Ярош спрогнозировал возвращение Кубани в состав Украины (видео)
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Нарушение Минских соглашений: в ОРДЛО разместили более сотни единиц военной техники - СЦКК
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Глава МИД РП в Киеве: Целиком поддерживаю нормандский формат
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Министр иностранных дел Польши Збигнев Рау во время визита в Киев заявил, что выражает полную поддержку переговорам по вопросу Украины в рамках нормандского формата. Глава польской дипломатии, который от имени Польши председательствует в ОБСЕ, пребывает в украинской столице в связи с размещением российских войск вдоль границы с Украиной.
На совместной пресс-конференции глава польской и украинской дипломатии Збигнев Рау поддержал высказывание министра Дмитрия Кулебы, что, несмотря на угрозу очередного витка российской агрессии, нельзя забывать о Крыме, и что ОБСЕ не может оставаться равнодушной к этой проблеме:
«Для завершения этого процесса должна быть политическая воля заинтересованных сторон. При этом то, что ОБСЕ обязано сделать, и безусловно, сделает, это - создание условий, чтобы такая политическая воля была как можно скорее и окончательно выражена, а ее результаты были внедрены».
Министр Збигнев Рау отметил, что на тему конфликта России и Украины он также будет говорить в Москве, куда отправится 15 февраля:
«Мы серьезно обеспокоены, если говорить о безопасности Украины, как ситуацией в Донбассе, так и растущим военным присутствием России на границах с Украиной и Беларусью Как министр и представитель ОБСЕ я буду склонять правительства к поиску компромисса и совместного решения. С этой целью на будущей неделе отправляюсь в Москву».
Сегодня вечером министр Збигнев Рау поедет на восток Украины и как представитель ОБСЕ посетит зону конфликта. В планах двухдневного визита главы польской дипломатии в Украину - также встреча с президентом Владимиром Зеленским.
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What the US is watching that could signal Russia is launching an invasion of Ukraine
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Washington (CNN)It might be a cyberattack targeting Ukraine's energy grid. Or the movement of Russian battalions and tanks along the border and into firing range. Or perhaps even a long-range missile attack.
They're all potential signs US and European officials are closely monitoring that could reveal President Vladimir Putin is moving forward with an invasion of Ukraine. With more than 100,000 Russian troops amassed along the Ukrainian border -- a number that continues to grow -- military and intelligence officials are scrutinizing the latest tactical maneuvers to try to anticipate when Moscow might shift from threatening an invasion to launching one.
US officials say they're closely monitoring cyber intrusions, like the attack that hit Ukraine's government last month. They're watching not just Russian troops that amass on the border but where they're positioned, and they're keeping an eye on what Russia is doing with its equipment like tanks that would be central to any ground invasion.
At the same time, current and former officials tell CNN that ultimately there may not be a clear tip-off for an attack on Ukraine. Like the rumbling of an earthquake, there may be little or no advance warning of an invasion before it's already underway, officials say.
"If you look at the lower-end options, all of which are executable immediately with little to no warning with the forces that are already deployed — things like a punitive strike or raid in the East, a breakout from the south, a raid from the north—those forces are already in position and in the right number with the right capability," a Western intelligence official told CNN.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told CNN that the US may not see the beginning of a whole-hog invasion until they see it. "If he shoots into Kyiv or any other major cities, then you know it's a real deal," Clapper said.
The assessment helps explain why President Joe Biden and top US officials have warned that a Russian invasion is imminent -- an explanation that angered Ukrainian officials -- because the Kremlin may need very little lead time before an attack is launched.
Invasion could happen 'any day now'
While the White House said it would no longer call a Russian invasion "imminent," a senior administration official said the assessment that an attack could happen "any day now" remains valid as the Russians have added logistics and sustainment to their forces on the border, as well as additional offensive and defensive weapons.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied they're preparing to invade Ukraine, accusing the West of being responsible for escalating tensions there.
The White House on Wednesday approved a plan presented by the Pentagon for the nearly 2,000 US troops in Poland to help Americans who may try to evacuate Ukraine if Russia invades, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. The US forces are not currently authorized to enter Ukraine if a war breaks out, and there are no plans for them to conduct an evacuation like the US operation in Afghanistan last year, the officials emphasized.
Biden has also suggested that Americans should leave Ukraine now, and State Department officials have said they may not be in a position to help Americans still in the country should Russia invade.
Officials say there's a distinction between different potential scenarios, whether Russia attacks Ukraine in a targeted way or whether the Kremlin is preparing for a full-scale invasion of the country to try to overthrow the government in Kyiv. In the latter case, the Russians would need more troops along the border, officials say, and satellite images would capture the continued build-up that the West has watched for months now.
"I don't think the math is as simple as saying, there's a magical number of (battalion tactical groups)," the Western official said. "It's just generally speaking, more than we see now."
But officials cautioned that Putin could also begin by using long-range artillery to attack Ukraine, where ground forces would not need to be in range.
Still, one of the key things the US is watching is for when a significant number of Russian forces leave their training areas near the border and move within firing range of their targets, which are specific ground positions, one administration official said.
Another signal that US officials are monitoring is the movement of Russian tanks, one US official said. One sign the Russian military could be gearing up for an invasion is if they start moving around tanks on the border, or turning them on or off, the official said, because if they sit there and don't move for a few days the oil could freeze.
If they are turning them on and off, it prevents that from happening -- meaning the tanks would be ready to go quickly. So far, the official said, the tanks are just sitting there, according to commercial satellite imagery.
The weather in Ukraine could also play a role, the assessment being that colder temperatures -- and frozen terrain -- would make a Russian incursion easier.
On alert for cyberattacks
US and Ukrainian officials say there's a wide expectation that any Russian invasion could be carried out in conjunction with offensive cyber aggression toward Ukraine.
Victor Zhora, a Ukrainian official who investigated the January cyberattack of Ukrainian government websites, said last month there was "no doubt that (any Russian invasion) can be supported by cyber aggression — or at least they will stay active in cyberspace."
US officials are closely watching for any signs of cyberattacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure and are in touch with their Ukrainian counterparts on the issue, one US official told CNN. One concern is that Russia could use its hacking prowess to try to erode public confidence in the Ukrainian government.
"Could cyber be used to suggest the Ukrainian government is inept?" the US official said.
Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, suspected Russian hackers have disrupted Ukrainian critical infrastructure on multiple occasions, including by cutting power in parts of the country in 2015 and 2016.
"Cyber is an ideal tool for Russia to use prior to an invasion," said John Hultquist, vice president of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who closely tracks the Russian hacking group accused of the 2015 and 2016 disruptions. "You can use (cyber operations) to be aggressive, to signal (intent) and potentially erode the influence of your adversary before bullets fly or without necessary escalating the situation to war."
Officials say Russia is already making use of so-called hybrid warfare techniques — unconventional tactics like cyberattacks, information warfare and the famous "little green men" that Russia famously relied on in the run-up to its 2014 assault on Crimea — making it difficult to pinpoint any one incident as a definitive signal that Moscow is preparing to escalate. The State Department claimed last week that Russia was prepared to fabricate "a pretext for an invasion" through a false-flag video.
The Western official noted that Ukraine was hit by a cyber operation last month that did not precede a conventional Russian attack.
"This one of the hardest questions to answer it because the baseline level of activity is so high focused on Ukraine — and here I mean hybrid and cyber," the official said. "A one-off may not be the indicator that we're looking for that a campaign is beginning."
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В МИД Украины сравнивают режим своей работы с "холодной войной"
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Об этом он заявил в выступлении на форуме "Украина-Франция", который проводят в Париже Центр Новая Европа и Французский институт международных отношений, сообщает корреспондент Европейской правды.
По словам министра, к этой ситуации Украина и мир привели действия России.
"Родители помнят времена холодной войны, когда мир балансировал на грани глобального конфликта, а дипломаты всеми силами пытались его предотвратить. Сейчас украинская дипломатия работает в точно таком же режиме", - пояснил он.
Дмитрий Кулеба подчеркнул, что это развитие событий нежелательно для Украины: "Мне жаль, что слова "холодная война", "реванш", "архитектура безопасности" вернулись в употребление".
Министр уверен, что особый режим работы, вызванный российскими действиями и ультиматумом РФ, наступил также для дипломатов других государств мира, ищущих точки соприкосновения. Впрочем, министр настаивает, что предметом уступок не могут стать принципиальные вопросы: "Такие уступки только призывают войну, мы должны помнить это очень хорошо".
Среди прочего, министр подчеркнул, что не видит возможности компромиссов по поводу принадлежности Украины к европейскому, западному сообществу. "Я категорически отвергаю предложение о том, что Украина должна стать мостом между Востоком и Западом и т.д. Мы не буфер. Мы неотъемлемая часть Запада", - заявил он.
