Tue, 21-Oct-2025

Assad demands Erdogan hold negotiations on Turkey’s withdrawal from Syria

Bashar Al Assad
  • Bashar Al Assad will only meet the Turkish President if Ankara withdraws its forces from northern Syria.
  • Syrian President asked that Turkey halt its “support for terrorists” as well as its departure.
  • Erdogan and Assad had friendly relations in the 2000s.

MOSCOW – According to a Russian media interview broadcast on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has stated that he will only meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if Ankara withdraws its forces from northern Syria.

His remarks came a day after he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is attempting to mend ties between Erdogan and Assad that were ruptured during the Syrian war in 2011.

“(Any meeting) is tied to our reaching the point when Turkey is ready – fully and without any question – for a complete withdrawal from Syrian soil,” Assad told sources.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, asked that Turkey halt its “support for terrorists” as well as its departure, referring to rebel groups who dominate northern Syria and oppose Damascus.

“This is the only way in which my meeting with Erdogan could take place,” Assad was cited as saying.

“What significance would any kind of meeting have – and why organize it – if it doesn’t lead to a conclusion of the war in Syria?” he added.

After years of animosity between their countries following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Erdogan and Assad had friendly relations in the 2000s.

But, Syria’s civil conflict, which has killed 500,000 people and displaced millions, has strained relations between Damascus and Ankara, which has long supported rebel groups opposing Assad.

According to Turkish media, diplomats from Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Syria will meet in Moscow this week to pave the way for a meeting of foreign ministers.

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Russia-US relations at “lowest point” after drone incident

Russia

Relations between the US and Russia are at their lowest point. After a Russian fighter jet forced a US Air Force drone to crash in the Black Sea. The drone was carrying out routine operations in international airspace at the time. Relations between the US and Russia are at their “lowest point” and are in … Read more

Vladimir Putin says Germany remains “occupied”

Vladimir Putin
  • Vladimir Putin said Germany’s reaction to the North Sea pipeline accident demonstrated that the country was still “occupied.”
  • The pipelines were supposed to transport Russian gas to Germany.
  • He also said that European politicians had been browbeaten into surrendering their feeling of sovereignty and independence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Germany’s reaction to the North Sea pipeline accident demonstrated that the country was still “occupied” and unable to act autonomously decades after its capitulation at the conclusion of World War II.

In an interview with Russian television, Putin also said that European politicians had been browbeaten into surrendering their feeling of sovereignty and independence.

Western countries, particularly Germany, have reacted gingerly to probes into the explosives that struck Russia‘s Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, stating they believe the blasts were intentional but declining to name who they suspect was responsible.

“The matter is that European politicians have said themselves publicly that after World War Two, Germany was never a fully sovereign state,” sources quoted Putin.

“The Soviet Union at one point withdrew its forces and ended what amounted to an occupation of the country. But that, as is well known, was not the case with the Americans. They continue to occupy Germany.”

Putin informed the interviewer that the explosions were carried out on a “state level,” dismissing as “complete nonsense” accusations that an autonomous pro-Ukraine group was to blame.

The pipelines were supposed to transport Russian gas to Germany, but Berlin has made steps to minimize its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Authorities in Berlin have been circumspect about apportioning responsibility for the explosives, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stating last week the blasts could have been a “false-flag operation to blame Ukraine”.

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Xi Jinping may meet Putin in Moscow next week

Xi Jinping Putin
  • The visit is being planned at a time when China has offered to mediate a settlement in Ukraine.
  • Putin had asked Xi to come to Russia in the spring.
  • Since taking office, Xi has personally encountered Putin 39 times.

Chinese President Xi Jinping may travel to Russia as early as next week to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, according to the sources.

The visit is being planned at a time when China has offered to mediate a settlement in Ukraine, a move that has been received with skepticism in the West due to China’s diplomatic support for Russia.

Putin had asked Xi to come to Russia in the spring, according to a January 30 report from the Russian news agency Tass. Last month, The Wall Street Journal claimed that a trip to Moscow might occur in April or early May.

A comment on whether or not Xi might visit Moscow was requested from the Kremlin, but the Chinese foreign minister did not provide one right away.

There were no additional details provided right away.

Given how sensitive the subject is, the sources who were briefed on it declined to disclose their names.

Putin hinted that Xi Jinping would visit Russia last month when he welcomed Wang Yi, China’s senior diplomat, to Moscow.

Weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, in February 2022, when Putin was in Beijing for the Winter Olympics, China and Russia forged a “no limits” alliance. Since then, the two nations have repeatedly reaffirmed the strength of their ties.

