Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine without Brexit, suggests top MEP
Russia is unlikely to make significant breakthroughs beyond the “sideshow” of recent gains near the frontline city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Western officials have claimed.
Officials warned that they expect the war to grind on throughout 2023, in a conflict they believe has inflicted more than 100,000 losses on each side – with one suggesting the death toll among Vladimir Putin’s troops is even higher due to them being on the offensive.
Meanwhile, Downing Street said it would not be “practical” for Britain to provide Kyiv with fighter jets, as France suggested that there was “no taboo” on Paris doing so, days after the volte face on Western tanks which officials said could see up to 140 sent to Kyiv in a “first wave” of deliveries.
Elsewhere, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, boasted that the sanctions slapped on Moscow by Ukraine’s allies have “failed miserably”, claiming that “enemy countries do not have the courage to admit that their hellish sanctions” have misfired.
Ukraine responding to Russia’s revenge attempt, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his administration, military officials and the intelligence team is already responding to Moscow’s plans to extract revenge from Ukraine.
“Today, as in fact every day, I held several meetings with the military and the head of intelligence. We are studying the situation in detail in all major operational directions and in the long term. What the occupier is preparing for, and how we are already responding to Russia’s preparations for a revanche attempt,” he said in his nightly address.
He added: “Our defence and security forces, the Ukrainian government, our partners – all of us are making efforts to ensure that Russia not only fails in regaining ground on the battlefield, but also loses its last hope for aggression in its revanche attempts.
“Russia’s defeat will prevent any alternatives to a lasting and reliable peace. I thank all our partners who support this position of Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said.
Arpan Rai1 February 2023 04:07
Boris Johnson meets with Republicans as part of campaign for Ukraine
Boris Johnson met with Republican politicians in Washington yesterday, as he continued his personal international campaign in support of Ukraine.
The former prime minister spoke with House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy and was scheduled to speak at a private Republican club on Tuesday evening, Reuters was told.
On Wednesday, the Tory MP and former London mayor will discuss the need for “Western unity and support for Ukraine and what more can be done against the threat Russia poses” at the Atlantic Council think-tank.
Andy Gregory1 February 2023 03:50
UK says ‘not practical’ to give Ukraine British fighter jets
Rishi Sunak has said that it is “not practical” to provide Ukraine with British fighter jets but he has pledged to accelerate support to enable “decisive gains” against Russian invaders.
Downing Street said training Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces on “extremely sophisticated” Typhoons and F-35s would take too long, but it does not oppose allies sending their own jets.
After completing a review, the prime minister told his Cabinet that a “prolonged stalemate” in the war in Ukraine “would only benefit Russia” and its president Vladimir Putin, according to No 10.
Arpan Rai1 February 2023 03:48
Watch: A day in the life of a frontline medic in Donbas
On The Ground | A day in the life of a frontline medic in Donbas
Andy Gregory1 February 2023 02:42
US slaps new trade curbs on Iranian entities over drones used in Ukraine
The United States has put new trade restrictions on seven Iranian entities for producing drones that Russia has used to attack Ukraine, the US Department of Commerce has said.
The firms and other organisations were added to a US export control list for those engaged in activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests.
The additions to the Commerce Department’s “entities list” were posted in a preliminary filing in the US Federal Register, the government’s daily journal, and will be officially published on Wednesday.
Reuters1 February 2023 01:34
Belarus willing to help Russia with invasion, Lukashenko claims
Alexander Lukashenko has said that Belarus is willing to offer more assistance to its close ally Russia in its war against Ukraine – but claimed that Moscow does not need “any help” right now.
“However, if our Russian brothers need help, we are always ready to offer such assistance,” the authoritarian leader told reporters during a state visit to Zimbabwe.
Despite allowing Russia to use its territory to launch its invasion on Kyiv last year, Belarus has not committed any of its troops to the war. Nonetheless, Ukraine says it has maintained forces along its border with Belarus to fend off any potential invasion.
Andy Gregory1 February 2023 00:29
Memorial held in Lviv for ex-US Navy Seal killed in Ukraine
The mayor of Lviv has attended a memorial service held in the western Ukrainian city for former US Navy Seal Daniel Swift, who was killed fighting for Kyiv.
Swift had fought for Ukraine’s International Legion, and earned an award during his service, said mayor Andriy Sadovyi, who wrote on Facebook: “Sincere condolences to the family and eternal memory to the defender.”
Dozens of people, including Swift’s brother Thomas, attended the service at a Catholic church in central Lviv.
According to a statement by the US Navy, Swift deserted from the US military in 2019, and was killed while fighting in Ukraine on 18 January.
Ukrainians soldiers attend the farewell ceremony for US citizen Daniel W Swift
(AP Photo/Mateusz Nowak)
Andy Gregory31 January 2023 23:42
Foreign companies holding property in the UK have until midnight to identify their “beneficial owners” in a new public register – announced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – aimed at cracking down on oligarchs and corrupt elites laundering “dirty money” in Britain.
But a Reuters analysis of government data has found that the people behind thousands of UK-property owning foreign companies remain veiled in secrecy, the news agency reports.
More than 19,000 overseas companies had disclosed ownership of UK property as of Tuesday morning in Britain, according to data from Companies House, which runs the new register. That represents about two thirds of all the property-owning foreign companies, based on official land-ownership records.
Furthermore, roughly a quarter of the companies that registered did not identify any individual owners, many of which disclosed entities in countries known for business secrecy, such as the British Virgin Islands or Panama. The guidance defines a “beneficial owner” as either an individual or an entity.
Andy Gregory31 January 2023 22:49
Ukraine ‘hopes war will be over by time Eurovision takes place’
Ukraine is hoping that the war will be over in May so citizens can travel to see the Eurovision Song Contest, a manager at the country’s public broadcaster has said.
The Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) is also hoping to provide the BBC and authorities in Liverpool with as much expertise as possible to bring a “Ukrainian vibe” to the music event, said Oksana Skybinska.
Ms Skybinska said she “really hopes” no other country is put in a similar situation due to an invasion, adding: “We all hope that the war will be over by May, and as many people as possible from different groups of [the] population will be able to come.”
Andy Gregory31 January 2023 22:12
US accuses Russia of violating key nuclear limitation treaty
Washington has accused Russia of violating the last major pillar of post-Cold War nuclear arms control between the two countries, by refusing to allow inspections on its territory.
The New START Treaty, which came into force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 for five more years, caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.
“Russia’s refusal to facilitate inspection activities prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters.
Moscow suspended its cooperation with inspections under the treaty in August, blaming travel restrictions imposed by Washington and its allies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – but said it was still committed to complying with the provisions of the treaty.
The State Department spokesperson added that Russia had a “clear path” for returning to compliance by allowing inspection activities, and said Washington remains ready to work with Russia to fully implement the treaty.
Andy Gregory31 January 2023 21:37
