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WORLD NEWSFriday 25 September 2015
Kremlin: Putin to meet Obama on Monday Border tensions
between Croatia,
JIM HEINTZ Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on agricul- sion to reinforce to Presi- Serbia on the rise
Associated Press ture while visiting farms in Rostov region, Russia, Thursday, Sept. dent Putin that the impor-
MOSCOW (AP) — Vladimir 24, 2015. tance of Russia keeping the D. KIRKA
Putin and Barack Obama commitments that they’ve D. STOJANOVIC
will meet on Monday in (Alexei Nikolsky/RIA-Novosti via AP) made in the context of Associated Press
New York — their first face- the Minsk agreements,” ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) —
to-face encounter in near- involvement in the Syria riorated significantly after Earnest said, referring to Tensions escalated be-
ly a year amid strongly war, which has left 250,000 Russia annexed the Crime- international agreements tween Serbia and Croa-
troubled relations between dead and forced millions to an Peninsula from Ukraine calling for a cease-fire and tia on Thursday as the
Russian and the U.S., but flee their homeland since in March 2014. The U.S., as weapon pullbacks. longtime rivals struggled
one in which the leaders it began in March 2011. well as other Western coun- Earnest said Monday’s to come up with a coher-
have different priorities. Russia recently has ferried tries, imposed sanctions on meeting was called after ent way to deal with tens
Putin wants to focus on weapons, troops and sup- Russia over the annexation “repeated requests from of thousands of migrants
the Syria crisis, where Rus- plies to an airport near the and over claims that Mos- the Russians” and suggest- streaming through the Bal-
sia is taking an increasingly Syrian coastal city of Lata- cow is supporting an insur- ed that Russia’s economic kan nations to seek sanctu-
assertive posture, while kia in what the U.S. sees as gency in eastern Ukraine decline, partly a result of ary in other parts of Europe.
Obama’s top issue is the preparations for setting up with troops and arms. the sanctions, was a key Serbia banned imports
conflict in Ukraine. an air base there. Russia vehemently denies it concern for Putin. from Croatia to protest Cro-
The announcement of the Moscow has denied that is militarily involved in east- The last time Putin and atia’s decision to close the
meeting was made Thurs- it’s building up its presence ern Ukraine and portrays Obama were face-to-face border to cargo as the two
day by the Russian presi- there in order to protect its the sanctions and strong was a series of brief en- countries criticized each
dent’s spokesman, Dmitry longtime ally, Syrian Presi- criticism from Washington counters last November at other for their handling of
Peskov, and confirmed by dent Bashar Assad, saying as attempts to undermine the Asia-Pacific Economic migrants who are travel-
the White House. instead it wants to help Russia and force Putin from Cooperation summit in ing through Serbia then
Putin is speaking Monday him fight the Islamic State power. Beijing. They have spoken onto Croatia on their way
at the U.N. General Assem- group. “President Obama will by telephone three times to Western Europe. Croatia
bly. Peskov said the meet- U.S.-Russian relations dete- once again use this occa- since then. responded by banning all
ing with Obama, expected The White House said Mon- Serbian-registered vehicles
to last about an hour, will day’s meeting was ar- from entering the country.
take place afterward and ranged at Putin’s request The increasingly acidic
will focus on the Syria crisis. and that despite deep tone of exchanges is remi-
The conflict in Ukraine, the differences with Moscow, niscent of that used during
crux of Moscow-Washing- Obama felt it would be ir- the wars that accompa-
ton tensions, could also be responsible not to assess nied the disintegration of
discussed, but only if time whether progress could be Yugoslavia in the 1990s,
allows, Peskov said. made on the Ukraine and when nationalists on both
But White House spokes- Syria crises. sides capitalized on the
man Josh Earnest said Peskov said Putin will also country’s economic col-
Ukraine will be “the top meet Japanese Prime lapse and fanned ethnic
item” for Obama. Minister Shinzo Abe on tensions, touching off a
Russia is ramping up its Monday.q bloody conflict that killed
tens of thousands.
Israel military says coordinating with Russia on Syria “We responded with eco-
nomic measures without
ARON HELLER hold their first meeting in government as part of The joint mechanism is a disrespect for Croatian
Associated Press two weeks and will discuss international efforts to result of Israeli Prime Minis- citizens. Within 15 min-
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel coordination of aerial, na- combat the Islamic State ter Benjamin Netanyahu’s utes, they responded in a
has set up a joint mecha- val and electromagnetic group and other militant meeting this week in Mos- way that reminds us of the
nism with the Russian mili- operations around Syria. organizations in Syria. cow with President Vladi- events from the 1990s, and
tary to coordinate their op- Russia has backed the The United States and its al- mir Putin, in which Netan- we wish to forget that,”
erations in Syria and avoid Assad regime through- lies see Assad as the cause yahu raised concerns over Serbian Prime Minister Alek-
any accidental confronta- out the nation’s civil war, of the Syrian crisis, and the new Russian involve- sandar Vucic said. “We will
tions, a senior Israel military which has killed more than Washington has warned ment. not respond to this, be-
official said Thursday. 250,000 people, and re- Moscow against beefing Israel has mostly stayed cause I simply do not know
The official, who spoke on cently deployed forces up its presence. But those on the sidelines through- how to respond to that and
condition of anonymity there to help Syria in its warnings have been softer out the Syrian war, though stay an honest and normal
because of military regu- battle against Islamic mili- in tone, compared to the it has returned fire when person.”
lations, said that teams tants. original American position rockets or mortar shells Croatia’s move cut Ser-
headed by each of the Russia has sought to cast that demanded Assad’s have strayed into Israeli- bia off from many of its
militaries’ deputy chiefs will arms supplies to Assad’s ouster. controlled territory.q main trading partners in
Europe.q