Since taking office, Xi has personally encountered Putin 39 times. Their most recent encounter took place in September during a summit in central Asia.

Xi completed the National People’s Congress’ yearly session on Monday, during which he was unanimously elected to a record-breaking third term as president.

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Russian wives and mothers call on Putin

Russia
  • A group of Russian wives and mothers have petitioned President Vladimir Putin.
  • The women are seen in the video holding a sign in Russian.
  • Russia’s decision to send hundreds of thousands of troops to fight on Ukrainian battlefields.

A group of Russian wives and mothers have petitioned President Vladimir Putin to stop sending their husbands and sons “to the slaughter” by forcing them to join assault groups with insufficient training and supplies.

The women claimed in a video shared by the independent Russian Telegram channel SOTA that their loved ones were “forced to join assault groups” at the beginning of March despite having received only four days of training since their mobilisation in September.

The women are seen in the video holding a sign in Russian that reads “580 Separate Howitzer Artillery Division,” with the date March 11, 2023.

“My husband… is located on the line of contact with the enemy,” says one woman in the recording.

“Our mobilized [men] are being sent like lambs to the slaughter to storm fortified areas – five at a time, against 100 heavily armed enemy men,” she continued.

“They are prepared to serve their homeland but according to the specialization they’ve trained for, not as stormtroopers. We ask that you pull back our guys from the line of contact and provide the artillerymen with artillery and ammunition.”

Russia’s decision to send hundreds of thousands of troops to fight on Ukrainian battlefields has sparked outrage and prompted many Russians, particularly young men, to flee the country.

”We ran away from Russia because we want to live,” one man, who asked not to be identified to protect loved ones left behind, previously told. “We are afraid that we can be sent to Ukraine.”

Families of drafted Russian men have criticised the mobilisation, claiming that it is plagued by issues such as discipline issues and a lack of leadership from mid-ranking officers, as well as logistical issues such as insufficient uniforms, poor food, and a lack of medical supplies.

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Zelenskyy, Putin wishes women on International Women’s Day

International Women's Day

Putin and Zelenskyy both addressed the conflict’s female participants on Women’s Day. Expressing gratitude for their sacrifices. And emphasizing the importance of workplace gender equality. The leaders of Russia and Ukraine both made comments on Wednesday in honor of International Women’s Day despite the ongoing conflict between the two nations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of … Read more

Ukraine war: President Zelensky vows to track down killers

Ukraine
  • Ukraine has vowed to track down the Russian troops who allegedly killed an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner.
  • “We will find the murderers,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Monday.
  • The Ukrainian soldier is seen in the video smoking a cigarette in a trench.

Ukraine has vowed to track down the Russian troops who allegedly killed an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war after video of the incident surfaced online.

“We will find the murderers,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Monday.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba demanded that the International Criminal Court conduct a “immediate investigation” into the case.

The Ukrainian soldier is seen in the video smoking a cigarette in a trench. He declares “glory to Ukraine” before being shot with automatic weapons.

One of the Russian soldiers, who is not seen in the video, is then heard saying “die” and expletives.

The report has not confirmed where or when the footage was shot. On Monday, it first surfaced on social media.

Although neither the Ukrainian POW nor the killers have been identified, the report has learned that he was a member of the 30 Brigade.

Russia has not responded.

Since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Kiev and its Western allies have accused Russian troops of committing mass war crimes. The allegations are denied by Russia.

President Zelensky said in his video address that “the occupiers” killed “a warrior who bravely said to their faces: ‘Glory to Ukraine!'”

“I want us all to respond to his words together, in unity: ‘Glory to the Hero! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to Ukraine!'”

Mr Zelensky was referring to a military battle cry that has become popular among millions of Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, Mr Kuleba tweeted that the footage was “another proof this was is genocidal”.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, accused Russian troops of committing war crimes by violating the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, said a criminal investigation had already been launched.

Ukrainian troops have previously been accused of torturing, raping, and killing Ukrainian prisoners of war.

In July of last year, a video surfaced showing a captured Ukrainian soldier being castrated in the Russian-occupied Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

The Russian soldier filmed carrying out the attack in Severodonetsk was identified as a member of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s unit.

