Russia-Ukraine war live: Belarus proposes new rule to provide for use of nuclear weapons | Ukraine

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Belarus will put forward a new military doctrine that provides for the use of nuclear weapons

A new military doctrine that for the first time provides for the use of nuclear weapons will be put forward by Belarus, its defence minister said on Tuesday according to the Associated Press.

“We clearly communicate Belarus’ views on the use of tactical nuclear weapons stationed on our territory,” defence minister, Viktor Khrenin, said at a meeting of Belarus’ security council. “A new chapter has appeared, where we clearly define our allied obligations to our allies.”

The doctrine is to be presented for approval to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, a representative body that operates in Belarus in parallel with the parliament. Belarus, closely allied with Russia, had both tactical and long-range nuclear weapons when it was part of the Soviet Union, but transferred them to Russia after the USSR’s collapse.

Russia sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus last year, although there are no details about how many. Russia has said it will maintain control over those weapons, which are intended for battlefield use and have short ranges and comparatively low yields. It’s not immediately clear how the new doctrine might be applied to the Russian weapons.

Russia used Belarus territory as a springboard to send its troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and has maintained its military bases and weapons there, although Belarusian troops have not taken part in the war.

Security council secretary, Alexander Volfovich, said that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus is intended to deter aggression from Poland, a Nato member. “Unfortunately, statements by our neighbours, in particular Poland … forced us to strengthen” the military doctrine, he said.

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Key events

Senior Nato military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine

A top Nato military officer said the war in Ukraine could “determine the fate of the world” and western armies and political leaders must drastically change the way they help Kyiv fend off invading Russian forces, reports Associated Press.

At a meeting of Nato’s senior officers at its headquarters in Brussels, the chair of the Nato military committee, Adm Rob Bauer also said that behind Putin’s rationale for the war is a fear of democracy.

“We need public and private actors to change their mindset for an era in which everything was plannable, foreseeable, controllable and focused on efficiency to an era in which anything can happen at any time. An era in which we need to expect the unexpected,” Bauer said as he opened the meeting. “In order to be fully effective, also in the future, we need a warfighting transformation of Nato,” he added.

Nato would continue to support Ukraine long-term said Bauer: “Today is the 693rd day of what Russia thought would be a three-day war. Ukraine will have our support for every day that is to come because the outcome of this war will determine the fate of the world.”

“This war has never been about any real security threat to Russia coming from either Ukraine or Nato,” Bauer added. “This war is about Russia fearing something much more powerful than any physical weapon on earth — democracy. If people in Ukraine can have democratic rights, then people in Russia will soon crave them too.”

Over two days of talks in Brussels, Nato’s top officers are expected to detail plans for what are expected to be the biggest military exercises in Europe since the cold war later this year.

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has updated his X account with details of his numerous meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

Zelenskiy said he met Polish president, Andrzej Duda to discuss their bilateral relations, including “cooperation on Ukraine’s path to EU membership”. He said the battlefield situation and further defence assistance for Ukraine was discussed. Zelenskiy added that the pair had acoordinated their positions ahead of the Nato summit in Washington.

Zelenskiy also met Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, where they “emphasised the potential for developing logistical hubs to supply Ukrainian agricultural goods to African countries”. Ways of strengthening ties between the two countries and the wider region were also discussed.

The Ukrainian president said he has also met Vietnam’s prime minister, Phạm Minh Chính, Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, King Philippe of Belgium and had his first ever meeting with Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, where he informed him of his peace formula.

I met with @AndrzejDuda to discuss our bilateral relations, including our cooperation on Ukraine’s path to EU membership.

We discussed the battlefield situation and further defense assistance for Ukraine.

We also coordinated our positions ahead of the NATO summit in Washington. pic.twitter.com/rtX1751qA0

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 16, 2024

Blinken says Ukraine ceasefire not near, during Davos speech

Graeme Wearden

Graeme Wearden

My colleague Graeme Wearden is in Davos for the Guardian, and has been watching US secretary of state Antony Blinken in conversation with WEF founder Klaus Schwab, and commentator Thomas Friedman:

Blinken is asked whether this is the worst time to be US secretary of state, or just in the top five.

Blinken argues, though, that the US is in a “renewed position of strength” under Joe Biden. He says Biden asked him to reengage with international partners, and that has happened. It means that when dealing with China, and Russia, the world has more convergence than before, he argues.

Asked if were anywhere near a ceasefire in Ukraine, Blinken says ‘I don’t think so’.

He says Putin is prepared to keep putting his young men into a meat grinder war, which is a profound tragedy.

But he can see a future where Ukraine stands strongly on its own two feet.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken in conversation at the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos, Switzerland.
Antony Blinken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he said he doesn’t think a ceasfire in Ukraine is near. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

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Russia is developing its relations with North Korea in ‘sensitive’ areas, says Kremlin

Russia is developing its relations with North Korea in all areas, including “sensitive” ones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

North Korea’s foreign minister lauded comradely ties with Russia on Tuesday before holding rare talks in the Kremlin with Putin, who has been invited by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the reclusive nuclear-armed country, reports Reuters.

Asked about the talks in Moscow, Peskov said the situation on the Korean peninsula was discussed, but that the main focus was on developing bilateral relations. “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is our very important partner, and we are focused on the further development of our relations in all areas, including in sensitive areas,” Peskov told reporters.

Putin has deepened ties with North Korea since sending troops into Ukraine in 2022, and the US and its allies have condemned what they say have been significant North Korean missile deliveries to Russia to help its war effort.

Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron is to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Ahead of the meeting, news agency PA, reports Cameron as saying:

The world has changed significantly since I first entered government, and we live in very unstable, uncertain and dangerous times. The global impact of conflicts, diseases and climate change is sadly growing. But as the challenges increase, so too must our efforts.

In my discussion with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, I will make clear the UK will continue to be a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, so it not only wins the war, but emerges from it as a strong, sovereign, and free country.

Ukraine is standing up for the rules that keep us all safe. This is why the UK has provided almost £12bn in support to Ukraine. We will stand with them for as long as it takes to achieve victory.”

Cameron will also meet his US counterpart, Antony Blinken and Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates during his two-day visit.

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EU chief ‘confident’ of Hungary deal on Ukraine aid

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she was “confident” of getting Hungary to drop its veto on a €50bn ($54bn) aid package for Ukraine at a crunch summit in two weeks, reports AFP.

Hungary’s right wing prime minister, Viktor Orbán – Russia’s closest EU ally – refused in December to sign off on the assistance to Kyiv’s state spending over the next four years.

The EU’s 27 leaders agreed to reconvene for a new meeting in Brussels on 1 February to try to hammer out a deal with Budapest on the aid and a broader update to the bloc’s budget. “I am confident that a solution at 27 is possible,” von der Leyen told the European parliament.

Budapest has signalled it could be in the mood to compromise and mayy agree to the aid if it is given the chance each year to veto further payments. Other EU states have so far balked at that demand, and officials in Brussels are frantically trying to pitch a solution, says AFP.

The European Commission, headed by von der Leyen, has faced criticism for unlocking €10bn in frozen EU funds last month for Hungary as it sought to win over Orban. EU lawmakers at Wednesday’s debate urged von der Leyen not to cave into “blackmail” from Orbán and are threatening a possible lawsuit against the commission over the release of the funds.

Von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm, defended the decision to release the €10bn to Hungary, arguing that Budapest had passed a new law on judicial reform, something requested by Brussels, to get the funds.

“At the same time, around €10bn remain frozen. They are suspended for reasons that include concerns on LGTBIQ rights, academic freedom and asylum rights,” she said. Billions held up by Brussels “will remain blocked until Hungary fulfils all the necessary conditions,” she added.

Ukraine downed 19 Russian drones overnight, says its air force

Ukraine says it downed 19 of 20 Iranian-designed attack drones launched by Russia at targets in southern Ukraine overnight.

“The enemy struck with 20 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk region of Russia and with two S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Belgorod region of Russia from near Kharkiv,” Ukraine’s air force said in a statement on social media, reports AFP.

According to the statement, Ukraine used guided missiles and mobile air defence units in southern regions, including Dnipro.

The announcement came after authorities said 20 people had been injured in Russian attacks in the eastern city of Kharkiv and Odesa on the Black Sea.

Belarus will put forward a new military doctrine that provides for the use of nuclear weapons

A new military doctrine that for the first time provides for the use of nuclear weapons will be put forward by Belarus, its defence minister said on Tuesday according to the Associated Press.

“We clearly communicate Belarus’ views on the use of tactical nuclear weapons stationed on our territory,” defence minister, Viktor Khrenin, said at a meeting of Belarus’ security council. “A new chapter has appeared, where we clearly define our allied obligations to our allies.”

The doctrine is to be presented for approval to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, a representative body that operates in Belarus in parallel with the parliament. Belarus, closely allied with Russia, had both tactical and long-range nuclear weapons when it was part of the Soviet Union, but transferred them to Russia after the USSR’s collapse.

