Russia ready for Ukraine peace ideas, but sets con…

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the vision behind the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan extends beyond the three signatories and could eventually include other regional countries. Erdogan said the agreement was designed to strengthen collective security and promote lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. He stressed that the pact was not directed against any particular country. Speaking in an interview with an Arab newspaper, Erdogan said the three countries wanted to create a broader regional framework based on cooperation, mutual trust and collective responsibility. He said countries that support peace, stability and prosperity should be able to join the framework in the future. According to Erdogan, the agreement is based on the principle of collective deterrence. A security threat against one member would be treated as a concern for the other members. He said the arrangement could also encourage joint defence-industry projects and greater cooperation against terrorism. Erdogan argued that regional countries should take greater responsibility for addressing their own security challenges rather than relying on solutions imposed from outside the region. He described the agreement as the outcome of long-running consultations among the participating countries and said it reflected changing conditions in the region. The Turkish president also rejected the idea that the pact was simply a response to tensions between the United States and Iran. He said its broader objective was to establish a durable mechanism for regional security. Focus on Gulf security Erdogan said the agreement could contribute to stability in the Gulf, which he described as vital to international trade and the global economy. He highlighted the importance of energy supplies, maritime routes and trade links passing through the region. He also expressed concern over tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, warning that prolonged disruption there could have consequences for economies around the world. Erdogan called for restraint and continued diplomatic engagement to ensure the waterway remains safe for international shipping. He said Türkiye preferred dialogue and negotiations over military escalation and believed diplomatic efforts were essential to resolving disputes in the region and beyond. The Makkah agreement formalises growing strategic cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The three countries describe the arrangement as defensive and aimed at strengthening collective deterrence rather than creating an offensive military bloc. Erdogan said stronger cooperation between Ankara and Riyadh would also contribute to regional stability. He pointed to expanding ties in defence, trade, investment, energy and tourism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described the trilateral agreement as an extension of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s existing defence cooperation. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had earlier signed a strategic mutual defence agreement under which aggression against either country would be treated as aggression against both. The latest trilateral framework builds on those longstanding security ties and introduces Türkiye into a wider mechanism for defence cooperation.

Ukraine’s military intelligence claims that a North Korean missile unit has started deploying to western Russia, marking what could become a major expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to Ukrainian officials, the unit may eventually be equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in attacks against Ukraine. Andrii Cherniak, an official with Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, said around 90 North Korean personnel are expected to be stationed in Russia’s Voronezh region as part of the Russian military’s 112th Missile Brigade. He added that discussions between senior Russian and North Korean officials next month are expected to determine the final deployment plan and missile numbers. Ukraine says North Korea has already delivered another batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles along with military personnel. These missiles reportedly have a longer range and larger payload than Russia’s Iskander missiles, although Ukrainian military sources believe they are less accurate and have caused significant civilian casualties during previous strikes. The reported deployment comes as Russia has resumed using North Korean-made ballistic missiles after nearly a year. Ukrainian authorities say two such missiles were launched last week, including one that struck the village of Radushne in central Ukraine, reportedly killing at least five members of the same family. Ukraine remains heavily dependent on advanced air defence systems, particularly US-made Patriot batteries, to intercept ballistic missiles. Military analysts warn that an increase in North Korean missile supplies would place additional pressure on Ukraine’s already stretched air defence network, especially ahead of the winter months when Russia has previously targeted the country’s energy infrastructure. Cherniak said intelligence suggests Russia intends to integrate North Korean missile forces into its operations, although the exact role of North Korean personnel has not yet been confirmed. He also stated that about 9,500 North Korean troops remain in Russia’s Kursk region, though they are not currently taking part in direct combat operations against Ukraine. Russia and North Korea have strengthened military ties since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The two countries signed a mutual defence agreement in 2024, while Kyiv accuses Pyongyang of supplying millions of artillery shells, ballistic missiles and thousands of troops to support Russia’s war effort.

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced criticism after sharing a video from Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region to highlight India’s development achievements. The video was posted on the BJP’s official social media account. It was presented as an example of the progress of a “new India.” The caption claimed that India was not only dreaming of development but also turning those dreams into reality. However, social media users quickly identified the footage as a highway located in Gilgit-Baltistan, a region administered by Pakistan. The video was not related to any Indian development project. The footage was originally created by Pakistani digital content creator Northern Vibes. The creator has a large following on Instagram and regularly shares travel and landscape videos from northern areas of Pakistan. After noticing that the BJP had used the video, Northern Vibes shared a screenshot of the post on social media. The creator questioned how a road in Baltistan was being shown as part of India’s infrastructure progress. The content creator also alleged that the video had been used without permission and described it as unauthorized use of original content. The issue quickly gained attention online, with many users criticizing the BJP for sharing unverified material. Several social media users accused the party of using misleading content to promote its political message. The criticism intensified as more users pointed out the actual location shown in the video. The controversy also sparked discussions about digital copyright, content ownership and the need to verify online material before publishing it through official accounts. Following the growing backlash, the BJP removed the video from its official social media platform.