Press review: Switzerland open to hosting Putin-Trump talks as NATO and EU back Ukraine
Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 15th
G20 Summit 2019
MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. NATO and the European Union seek to boost military support for Ukraine; Switzerland is ready to host any potential negotiations between US-Russia leaders; and Hamas and Israel disagree over the post-war transfer of power in Gaza. These stories topped Friday's newspaper headlines across Russia.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: NATO and European Union plan to continue military support for Ukraine
The successful actions of Russian troops on the front line and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election appear to have intensified behind-the-scenes negotiations in Europe over the prospect of ending hostilities in Ukraine. A territorial ceasefire in exchange for security guarantees is reportedly being discussed. The EU and NATO, however, say they intend to escalate military support for Kiev. Experts told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that they believe the best response to such statements will be an increase in offensive actions by Russian forces on the front line and the pushback of Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region.
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Ukrainian media quoted Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as saying that the country would continue to mobilize in 2025 to "solve defense tasks and achieve military goals."In turn, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris that Western countries must reaffirm their commitment to continuing the conflict and do more for Ukraine.
Earlier in Brussels, Rutte emphasized that the EU and NATO should play an important role in the matter. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell told a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on November 13 that if Washington stops military aid to Kiev, the EU will have to make a massive financial and industrial effort to compensate. Borrell also stressed that a solution must be found for what to do with the frozen Russian assets.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are advancing toward Kupyansk and Pokrovsk. Major events are possible on the Zaporozhye front, while a major offensive by Russian troops is also expected in the Kursk region. According to the New York Times, it could begin in the next few days.
Military expert, retired Lieutenant General Yury Netkachev, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are still maintaining their combat capability and accumulating reserves. "Judging by the announced mobilization, Kiev plans to put 160,000 recruits into service. Three or four army corps can be formed with them. All this will be possible as early as 2025. Moreover, the EU and NATO are planning to increase military assistance to Kiev,"Netkachev noted, pointing out that the administration of current US President Joe Biden is determined to send as much aid as possible to Ukraine in the final months of its term.
Izvestia: Switzerland open to hosting potential Putin-Trump negotiations
Switzerland is prepared to serve as a venue for talks between the leaders of the United States and Russia, according to the country's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, which spoke with Izvestia. However, Moscow remains highly skeptical about Bern's neutrality, given Switzerland's support for anti-Russian sanctions and its active cooperation with NATO forces, the newspaper reports. Experts suggest that, alongside Switzerland, several countries in Asia, Africa, and South America could also serve as potential hosts for negotiations between the two leaders.
Trump sees possibility of talks with Putin
"Traditionally, Swiss foreign policy is centered on offering its services as a mediator whenever both parties agree,"Head of the press service of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Nicolas Bidault, told Izvestia when asked if Bern would be willing to host a new Russia-US summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated earlier at a Valdai Club meeting that Russia is open to the possibility of resuming a full-scale dialogue with Washington, but emphasized that the initiative must come from the United States. Regarding potential meeting locations, it is important to take into account the openly hostile stance of some nations toward Russia, Izvestia reports.
Meanwhile, program manager at the Russian International Affairs Council Konstantin Sukhoverkhov ruled out Hungary as a potential site for negotiations between Putin and Trump. He argued that, despite Orban’s reasonable position, Hungary's membership in the EU would prevent it from hosting such a high-level meeting. Nevertheless, the expert did not dismiss the possibility that one of the countries in Asia, Africa, or South America could be chosen as a venue.
"It will definitely not be Japan, South Korea, or China. India might be a suitable candidate. However, there’s also a strong possibility the meeting could take place in Vietnam or in an African country, such as Egypt, South Africa, or Brazil,"the expert explained.
Before organizing a summit at the presidential level, substantial preparatory work should be done at the foreign policy agency level, expert on US affairs Igor Pshenichny said in an interview with the newspaper. He noted that, when selecting a country for a potential summit, security concerns must be prioritized, as not all friendly nations have the capacity to organize such a significant event while preventing any security breaches.
Izvestia: Hamas agrees to post-war transfer of power in Gaza Strip
Hamas agreed to restore the jurisdiction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) over the Gaza Strip after the war ends, the official representative of Fatah, Abd al-Fattah al-Dawla, told Izvestia. The agreement was reached during negotiations in Cairo between the Fatah and Hamas movements. At the same time, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Izvestia that the Jewish state does not accept the authority of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
"The parties (Hamas and Fatah -Izvestia) agreed that any form of internal government in the Gaza Strip should fall under the jurisdiction of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA),"the Fatah representative said.