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Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary on inside world of Elon Musk

Alex Gibney

The renowned tech magnate Elon Musk is the subject of a documentary. Being produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. On the other side, Gibney is renowned for his candid documentaries. The renowned tech magnate Elon Musk is the subject of a documentary being produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and … Read more

Putin discusses joint infrastructure projects with Ebrahim Raisi

Ebrahim Raisi

Putin and Raisi discussed bilateral cooperation. Including joint infrastructure project. Alliance between Russia and Iran has grown stronger since the start of the Ukrainian War. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke about bilateral cooperation, including “joint infrastructure projects”. Putin and Raisi held telephone talks and both the Iranian and Russian sides … Read more

Putin blames Ukraine of border ‘terrorist act’ in Russian village

Ukraine

Ukrainian sabotage squad infiltrated Russian border territory and opened fire on civilians. Killing one person and injuring a child. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said steps are being taken to destroy them. In a “terrorist act,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Ukrainian sabotage squad infiltrated a Russian border territory on Thursday and started shooting … Read more

Ukrainian armed group crossed Russian border, claims Russia

Russia

The FSB and the Russian Ministry of Defense are conducting joint operations. Against armed Ukrainian nationalists in the Bryansk region. With up to six individuals being held captive. A top Ukrainian official dismissed the accusations made by Russian security authorities as “typical purposeful provocation” on Thursday. When they said a small Ukrainian armed group had … Read more

 Beijing: Putin ally Lukashenko meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping

Putin
  • Xi received Lukashenko in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Wednesday.
  • The two leaders agreed in September to strengthen their ties.
  • The meeting took place a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made some of the bluntest remarks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a state visit that comes as the West warns China against providing military aid to Putin’s conflict in Ukraine.

Xi received Lukashenko in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Wednesday before the two began formal talks. Details of the conversations have yet to be published by either party.

It is their first face-to-face meeting since the two leaders agreed in September to strengthen their ties to an “all-weather comprehensive strategic cooperation” on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, which Putin also attended.

The visit by Belarus’s president, who allowed Russian troops to stage their initial incursion into Ukraine last year, comes as tensions between the US and China have risen in recent weeks, with Washington concerned that Beijing is considering sending lethal aid to the Kremlin’s struggling war effort. Beijing has refuted these allegations.

The meeting took place a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made some of the bluntest remarks to date on how the US would respond to any lethal support China provided to Russia.

During a visit to Kazakhstan, Blinken warned that Washington will pursue Chinese enterprises or citizens implicated in an effort to deliver lethal help to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

Beijing – which professes to be a neutral party in the war – has pushed back on the American allegation that is considering sending lethal aid. According to the Foreign Ministry, China was “actively promoting peace talks and the political settlement of the crisis,” while the US was “pouring lethal weapons into the battlefield in Ukraine.”

In a paper pushing for peace negotiations to end the year-long war, Beijing presented a 12-point position on the “political solution” to the crisis last week. But, its release was attacked by Western officials, who accused China of already siding with Russia.

According to a statement from the Belarusian government, Lukashenko also met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday and asked for the two countries to “intensify” their cooperation.

“We have no closed topics for cooperation. We cooperate in all avenues. Most importantly, we have never set ourselves the task of being friends or working against third countries,” Lukashenko told Li per the readout.

The deepening of ties between Minsk and Beijing comes alongside a years-long downturn in Belarus’ relations with the European Union and as it may seek to diversify its Russia-dependent economy.

In response to Moscow’s aggressiveness, the US and its allies imposed sweeping sanctions on the former Soviet state after Lukashenko authorized Russian soldiers to invade Ukraine via the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) Ukrainian-Belarusian border north of Kyiv.

The European Union also does not recognize the results of Lukashenko’s 2020 election triumph – which provoked major pro-democracy riots in the country and were followed by a deadly government crackdown.

There have been fears throughout the conflict in Ukraine that Belarus will again be used as a launching ground for another Russian offensive, or that Lukashenko’s own troops would join the war. Before visiting Moscow earlier this month, Lukashenko claimed there is “no way” his country would send troops into Ukraine unless it is attacked.

Both China and Belarus have previously stated that the US does not want the conflict to end.

Earlier this month, before traveling to Moscow to meet with Putin, Lukashenko told reporters that he wished to see “peaceful dialogue” and accused the US of obstructing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from negotiating.

Beijing has made similar assertions, with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi saying at a security conference in Munich earlier this month that China does not “add fuel to the fire,” and is “against reaping benefits from this crisis,” alluding to regular Chinese propaganda messaging that the US is intentionally prolonging the war to advance its own geopolitical interests and increase the profits of its arms manufacturers.