Окончание поста от 10.02.2022 г. следует…
Последний раз редактировалось: Dimitriy (11.02.2022 0:04), всего редактировалось 1 раз
Die Furcht ist zurück: Baltische Länder fordern stärkere Nato-Präsenz
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Stockholm Mit wachsender Sorge blicken die Menschen in Estland, Lettland und Litauen auf die sich zuspitzende Situation an den östlichen Außengrenzen. Die Bedrohungslage ist vielschichtig: Seit Donnerstag findet in Belarus ein Militärmanöver mit russischen Streitkräften statt. Beide Länder wollen noch bis zum 20. Februar die Abwehr eines gegnerischen Angriffs üben.
Die Übungen werden vorwiegend an den Grenzen zu Polen, Litauen und der Ukraine abgehalten. Gleichzeitig geht der russische Truppenaufmarsch entlang der ukrainischen Grenze weiter. Rund 130.000 Soldaten hat Russland dort zusammengezogen und seine Präsenz im Schwarzen Meer deutlich verstärkt. Die Angst vor einem russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine wächst.
Besonders in den baltischen Ländern werden Erinnerungen an die sowjetische Besatzung wieder wach. Nach der Unabhängigkeit von der Sowjetunion 1991, den Beitritten zur Europäischen Union und zur Nato wich die Furcht. Doch nun ist sie zumindest bei Politikern zurück.
Seit Wochen fordern die Regierungs- und Staatschefs von Estland, Lettland und Litauen die Bündnispartner auf, härter gegen Russland vorzugehen. Die Gaspipeline Nord Stream 2 lehnen sie unisono ab.
Das wollten sie am Donnerstagabend in Berlin noch einmal deutlich machen. Die estnische Regierungschefin Kaja Kallas, ihr lettischer Amtskollege Krisjanis Karins und der litauische Präsident Gitanas Nauseda waren zum Gespräch mit Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz verabredet.
„Wir stehen an Eurer Seite“
Dieser sicherte den drei EU- und Nato-Partern die Solidarität in einem möglichen Konflikt mit Russland zu. „Wir stehen an Eurer Seite“, sagte der Bundeskanzler. „Wir nehmen die Sorgen unserer Verbündeten sehr ernst.“ Deshalb stocke die Bundeswehr ihr Kontingent in Litauen deutlich auf. „In dieser kritischen Situation sollte Russland die Einigkeit und Entschlossenheit nicht unterschätzen.“
Scholz forderte Russland auf, nach der besorgniserregenden Truppenkonzentration an den Grenzen der Ukraine nun zur Entspannung beizutragen. „Deeskalation ist das Gebot der Stunde“, sagte er. „Wir erwarten von Russland nun eindeutige Schritte, um die gegenwärtigen Spannungen zu verringern.“ Bei einer weiteren Aggression Russlands gegen die Ukraine drohten sehr schwerwiegende politische, wirtschaftliche und strategische Konsequenzen.
Estlands Regierungschefin Kallas hatte sich schon vor dem Treffen erneut für Waffenlieferungen an die Ukraine ausgesprochen. „Es ist jedem Land selbst überlassen, welche Art von Hilfe es der Ukraine anbieten möchte“, erneuerte sie ihre Forderung gegenüber der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. „Wir halten es für sehr wichtig, der Ukraine in jeder erdenklichen Weise zu helfen.“
Ihr Land will Waffen und Munition an die Ukraine liefern. Dazu zählen auch neun Haubitzen aus DDR-Beständen. Für eine Lieferung an die Ukraine benötigt Estland allerdings die Zustimmung Deutschlands, das die Artilleriegeschütze zunächst an Finnland geliefert hatte. Finnland gab sie dann weiter an Estland. Noch prüft Berlin die Anfrage.
Eine ständige Stationierung von Nato-Truppen in ihren Ländern steht ebenfalls auf dem Wunschzettel der drei Politiker. Der Wunsch dürfte allerdings nicht erfüllt werden, da sich die Nato 1997 mit Russland darauf verständigt hatte, keine Nato-Truppen dauerhaft im Baltikum zu stationieren. Deshalb werden die multinationalen Truppen in den baltischen Ländern und Polen alle sechs Monate ausgetauscht.
Deutschland hat das Kommando über die Nato-Einheiten im Baltikum
Deutschland leitet derzeit das Nato-Kontingent und hat in Litauen rund 500 Soldatinnen und Soldaten stationiert, will aber weitere 350 Soldaten in das Land entsenden. Der litauische Präsident Nauseda begrüßte die Ankündigung.
Lieber wäre dem Staatschef und den beiden Regierungschefs allerdings eine deutlich größere Verstärkung. Denn mit jeweils rund 1000 Soldaten aus Belgien, Deutschland, Dänemark, Island, Luxemburg, den Niederlanden, Norwegen und Tschechien in den drei baltischen Ländern lässt sich ein Angriff nicht abwehren.
In Narva, im Osten Estlands, ist der übermächtige Nachbar Russland nur einen Steinwurf entfernt. Nur die Narva, ein kleiner Fluss, trennt das kleine Estland und das Riesenreich Russland. Eine Brücke über die Narva, eine kleine Grenzstation – das ist alles.
In der „russischsten Stadt Europas“, wie Narva mit seinen knapp 60.000 Einwohnern genannt wird, ist der Konflikt mit Russland deutlich zu spüren. Fast 95 Prozent der Einwohner sind russischstämmig, auf den Straßen hört man so gut wie ausschließlich Russisch.
Die Bevölkerung fürchtet die Eskalation des Konflikts
Auch wenn viele Menschen hier Verbindungen zu Verwandten auf der anderen Seite des Flusses haben und nichts mehr fürchten, als dass ihnen die regelmäßigen Besuche untersagt werden könnten, scheint die überwiegende Mehrheit der Einwohner zufrieden mit ihrer Situation zu sein. Mit einem Angriff durch Russland rechnet hier kaum jemand.
„Russland blufft nur, wie immer“, sagt etwa Roman, ein Tischler aus Narva, der mittlerweile in Tallinn lebt. Doch die wachsenden Spannungen zwischen Ost und West beschäftigen die Menschen. „Wir leben hier friedlich, und das soll auch so bleiben“, so Alexander, ein Autohändler aus Narva.
Viele Menschen in den baltischen Ländern gehen bislang relativ gelassen mit der Situation um. Gleichwohl sind die Sorgen vor einer weiteren Eskalation zu spüren. Die Politik fordert deshalb eine deutliche Verstärkung der Nato-Präsenz in ihren Ländern.
Der litauische Armeechef Valdemaras Rupsys sieht derzeit zwar „weder taktisch noch operativ eine direkte Bedrohung“, wie er Anfang der Woche in Vilnius erklärte, würde aber eine Aufstockung der Nato-Truppen begrüßen.
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Официальный Минск назвал "государственным вандализмом" бело-красно-белый флаг в Днепре
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Как пишет "Европейская правда", соответствующее заявление посольство разместило 10 февраля, отметив, что в мэрии Днепра не отреагировали на их обращение.
"В МИД Украины направлена нота посольства, в которой выражается решительный протест украинской стороне. Белорусская сторона рассматривает случай как циничное проявление недружественного отношения к суверенной белорусской нации и акт государственного вандализма со стороны властей Украины, что грубо нарушает основополагающие принципы международного права - принцип суверенного равенства и невмешательство во внутренние дела", - говорится в заявлении.
Посольство требует извинений и возвращения официального флага, а также "выяснений по факту осквернения официальной символики иностранного государства, информирования о его результатах и принятии мер по недопущению повторения подобных фактов".
Накануне мэр Днепра Борис Филатов сообщил, что вместо официального флага Беларуси на флагштоке возле мэрии белорусскую общину будет представлять бело-красно-белый флаг, который используют на протестах против режима Александра Лукашенко.
Прошлой весной в Риге, столице Латвии, замена государственного флага Беларуси на бело-красно-белый флаг привела к взаимной высылке дипломатов, а белорусская прокуратура возбудила дело против мэра Риги и министра иностранных дел Латвии.
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Вторжение Клопии. Как Россия и Беларусь будут защищаться от Украины на учениях "Союзная решимость"
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Russia and Belarus hold joint military exercises as diplomatic talks ramp back up
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(CNN)Russia and Belarus began 10 days of joint military drills Thursday amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis over fears that the Kremlin is planning an incursion into Ukrainian territory.
The military drills, called "Allied Resolve-2022," began in Belarus and will end February 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced Thursday in a statement.
"The purpose of the exercise is to work out the tasks of suppressing and repelling external aggression while conducting a defensive operation, countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State," the statement said.
Moscow's deployment into Belarus is believed to be its biggest there since the Cold War, with "an expected 30,000 combat troops, Spetsnaz special operation forces, fighter jets including SU-35, Iskander dual-capable missiles and S-400 air defense systems," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last Thursday.
The United States has also expressed concerns about the buildup of Russian troops in Belarus, a close ally of Russia.
