nothing more. Other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, haven't attended US presidential inaugurations.”
6 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.”
6 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.”
9 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.”
9 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
15 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.”
5 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.”
6 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.”
6 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.”
6 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?”
6 hours ago
Scott Kennedy
“This is diplomatic theater, nothing more. Other heads of state, let alone Xi Jinping, haven't attended US presidential inaugurations.”
6 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.”
6 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.”
9 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.”
9 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
12 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.”
15 hours ago
“Donald Trump's election last week for a second term in the White House is likely to be on leaders' minds in Riyadh. This summit is very much an opportunity for regional leaders to signal to the incoming Trump administration what they want in terms of US engagement. The message will likely be one of dialogue, de-escalation and calling out Israeli military campaigns in the region.”