Russia sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus last year, although there are no details about how many. Russia has said it will maintain control over those weapons, which are intended for battlefield use and have short ranges and comparatively low yields. It’s not immediately clear how the new doctrine might be applied to the Russian weapons.

Russia used Belarus territory as a springboard to send its troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and has maintained its military bases and weapons there, although Belarusian troops have not taken part in the war.

Security council secretary, Alexander Volfovich, said that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus is intended to deter aggression from Poland, a Nato member. “Unfortunately, statements by our neighbours, in particular Poland … forced us to strengthen” the military doctrine, he said.

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A rights activist in Bashkortostan, a republic in central Russia, was sentenced to four years in a prison colony on Wednesday after a court found him guilty of inciting ethnic hatred, reports Reuters citing information from independent Russian-language news outlets.

According to the news agency, a video circulating on social media showed helmeted riot police with shields and truncheons confronting a large crowd of people who had gathered in support of the activist, Fail Alsynov.

Alsynov was accused of insulting migrant workers in a speech he made in April 2023 at a protest over plans to mine for gold in an area of Bashkortostan.

Large protests in Russia are extremely rare because of the risk of arrest over any gatherings the authorities deem to have been unauthorised. Thousands of people have been detained in the past two years for opposing the war in Ukraine.

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Russia will open polling stations in US for presidential vote, says ambassador

Russia will open polling stations for its March presidential election at three diplomatic missions in the US, its envoy in Washington said on Wednesday, as relations dipped to an all-time low since the cold war over Ukraine.

The announcement, reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), came as Moscow said it had not yet decided if voting would take place in what it calls “unfriendly” European countries.

Russia’s ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, said in an interview published by his embassy: “In the US, we plan to open three polling stations: in our embassy in New York, as well as our consulates in New York and in Houston.”

Thousands of Russians have fled their country after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine, with many residing in EU countries, but Russia has not yet decided if it will open voting stations in Europe. “We are asking countries to ensure security,” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said last week. She said a decision would be made by the end of January.

The vote on 17 March is expected to extend Russian president Vladimir Putin’s long rule until at least 2030. He has been in power since 2000 and is running for a fifth presidential term. Putin faces no real competition in the election, which will take place more than two years since Russia launched its Ukraine offensive.

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Summary

Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war against Ukraine. Here are the main points:

  • At least 17 people were injured in a Russian strike, probably using two S-300 missiles, on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday evening, said the regional governor, Oleg Synegubov. Residential buildings were destroyed and there were no military targets in the area, said the Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekhov.

  • Earlier, authorities in the Kharkiv region in Ukraine’s north-east region urged residents of more than two dozen villages near the frontline to evacuate because of worsening Russian attacks.

  • Emmanuel Macron said he would go to Ukraine in February to finalise a bilateral security guarantee under which France would deliver more sophisticated weapons, including long-range cruise missiles. The French president said about 40 Scalp long-range missiles and hundreds of bombs would be delivered in the coming weeks. “We cannot let Russia win and we must not do that.”

  • North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, has held talks in the Kremlin with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. The US and allies have condemned North Korean missile deliveries to Russia for use against Ukraine, in breach of international law.

  • Ukraine’s border authorities said Polish truck drivers who had been blocking three crossings on the Polish-Ukrainian border had lifted all blockades, allowing traffic to pass freely. Poland’s infrastructure minister said that truckers would suspend their protest until 1 March after signing an agreement with the government.

  • The French company TotalEnergies said that it had invoked force majeure over investment in Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 liquefied natural gas project, which is under anti-war sanctions. Putin’s war against Ukraine has forced global energy companies to write off billions of dollars and leave Russia. Force majeure allows companies to abandon contractual obligations when there are factors beyond their control.

  • Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law creating an electronic registry for the purposes of mobilisation, according to Yaroslav Zhelezniak, an MP.

  • Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Europe needed to continue backing Kyiv. “We must continue to empower their resistance. Ukrainians need predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond.”

  • Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said the west should show unity and called for more support for Ukraine to ensure that Russia does not prevail. In a speech in Davos, Zelenskiy said that the west’s fears about escalation had lost Kyiv time in its struggle against Russia.

  • Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, said it was “impossible” to take away from Russia the military gains it had made in Ukraine.

  • Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said that “if we want to help Ukraine, which I think we need to do, we have to do it in a way that doesn’t harm the EU’s budget”. At least 120 MEPs have signed a petition for Hungary’s voting rights to be suspended because of Orbán’s obstruction of EU processes including the approval of aid to Ukraine. Orbán is close to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.





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