Russia has repeatedly denied it is planning to attack Ukraine, despite Moscow's massive troop buildup in the region. The Kremlin is believed to have assembled 70% of the military personnel and weapons on Ukraine's borders that Russia would need for a full-scale invasion, according to two US officials familiar with Washington's latest intelligence estimates.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the drills have scaled up as both Russia and Belarus face "unprecedented threats" from NATO.
"[The drills] are held regularly," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. "Yes, the scale may be larger than before, but the situation is much more tense now."
Pressed further on the purpose and political meaning of these exercises, Peskov said both countries feel a growing threat from NATO.
"Yes, we can say so," Peskov said. "Both Russia and Belarus are facing unprecedented threats, the nature and concentration of which, unfortunately, are now much higher and much more dangerous than before."
While Russian President Vladimir Putin is not scheduled to attend the drills, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian General Staff, arrived in Belarus ahead of the joint exercises, Russian state news agency TASS reported Wednesday.
"During the exercise, measures will be taken to strengthen the protection of the state border to prevent the penetration of armed groups of militants, block the channels for the delivery of weapons and ammunition, search, block, destroy illegal armed formations and sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a mock enemy," the Russian Ministry of Defense statement said.
The drills are taking place around Belarus, including "Domanovsky, Gozhsky, Obuz-Lesnovsky, Brest, Osipovichsky training grounds," while the "airfields of Baranovichi, Luninets, Lida and Machulishchi are also involved," it wrote.
Satellite images, taken Saturday, by US-based technology company Maxar showed camps being established close to the Belarusian border with Ukraine, hundreds of miles from where the exercises are taking place.
Ukraine's Foreign Affairs ministry protested on Thursday about what it said was the blockage of parts of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov amid Russian naval drills scheduled to take place between February 14 and 19.
Russia denied the claim that its warships were blocking commercial shipping routes. Asked to comment, Peskov said Thursday: "All military maneuvers and movements of Russian ships in the water area of the Black Sea are carried out in strict accordance with international regulations of maritime law."
More diplomacy
The exercises begin the same day diplomatic talks to ease the crisis are expected to take place. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an interview Thursday that a further round of talks between the countries in the so-called Normandy Format would be a "good sign."
The Normandy Format is a four-way conversation between representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France that has been trying to broker peace in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Talk has turned to the Minsk Agreement, which was hammered out during talks in 2015 but never fully implemented, as a possible way out of the current crisis.
Advisers from all four countries are due to meet Thursday in Berlin to discuss tensions around Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson met NATO's Stoltenberg in Brussels on Thursday, where the UK Prime Minister "set out his plan to bolster UK military commitments to NATO" by sending warships to Eastern Europe and increase the number of British fighter jets stationed in southeast Europe, "to provide reassurance and support to allies in the region," according to Downing Street.
"Today I have agreed with the Secretary General a package of support to strengthen further our collective security, sending troops, planes and ships to defend NATO from north to south," Johnson said during a press conference.
Johnson is due to travel to Poland the same day to meet President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Downing Street said Wednesday.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met in Moscow with her counterpart Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who gave a gloomy assessment of their talks.
Lavrov called it a "a dialogue of the deaf," saying at a joint press conference Russia was considering withdrawing non-essential diplomatic personnel from Ukraine.
"We are listening but we can't hear each other," he added. "Our most detailed explanations fell on unprepared ground."
Truss in turn urged Russia to take a diplomatic route to avoid war over Ukraine."There is no doubt that the stationing of over 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border is directly put in place to threaten Ukraine," she said, noting that Russian authorities have also attempted to undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine through cyberattacks and other activities.
"No one is undermining Russia's security. That is simply not true," Truss added. "And it is perfectly proper for sovereign nations such as Ukraine to defend themselves and to seek defensive alliances."
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В Киеве при попытке совершения теракта задержан агент спецслужб Лукашенко
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10 февраля Служба безопасности Украины сообщила, что в ходе спецоперации разоблачила и задержала агента спецслужб режима Лукашенко, готовившего теракт в Киеве. Им оказался местный житель, завербованный представителями одной из белорусских госструктур. Злоумышленника задержали при попытке поджога автомобиля у здания одной из общественных организаций в Киеве.
СБУ также установила, что задержанный причастен к организации несанкционированных «митингов» вблизи иностранных дипломатических представительств, в том числе и в организации акции возле посольства Польши.
По предварительным данным действия агента были направлены на расшатывание внутриполитической обстановки в Украине и дискредитацию официального Киева перед странами ЕС. Также, по данным СБУ, задержанный собирал данные о дислокации частей ВСУ.
«По данным следствия, его завербовали в одной из групп мессенджера Telegram. Для связи с кураторами использовались запрещенные российские электронные почтовые сервисы. За проведение подрывной деятельности он из-за границы получал деньги на свою банковскую карту. Установлено, что для совершения теракта злоумышленник приобрел транспортное средство, легковоспламеняющиеся материалы и пиротехнику», – сообщили в пресс-службе СБУ.
Чехи и немцы «штурмуют» АЗС в польских приграничных местностях
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В Польше с 1 февраля снижен НДС на топливо и продовольственные товары. Это стало возможным благодаря правительственной программе, направленной на борьбу с инфляцией – второй «Антиинфляционный щит». НДС на топливо снизился с 23% до 8%, а на базовые продукты питания и до 0%.
Как оценивают эксперты, по сравнению с другими странами, в Польше на данный момент гораздо лучшая ситуация, если говорить об интересах потребителей. Временное снижение ставок НДС на некоторые товары сделало поездки за покупками в Польшу для чехов и немцев, живущих в приграничной зоне с Польшей, еще более выгодными.
Чешские СМИ сообщают о большом интересе к продуктовым закупкам и заправке топлива на польской стороне, сообщает пражский корреспондент Польского Радио Войцех Стобба: «„Чехи штурмуют польские магазины”, – пишет на первой полосе газета Mladá fronta Dnes. По сравнению с ценами в Чехии некоторые продукты в Польше дешевле на треть. «Нашествие» чехов напоминает журналистам ситуацию 90-х годов прошлого столетия, когда в приграничные местности людей за покпками привозили целые автобусы».
Войцех Стобба отмечает, что газета цитирует также покупателей, которые стоят в длинных очередях в кассы в супермаркетах в польских городах Цешин и Кудава-Здруй. Жители приграничных с Польшей местностей подчеркивают, что покупки в Польше не являются для них чем-то новым и что сейчас «закупочные» выезды в Польшу стали еще более выгодными.
В свою очередь, Чешское телевидение на прошлых выходных показало очереди на заправочных станциях, расположенных недалеко от польско-чешской границы. Литр бензина в Польше дешевле, нежели в Чехии на 8 крон, то есть на 1,5 злотых или 33 евроцента.
Заправлять автомобили едут в Польшу также и немцы. Заправка 50-литрового бака на польской АЗС на 25 евро дешевле, чем в Германии. «Топливный» туризм в Польшу может увеличиться, – пишет немецкая газета Bild. Сложившаяся ситуация сильно бьет по заправочным станциям в Германии, которые должны опасаться за свое существование. На данный момент АЗС на границе ФРГ с РП лишились 70% клиентов.
Реклама Агрессии.
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С сожалением и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
48 часов на ответ: Украина требует от России объяснить военное присутствие на границе
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Кулеба подчеркнул, что согласно положениям Венского документа РФ должна предоставить точные районы проведения военной деятельности, сообщить даты ее завершения, а также наименования, подчиненность, количество военных формирований; также типы вооружений и военной техники, участвующие в ней.
«У России есть 48 часов на ответ. В случае его отсутствия или предоставления недостаточной или ненадлежащей информации, Украина обратится к РФ и остальным государствам-участникам Венского документа о созыве чрезвычайной встречи, на которой РФ должна будет предоставить разъяснения», – отметил министр.
Глава украинской дипломатии добавил, что МИД продолжит и дальше использовать все дипломатические возможности для обеспечения безопасности Украины.
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U.S. Warns of Risk That Russia Attacks Ukraine Next Week
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The U.S. believes Russia could take offensive military action or attempt to spark a conflict inside Ukraine as early as next week, before the Winter Olympics in Beijing wrap up, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
Conflict “could begin during the Olympics despite a lot of speculation that it could only happen after” the Winter Games end, Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Friday. “What we can say is that there is a credible prospect that a Russian military action would take place even before the end of the Olympics.”
“Our view is that we do not believe he has made any kind of final decision, or we don’t know that he has made any final decision,” Sullivan added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A Russian assault would likely begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that would cause widespread civilian casualties, Sullivan said, encouraging Americans in Ukraine to leave as soon as feasible. The U.S. military would not go into Ukraine to evacuate Americans in case of conflict, he said.
“I can’t obviously predict what the exact shape or scope of the military action will be,” Sullivan added. “As I said before, it can take a variety of forms. It could be more limited, it could be more expansive, but there are very real possibilities that it will involve the seizure of a significant amount of territory in Ukraine and the seizure of major cities including the capital city.”
Stocks fell and oil surged to the highest since 2014 as tensions continued to mount. The S&P 500 slid 2% and the Nasdaq 100 dropped more than 2%.
