NUUK: &quot;We don&#39;t want to be Americans,&quot; Greenland&#39;s political parties said after US President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the mineral-rich Danish autonomous territory. The statement late Friday came after Trump repeated that Washington was &ldquo;going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not&rdquo;. &ldquo;We don&#39;t want to be Americans, we don&#39;t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders,&rdquo; the leaders of five parties in Greenland&#39;s parliament said. &quot;The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders.&quot; Denmark and other European allies have voiced shock at Trump&#39;s threats to take control of Greenland, where the United States already has a military base. Trump says controlling the strategic island is crucial for US national security, given the rising military activity of Russia and China in the Arctic. &lsquo;Nice way or the more difficult way&rsquo;&quot;We&#39;re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. That&#39;s what they&#39;re going to do if we don&#39;t. So we&#39;re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way,&quot; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-greenland-deal-will-happen-easy-or-hard-threatens-iran" style="color:#0073e6;">US president said Friday.</a> Both Russia and China have increased military activity in the region in recent years, but neither has laid any claim to the vast icy island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an invasion of Greenland would end &ldquo;everything&rdquo;, meaning the transatlantic NATO defense pact and the post-World War II security structure. Trump has made light of the concerns of Denmark, a steadfast US ally that joined the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. &lsquo;Boat land there 500 years ago&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#39;m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you. And you know, they&#39;ve been very nice to me,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;But you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn&rsquo;t mean that they own the land.&rdquo; Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet next week with Denmark&#39;s foreign minister and representatives from Greenland.

Americas

Europe

US President Trump says controlling the strategic island is crucial for US national security, given the rising military activity of Russia and China in the Arctic.

'We don't want to be Americans': Greenland's political parties

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald J Trump said Wednesday that China and Russia fear and respect only a United States rebuilt under his leadership, arguing that American military strength depends primarily on US power rather than NATO alliances. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that &ldquo;the only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT rebuilt U.S.A.,&rdquo; asserting that NATO would lack credibility without American involvement.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2008920160808091781&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6049400c4ece6876c01e87f3ab8cf27c57b7517e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 826px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2008920160808091781"></iframe></div></div>He claimed that Russia and China have &ldquo;zero fear of NATO without the United States&rdquo; and questioned whether the alliance would come to Washington&rsquo;s aid in a crisis. Trump credited himself with rebuilding the US military during his first term and said that this effort was central to global stability and deterrence. The president also repeated earlier claims that his leadership prevented Russia from fully overtaking Ukraine and that he played a decisive role in ending multiple international conflicts. Trump said: &quot;Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren&rsquo;t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn&rsquo;t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now.&quot; The US president said: &quot;Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn&rsquo;t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.&quot; &quot;We will always be there for NATO, even if they won&rsquo;t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT.&quot; &nbsp;

Says, ‘RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM.’

Russia, China have zero fear of Nato without US: Trump 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned the reported targeting of the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a grave threat to peace and regional stability.&nbsp;In a statement posted on social media platform X, the prime minister said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the government and people of the Russian Federation and reiterated Islamabad&rsquo;s firm rejection of all forms of violence aimed at undermining peace and security. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005822489709142201&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=92548bd0643675c14bf9567fc2f63c551b5729ac&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2005822489709142201"></iframe></div></div>The statement comes hours after Russia accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russia-says-ukraine-attacked-putins-home-kyiv-calls-this-lie" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">attack on one of President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s residences</a> &mdash; an allegation Kyiv dismissed as false and politically motivated.&nbsp;Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Ukraine fired 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles at Putin&rsquo;s residence in the Novgorod region between late Sunday and early Monday, all of which were allegedly intercepted. No evidence was provided.&nbsp;Lavrov warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position, accusing Kyiv of shifting toward what he described as &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the accusation, calling it &ldquo;a complete fabrication&rdquo; aimed at undermining US-led peace efforts.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump, who held a phone call with President Putin earlier on Monday, criticised the timing of the alleged incident.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like it. It&rsquo;s not good,&rdquo; Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence. &ldquo;You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a delicate period of time. This is not the right time,&rdquo; he added.

Foreign Affairs

Calls it a grave threat to peace and regional stability.