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China to host Belarusian leader Lukashenko amid Ukraine tensions

China to host Belarusian leader

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday. China has had a longstanding relationship with Lukashenko. Lukashenko stated that the current situation is “unique” to put an end to the conflict. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Russian ally, was scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a state visit … Read more

West aims to break up Russia, says Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

Putin said that the West is trying to break apart the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. And that Moscow must take into account the nuclear capabilities of NATO. He also emphasized the importance of updating Russia’s nuclear arsenal often. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has said that the West is trying to … Read more

Belarus claims to have 1.5 million potential soldiers outside armed services

Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko has backed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in his year-long conflict with Ukraine. Lukashenko directed the development of a new volunteer territorial defense force of up to 150,000 individuals. The country’s professional army has approximately 48,000 men and approximately 12,000 state border troops. Belarus, a small Russian ally bordering Ukraine, has up … Read more

Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin talks in detail

Alexander Lukashenko

Alexander Lukashenko and  Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone on Friday. Despite Lukashenko’s recent statement that his country would not send troops to Ukraine. “Listen, God forbid that we have a relationship that it always be like that.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for a considerable amount … Read more

Ukraine sees some validity in China’s peace plan

Ukraine
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is willing to examine aspects of Beijing’s 12-point peace plan.
  • According to china, nuclear weapons must be avoided.
  • President Xi was expected to deliver a “peace speech” on Friday, but this did not happen.

On Friday, China called for a full cease-fire in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he was willing to examine aspects of Beijing’s 12-point peace plan.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s ally China urged all parties to commit to a gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons, and stated that war benefits no one.

The plan, outlined in a foreign ministry statement, was basically a reiteration of China’s position since Russia commenced its “special military operation” on February 24 of last year.

China has refrained from denouncing its partner Russia or referring to Moscow’s intervention in its neighbor as an “invasion”. It has also condemned Western sanctions on Russia.

“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the ministry said in its paper.

Kyiv’s immediate reply was contemptuous, with a senior adviser to President Zelenskyy stating that any plan to end the war must include the departure of Russian soldiers to the lines that existed when the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991.

In a news conference marking the first anniversary of the conflict, Zelenskyy, on the other hand, struck a more receptive tone.

Russia expressed appreciation for China’s initiative and stated that it was willing to achieve its objectives through political and diplomatic measures.

The plans, however, were met with skepticism by NATO.

“China doesn’t have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Tallinn.

NO NUCLEAR WAR

After severe battlefield defeats in the last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled his intention to escalate the confrontation, raising the specter of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons, according to China, must be avoided.

“Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought,” the foreign ministry said. “We oppose the development, and use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances.”

Since the war began just weeks after Beijing and Russia pledged a “no limits” collaboration, President Xi Jinping has spoken with Putin on a regular basis but only once with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy. This week, China’s senior diplomat, Wang Yi, visited Moscow for discussions.

“It is urgent that a group of countries not involved in the conflict assume the responsibility of leading negotiations to reestablish peace,” Lula said on Twitter.

President Xi was expected to deliver a “peace speech” on Friday, but this did not happen.

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‘This has been the most difficult year’: Ukrainians are praying for peace 

Ukraine Russia
  • The majority of Ukrainians—roughly 95%—say they are confident in Kyiv’s win.
  • supported Putin thanks to media propaganda in overdrive.
  • A 48-year-old security guard declared that “the country is genuinely changing for the better.

On the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainians will attend rituals across their war-torn nation on Friday, with President Volodymyr Zelensky assuring them of victory despite the possibility of further missile attacks. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, shocked the world one year ago today by moving troops across the border in retaliation for Kyiv’s shift to the West.

To commemorate the difficult milestone, Zelensky will conduct a news conference on Friday, and celebrations will take place all throughout the nation.

In one of the rituals, priests will lead peace prayers in the town of Bucha, which has come to symbolise Russian atrocities.

Zelensky warned late on Thursday that “evil is still around, and the battle continues.” But we are confident that we will prevail in the end, he continued.

The Ukrainian intelligence service has issued a warning about potential additional Russian attacks, including missile strikes.

The anniversary of what has grown to be the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II was also expected to be observed by Western countries, who have provided Kyiv with financial and military support throughout the war.

A new set of sanctions was going to be unveiled by the United States and its G7 allies.

The UN overwhelmingly decided on Thursday to call for Russia to “immediately” and “unconditionally” withdraw its soldiers from Ukraine.

“America supports Ukraine”

US President Joe Biden shocked the world this week by travelling to Kyiv during the fighting to make a commitment to new weaponry deliveries.

“Kyiv is still there a year later. Ukrainian protests, “Tweeted he. “Democracy is up. America and the rest of the world support Ukraine.”

As MPs and diplomats will pray in a Ukrainian Catholic cathedral in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris will be lit up in the Ukrainian flag’s yellow and blue colours.

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, was scheduled to address the media, and activists intend to position a Russian tank in front of the Moscow embassy in Berlin.

In a 12-point statement released on Friday, China, which has attempted to present itself as a neutral party while retaining tight ties with Moscow, urged both nations to start peace negotiations as soon as feasible.

According to the paper posted on the website of the foreign ministry, “all parties should help Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and restarting direct communication as soon as feasible.”

In addition, China reaffirmed its opposition to both the use and threat of nuclear weapons.

“Both the use of nuclear weapons and nuclear conflict must be avoided. It is important to reject the use of nuclear weapons as a threat “It read.

“The most challenging year,”

Large portions of Ukraine have been destroyed, millions have been displaced, Russia has become despised in the West, and more than 150,000 people have died in the conflict, according to sources in the West.

A recent survey in Ukraine found that 17% of participants had experienced the loss of a loved one due to the conflict.

The 45-year-old former comic turned wartime leader Zelensky had a significant increase in confidence, according to a research by the sociological organisation Rating.

The majority of Ukrainians—roughly 95%—say they are confident in Kyiv’s win.

Diana Shestakova, 23, stated in Kyiv, “This has been the most terrible year of my life and that of many Ukrainians.”

“I’m confident we’ll win, but we have no idea how long we’ll have to wait.”

God is assisting us.

The troops from Kiev vowed to expel the Russian forces from the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

“God is working for us. Nobody anticipated that Ukraine would hold, according to a soldier with the call sign “Cook.” “.

The 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade soldier from Donetsk’s eastern district remarked, “I know that miracles happen.

Russian forces attacked with the intention of quickly taking control, forcing a surrender, and installing a pro-Moscow government.

However, Russian forces were unable to seize Kiev, and they have subsequently lost in the northeastern and southern regions of the country.

Russia has been hammering Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October, causing power outages that have left millions of people in the cold and in the dark.

Putin, 70, has resisted giving in despite military failures and unprecedented Western sanctions, alleging that Russia’s survival was at risk and that the West was helping neo-Nazi groups.

Putin announced Tuesday that Moscow would continue its military campaign in Ukraine and that it has ceased participation in the last-standing weapons control agreement between Russia and the United States.

In order to defend our native land, the life of the people, Putin remarked. And unending power is the West’s aim.

The Kremlin has been putting society on a war footing by outlawing independent media and imprisoning or expelling famous critics.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the call-up of reserve forces have provoked what may be the biggest mass migration from Russia since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

But despite economic hardship and an increasing number of casualties, many Russians have supported Putin thanks to media propaganda in overdrive.

Lyubov Yudina, a 48-year-old security guard, declared that “the country is genuinely changing for the better.”

A 28-year-old teacher named Ruslan Melnikov said, “I don’t see any future right now.”

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Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles this year, says Putin

Sarmat

Putin announced that Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will be deployed this year. And that Russia will cease its participation in the New START treaty. And begin mass shipments of Zircon and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. President Vladimir Putin stated that the delayed Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile would be deployed this year. Putin originally revealed the RS-28 … Read more

Putin talks up nuclear arsenal on war anniversary eve, Ukraine defends front line

Russia-Ukraine War Table Talks
  • Putin raises the possibility of boosting nuclear forces.
  • Russia to deploy Sarmat ICBMs in 2023.
  • ‘Step back from the brink’, says U.N. chief.

Ukraine said its forces had repelled Russian assaults along the length of the front line on Thursday on the eve of the war’s anniversary, as President Vladimir Putin, empty-handed after a bloody winter offensive, talked up Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

Putin revealed intentions to deploy new Sarmat multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles this year, following a series of vehement statements in the run-up to the anniversary of his invasion. He pulled Russia out of the START nuclear weapons limitation accord earlier this week.

“As before, we will pay increased attention to strengthening the nuclear triad,” said Putin, referring to nuclear missiles based on the land, sea, and in air.

“We will continue mass production of air-based hypersonic Kinzhal systems and will start mass supplies of sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles,” Putin said in the remarks issued by the Kremlin early on Thursday.

Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed the nuclear posturing as a distraction from Russia’s failed military effort on the ground, a year after Putin launched Europe’s largest land war since World War II.

Russia has launched infantry attacks across the frozen ground in fights characterized by both sides as the worst of the war.

Western authorities believe Russia prepared an offensive to grab more territory ahead of the anniversary, enlisting hundreds of thousands of reservists in recent months to give Putin a win to announce.

Moscow’s forces have made headway in their attempt to encircle the small town of Bakhmut, but have been unable to breach Ukrainian positions to the north near Kremmina or to the south at Vuhledar, where they have suffered significant losses assaulting across open land into the teeth of Ukrainian fire.