Russia has repeatedly rejected charges it plans to invade Ukraine, accusing NATO of threatening its security by considering Ukrainian membership in the military alliance. On Thursday, tens of thousands of Russian troops began exercises with the Belarus military just miles from the Ukraine border.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hit back at the U.S. comments on Telegram. “The hysteria of the White House is more revealing than ever,” she said. “The Anglo-Saxons need a war. At any price. Provocations, misinformation and threats are a favorite method of solving one’s own problems.”
The actions by Russia could include causing a provocation in the Donbas region, where Ukraine’s military has been fighting for years against separatists backed by Moscow, or attacking the country’s capital, Kyiv, officials familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified speaking about such a sensitive topic. They said any action could start as soon as Tuesday and stressed Putin’s final intentions were not known.
Either move would represent a dramatic escalation after months of tensions over Russia’s military buildup near the Ukraine border. The U.S. and other nations estimate Russia now has 130,000 troops in the area. Any action inside Ukraine risks setting off the biggest conflict on European territory since World War II.
The U.S. on Friday ordered an additional 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina to deploy to NATO ally Poland, according to a U.S. official, bringing the total number of U.S. forces there to 5,000. Sullivan said U.S. troops stationed in NATO nations are there for defensive purposes only. More than 80,000 U.S. troops are already in Europe, another U.S. official said.
Sullivan warned that Russia would confront a NATO alliance “ready to respond decisively” should it take military action and that the costs on Moscow would be long-lasting. “If Russia proceeds its long term power and influence will be diminished, not enhanced by an invasion,” he said.
The biggest unknown remains the intentions of Putin himself. The U.S. does not know whether Putin has decided to implement such plans, people familiar with the matter said. In addition, the U.S. has not shared evidence underlining the assessments, they said.
“We are trying to stop a war, to prevent the war, to avert a war,” Sullivan said. “And all we can do is come here in good faith and share everything that we know to the best of our ability while protecting sources and methods.”
U.S. President Joe Biden is likely to speak with Putin, Sullivan said, without indicating when that call would take place. U.S. and Russian military leaders spoke by phone earlier Friday, Russia’s Interfax reported.
The U.S. shared its assessment with key allies on Friday, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. On Friday, several countries moved to withdraw embassy staff from Kyiv, as well as advise citizens to avoid Ukraine and, if there, to leave the country.
U.S. told allies in November that Russia had plans to build up troop numbers and military capabilities near Ukraine’s borders. Much of that assessment has come to pass.
Officials have also reiterated they don’t believe Putin has made a final decision on Ukraine. Recent U.S. warnings -- including that Russia planned to fabricate an attack on pro-Russia separatists to justify an attack -- have also not been accompanied by public details of the intelligence behind them.
Biden is likely to spend much of his weekend focused on the Ukraine crisis. The president is traveling to Camp David, Maryland, where he’s expected to be in talks with his national security team and European counterparts, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Иллюстрация из другого издания. У Б-г фиг сопрёшь. Но, картинка точно, та самая. Последнюю неделю кочует по тамошним СМИ.
NUKE CLASH
Russia sparks nuclear war fears after footage shows ‘atomic cannons’ within striking distance of Ukraine
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UK defense secretary in Moscow amid Ukraine tensions
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Britain’s defense secretary visited Moscow Friday for talks on easing tensions amid massive Russian war games near Ukraine.
Ben Wallace’s trip comes a day after British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss held talks in Moscow, urging Russia to pull back over 100,000 troops amassed near Ukraine and warning that attacking its neighbor would “have massive consequences and carry severe costs.”
Russia says it has no plans to invade Ukraine but wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet countries out of NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons there and roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly rejected by the West.
In an interview Thursday with NBC News, U.S. President Joe Biden repeated his warning that any Americans still in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible.
“It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly,” he said.
Asked whether there were any scenarios that would prompt him to send U.S. troops to Ukraine to rescue Americans, the president said: “There’s not. That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”
Amid the soaring tensions, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Thursday that the Ukraine crisis has grown into “the most dangerous moment” for Europe in decades.
Russia’s troop concentration includes forces deployed on the territory of its ally Belarus for massive joint drills involving firing live ammunition. That entered a decisive phase Thursday and will run through Feb. 20. The Ukrainian capital is located about 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of the Belarus border.
Continuing its military buildup near Ukraine, Russia has moved six amphibious assault vessels into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land marines on the coast.
Moscow has announced sweeping drills in the Black and Azov seas in the coming days and closed large areas for commercial shipping, drawing a strong protest from Ukraine on Thursday.
NATO has stepped up military deployments to bolster its eastern flank, with the U.S. sending troops to Poland and Romania.
The U.S. Navy said Thursday it has deployed four destroyers from the United States to European waters. The Navy did not directly tie this deployment to the Ukraine crisis but said the ships provide “additional flexibility” to the U.S. Sixth Fleet commander, whose area of responsibility includes the Mediterranean, and will operate in support of NATO allies.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited a military base in Romania, hailing the ongoing deployment of 1,000 additional U.S. troops that will nearly double their current number there.
“This is a powerful demonstration of trans-Atlantic unity,” Stoltenberg said.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to that by noting that “NATO keeps building up its presence near Russia’s borders and exacerbates the situation around Ukraine to create a pretext for that.”
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly leader was driven from office by a popular uprising. Moscow responded by annexing Crimea and then backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed over 14,000 people.
A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped halt large-scale battles, but regular skirmishes have continued and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the agreement, and Ukrainian officials argued in recent weeks that implementing it would hurt their country.
Foreign policy advisers from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine held nearly nine hours of talks in Berlin on Thursday to try to revive the stalled agreement but made no progress.
Russian representative Dmitry Kozak said Ukraine firmly refused to commit to a dialogue with the rebels on a political settlement, blocking any further movement. Ukrainian envoy Andriy Yermak sounded a more positive note, noting that the parties agreed to continue their discussions and hailed the four-way talks as an “effective and efficient platform.“
The Berlin talks were part of renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who discussed the standoff with Biden earlier this week and plans to visit Kyiv and Moscow on Feb. 14-15, renewed his warning to Russia and advocacy of multiple diplomatic formats.
“It is our job to ensure that we prevent a war in Europe, in that we send a clear message to Russia that any military aggression would have consequences that would be very high for Russia and its prospects, and that we are united with our allies,” Scholz told the German parliament’s upper house on Friday.
Pointing to his trips next week, the chancellor said “everything serves to achieve this: securing peace in Europe, and that is worth every effort.”
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Ukraine news - live: Brits told to leave country immediately as fears mount of Russian invasion
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Britons have been told to leave Ukraine immediately over fears of an invasion by Russian forces.
The Foreign Office updated its advice on Friday evening to tell UK nationals to “leave now while commercial means are still available”.
The warning came after Boris Johnson voiced fears for the security of Europe during a call with world leaders including US President Joe Biden.
It comes after UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned that Russia could still launch an invasion at short notice after holding “frank” discussions with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.
Mr Wallace said the positioning of Russian forces gives them the ability to invade a neighbouring country “at any time”, but he said he had heard from the Russian government that it has “no intention” of invading Ukraine.
Russia has already massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, and this week it launched joint military exercises in neighbouring Belarus and naval drills in the Black Sea.
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UK orders Britons out of Ukraine as White House says Putin poised for invasion
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The UK government is urging Britons in Ukraine to leave immediately and advised against all travel to the country as signs of war breaking out in eastern Europe intensify.
The Foreign Office put out its advice as Russia’s troop build-up continued to increase and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Russia could invade at any time.
Rhetoric from Moscow was hardening, US sources said, six Russian warships had reached the Black Sea, and more Russian military equipment was arriving in Belarus, north of Ukraine.
In a travel update, the Foreign Office said: “The FCDO now advises against all travel to Ukraine. British nationals in Ukraine should leave now while commercial means are still available.”
The fears of an imminent invasion by Moscow rose just hours after a visit by foreign secretary Liz Truss to the capital, who said she has received assurances from her Russian counterpart that Moscow has “no plans to invade Ukraine”.
Russia, which already had more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, massed even more on Thursday and Friday.
The UK government advice came hours after the US, Japan and the Netherlands told their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.
The Netherlands was preparing to move its diplomatic mission from Kiev to Lviv in the west of the country, and Israel announced the evacuation of the families of diplomats.
Boris Johnson told allies that he feared for the security of Europe, as he held a virtual meeting with the leaders of the US, Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Germany, the European Council, the European Commission and Nato.
“He impressed the need for Nato allies to make absolutely clear that there will be a heavy package of economic sanctions ready to go, should Russia make the devastating and destructive decision to invade Ukraine,” the prime minister’s office said.
Mr Biden said earlier that “things could go crazy quickly” and insisted that US troops would not be involved in any rescue missions.
Moscow, meanwhile, said answers sent this week by the EU and Nato to its security demands showed “disrespect”. Vladimir Putin has been demanding guarantees that Ukraine will never join Nato and objects to the bloc’s “eastward expansion”.
US officials believe the crisis could be reaching a critical point, with rhetoric from Moscow hardening, and more Russian military equipment arriving in Belarus, a US source said.
“We’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time, and to be clear, that includes during the Olympics,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Beijing Games end a week on Sunday.
“Simply put, we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border,” Mr Blinken added.
In Moscow, British defence secretary Ben Wallace met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, who repeated Russia’s assurances that it was not planning to invade, said Mr Wallace.
Butu Russia says it could take unspecified “military-technical” action unless its demands are met.
Kamila Valieva’s failed drugs test exposes Russia and IOC’s broken relationship
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Kamila Valieva’s Olympic dreams are hanging by a knife-edge as the bewildered teenager was pitched into a battle between the International Olympic Committee and Russia.
Valieva, just 15, was meant to be the face of these Games and was already being hailed as the greatest women’s skater of all time, guiding Russia to team gold and becoming the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics.
But as she practiced twice today at the Capitol Indoor Arena, her future was being decided in an unedifying legal wrangle that exposed the fissures and fault lines in the relationship between Russia and the IOC.
News that Valieva had tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine, which is used to treat angina, sent shockwaves through the Games though the case was complicated by a lack of details and her minor status.
As she walked past reporters after the second of two practice sessions – in which she fell three times while rehearsing her Bolero free skate – Valieva wore a hoodie and shook her head when asked if she’d ever taken drugs.
It was a sad scene that underlined the broader story here, it’s about the welfare of a child, rather than an aspiring Olympic champion and the Russian team – proven to chase medals at all costs - must take more responsibility for her wellbeing.
Today the ITA - the independent body which looks after doping cases on behalf of the IOC – realised a detailed 700-word statement clarifying the timelines – though it poses more questions than answers and raises serious doubts, again, about the probity of Russian doping controls.
Valieva recorded an adverse sample after the Russian national championships in St Petersburg on December 25 in a test managed by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), an organisation ruled as non-complaint with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code for a period of two years in December 2020.
However, it wasn’t until 8 February – an eye-raising 45 days later – that the WADA accredited laboratory in Stockholm reported the sample had recorded an adverse finding, why this time lag was allowed has now become a central question to the whole mess.
By then Valieva was already in Beijing, helping Russia to team gold and underlining her status as one of these Games’ biggest stars, even though her coaches and team knew what was going on behind the scenes, again raising questions about Valieva’s welfare.
With haste, Valieva’s team appealed RUSADA’s decision, who lifted a provisional suspension less than 24 hours later on 9 February, which allowed her to continue to train and prepare for next week’s women’s competition, where she’ll start as overwhelming favourite.
The Russian team today claimed she had passed all doping tests before and after the test in December, including while here in Beijing.
However, the Independent Testing Agency (ITA), on behalf of the IOC, are now appealing that decision to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), who have set up base in Beijing.
The medal ceremony for the team event is on hold, with the USA, Japan and Canada – the teams in second, third and fourth – watching with interest and publicly questioning the credibility of the process.
It’s unclear when this case will be held but IOC spokesman Mark Adams confirmed a quick resolution was in the interest of all parties, not least the wide-eyed teenager suddenly thrust into the world’s glare.
The worst-case scenario is Valieva is allowed to compete, and win, only for this medal to be stripped from her days, weeks, months or years after the Games.
“What is clear is we want to expedite this as quickly as possible, it’s a legal issue and they can be complicated. Legal cases are difficult but it’s important that people get full justice,” said Adams.
“For all concerned, not just the Russian athlete, we need a resolution and we are working as fast as we can to get that.
“Such cases are not helpful to the Games, these cases need to be prosecuted properly and due process needs to be applied. People need to have confidence in the decisions taken.”
Since the release of the 2016 McLaren Report, which chronicled state sponsored and institutionalised doping by Russian athletes at the home 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the nation has been subject to sanctions by the IOC.
For the Games in Rio, Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing, they’ve not been allowed to compete under their own flag or hear their own national anthem on the podium.
In Beijing their team is officially known as the “Russian Olympic Committee” - though in truth it’s a diplomatic fudge that has little impact or understanding in the wider world.
And it’s a situation additionally complicated by the close relationship between Thomas Bach, the IOC president, and Vladimir Putin, who met together before last week’s opening ceremony in Beijing.
Privately some senior IOC members are fuming about the situation, claiming Russia are playing games, with a child a pawn in their sports politicking.
One said: “While the IOC’s hands are tied by the processes, people don’t understand that, they just see a 15-year-old girl and read the words doping and Russia. It’s a total mess, which seemed so avoidable. The overall feeling is just one of sadness.”
And that’s hard to argue against, while the law of strict liability governs all doping cases, the athlete alone is ultimately responsible for what is in their system, though it becomes a murkier area when that athlete is a minor.
Before Valieva took to the ice today, British skater Natasha McKay, who finished 16 places behind her at the European Championships, said: “I don’t really know the details and I’m focused on what I’m doing. She’s a great skater and to land that quad at the Olympics is incredibly cool but I’m here to do my job.
“I’ve not been taking any notice of the story, I don’t want to get involved and it’ll play out by itself.”
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Kamila Valieva: How the face of the Winter Olympics became embroiled in another potential Russian scandal
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Kamila Valieva blinked into the flashbulbs, fixed her grin and took to the ice, cameras clicking with each twist and turn.
Valieva is every inch the star performer, which is precisely why the 15-year old Russian figure skater was expected to be the face of these Olympic Games.
She went through her practice session with skill and precision, while her mentor Eteri Tutberidze and Russian team coaches Daniil Gleikhengauz and Sergei Dudakov looked on approvingly.
Tutberidze doesn’t joke - her ferocious competitiveness, lived vicariously through her ever-obliging skaters, is feared and legendary - so don’t read too much into the stony face.
Having become the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics, Valieva perfected a string of them in practice as she rehearsed her eagerly-awaited free skate, set to the music of Ravel’s Bolero.
There is no doubt she is the best women’s skater in the world, perhaps the best ever. She looked confident and collected, how she really felt inside you can only imagine.
The world’s media should have been next door, watching Nathan Chen winning Olympic men’s gold, but they had the sniff of a story and scent of a scandal.
Few sports gossip like figure skating and the Olympics is full of tawdry tales, sparkling among the sequins. After all the worry and stress of a positive Covid test, this was safe and familiar ground, featuring a usual suspect - Russia.
“She is not suspended, why should she not be here?” said Olga Ermolina, a spokesperson for the Russian figure skating federation.
In a Games with a limited cast of big names, Valieva’s star was expected to shine brightest but then came the news that sent the Olympic world into a dizzying camel spin.
She had helped Russia win team gold on Monday but the medal ceremony on Tuesday night was delayed at short notice without explanation.
The following day an IOC official claimed this was because of an ongoing ‘legal issue’, within hours Russian media were claiming Valieva had failed a pre-competition doping test.
Anastasia Gubanova, a Russian-born skater who represents Georgia, shared the ice with Valieva in practice and admitted shock about the allegations.
“It would be very unfortunate for her if something bad happens because of this,” she said.
The drug reported, Trimetazidine, is used to treat angina and has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list since 2014.
Also known as TMZ, it increases blood flow to the heart and limits rapid swings in blood pressure. It is not a drug that can be taken accidentally and not something you’d expect a 15-year-old to be prescribed.
Of course, Valieva may have a ‘Therapeutic Use Exemption’, an official medical document giving an athlete permission to take a medication that is ordinarily prohibited for the treatment of a legitimate condition.
However, if this was the case it is surprising the information has not been released. Since the story broke, a Great Wall of silence has been erected in China and in that vacuum, speculation has bred.
“The most important thing regardless of all of this is we have a young, female skater involved in this story,” said Eurosport figure skating expert Valentina Marchel, a two-time Olympian.
“With the speculation continuing, it threatens to be a very sad day for the sport I love.”
It is claimed Valieva tested positive last year, in which case serious questions need to be asked of the International Skating Union, famously one of the more terse associations in global sport, the International Olympic Committee and the Russian Olympic team.
Of course, we expect little of Russia, who are competing at their fourth consecutive Games under a neutral flag because of the state-sponsored doping exposed when they hosted the Games in 2014.
It’s vital to learn when the ISU, IOC and Russian team knew of Valieva’s adverse sample, because this is as much a story about athlete welfare as it is about sports doping.
And there’s a broader issue about wellbeing and Valieva too; one of her coach’s former skaters, Polina Shuboderova, has already accused Tutberidze of pressurising her charges to train with injuries while weighing them regularly to achieve a narrow target weight.
“I don’t deal with gossip,” Tutberidze was quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS yesterday.
But gossip right now is all we have. The IOC delegated responsibility for these matters to the Court of Arbitration in Sport and Independent Testing Authority - sport can really be a soup of acronyms - to show transparency.
The world is waiting and prompt answers are needed, for a 15-year-old child’s sake as much as anything.
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Окончание поста от 11.02.2022 г. следует…
Последний раз редактировалось: Dimitriy (12.02.2022 0:50), всего редактировалось 1 раз
No repercussions for Olympic athlete holding ‘No War in Ukraine’ sign, rules Games committee
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said they will not act on the Ukrainian skeleton athlete who flashed a blue-and-yellow sign that read ‘No War in Ukraine’ to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics today.
Despite fears the IOC could have ruled Vladyslav Heraskevych’s action a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter - that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas” - they have closed the case.
The IOC instead described the event as a “general call for peace.”
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Athlete shows ‘No War in Ukraine’ sign at Winter Olympics
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A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small sign that read ‘No War in Ukraine’ to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics on Friday night.
Vladyslav Heraskevych’s sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colors of his country’s flag. He did not display the message after his second run of the night, which was his fourth and final run of the Olympics.
“It’s my position. Like any normal people, I don’t want war,” Heraskevych said after he finished competing. “I want peace in my country, and I want peace in the world. It’s my position, so I fight for that. I fight for peace.”
В Bloomberg назвали точную дату начала вторжения России в Украину
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Российское вторжение на территорию Украины начнется 15 февраля, сообщает Bloomberg со ссылкой на неких официальных лиц США.
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Bloomberg по ошибке объявил о вторжении России на Украину
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Bloomberg выпустил заголовок о вторжении России на Украину, затем удалил его и признал ошибку. Сообщение о совершенной ошибке размещено на сайте агентства.
«Мы готовим заголовки для многих сценариев, и заголовок «Россия вторгается в Украину» был случайно опубликован сегодня около 4 часов вечера по восточному времени (около 0.00 мск. — РБК) на нашем веб-сайте. Мы глубоко сожалеем об этой ошибке. Заголовок был удален, и мы расследуем причину», — сказано в сообщении.
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Сидим в Донецке. Читаем о датах начала войны, плавающие даты какие-то у иносми. Всех запутали, даже Кавээнщика. То доставать броник, то убирать.
В драм-театре «Золушка» завтра, билетов нет. Вот это стабильность.
Цитата:
Главнокомандующий ВС Украины заявил, что украинские военные не вели обстрелов в направлении Донецка.
Цитата:
Взрыв который был слышен в Донецке, отголосок детонации, чего-то у "войнов света". Рукожопы они и в Африке рукожопы.
На момент начала публикации, 23.00 по мск., официальной текстовой версии сообщения о разговоре Путина и Байдена, на сайте Президента России, опубликовано не было. Только аудиозапись (mp3)
Цитата:
Брифинг помощника Президента России Юрия Ушакова по итогам телефонного разговора Владимира Путина и Джозефа Байдена
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Юрий Ушаков провёл брифинг для представителей СМИ по итогам телефонного разговора Президента России Владимира Путина и Президента США Джозефа Байдена.
Стенограмма
будет опубликована.
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Цитата:
Телефонный разговор с Президентом Белоруссии Александром Лукашенко
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Состоялся телефонный разговор Владимира Путина с Президентом Республики Беларусь Александром Лукашенко.
12 февраля 2022 года 18:45
Рассмотрены некоторые вопросы дальнейшего развития двустороннего сотрудничества, а также ситуация вокруг реакции США и НАТО на российские предложения по выработке долгосрочных международно-правовых гарантий безопасности России.
Условлено о дальнейших личных контактах.
Цитата:
Телефонный разговор с Президентом Франции Эммануэлем Макроном
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По инициативе французской стороны состоялся телефонный разговор Владимира Путина с Президентом Французской Республики Эммануэлем Макроном.
12 февраля 2022 года 18:35
В продолжение обсуждений в ходе недавнего визита Президента Франции в Москву прошёл углублённый обмен мнениями по вопросам, касающимся обеспечения долгосрочных юридических гарантий безопасности Российской Федерации и преодоления тупика в урегулировании внутриукраинского конфликта, в том числе с учётом бесед Эммануэля Макрона с руководством Украины, США и ряда европейских государств.
Владимир Путин вновь обратил внимание на отсутствие содержательной реакции США и НАТО на известные российские инициативы. Подчёркнуто и нежелание ведущих западных стран подтолкнуть киевские власти к выполнению Минских договорённостей, что ещё раз проявилось в безрезультатном раунде проведенных 10 февраля в Берлине консультаций политических советников лидеров государств «нормандского формата».
Владимир Путин и Эммануэль Макрон обсудили также ситуацию, связанную с провокационными спекуляциями о якобы планируемом российском «вторжении» на Украину, под аккомпанемент которых идёт масштабная накачка этой страны современными вооружениями и создаются предпосылки для возможных агрессивных действий украинских силовиков в Донбассе.
Условлено и далее держать упомянутые вопросы в поле зрения российско-французского диалога на высшем уровне.
Кроме того, затронута тематика сохранения и полноценного выполнения Совместного всеобъемлющего плана действий по иранской ядерной программе.
В Кремле раскрыли детали разговора Путина и Байдена
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"Сегодняшний разговор прошел в обстановке беспрецедентного нагнетания американскими официальными лицами истерии о якобы неминуемом вторжении России на Украину. Это всем известно", - сказал он.
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"Владимир Владимирович прошелся и по истории взаимоотношений между США, НАТО и Россией – что в итоге привело к нынешней кризисной ситуации. Президент России, в частности, отметил, что в годы холодной войны Советский Союз и США были, конечно, стопроцентно противниками", - сказал он.
"А, например, в 1990-ые годы мы были вроде бы друзьями. Но даже тогда США и НАТО вели далеко не конструктивную линию в отношении России. Ведь именно тогда началось практическое расширение сферы деятельности НАТО, именно тогда были приняты новые члены, и альянс приблизился к границам России", - сказал Ушаков.
Путин также заявил Байдену, что Запад не осуществляет должного нажима на Украину для выполнения Минских соглашений. Вокруг передвижения российских войск по российской же территории не первый месяц нагнетается напряженность, а в последние дни и часы ситуация доведена до абсурда, зачем это делать - непонятно.
"Американцы искусственно раздувают истерию вокруг так называемого планируемого российского вторжения, называют даже даты этого вторжения, а параллельно вместе с союзниками накачивают военные мускулы Украины... Под аккомпанемент утверждений о вторжении создаются предпосылки для возможно провокационных действий украинских вооружённых сил. Так мы расцениваем эту ситуацию", - сказал Ушаков журналистам.
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Цитата:
As Biden and Putin speak, Ukraine invasion threat ratchets up
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President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Saturday morning as fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine intensify, with the U.S. warning Americans that “it’s past time to leave” a potential war zone.
Biden’s call with Putin, which lasted about an hour, is just the latest in a spate of communications with Moscow over the past two days as administration officials actively work to deter Putin from taking military action. American officials have told POLITICO that intelligence suggests Russia could invade on Feb. 16, and the State Department on Saturday moved to begin evacuating its embassy in Kyiv, yet another warning sign from Washington.
“President Biden was clear that, if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, the United States together with our Allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia. President Biden reiterated that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing. President Biden was clear with President Putin that while the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy, in full coordination with our Allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House readout of the call said.
A senior administration official described the call as “professional” and noted there was “no fundamental change in the dynamic that has been unfolding now for several weeks.”
“It remains unclear whether Russia is interested in pursuing its goals diplomatically as opposed to through the use of force,” the official said. “We don’t have full visibility into President Putin’s decision making.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, reiterating that a Russian invasion would result in “a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response.” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also called his counterpart, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, ahead of the Biden-Putin meeting.
Austin is expected in Brussels this week to take part in a long-planned defense ministers’ meeting at NATO, in which Russia will clearly be at the top of the agenda. Vice President Kamala Harris will also travel to Europe, speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference Feb. 18-20. For the first time in more than a decade, Russian officials have refused to attend the event.
This year’s event in Munich marks the 15th anniversary of a landmark speech Putin delivered to the gathering that has widely been seen as foreshadowing his policy of opposing NATO expansion.
“NATO expansion does not have any relation with the modernization of the Alliance itself,” Putin said in the combative 2007 address. “On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust.”
In keeping with that doctrine and Putin’s concerns about Western expansion, this December Moscow sent NATO a “draft” treaty negating the possibility that Ukraine ever be allowed to join the alliance. The document, which was quickly rejected by Western capitals, also called on NATO to withdraw from countries added since 1997, which would have the effect of kicking the Baltic and Black Sea members from the alliance.
In Ukraine, the U.S. and U.K. on Saturday ordered the small number of troops they had stationed there in order to train local forces to leave on Saturday. Austin ordered the 160 troops from the Florida National Guard to relocate elsewhere in Europe, while 100 British soldiers will head home. Canada also has a small military training presence in Ukraine, but the Canadian Department of National Defence did not respond to questions about the status of the mission there.
The drawdown is happening as 3,000 more U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne Division prepare to deploy to Poland in the coming days, joining the 2,000 troops sent there last week.
