The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com
During the visit, Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
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The source noted that the two leaders will discuss the possibility of extending the trade truce, which has paused the escalation of tariffs.
Earlier in February, Trump mentioned plans to exchange visits with Xi Jinping, saying the Chinese leader will visit the United States later this year.
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Asked if he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal on its nuclear program, Trump told reporters at the White House, “I guess I can say I am considering” it, News.az reports, citing CNN.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in an interview earlier on Friday on MS NOW, said his draft counterproposal could be ready in the next two or three days for top Iranian officials to review, with more U.S.-Iran talks possible in a week or so.
Military action would complicate efforts to reach a deal, he added.
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“Albeit limited, commercial flights and air travel to Iran’s neighboring countries remain open, and travel by land is also possible,” a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters, News.az reports, citing BBC.
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He emphasized that if the situation worsens, consular assistance will be virtually impossible to provide.
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The Hungarian government issued the warning on Friday evening, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán tries to weaponize anti-Ukraine sentiment ahead of a key election where he risks losing power after more than 15 years, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
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“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on X. “We will not give in to this blackmail.”
Hungary’s threat to veto the loan is a major setback for Ukraine, whose coffers will begin running low on cash from April. Kyiv will struggle to sustain its war effort without fresh funds, leaving it at a disadvantage in ongoing peace talks with Russia.
The first signs of trouble began earlier in the day on Friday. Hungary’s ambassador to the EU demanded that its national assembly get the standard eight weeks to scrutinize EU legislation during a meeting of envoys in Brussels, three EU diplomats told POLITICO.
EU ambassadors were set to give their final approval for the loan ahead of Tuesday, which marks the four-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a fresh confrontation with Kyiv, Orbán is accusing the war-torn country of halting Russian gas to Hungary for political reasons. Ukraine rejects these claims, arguing that Russian strikes have damaged the energy infrastructure.
The European Commission convened an emergency meeting earlier this week to solve the dispute over the Druzhba pipeline after Hungary and Slovakia retaliated by halting diesel supplies to Ukraine.
EU leaders, including Orbán, agreed to the €90 billion loan in December following months of fraught negotiations. In a major concession, the EU exempted Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia ― who oppose giving further aid to Kyiv ― from repaying the borrowing costs of the loan.
Budapest on Friday refused to clear one bill that requires unanimity to expand the cash buffer, known as the headroom, of the EU’s long-term budget to issue the loan. EU ambassadors backed the other two bills underpinning the Ukraine loan that only needed a simple majority for approval.
As Russia’s firmest ally in the EU, Orbán has frequently threatened to block the EU’s financial support to Ukraine.
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The meeting was chaired by Deputy Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Assan Darbayev, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.
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Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Economy Rovnag Abdullayev hailed the development of multilateral cooperation within the framework of the OTS in recent years. He also highlighted significant steps that had been undertaken by Azerbaijan towards deepening economic relations and facilitating mutual trade within OTS member states. He also stated that the launch of the Turkic Investment Fund’s operational activities would serve as a catalyst for deeper regional economic integration.
During the meeting, discussions focused on advancing economic cooperation within the OTS, with a special emphasis on facilitating trade, promoting investments, digital transformation, and other issues. Participants also exchanged views on enhancing transport and logistics partnerships, as well as boosting the efficiency of the Middle Corridor.
The meeting concluded with the signing of the Communique of the 14th Meeting, “Memorandum of Understanding on Partnership in Trade” and the approval of several strategic documents.
Participants agreed to hold the 15th Meeting of Ministers in charge of Economy and Trade of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Azerbaijan in the second half of 2026.
Deputy Minister of Economy Rovnag Abdullayev also met with Deputy Minister of Trade of Türkiye Sezai Uçarmak on the margins of the event. Discussions centered on strengthening the Azerbaijan-Türkiye economic partnership, promoting non-oil sectors, digital commerce, and exploring new avenues for bilateral cooperation.
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🇺🇸🇦🇿The security guards of #Azerbaijan’i dictator Ilham #Aliyev beat Azerbaijani protesters in #Washington.
Congresswoman #Friedman responded to the incident.
#USA #Trump #SouthCaucasus
— Arthur Maghakian (@ArMaghak) Feb 20, 2026