Russian shelling kills 5 in tough eastern Ukraine combat
The Ukrainian presidential office says Monday in a report covering the previous 24 hours that Russian shelling killed at least five people and wounded 13 others, as the Kremlinโs and Kyivโs forces remained locked in combat in eastern Ukraine.
Biden announces U.S. will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, President Biden said the U.S. will send 31 Abrams tanks to support Ukraine in its battle against Russiaโs invasion. In his remarks, Biden also praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for agreeing to contribute tanks to support Ukraine, saying, โGermany has really stepped up.โ
news.yahoo.comPutin Lackeys Lose Their Minds Over Ukraine Getting Battle Tanks
GettyIt didnโt take long for Russian officials to start foaming at the mouth and ranting about global conspiracies after Germany agreed to deliver its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday.After weeks of resistance, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that, along with allies, the country would provide 88 of the battle tanks to Ukraine, effectively giving Kyiv more firepower to launch new offensives. The Biden administration was also expected to announce a deal to send 30 M1 Abrams t
news.yahoo.comIn reversal, US poised to approve Abrams tanks for Ukraine
In what would be a reversal, the Biden administration is poised to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as international reluctance to send tanks to the battlefront against the Russians begins to erode. The decision could be announced as soon as Wednesday, though it could take months or years for the tanks to be delivered. U.S. officials said details are still being worked out.
news.yahoo.comGerman caution on Ukraine arms rooted in political culture
Germany has become one of Ukraineโs leading weapons suppliers in the 11 months since Russiaโs invasion, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz also has gained a reputation for hesitating to take each new step โ generating impatience among allies
washingtonpost.comGerman caution on Ukraine arms rooted in political culture
Germany has become one of Ukraine's leading weapons suppliers in the 11 months since Russia's invasion, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz also has gained a reputation for hesitating to take each new step โ generating impatience among allies. Berlinโs perceived foot-dragging, most recently on the Leopard 2 battle tanks that Kyiv has long sought, is rooted at least partly in a post-World War II political culture of military caution, along with present-day worries about a possible escalation in the war. On Friday, Germany inched closer to a decision to deliver the tanks, ordering a review of its Leopard stocks in preparation for a possible green light.
news.yahoo.comGermany's defense minister resigns amid Ukraine criticism
Germanyโs much-criticized defense minister announced her resignation Monday, as her department steers the massive project of modernizing the countryโs military and oversees expanding weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Christine Lambrecht said in a statement that she had submitted her resignation request to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that โmonths of media focus on my personโ had stood in the way of a factual debate about the military and Germanyโs security policy. The 57-year-old has been defense minister since Scholz became chancellor in December 2021.
news.yahoo.comGermany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal
Germany on Saturday inaugurated its second liquefied natural gas terminal, part of a drive by Europe's biggest economy to put reliance on Russian energy sources firmly behind it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the ceremony in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast, which came less than a month after he inaugurated Germany's first LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea. Several more are expected to go online in the coming months, including another in Lubmin.
news.yahoo.comGermany condemns New Year's attacks on fire, police officers
The German government on Monday condemned incidents on New Year's Eve in which police officers and firefighters were attacked, mostly with fireworks. People across Germany on Saturday resumed their tradition of setting off large numbers of fireworks in public places to see in the new year.
news.yahoo.comPutin says strikes on Ukraine infrastructure 'inevitable'
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday ย Russia's strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure were "inevitable" as the Kremlin rejected US President Joe Biden's terms for talks and warned the assault would continue. After suffering humiliating military defeats during what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in October, causing sweeping blackouts. Speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since mid-September, Putin slammed what he called the West's "destructive" policies in Ukraine and said Russian strikes were a response to "provocative" attacks from Kyiv. Moscow "had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine", Putin told Scholz, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks. "But now such measures have become a forced and inevitable response to Kyiv's provocative attacks on Russia's civilian infrastructure," the Kremlin said, referring in particular to the October attack on a bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland. During the hour-long ย call with Putin, Scholz "urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops", according to the German leader's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Putin urged Berlin to "reconsider its approaches in the context of the Ukrainian events", the Kremlin said. He accused the West of carrying out "destructive" policies in Ukraine, stressing that its political and financial aid "leads to the fact that Kyiv completely rejects the idea of any negotiations". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruled out any talks with Russia while Putin is in power shortly after the Kremlin claimed to have annexed several Ukrainian regions. - Offensive 'continues' - The Kremlin also indicated Moscow was in no mood for talks over Ukraine, after Biden said he would be willing to sit down with Putin if the Russian leader truly wanted to end the fighting. "What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was "certainly" not ready to accept those conditions. "The special military operation continues," he added, using the Kremlin term for the assault launched on February 24. Russia's strikes have destroyed close to half of the Ukrainian energy system and left millions in the cold and dark at the onset of winter. In the latest estimates from Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, said as many as 13,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the fighting. Both Moscow and Kyiv are suspected of minimising their losses to avoid damaging the morale. Top US general Mark Milley last month said more than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv's forces likely suffering similar casualties. - 'We are not defeated' - The fighting in Ukraine has also claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions to flee their homes. Those who remain in the country have had to cope with emergency blackouts as authorities sought to relieve the pressure on the energy infrastructure. In an attempt to boost the mood in the capital Kyiv, musicians played a classical music concert on Thursday with hundreds of LED candles lighting up the stage. "We thought it was a good idea to save energy," Irina Mikolaenko, one of the concert's organisers, told AFP. She said they wanted to spread "inspiration, light and love" and "tell people that we are not defeated". Ukrainian officials have said they are expecting a new wave of Russian attacks shortly. Meanwhile, Western nations have been seeking ways to further starve Russia of resources to fight in Ukraine by imposing a price cap on its oil exports on top of a multitude of sanctions already introduced against Moscow. On Thursday evening, European diplomats were close to nodding the plan through, but Poland refused to back the scheme, saying the $60 a barrel ceiling was not low enough. Moscow has previously warned that it will not export oil to countries enforcing a price cap. bur/bp
news.yahoo.comPutin says strikes on Ukraine infrastructure 'inevitable'
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday ย Russia's strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure were "inevitable" as the Kremlin rejected US President Joe Biden's terms for talks and warned the assault would continue. After suffering humiliating military defeats during what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in October, causing sweeping blackouts. Speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since mid-September, Putin slammed what he called the West's "destructive" policies in Ukraine and said Russian strikes were a response to "provocative" attacks from Kyiv. Moscow "had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine", Putin told Scholz, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks. "But now such measures have become a forced and inevitable response to Kyiv's provocative attacks on Russia's civilian infrastructure," the Kremlin said, referring in particular to the October attack on a bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland. During the hour-long ย call with Putin, Scholz "urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops", according to the German leader's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Putin urged Berlin to "reconsider its approaches in the context of the Ukrainian events", the Kremlin said. He accused the West of carrying out "destructive" policies in Ukraine, stressing that its political and financial aid "leads to the fact that Kyiv completely rejects the idea of any negotiations". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruled out any talks with Russia while Putin is in power shortly after the Kremlin claimed to have annexed several Ukrainian regions. - Offensive 'continues' - The Kremlin also indicated Moscow was in no mood for talks over Ukraine, after Biden said he would be willing to sit down with Putin if the Russian leader truly wanted to end the fighting. "What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was "certainly" not ready to accept those conditions. "The special military operation continues," he added, using the Kremlin term for the assault launched on February 24. Russia's strikes have destroyed close to half of the Ukrainian energy system and left millions in the cold and dark at the onset of winter. In the latest estimates from Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, said as many as 13,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the fighting. Both Moscow and Kyiv are suspected of minimising their losses to avoid damaging the morale. Top US general Mark Milley last month said more than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv's forces likely suffering similar casualties. - 'We are not defeated' - The fighting in Ukraine has also claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions to flee their homes. Those who remain in the country have had to cope with emergency blackouts as authorities sought to relieve the pressure on the energy infrastructure. In an attempt to boost the mood in the capital Kyiv, musicians played a classical music concert on Thursday with hundreds of LED candles lighting up the stage. "We thought it was a good idea to save energy," Irina Mikolaenko, one of the concert's organisers, told AFP. She said they wanted to spread "inspiration, light and love" and "tell people that we are not defeated". Ukrainian officials have said they are expecting a new wave of Russian attacks shortly. Meanwhile, Western nations have been seeking ways to further starve Russia of resources to fight in Ukraine by imposing a price cap on its oil exports on top of a multitude of sanctions already introduced against Moscow. On Thursday evening, European diplomats were close to nodding the plan through, but Poland refused to back the scheme, saying the $60 a barrel ceiling was not low enough. Moscow has previously warned that it will not export oil to countries enforcing a price cap. bur/bp
news.yahoo.comPutin explains Scholz why he terrorises Ukrainians with strikes on energy facilities
The Kremlin has reported on a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, and Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany. Source: European Pravda Details: The Kremlin has stated that the conversation took place at the initiative of the German side.
news.yahoo.comFamily: Egypt activist very, very thin after hunger strike
The family of imprisoned Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah says they were allowed to see him for the first time in nearly a month and that he is โvery, very thinโ after ending a hunger strike that prompted widespread concern for his health.
Takeaways: Bold proposals and 'net zero' criticism at COP27
The second day of leaders' speeches at the UN's climate conference included bold proposals, recommendations to crack down and standardize โnet zeroโ claims and continued discussion about the situation of a jailed pro-democracy activist who is on a hunger and water strike.
Chinese officials signal no change to 'zero-COVID' policy
Chinese health officials are giving no indication of any relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions following several days of speculation that the government was considering changes to a โzero-COVIDโ approach that has stymied economic growth and disrupted daily life.
G7 foreign ministers set to grapple with Ukraine war, China
Top diplomats from the worldโs major industrialized democracies will grapple with the implications of Russiaโs war in Ukraine, Chinaโs growing economic clout and aims on Taiwan and Iranโs treatment of anti-government protesters when they open two days of talks in Germany this week.
German leader urges climate activists not to endanger others
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is urging climate activists to show โcreativityโ and avoid endangering others after attacking art works and setting up blockades that allegedly delayed the arrival of a specialist rescue crew at an accident scene.