Another 1,000 soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment based in Germany also relocated to Romania in recent days.
The State Department on Saturday again asked Americans to flee Ukraine, warning that the government would be unable to help U.S. citizens leave once potential conflict begins. While all Ukrainian officials don’t agree with Washington’s threat assessment, a senior State Department official said, the Ukrainians understand why the State Department took the steps it did on Saturday to scale down its operations in the country.
“Our ability to help them through that crisis, during that crisis, is going to be extremely limited, and they cannot have any reasonable expectation that the U.S. government is going to be able to rescue them if they find themselves in harm’s way in a war zone,” a senior State Department official said, referring to Americans in Ukraine who choose not to heed warnings to flee.
In the past 24 hours, multiple other countries — including Israel, Germany and the U.K. — have been encouraging their citizens to leave and reducing their diplomatic presence. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Saturday that Russia intends to optimize its embassy staff in Ukraine, an indication Moscow, too, is reducing its diplomatic presence in Ukraine for now.
Russia’s foreign ministry continued to decry U.S. warnings as propaganda on Friday, dismissing the alarms as a “coordinated information attack” being “waged against Moscow.”
“The hysteria of the White House is more indicative than ever,” Zakharova said. “The Anglo-Saxons need a war. At any cost. Provocations, misinformation and threats are a favorite method of solving their own problems.”
Putin also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday for almost two hours. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to travel to Kyiv and Moscow to meet with Putin next week. Scholz and Biden promised a “united” response on shutting down the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Putin moves forward with an invasion.
Цитата:
'It is past time to leave': U.S. tells Americans to flee Ukraine and evacs embassy staff
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The U.S. has begun evacuating its embassy in Kyiv as fears mount over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The State Department said Saturday that almost all of its 200 staff based in Kyiv will be required to leave “due to the continued threat of Russian military action,” as the U.S. continues to work “intensively” to prevent Ukraine from becoming a war zone. The embassy will keep a small number of “core” diplomats in Kyiv and will maintain a small consular service in Lviv, which is further away from a potential conflict zone.
“Now these developments mean for private American citizens that it isn’t just time to leave Ukraine. It is past time for private citizens to leave Ukraine,” a senior State Department official said on Saturday. “We have no higher priority than the safety and security of our fellow citizens, including our fellow U.S. government employees. And we do a great deal to provide support for our fellow citizens, but as you know, there are real limits to what we are able to do in a war zone.”
The State Department official wouldn’t confirm the number of staff members who will stay behind in Ukraine for security reasons, but said their focus will be on working with the Ukrainian government and collecting valuable information for senior leaders and the Biden administration. The majority of embassy staff departing Kyiv will return to the United States and continue their work on Ukraine, the official said, while others may be based in neighboring countries depending on how things unfold.
Saturday’s evacuation order follows a series of warning signs on Friday, from Biden administration officials saying an invasion could happen before the conclusion of the Olympics on Feb. 20 and the Pentagon sending 3,000 more troops to Poland.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to hold a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday morning from Camp David.
Family members of U.S. embassy staff had already been ordered to depart Kyiv, but the State Department had left it up to nonessential staff if they wanted to leave.
The State Department again on Saturday urged Americans to evacuate Ukraine through private and commercial means, warning that the government would not be able to help U.S. citizens leave if Russia moves forward with military action.
“Our ability to help them through that crisis, during that crisis, is going to be extremely limited, and they cannot have any reasonable expectation that the U.S. government is going to be able to rescue them if they find themselves in harm’s way in a war zone,” a senior State Department official said.
In the past 24 hours, multiple other countries — including Israel, Germany and the U.K. — have been encouraging their citizens to leave and reducing their diplomatic presence. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Saturday that Russia intends to “optimize” its embassy staff in Ukraine — an indication Moscow, too, was reducing its diplomatic presence in Ukraine for now.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, reiterating that “a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open” if Moscow decided to deescalate and engage in diplomatic discussions.
“He reiterated that should Moscow pursue the path of aggression and further invade Ukraine, it would result in a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response,” the readout said.
Ответ официального представителя МИД России М.В.Захаровой на вопрос СМИ о российских загранучреждениях на Украине
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Вопрос:
В ряде СМИ появилась информация о том, что Россия существенно сократила штат своего посольства в Киеве и генеральных консульств во Львове, Одессе и Харькове. Правда ли это, и с чем это связано?
Ответ:
Как Вы помните, слухи о якобы осуществлённой «эвакуации» российских дипломатов появились в ряде западных изданий, в частности, в «The New York Times», почти месяц назад во время православных рождественских каникул, когда несколько детей российских дипломатов на Украине поехали навещать своих бабушек и дедушек. Как мы теперь понимаем, целью этих «вбросов» было создание информационного прикрытия для начала эвакуации США, Великобританией, Австралией, Канадой и другими странами дипломатов и их семей из своих посольств на Украине. Вчера об эвакуации объявил Израиль.
Учитывая то значительное влияние, которое Вашингтон и Лондон имеют на Киев, и в целом их роль в управлении процессами на Украине – чего стоит одна только накачка «незалежной» вооружениями и инструкторами – мы делаем вывод, что наши американские и британские коллеги, видимо, знают о неких готовящихся на Украине силовых акциях, способных существенно осложнить ситуацию в сфере безопасности.
В этой ситуации, опасаясь возможных провокаций киевского режима или третьих стран, мы действительно приняли решение о некоторой оптимизации штатов российских загранучреждений на Украине. Обращаем внимание на то, что наши посольство и консульства продолжат выполнение своих основных функций.
(выделено а.п)
Цитата:
All UK troops to withdraw from Ukraine as Russia could invade ‘at no notice’
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All UK troops are to be withdrawn from Ukraine this weekend as Russia could invade “at no notice”, a defence minister has said.
Small numbers of British personnel have undertaken Operation Orbital training missions in the eastern European country since Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014 , including around 30 deployed recently to train the Ukrainian military on anti-tank missiles.
The order to return home comes as all British nationals in Ukraine are advised to leave as soon as possible
Some 130,000 Russian troops are massed on the Ukrainian border and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Friday that an invasion could be “imminent”.
US president Joe Biden will urge Russia’s Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the situation in phone talks on Saturday. Russia has repeatedly denied planning to invade.
Ukraine’s ambassador in London Vadym Prystaiko has called on Britain to deploy troops to the country to deter president Putin from sending his armed forces across the border.
But UK defence minister James Heappey insisted that there will be no British troops in the country in the case of an invasion.
“All of them will be withdrawn,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there.
“They will be leaving over the course of the weekend.”
Mr Heappey said it was essential for all Britons to leave Ukraine urgently as war could come without warning.
He told BBC Breakfast: “We are now confident that the artillery systems, the missile systems and the combat air are all in place that would allow Russia to launch – at no notice – an attack on Ukraine.
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“And on that basis I think it is our responsibility to share with UK citizens our view that they should leave the country immediately while commercial means are still available.”
He warned that there will be no airlift of the kind seen in Afghanistan last summer, as Russian forces - unlike the Taliban - are in a position to deploy air power and missiles which would threaten flights.
“The Royal Air Force will not be in a position to go in and to fly people out so they need to leave now by commercial means or drive out of Ukraine into a neighbouring country,” he said.
Mr Prystaiko said that if the UK does not send troops to Ukraine to deter invasion, it may find itself having to fight the Russians on the soil of Nato states.
“You might not have even to fight in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania or anywhere,” he told The Times. “If he is stopped in Ukraine, you won’t have to fight anywhere. By doing this, you can avoid sending your soldiers to defend your allies the next day.”
He added: “If our nation is under full-scale attack and people have been killed and bombarded, Chechnya-style, I will have no sorrow, I will have nothing to stop me knocking at every door and telling your people, ‘We have to survive, please send everything you can, tell everybody you can’.”
But Mr Heappey said that sending military personnel to the country would play into Putin’s hands by allowing him to present Russia as the victim of Western menaces.
“Putin and his colleagues would very much like to be able to say what they may do is a consequence of Western aggression in Ukraine,” said the defence minister.
“So it’s very important to us, to everybody frankly involved, that we’re very clear we won’t play an active part in Ukraine.”
And the Conservative chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said that the Ukrainian armed forces are “increasingly capable” of defending the country from attack without direct Nato involvement.
“We’re enabling them to have the ability to fight themselves, and having served in combat in countries around the world I can tell you that training local forces to fight for themselves is a significantly better defensive technique than putting troops in,” said Mr Tugendhat.
“The reality is that the Ukrainians already have some 145,000 in their army, they have another ... 100-odd thousand border guard reserves and people like that, so they have a significantly larger army even than we do and they are increasingly capable to defend themselves.”
However, the chair of the Commons defence committee, Tobias Ellwood, said that British-led Nato divisions should be sent to Ukraine, warning that the current tensions are “our Cuban Missile Crisis moment” - in reference to the 1962 stand-off when John F Kennedy faced down Russian attempts to station nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island.