PM Sharif condemns attack on Russian president’s residence

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that Kyiv&#39;s allies would meet in Paris next month to discuss security guarantees as part of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. &quot;We will bring together the countries of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris in early January to finalize each one&#39;s concrete contributions,&quot; Macron said on X after speaking with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. Macron said discussions were advancing on security guarantees that he described as essential for achieving a just and lasting peace.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005430041782759531&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3111%2F&sessionId=6aea73df3a5fbbfbca8118eceaa43cf257cf59db&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005430041782759531"></iframe></div></div>He added that countries forming the &ldquo;Coalition of the Willing&rdquo; would meet in Paris in early January to finalize their specific commitments. The statement comes hours after&nbsp;Trump said a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-ukraine-deal-closer-but-no-talks-breakthrough" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">deal was closer than ever</a> to end the Ukraine war, but reported no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory after new talks with the warring countries&#39; leaders. Trump, who had promised a peace deal on day one of his nearly year-old presidency, said it would become clear within weeks whether it was possible to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people since February 2022. In a pre-New Year&#39;s diplomatic sprint, Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Florida, where the two met with top aides over lunch, a day after Russia unleashed major new attacks on residential areas of the capital Kyiv. Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who immediately insisted that Moscow was &quot;serious&quot; about peace despite the assault. &quot;I really believe we&#39;re, Mr. President, probably closer than &mdash; far closer than &mdash; ever before with both parties,&quot; Trump said with Zelensky at his side in the tea room of his Mar-a-Lago estate. &quot;Everybody wants it ended,&quot; Trump said.

Says discussions are advancing on security guarantees that he describes as essential for achieving a just and lasting peace.

Macron says Kyiv allies to meet in Paris early January

MOSCOW: A senior Russian general was killed in southern Moscow on Monday after an explosive device placed under his car went off, investigators said in a statement.&nbsp;Russia&#39;s Investigative Committee, which examines major crimes, said it had opened a probe into the &quot;murder&quot; of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the training department within the General Staff.&nbsp;The possibility that the attack was &quot;linked&quot; to &quot;Ukrainian special forces&quot; was among the lines of inquiry, it said.&nbsp;Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has been blamed for several attacks targeting Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin personalities in Russia and in Russian-controlled Ukrainian regions.&nbsp;General Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy of the General Staff, was killed in a car blast near Moscow in April.&nbsp;In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian radiological, chemical and biological defence forces, was killed when a booby-trapped electric scooter exploded in Moscow, an attack claimed by Ukraine&#39;s SBU security service.&nbsp;A Russian military blogger, Maxim Fomin, was killed when a statuette exploded in a Saint Petersburg cafe in April 2023.&nbsp;And in August 2022, a car bomb killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin.

Authorities are investigating whether the attack may be linked to Ukrainian special forces.

Russian general killed in a Moscow explosion: Investigators

WASHINGTON: US and Russian officials are meeting in Miami this weekend for new talks on President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for ending the Ukraine war, a White House official told AFP Wednesday.&nbsp;The talks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump&#39;s envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a &quot;new year of war.&quot;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s roving envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to take part on the US side, while Putin&#39;s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is set to be in the Russian delegation, Politico reported.&nbsp;The White House official did not give details of the US and Russian teams.&nbsp;There has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-ukraine-deal-close-europe-proposes-peace-force" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">flurry of international diplomacy</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks to end the four-year war, with Witkoff and Kushner having met Putin in the Kremlin in November and the Ukrainians and European leaders in Berlin.&nbsp;But large differences remain all around.&nbsp;Ukraine and the United States say there has been progress on&nbsp;future security&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-offers-natolike-security-to-ukraine-expects-russia-to-accept" target="_blank">guarantees for Kyiv</a>, but they disagree on which&nbsp;territory Ukraine would have to cede.&nbsp;Putin, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that Moscow would &quot;certainly&quot; achieve its objectives in the war, including seizing the territories it claims are its own.

The talks come after Ukrainian president hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump's envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a 'new year of war.'

US, Russia to hold talks on Ukraine in Miami this weekend: White House

DOHA: European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Saturday that the United States was still Europe&#39;s main ally as she sought to downplay a new US National Security Strategy critical of European institutions. &quot;Of course, there&#39;s a lot of criticism, but I think some of it is also true,&quot; Kallas told the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference in Qatar&rsquo;s capital, in response to a question about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/new-trump-strategy-says-us-to-readjust-global-presence-pakistan-tv-digital" style="color:#0073e6;">US strategy</a>. The &ldquo;US is still our biggest ally... I think we haven&rsquo;t always seen eye to eye on different topics, but I think the overall principle is still there. We are the biggest allies, and we should stick together.&rdquo; &lsquo;Civilizational erasure&rsquo;Washington&#39;s new National Security Strategy, published early Friday, took aim at Europe, calling it over-regulated, lacking in &ldquo;self-confidence&rdquo; and facing &ldquo;civilizational erasure&rdquo; due to immigration.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/c0f9405b-600c-4d8d-89bb-2747ed92c15c-Untitled(4).jpg" alt="Untitled(4).jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">DOHA: EU Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (3rdL) speaks during a panel session on the opening day of the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference, in Doha on December 6, 2025. -- Photo by AFP</figcaption></figure>The document puts into writing the offensive launched months ago by US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration against Europe, which the US has accused of taking advantage of American generosity, a radical departure from previous US policy. &lsquo;More self-confident&rsquo;&ldquo;Europe has been underestimating its own power. Towards Russia, for example... we should be more self-confident,&rdquo; Kallas said. Ukrainian and US officials will hold a third straight day of talks in Miami on Saturday, in discussions aimed at ending over three years of war with Russia. Washington&rsquo;s plan involves Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not been able to win on the battlefield in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv&#39;s aspirations to join NATO. &lsquo;Not only in Ukraine or Gaza&rsquo;&ldquo;Putting limitations and stress on Ukraine actually does not bring us long-lasting peace,&rdquo; Kallas told the Doha Forum. &ldquo;If aggression is rewarded, we will see it happen again, and not only in Ukraine or Gaza, but all around the world,&rdquo; she added.

Says ‘US is still our biggest ally... I think we haven’t always seen eye to eye on different topics, but I think the overall principle is still there. We are the biggest allies.’

US still EU’s ‘biggest ally’, says Kaja Kallas

NEW DELHI: Russia and India call each other &ldquo;time-tested&rdquo; friends with ties dating back to the Soviet era, but their relationship has come under significant pressure since Moscow&#39;s invasion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has pressured India to curb purchases of Russian oil -- arguing it is fuelling Moscow&rsquo;s war -- and has imposed steep 50% tariffs on New Delhi. The relationship comes under further scrutiny as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/putin-to-visit-india-december-45-kremlin" style="color:#0073e6;">Russian President Vladimir Putin visits New Delhi</a>on Thursday, his first trip to India since December 2021.&nbsp; He last met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September in China. Here are five key areas of cooperation and tension: <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Oil and energy&nbsp;</h2>India emerged as a major buyer of Russian oil after the start of the Ukraine war, providing Moscow with a crucial export market as Europe sharply reduced purchases. In 2024, Russia supplied nearly 36% of India&rsquo;s total crude imports, around 1.8 million barrels of discounted oil per day. That saved India billions of dollars while also bolstering Moscow&rsquo;s war coffers, straining New Delhi&rsquo;s ties with Western partners, and prompting Trump to hike tariffs. Trump has claimed that Modi has agreed to cut its Russian oil imports as part of a prospective US trade deal, something New Delhi has not confirmed. But trade data suggests purchases have started to decline. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Defense&nbsp;</h2>Russia remains one of India&rsquo;s largest arms suppliers, though New Delhi has moved to reduce its dependence by increasing purchases from the United States, France and Israel. At the same time, India has boosted domestic production. As a result, Russia&rsquo;s share of India&rsquo;s arms imports fell from 76% in 2009&ndash;13 to 36% in 2019&ndash;23, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). A possible deal for Russia&#39;s advanced S-400 air defense systems is expected to be discussed, as well as proposals for co-production with India of Russia&rsquo;s Su-57 fighter jets. India currently has three S-400 units, with delivery of two more stalled by Western sanctions. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Trade&nbsp;</h2>Russia is India&rsquo;s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting a record $68.7 billion in 2024&ndash;25, according to official data. But it is far from an equal relationship: over 90% of that came from Indian imports from Russia, amounting to $63.8 billion, mainly fuels and oil.India mainly exports nuclear reactors and machinery and some pharmaceuticals. Analysts suggest a substantial volume of unofficial trade -- possibly 15&ndash;25% above reported figures -- &nbsp;moves through shadow shipping networks.Some allege that involves strategic electronics and dual-use items to circumvent Western sanctions. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Ukraine war&nbsp;</h2>India has walked a tightrope to avoid condemning Russia&rsquo;s war in Ukraine, while maintaining ties with Western nations. When Modi and Putin met in 2022 in Uzbekistan, Modi said he wanted the war to end &ldquo;as soon as possible&rdquo;. Allegations that Indian citizens were duped into fighting for Russia have added to frictions. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;Non-alignment&rsquo;</h2>India&rsquo;s long-standing policy of &ldquo;non-alignment&rdquo; continues to guide its approach, preserving a historical partnership with Russia while expanding ties with the United States and Europe. Washington has regarded India as a critical partner, especially in balancing China&rsquo;s power. But Modi has repeatedly emphasized a &ldquo;multipolar&rdquo; world order and resisted calls to distance India from Moscow. &ldquo;India seeks to maintain its longstanding relationship with Russia, which is vital not only for managing its challenging relations with China but also for its strategic autonomy -- the core principle of its foreign policy,&rdquo; said Praveen Donthi from the International Crisis Group.

India

US President Donald Trump has pressured India to curb purchases of Russian oil -- arguing it is fuelling Moscow’s war -- and has imposed steep 50% tariffs on New Delhi.