Ukraine’s military announced early Thursday that it has withstood 90 Russian strikes in the northeast and east in the previous 24 hours.

In anticipation of Moscow launching long-range missile attacks on the anniversary of the war, Ukraine has closed several schools. Officials in Kyiv, though, believe Russia no longer has the capability for a dramatic show of force.

“Nothing unusual will happen. Usual (Russian) effort… A small missile strike is planned,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, told the Ukrainska Pravda news website in an interview.

“23-24 (February), they have two dates. Believe me, we have experienced this more than 20 times,” he said.

Despite costly unsuccessful attacks there earlier this month, Britain’s military indicated in a daily intelligence assessment that Moscow may be plotting another large-scale assault on Vuhledar. Moscow announced last week that significant losses had rendered two brigades of thousands of elite Russian marines battle ineffective.

With no significant battlefield successes to declare in time for the anniversary, Putin has resorted to nuclear bluster, saying in a huge address on Tuesday that Russia would withdraw from the New START weapons limitation deal.

The practical effects appear to be limited: treaty inspections had already been discontinued due to the conflict. According to a senior defense official, Moscow will adhere to the treaty’s missile limits and continue to tell Washington when it does so.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who upstaged Putin this week by journeying unannounced to Kyiv and then giving a landmark speech of his own to a crowd in Warsaw, called the suspension of START a “big mistake” but said on Wednesday: “I don’t read into that that he’s thinking of using nuclear weapons or anything like that.”

The RS-28 Sarmat missiles, codenamed “Satan 2,” whose deployment Putin ordered on Thursday, were first unveiled in 2018 and were scheduled to be deployed last year.

The US believes Russia conducted a Sarmat test immediately before Biden’s visit to Ukraine, but the test failed. The Russian defence ministry has not yet responded to the report.

Putin also promised more hypersonic weapons, which are too quick to be shot down. Russia has sent a frigate to South Africa to participate in military exercises with China, which are set to begin on Friday.

Despite losing swaths of land in major battlefield reverses last year after failing to conquer Kyiv at the commencement of its “special military operation,” Russia still controls about a fifth of Ukraine.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides are thought to have killed in the last year. Russian shelling has decimated Ukrainian cities and displaced millions of people.

Since their last operation in November, Ukrainian troops have focused primarily on defence, anticipating that Russian forces restocked with reservists will be fatigued in attacks. Meanwhile, Kyiv has secured Western weapon commitments for a planned counter-offensive later in 2023.

The United Nations General Assembly is poised to vote a resolution calling an end to the invasion on the eve of its first anniversary in New York. By collecting yes votes from nearly three-quarters of countries, Ukraine seeks to further isolate Russia diplomatically.

The wording is uneven, according to Russia, which argues its invasion was justified by security reasons.

“Russia violated the U.N. Charter by becoming an aggressor,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said at the United Nations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday denounced Russia’s invasion as a violation of the founding U.N. Charter and international law.

“We have heard implicit threats to use nuclear weapons. The so-called tactical use of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable. It is high time to step back from the brink,” Guterres said.

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Czech government announced list of military assistance to Ukraine

Ukraine
  • Czech was the first Western ally to equip Ukraine.
  • About a quarter came from army reserves.
  • Czech has provided 89 tanks to Ukraine.

More on Ukraine’s military help now, with the Czech government acknowledging for the first time what military assistance it has provided.

According to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his country has provided:

89 tanks
226 infantry fighting vehicles
38 howitzers
33 multi-launch rocket systems

six anti-aircraft systems
four helicopters
1.5m rounds of ammunition
60,000 rockets

According to him, about a quarter came from army reserves, with the balance coming from Czech arms contractors.

Mr. Fiala goes on to say that his country was the first Western ally to equip Ukraine with tanks, helicopters, infantry fighting vehicles, multi-launch rocket systems, or howitzers, with some of that assistance crowdfunded.

The Czech Charity Gift For Putin, in collaboration with the Ukrainian embassy, is inviting individuals to give specific pieces of military equipment.

They earned enough money in October to purchase an improved T-72 main battle tank, as well as 15 truck-mounted air defense systems.

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Wagner is now receiving ammunition for Ukraine war, says Prigozhin

Wagner
  • Wagner’s mercenary group increased ammo supplies following a public spat with Russia’s senior army brass.
  • shipment of ammunition has started.
  • Prigozhin accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, said on Thursday that his men had begun receiving increased ammo supplies following a public spat with Russia’s senior army brass.

“Today at 6 am, it was announced that the shipment of ammunition has started,” Prigozhin said in a statement on Telegram.