The Conservative MP told Times Radio: “An invasion is imminent. Once that happens, because of the grain the comes out of Ukraine for the world, (that will) affect food prices across the world.
“Oil and gas prices will be affected as well, and European security will then be threatened further, so we have to ask ourselves, what should we do instead?”
Mr Ellwood - who on Friday told The Independent that Boris Johnson was “more Chamberlain than Churchill” over Ukraine - said he believed the Ministry of Defence would like to send troops to the country, but was hampered by a lack of “political resolve” in 10 Downing Street.
Former UK ambassador to the US Kim Darroch warned the embassy in Ukrainian capital Kyiv will be “overwhelmed” in the coming days helping British nationals flee.
“It will overwhelm the embassy’s resources,” Lord Darroch told Today.
“This will occupy everyone’s time for 24 hours a day for the next few days and you won’t get everyone out – some people will choose to stay.”
О телефонном разговоре Министра иностранных дел России С.В.Лаврова с Госсекретарем США Э.Блинкеном
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12 февраля по американской инициативе состоялся телефонный разговор Министра иностранных дел Российской Федерации С.В.Лаврова и Государственного секретаря США Э.Блинкена.
Министр подчеркнул, что развернутая США и их союзниками пропагандистская кампания о «российской агрессии» против Украины преследует провокационные цели, поощряя власти в Киеве к саботажу Минских соглашений и пагубным попыткам силового решения «проблемы Донбасса».
Как отметил глава российского МИД, реакция Вашингтона и Брюсселя на переданные нами проекты российско-американского договора и соглашения с НАТО по гарантиям безопасности игнорирует ключевые для нас положения, прежде всего о нерасширении альянса и неразмещении ударных систем вооружений вблизи российских рубежей. Было акцентировано, что эти вопросы займут центральное место в нашей оценке полученных от США и НАТО документов, которая будет доведена до сведения коллег. С.В.Лавров напомнил о недопустимости действий, нарушающих принятые на высшем уровне обязательства о неделимости безопасности в Евро-Атлантике.
Главы внешнеполитических ведомств затронули также некоторые актуальные вопросы двусторонних отношений.
US to evacuate Ukraine embassy amid Russian invasion fears
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.
U.S. officials said the State Department plans to announce early Saturday that virtually all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be required to leave ahead of a feared Russian invasion.
A small number of officials may remain in Kyiv but the vast majority of the almost 200 Americans at the embassy will be sent out or relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the Polish border, so the U.S. can retain a diplomatic presence in the country.
The State Department would not comment.
The department had earlier ordered families of U.S. embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave. But it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart. The new move comes as Washington has ratcheted up its warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said a small number of U.S. diplomats may be relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the border with Poland, a NATO ally, so the U.S. could retain a diplomatic presence in the country.
The Pentagon announced Friday it is sending another 3,000 combat troops to Poland to join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine.
The additional soldiers will depart their post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, over the next couple days and should be in Poland by early next week, according to a defense official, who provided the information under ground rules set by the Pentagon. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Their mission will be to train and provide deterrence but not to engage in combat in Ukraine.
That announcement came shortly after Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, issued a public warning for all American citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible. Sullivan said Russian President Vladimir Putin could give the order to launch an invasion of Ukraine any day now.
In addition to the U.S. troops deploying to Poland, about 1,000 U.S. soldiers based in Germany are shifting to Romania in a similar mission of reassurance to a NATO ally. Also, 300 soldiers of an 18th Airborne Corps headquarters unit have arrived in Germany, commanded by Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla.
The American troops are to train with host-nation forces but not enter Ukraine for any purpose.
The U.S. already has about 80,000 troops throughout Europe at permanent stations and on rotational deployments.
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Цитата:
Russia accuses the West of spreading disinformation on Ukraine as Kyiv fortifies evacuation plans
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Russia blasted Western countries and media for spreading a "large-scale disinformation campaign" over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying Friday that they were doing so "to divert attention from their own aggressive actions."
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement comes just hours ahead of an expected call between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, and as the US issued a stark warning that a Russian assault on Ukraine was imminent.
"At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the global information space faced a media campaign unprecedented in its scale and sophistication, the purpose of which is to convince the world community that the Russian Federation is preparing an invasion of the territory of Ukraine," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Friday.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Friday that a Russian assault on Ukraine could begin soon, including with bombs and missiles. Sullivan advised all Americans to depart the country as quickly as possible for their own safety, echoing the call of a growing number of embassies that are doing the same.
While Sullivan said it is not clear whether Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, he said there was a "very distinct possibility" that Russia would act militarily.
The Kremlin has long denied it is planning to attack and has argued that NATO support for Ukraine -- including increased weapons supplies and military training -- constitutes a growing threat on Russia's western flank.
Earlier Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US continues "to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border."
The US estimates Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, with thousands added just this week, according to an administration official.
On Thursday, new satellite images released by the US-based technology company Maxar appeared to show the continuing Russian military buildup in Crimea, western Russia and Belarus.
The images were released on the same day Russia and Belarus began 10 days of joint military drills, underscoring Ukrainian intelligence officials' fear that Russia could use Belarus as a "full-fledged theater of operations." Russia ramped up its military presence in Belarus from several thousand troops in January to an estimated 30,000 sometime this month.
Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian capital Friday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko outlined steps to safeguard "critical and social infrastructure facilities" in "the event of a possible emergency."
In a statement issued on Telegram, Klitschko said, "Our efforts are aimed at preventing or overcoming both possible provocations and withstanding a military attack."
He said those efforts included generating additional electricity production and creating fuel reserves for "a period of up to 10 days," adding there are more than 500 storage facilities and nearly 4,500 "dual-use structures" available as civil protection services across the city.
Klitschko also said evacuation plans had been set up at the district level across the capital.
Blinken reaffirmed "the United States' robust support for Ukraine in the face of an increasingly acute threat of possible further Russian aggression" in a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday morning local time in Australia.
Blinken "underscored that any and all aggression against Ukraine by Russia will be met with swift, severe and united consequences," spokesperson Ned Price said.
Цитата:
Biden and Putin to speak as US warns Russia could attack Ukraine ‘any day’
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US president Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will speak on Saturday as Western nations warned that a war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment.
The US warned on Friday of the “very distinct possibility” of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the next few days and told all remaining Americans to leave the country in the next 48 hours.
On Saturday, Biden will speak with Putin by phone. Putin requested the telephone call between the leaders to take place on Monday, a White House official said, but Biden wanted to conduct it sooner as Washington detailed increasingly vivid accounts of a possible attack on Ukraine.
Ahead of the discussion, Australia and New Zealand became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, joining Britain, Japan, Latvia, Norway and the Netherlands. Israel said it was evacuating relatives of embassy staff.
The US is also set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv. The Associated Press reported the state department will announce early Saturday that all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be required to leave the country ahead of a feared Russian invasion.
The department had earlier ordered families of US embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave, but left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart.
Diplomatic sources said that the US president had told allied leaders in a call that the Russian leader had taken a decision to go ahead with an invasion, but Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said: “We have not seen anything come to us that says a final decision has been taken, [that] the go order has been given.”
“I will say that the way that he has built up his forces and put them in place, along with the other indicators that we have collected through intelligence, makes it clear to us that there is a very distinct possibility that Russia will choose to act militarily, and there is reason to believe that that could happen on a reasonably swift timeframe,” Sullivan said.
“Now, we can’t pinpoint the day at this point, and we can’t pinpoint the hour but what we can say is that there is a credible prospect that a Russian military action would take place, even before the end of the Olympics.” The Winter Olympics in China close on 20 February.
“We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border,” Sullivan told reporters. “We are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time.”
US secretary of state Antony Blinken described the situation as at a “pivotal moment” and said he would speak to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.
“If Russia is genuinely interested in resolving this crisis of its own making through diplomacy and dialogue, we’re prepared to do that,” he said.
“But it must take place in the context of de-escalation. So far, we’ve only seen escalation from Moscow,” he said.
“This is a pivotal moment. We’re prepared for whatever should happen,” he said.
Biden has told other Nato and EU leaders that the US believes Putin has decided to carry out an invasion of Ukraine, which could happen in the next few days, according to diplomatic sources.
Biden’s call to allies followed a situation room meeting at the White House to discuss the latest intelligence on the Russian military buildup, and on Putin’s thinking.
“Practical things will start to happen on the ground as a result of this decision, but that doesn’t mean that Putin couldn’t still row back,” a European diplomat said, insisting it was not too late to deter the Russian leader. “There are further decision points along the line.”
Sullivan said US citizens still in Ukraine should leave in the next two days.
“If you stay you are assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave, and there is no prospect of a US military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion,” Sullivan said.
“If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. A subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force with virtually no notice. Communications to arrange a departure could be severed and commercial transit halted.”
Russia wants guarantees from the West, including a promise of no missile deployments near its borders, no Nato membership for Ukraine, and a scaling back of the alliance’s military infrastructure.
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