Some countries are trying to find ways to quickly eliminate US duties. Over the weekend, Vietnam offered the United States to cancel all duties on American goods in exchange for Washington canceling additional duties for Vietnam. Cambodia has reduced duties on American goods to 5%, and Malaysia wants to coordinate the actions of Southeast Asian countries to prepare a response to the actions of the United States. Some OSCE delegations want to return Russia to the ranks of the organization. Earlier, the Russian Federation suspended participation in the activities of the OSCE PA due to the constant obstacles imposed on its delegation, «biased discriminatory approaches, double standards and total Russophobia.» Russia will be interested in returning only if such a policy reverses. Bulgaria and Turkey are exploring the possibility of increasing Russian gas supplies through a gas pipeline at the border. Experts from the two countries will meet on May 2, after which politicians will join the negotiations. If the project is approved, it will increase gas supplies to Central Europe from Russia and the Caspian region. Bulgaria is currently the only operating route for gas supplies from Russia to Europe. Its maximum throughput capacity is 16 billion cubic meters of gas. Trump is not against making a deal with China, but only if the trade deficit is eliminated from the American side. The US president noted that every year the country loses hundreds of billions of dollars due to relations with China. Trump stressed that he is ready for negotiations, but does not intend to sign a deal if the problem with the surplus is not resolved. The absence of the European Union in the negotiations on Ukraine is a logical outcome. Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said that «European officials are upset that they are not involved in the diplomatic process on Ukraine. But it is absolutely natural and inevitable.» He noted that the EU has done everything to be perceived as a party «hating the idea of peace in Ukraine if it differs from the EU's vision.»
QUICK LINKS