“Most likely, the ball is now rolling. So far, it’s all on paper, but, as we were told, the principal documents have already been signed.”

Prigozhin, a former catering entrepreneur who earlier avoided the public eye, has taken on a more public role since the start of the Ukrainian war a year ago, with his Wagner Group spearheading Russia’s months-long assault for the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk area.

A long-running battle with Russia‘s military leaders has recently erupted, with Prigozhin alleging that officials are refusing Wagner ammunition out of personal animus.

On Tuesday, he accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov of “treason,” alleging that they were to blame for the shortages.

Voice message

“The chief of the general staff and the defense minister are giving instructions right and left just not to provide Wagner PMC ammo, but even to help it with air transport,” an agitated and emotional Prigozhin stated in a voice message on Tuesday.

Prigozhin wrote in his statement on Thursday: “Many thanks to those who responded in various ways – to regular citizens who did everything they could, and to those, including those in positions of power, who applied pressure and took decisions… so that they began to provide us with weaponry. Thank you very much. Thank you very much from the lads.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin called an end to internal Russian conflicts at his annual state of the country address on Tuesday.

“We must get rid of – I want to emphasize this – any interdepartmental contradictions, formalities, grudges, misunderstandings, and other nonsense,” Putin told the political and military elite.

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Yevgeny Prigozhin accuses ammunition shortage for deaths

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused the chief of staff and defense minister. Of trying to kill his Wagner mercenaries by denying them ammunition. Prigozhin accused Gerasimov and Shoigu of treason. Yevgeny Prigozhin uploaded a picture of one of his dead soldiers in Ukraine, blaming the army generals for their deaths and appealing to regular Russians for … Read more

Putin says Wang Russia-China relations reaching “new milestones”

Putin

Putin informed Wang Yi that Russian-Chinese relations are developing. And that cooperation in the international arena is essential for stabilizing the situation. China has asserted its neutrality over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin informed top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that Beijing and Moscow are “reaching new milestones.” “Russian-Chinese relations are developing as … Read more

Putin revokes the decision that established Moldova’s sovereignty in separatist conflict

Putin
  • Putin revoked a 2012 decree that in part supported Moldova’s sovereignty.
  • Moldova’s component laid out Russia’s foreign policy 11 years ago.
  • The order canceling the 2012 document was published on the Kremlin’s website.

President Vladimir Putin revoked a 2012 decree that in part supported Moldova’s sovereignty in deciding the future of the Transdniestria area, a Moscow-backed separatist enclave bordering Ukraine and where Russia maintains troops.

The directive, which contained a Moldova component, laid out Russia’s foreign policy 11 years ago, assuming greater cooperation between Moscow and the European Union, and the United States.

The order canceling the 2012 document was published on the Kremlin’s website and indicates that the decision was taken to “secure the national interests of Russia in conjunction with the substantial developments taking place in international relations”.

It is part of Putin’s anti-Western policies unveiled on Tuesday.

The cancellation, according to Alexandru Flenchea, Moldovan chairman of the joint control commission in the security zone bordering Transdniestria, does not imply that Putin has abandoned the concept of Moldovan sovereignty.

“The decree is a policy document that implements the concept of Russia’s foreign policy,” Flenchea told Publika-TV. “Moldova and Russia have a basic political agreement that provides for mutual respect for the territorial integrity of our countries.”

The Kremlin has stated that Russia’s relations with Moldova, which approved a new pro-Western prime minister last week who has pledged to pursue an EU membership campaign, are highly strained. Moldova was accused of having an anti-Russian agenda.

Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, has been led by President Maia Sandu since 2020, with strong U.S. and European Union support. On Tuesday, US President Joseph Biden met with her in Poland to express his support.

The 2012 proclamation committed Russia to explore solutions to address the separatist issue “based on respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutral status of the Republic of Moldova in defining the special status of Transdniestria”.

Transdniestria’s Russian-speaking population seceded from Moldova in 1990, one year before the Soviet Union’s breakup, fearing that Moldova would unite with Romania, with which it shares a common language and culture.

In 1992, newly independent Moldova faced off against separatists in a brief war. Nonetheless, there has been almost no violence in the last 30 years, with Soviet “peacekeepers” remaining stationed in the little sliver of land that has no international recognition.

The foreign ministry of Moldova stated that it would “seriously review” the text.

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China’s top diplomat all set to meet Putin with Moscow summit in cards

China's top diplomat
  • Wang Yi arrives in Moscow.
  • He is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reaffirm the two nations’ partnership.
  • Wang may speak with Putin about scheduling a visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

BEIJING (Xinhua) — Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, has arrived in Moscow, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reaffirm the two nations’ partnership in the midst of increased tensions with the United States.

