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Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump both ready to talk

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Trump has repeatedly praised Putin over the yearsImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Silva
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election. The Kremlin chief said Trump’s past remarks about Ukraine and restoring relations with Russia warranted attention.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his US election victory and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican president-elect.

Trump, who also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has boasted he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine within hours and has repeatedly criticized US aid to Ukraine.

What Trump and Putin said about each other

In his first public remarks since Trump’s win, Putin highlighted Trump’s remarks during the US election campaign about Ukraine and restoring relations with Russia.

“What was said about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to bring about the end of the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, this deserves attention at least,” said Putin.

“I take this opportunity to congratulate him,” Putin said in remarks to the Valdai forum in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

When asked if he was open to holding talks with Trump, the Russian leader said: “Ready.”

Putin also praised Trump, saying the former president had acted like a “real man” during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.

Trump also revealed he was prepared for some kind of conversation, telling NBC News in an interview that “I think we’ll speak.”

The 78-year-old said he had spoken to “probably” 70 world leaders since Wednesday morning but revealed that he had not talked to Putin.

A book by US investigative reporter Bob Woodward has asserted that Trump and Putin may have spoken as many as seven times during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Putin as well as other authoritarian leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Zelensky says call with Trump ‘excellent’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of US aid for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s nearly three-year-old invasion.

“I praised his family and team for their great work,” Zelenskyy said. “We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”

Kyiv is desperate to shore up support from European allies in its fight against Moscow after Trump’s victory raised doubts about future US assistance.

Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelenskyy said it would be “unacceptable” for Europe to offer the Kremlin concessions to halt its invasion of Ukraine.

He criticized those who were pressuring him to give in to some of Putin’s tough demands that Ukraine cede swathes more territory in its east and south as a precondition to peace talks.

“There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions,” Zelensky said in an address.

“It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all Europe,” he added.

Politics

APC Can’t Take Anambra Like Edo, Imo and Kogi— Gov Chukwuma Soludo

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‎Governor Charles Soludo has dismissed the chances of the All Progressives Congress in the upcoming November 8 Anambra governorship election, declaring that the party lacks the grassroots presence needed to win in the state.

‎Soludo, who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance, made the statement during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time.

‎The National Chairman of the ruling APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, had repeatedly stated that the APC had its eyes on southern states under the opposition control, such as Edo, Anambra, Osun and Oyo states.

‎But the governor stated that APC was able to prevail in states like kogi and imo because the incumbent governor’s got reelected, and they prevailed in Edo because they had grassroot structure.

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List of ambassadorial nominees not ready – Foreign Affairs Ministry

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The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that President Bola Tinubu is yet to make any official appointment of ambassadors.

This clarification was issued in response to a list of ambassadorial nominees currently circulating on social media.

In a statement released by the acting spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the list was described as false and should be disregarded.

The statement read: “Kindly disregard the frenzy about the ambassadorial list.

“Be rest assured that, when it is ready, Mr. President will transmit the list of nominees to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation.”

The ministry assured Nigerians that the public would be duly informed through the appropriate channels once a legitimate list is finalised.

This clarification comes amid heightened public interest in Nigeria’s diplomatic representation, particularly following the recall of all ambassadors in September 2023.

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Rivers crisis: You introduced violence, ethnic politics – Wike’s aide knocks Ada George

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Former Governor of Rivers State, Rufus Ada George, has been challenged to list a single positive development he brought to the state, other than an alleged introduction of violence and ethnic politics.

This challenge was issued by the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, on Thursday.

In a statement he signed, Olayinka said it was on record that the only impact that can be linked to George was the introduction of “Bush Boys” militant group, which he used to settle political scores.

According to Olayinka: “At old age, people should begin to desist from acting shamelessly.

“After leaving office as Governor in 1993, what happened to his relationship with Dr Peter Odili, who was his deputy? Why did he not support Odili for governor in 1999 and 2003? Why was he in All People’s Party (APP) while Odili was in People’s Democratic Party (PDP)?

“Records of his involvement in the activities of the Bush Boys are well documented in the report of the 2008 Justice Kayode Eso led Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which heard accusations that he (Ada George) sponsored the Bush Boys in the September 2001 violence.

“As a former Governor of Rivers State, he could not reconcile the warring Okrika factions, reason they didn’t have an Amayanabo until Wike became governor. Rather than resolve the chieftaincy crisis, Ada George took side and used his Bush Boys militant group against those against his preferred candidate.

“As Rivers State Governor, in 1993, when violence ensued in the Ogoni people’s protest against exploitation by Shell, Ada George took side with his former employer against the Ogoni people.

“That’s the person of Ada George, who was among those who took side with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara when he threw rule of law to the dogs and was boasting that the State House of Assembly and its members existed only because he wanted them to exist.

“He never for once told Fubara the truth that it was illegal to run a House of Assembly of 32 members with just three members and that it the height of wickedness to deny fellow indigenes of Rivers State their entitlements, thereby making it difficult for to feed and take care of their wives and children.

“Today, at close to 85 years, the same Ada George, who was urging Fubara on in his regime of lawlessness, is addressing the press and advertising his shamelessly by accusing the FCT Minister of being behind the political crisis in Rivers State, including the imposition of a state of emergency and the appointment of sole administrators in all 23 local government areas.

“One wonders where he kept his position as an elder when members of the State House of Assembly, who are indigenes of Rivers State were deprived of their salary and other entitlements by Fubara.

“Also, did the same Ada George, not say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a ‘meddlesome interloper who engaged in executive rascality by intervening in the crisis and reaching amicable resolutions that all parties signed?’

“Therefore, Ada George is advised to for once, be circumspect and stop advertising shamelessness at old age.”

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