Discussions will continue until a consensus is reached on all issues that address the challenges at this stage, which will enable the restoration of daily life and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, Abd al-Fattah al-Dawla added.
Additionally, the factions agreed to oppose any attempts to separate the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian state.
However, despite the theoretical possibility of restoring the PNA's jurisdiction over Gaza, Israel may oppose this in practice, since the Jewish state accuses the Palestinian Authority of supporting terrorism.
"After the end of military operations in the Gaza Strip and the release of all our kidnapped citizens, there will be no Hamas or PNA authority on the territory of the Strip,"advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister Dmitry Gendelman told Izvestia.
"On one hand, representatives of the Israeli government rejected the idea of transferring control over the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority. On the other hand, no realistic alternative plans were proposed,"researcher at the Center for Middle East Studies at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Lyudmila Samarskaya, told the newspaper.
Vedomosti: Trump's attorney general, intelligence chief picks spark controversy
The US Department of Justice and the Intelligence Community will most likely be headed by Donald Trump's closest allies Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, respectively. Experts told Vedomosti that the president-elect could plan to use them to "purge"these departments of his political opponents.
According to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gaetz has already resigned from his congressional post and is preparing to take a position in the future administration. The decision to appoint Gaetz as attorney general was controversial, as Trump's opponents see Gaetz as an unqualified and biased careerist who will directly carry out the will of the US president, Vedomosti writes.
Trump's decision to appoint Gabbard as national intelligence chief has provoked an equally harsh reaction, mainly from Democrats and their allies. They criticized her primarily for her foreign policy views -for example, Gabbard has repeatedly accused the Joe Biden administration of exacerbating the crisis in Ukraine.
Gaetz was chosen by Trump for one purpose -to stop all criminal cases against him, chief researcher at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Vasiliev told Vedomosti. "Trump needs a person who will carry out any order. Gaetz is 100% suitable for this,"the expert said.
Trump could see Gaetz as a loyal and ideologically close politician who would help fight the so-called deep state, political scientist Malek Dudakov believes. The expert stressed that in the eyes of the president-elect, Gaetz and Gabbard are politicians outside the system, just like him.
The experts agreed that another task of the appointees is to make structural changes in the departments entrusted to them. They will have to appoint officials loyal to Trump and fire those who might sabotage his agenda.
Kommersant: US dollar OTC exchange rate exceeds 100 Rubles
The over-the-counter (OTC) exchange rate of the US dollar in Russia reached a 13-month high and rose above 100 rubles per dollar. The strengthening of the dollar's position in the Russian market has continued since August, following the easing of requirements for the sale of export earnings, Kommersant writes. In recent days, the dynamics of the US currency have also been affected by the improvement of its position in the global market after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.
On Thursday, November 14, the dollar OTC exchange rate once again exceeded the level of 100 rubles, the highest since October 10. As in the previous two cases, on October 9 and November 6 this year, the rate failed to stay above the psychologically important level and later dropped to 99.15 rubles per dollar.
The US currency has been gaining strength in Russia since the beginning of August. The main reason for the weakening of the ruble was the growing shortage of foreign currency against the backdrop of increasing imports and decreasing exports, as well as a decline in foreign exchange earnings due to falling world oil prices and the easing of requirements for their repatriation, Kommersant writes. According to Mikhail Vasiliev, chief analyst at Sovcombank, the current requirements are akin to the abolition of compulsory sales, as exporters already sell part of the currency to pay taxes, salaries, and rent.
Looking ahead, analysts believe the ruble could stabilize above the 100 rubles per dollar level. At the same time, experts do not expect the authorities to take drastic measures in the currency market, as a weaker ruble is preferable given growing budget expenditures.
"The authorities will become more active if the exchange rate exhibits a volatile trend. It is a ‘red flag’for the authorities if the exchange rate fluctuates by 2-3-5% each session over an extended period,"Senior Vice President of the Market Research and Strategy Office at Rosbank Yuri Tulinov told Kommersant. However, the market is currently far from such a pace, "and therefore it is unlikely that emergency measures will be taken,"the expert added.
