Businessmen were “stunned” to see their accounts frozen in Western banks, the president has said   The West’s seizure of Russian state assets and reserves – and those of its citizens – is a violation of all legal norms, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, while addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The veteran diplomat has urged Washington and Beijing to defuse tensions amid fears of a military clash over Taiwan The US and China could slide into an open military confrontation if they continue to pursue their current policies, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned in an interview released on Thursday.

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