India-Russia ties face tough test under US pressure

MOSCOW: Russia said Friday it was considering banning popular messaging service WhatsApp, accusing it of failing to prevent and suppress crime, as Moscow pushes Russians to switch to state-backed digital services.&nbsp;Russia had blocked users from making calls on the platform in August, part of a broader crackdown on Western-owned social media that critics say is designed to force Russians onto domestic platforms.&nbsp;In a statement, Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said WhatsApp was being used to &quot;organise and carry out terrorist acts in the country, to recruit perpetrators, and for fraud and other crimes against our citizens.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;If the messenger fails to comply with Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked,&quot; it said.&nbsp;US technology giant Meta, which owns the messaging service, did not immediately comment.&nbsp;WhatsApp is one of the two most popular messaging services in Russia, alongside Telegram.&nbsp;Moscow wants both messengers to provide access to data upon request from law enforcement, for fraud probes and for investigating activities that Russia describes as &quot;terrorist&quot;.&nbsp;Rights advocates fear that would extend Russia&#39;s surveillance state and could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine.

Russia is considering banning WhatsApp, accusing it of enabling crime and terrorism, as part of a push toward state-backed digital services. Rights advocates warn this could expand surveillance and target Kremlin critics and opponents.

Russia threatens total ban on WhatsApp

Pakistan TV

ISLAMABAD: Russia stands ready to &ldquo;lend a helping hand whenever needed,&rdquo; said the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, adding that he arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who believes that bilateral ties continued to grow stronger each year. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV on Thursday, during his visit to Islamabad, Tsivilev called the 10th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) a &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; in bilateral ties.&nbsp; He reaffirmed Moscow&rsquo;s commitment to expanding long-term cooperation with Pakistan across energy, pharmaceuticals, education, tourism, and space technology. &ldquo;I have arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who conveyed respect to the Pakistani nation and believes that bilateral ties continue to grow stronger with each passing year,&rdquo; the Russian minister said, adding that President Putin wishes every success to the IGC and hopes for the launch of maximum joint projects for the development of both nations. Russia, Pakistan to develop joint space programTsivilev highlighted a series of initiatives aimed at deepening collaboration, one of which is the joint space program. He said, &ldquo;Russia and Pakistan are developing a joint program in the outer space, and it&#39;s very important that young people see these cosmonauts.&rdquo;He said perhaps, it will inspire the youth to pursue their dream of joining this research and with enough determination, it is attainable for anyone, &ldquo;including women.&rdquo; &ldquo;Russia will always stand by Pakistan&rdquo;The minister said Russia values its friendship with Pakistan and remains ready to assist whenever needed.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are always prepared to lend a helping hand to the friendly nation of Pakistan,&rdquo; he said&nbsp;Insulin production in Pakistan priority for &lsquo;pharmaceutical security&rsquo;One of the most concrete proposals discussed was localized insulin production in Pakistan. Tsivilyov said Moscow wants Pakistan to achieve &ldquo;pharmaceutical security&rdquo; by manufacturing essential medicines domestically rather than relying on imports.&nbsp;He confirmed that the final pricing model, aligned with the cost of American-made insulin currently imported by Pakistan, will be discussed during the IGC meeting. He added that Russia is open to jointly producing additional medicines and vaccines, including veterinary vaccines crucial for livestock protection.&nbsp;Energy Justice: A shared vision for developmentThe minister reiterated Russia&rsquo;s global call for &ldquo;energy justice,&rdquo; pointing to the urgent need for equal access to reliable electricity in developing regions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Energy today defines competitiveness, transport systems, AI infrastructure, even finance through cryptocurrencies,&rdquo; he said, adding that Russia has raised the issue at BRICS and SCO forums.&nbsp;Tsivilev said Pakistan-Russia cooperation in the energy sector will expand as new technologies and investments are explored.&nbsp;Engineering Education: Russia proposes joint schools and trainingA major long-term initiative Tsivilev announced is the potential rollout of Russia&rsquo;s Engineering Schools Program in Pakistan.The model begins at the secondary-school level with specialized physics, chemistry, and mathematics tracks, followed by university training and industrial internships.&nbsp;He said Russia aims to train 300,000 engineers by 2030 and is ready to include Pakistani students in a similar pipeline.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to invest in children. In five to seven years, the payback will be far greater than any money spent today,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tourism and direct flights on the agendaTourism emerged as another expanding avenue, with both sides seeing strong interest from travelers. Tsivilyov said Pakistan and Russia must &ldquo;remove existing restrictions&rdquo; and simplify travel, adding that increased tourism flows could justify regular direct flights between the two countries. This issue remained a key focus of working-group meetings ahead of the IGC sessions, he confirmed.

Russia’s energy minister called the Pakistan–Russia IGC a turning point, outlining deeper cooperation in energy, pharma, education, tourism, and space while reaffirming Putin’s message that Moscow stands ready to support Pakistan whenever needed.

Articles tagged with "Russia"