Wang may speak with Putin about scheduling a visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, citing persons familiar with the plans. According to the sources, the travel to Moscow would be part of Beijing’s drive for multiparty peace negotiations aimed at ending the crisis in Ukraine.

Wang’s visit underscores Beijing’s sustained support for Moscow, coming only days before the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in the aftermath of Washington’s downing of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.

He is anticipated to emphasize the importance of greater economic cooperation between China and Russia. Bilateral trade increased by almost 30% to $190.3 billion in 2022, marking a new high. China has increased semiconductor exports and purchased more inexpensive Russian oil, helping to bolster an economy ravaged by the war effort.

The visit also appears to be meant to provide China diplomatic influence with the United States, since President Joe Biden is under pressure to obtain results in Ukraine before next year’s presidential election.

Last phase

According to a Chinese government insider, a Chinese military think tank recently simulated the condition of the Ukraine conflict and concluded that it will likely approach its last phase this summer, with Russian forces holding the advantage. According to a Chinese military source, with the fighting in Ukraine still not going in Washington’s favor, the US is scrambling to urge China to participate.

According to this logic, the closer China gets to Russia, the more likely it is to push the US to cave.

The Biden administration recently softened its stance on the balloon incident. Washington has also raised alarm about China sending lethal weapons to Russia, particularly during a Saturday meeting between Wang and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich.

“We do not accept the United States’ finger-pointing or even coercion aimed at China-Russia relations,” Beijing stated in a meeting readout.

For the first time since November 2019, China and Russia are conducting joint military exercises with South Africa. The 10-day drills, which began on Friday and will last until the anniversary of the invasion, appear to be a message to Washington.

China’s Silence on Russia’s invitations

For all these gestures, however, Beijing does not want to be perceived as completely aligned with Moscow. China so far has remained silent about Russia’s invitations for Xi to visit and is expected to gauge how the U.S. likely would react before deciding whether to play that card.

China is anticipated to submit a position paper advocating a resolution to the Ukraine conflict soon, putting some gap between itself and Russia. The text is expected to emphasize Beijing’s opposition to nuclear weapons and attacks on nuclear power plants, as well as its demands for peace talks.

In a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Munich on Saturday, Wang emphasized Beijing’s support for such talks.

China is allegedly mulling measures to help restore Ukraine’s economy following the war, partly to repair its tattered image in the West, and partly to improve its relationship with Kyiv.

“Ukraine is valuable because it doesn’t criticize China over human rights issues,” a Chinese government insider said.

It’s unclear whether this will work. Russia has welcomed China as its own clout has dwindled, and Beijing would find it difficult to dissolve those relations. If the Ukraine peace proposal remains abstract without proposing tangible initiatives, it may raise doubts about China’s commitment to Western countries.

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Tony Blair believes the war will stop only when Putin realizes he cannot succeed

Putin
  • Sir Tony Blair says Putin’s original war goals have crumbled.
  • Ukrainians have demonstrated incredible stoicism and bravery, Blair added.
  • He believes “we are a long way” from Russia’s war in Ukraine ending.

Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair says the war in Ukraine will only end when “it’s plainly apparent to Putin that his war ambitions can’t succeed”.

Blair said: “His original war goals have crumbled, Ukrainians have demonstrated incredible stoicism and bravery, and the West and Nato have come together.

And Putin’s last hope is that the resolve of the West disintegrates in some way and dissipates.”

Lord Hague, the UK’s former foreign secretary, says he believes “we are a long way” from Russia’s war in Ukraine ending.

“The awful truth is that history is littered with wars that lasted many years longer than anybody expected, they become a test of endurance, resilience, of economies, as much as a military maneuver, and that is what we are now engaged in Ukraine.”

He says that Putin talking about testing nuclear weapons, as he did yesterday, “takes us in the wrong direction”, while Blair adds that Putin cannot use a nuclear threat “to stop us from defending Ukraine from aggression”.

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Russia and China are committed to a “multipolar” world, Chinese diplomat says

Russia and China
  • The relationship between the two nations is expanding “in a highly dynamic way.”
  • Russia and China remain determined and committed to a multi-polar world.
  • Wang Yi also stated that he will seek to “strengthen and deepen” with Moscow.

According to China’s Wang Yi, the relationship between the two nations is expanding “in a highly dynamic way” due to the efforts of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Russia and China remain determined and committed to a multi-polar world devoid of hegemonies,” he tells Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Wang Yi also stated that he will seek to “strengthen and deepen” relations between Moscow and Beijing, adding that fresh agreements are expected today.

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