Aliq: Aoun Was Behind Preventing Army Leadership from Expressing Its Position
Journalist Hassan Aliq commented on what took place during the parliamentary session on the General Amnesty Law, noting that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam moved to expel the Defense Minister and prevent him from entering Parliament.
Aliq described the situation by saying:
“Nawaf is the weakest prime minister in the history of the premiership, as if he doesn’t even exist.”
Aliq explained that Joseph Aoun was behind preventing the Army Command from expressing its position, arguing that had there been no decision or approval from former Army Commander—and current President—Joseph Aoun, the Defense Minister would have attended the session and conveyed the Army Command’s position on the amnesty law.
The irony, Aliq argues, is that Aoun, who once commanded the Lebanese Army, is now preventing the institution he previously led from expressing its position on an amnesty law that would cover those who killed or contributed to the killing of members of the Lebanese Army on Lebanese territory.
Putin: the Kuril Islands are Russian — and Moscow has No Claims Against Japan
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Japan continues to assert claims over the Kuril Islands, despite the islands being recognized as part of Russia in the post-World War II international order.
Putin also criticized Tokyo for imposing what Moscow considers unjustified sanctions against Russia, arguing that Japan has done so without addressing what Russia describes as the root causes of the Ukraine conflict.
Moscow’s position is clear:
Russia does not threaten Japan.
Russia has no territorial claims against Japan.
The status of the Kuril Islands reflects the outcome of World War II, according to Moscow.
The dispute highlights a broader geopolitical contradiction: while Japan maintains territorial claims against Russia and aligns itself with Western sanctions, Moscow insists that the post-war territorial settlement is not open to revision.
Is Tokyo attempting to revise the post-1945 regional order—or is the Kuril dispute becoming another front in the wider confrontation between Russia and the West?