Russian Ambassador to Washington Says US-Russia Relations in ‘Ice Age’

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
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Russian Ambassador to Washington Says US-Russia Relations in ‘Ice Age’

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)

Russia's ambassador to the United States on Friday compared the state of US-Russia relations to an "ice age", and said that the risk of a clash between the two countries was "high", Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported.

TASS cited Anatoly Antonov as saying that it was hard to say when talks on strategic dialogue between the two sides could resume, but that talks on prisoner swaps had been "effective" and would continue.

US-Russia ties have fallen to their lowest point in decades amid the fallout from Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, and the consequent imposition of Western sanctions.

Two prisoner swaps, in which US Marine veteran Trevor Reed and basketball star Brittney Griner were freed by Russia in return for convicted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko and arms dealer Viktor Bout, were rare instances of successful US-Russia diplomacy in 2022.



France Says It Intercepted Drones Targeting Israel Prior to Iran Ceasefire

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces for France delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces for France delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
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France Says It Intercepted Drones Targeting Israel Prior to Iran Ceasefire

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces for France delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces for France delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

France's military took part in efforts to stop Iranian drones targeting Israel prior to this week's ceasefire, the country's defense minister Sebastien Lecornu said late on Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the French army intercepted less than 10 drones in the last few days during the different military operations conducted by the Iran against Israel, either by ground-to-air systems or via our Rafale fighter jets," Lecornu said during a parliamentary debate on the situation in the Middle East.

Lecornu said Iran had launched some 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones towards Israel during the 12-day conflict.

Israel started attacking Iran on June 13, saying it aimed to destroy its arch-enemy's nuclear capabilities. Its strikes wiped out a senior echelon of Iran's military command and killed several nuclear scientists. Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed and nearly 5,000 injured in the country.

Tehran's retaliatory missiles killed at least 28 people in Israel and damaged hundreds of buildings, until a ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday.