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☆ Lindsey Graham said it would be incredibly stupid of China to give Vladimir Putin lethal weapons to use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lindsey Graham said it would "dumber than dirt" of China to support Putin with weapons. Graham's comments came after Antony Blinken said China might want to give Putin lethal weapons. Don't do this," Graham told host Martha Raddatz on Sunday's episode of ABC's "This Week." Graham was commenting on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's warning on Sunday that the Chinese might be on the brink of giving Russia "lethal support" in the Ukraine war. Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine," Blinken told NBC.

☆ Ukraine yet to make defence a safe investor haven
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

MUNICH, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The West’s rush to supply weapons to war-torn Ukraine looks like a golden opportunity for defence companies to exit the ESG doghouse. As with air-polluting coal, socially-minded investors including pension funds and insurers - particularly European ones - have long excluded or heavily restricted investment in defence companies on ethical grounds. Risk committees, particularly at domestic banks, are now more frequently assessing the merits of financing defence companies, two senior bankers among the 850 or so conference participants said. Proponents of the approach argue military companies that help Ukraine perform a globally valuable social function by upholding democracy. The Munich Security Index, a global risk perceptions survey conducted before the conference, showed security concerns had replaced climate challenges as the top concern.

☆ Iran to shun India's Raisina Dialogue over mention of protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will not attend the Raisina Dialogue in India, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, criticising a video posted by the conference organisers showing protests in the Islamic Republic. "The foreign minister's attendance was on the agenda ... but we witnessed an unprofessional action by the organisers in the form of a clip," Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference. "Iran and India are committed to non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Kanaani said. Anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for flouting the hijab rules, have damaged the clerical establishment's legitimacy at home and abroad. Many Western states have imposed sanctions following a harsh state crackdown on protests.

☆ President Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Kyiv just days before one-year anniversary of Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine Monday in a show of solidarity, nearly a year after Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country. Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram on Monday. The visit comes after a concerted show of international support from global leaders and politicians during the Munich Security Conference over recent days. On Feb. 18, Biden's second-in-command, Vice President Kamala Harris, announced that Washington had determined that Russia had committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, upgrading the U.S. administration's March pronouncement that Moscow had committed war crimes. Biden said Monday he will continue on to Poland, where he will meet President Andrzej Duda.

☆ If China allies with Russia there will be a new World War, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that China allying with Russia would lead to another world war. The Ukrainian president expressed his hope that China backs Ukraine over Russia in the ongoing war. US officials have expressed concern that China could support Russia by providing lethal aid. But "if China allies itself with Russia, there will be a world war, and I do think that China is aware of that," he said. US Vice President Kamala Harris also warned China against providing support to Moscow during a speech at the Munich Security Conference.

☆ Airbus' defence arm says Berlin delaying exports worth billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Airbus A400M military transport aircraft of the German Air Force is pictured in the air during the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022, in Berlin, Germany June 22, 2022. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschMUNICH, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Slow German government export approvals are holding up Airbus Defence & Space (AIR.PA) defence exports worth several billions of euros, the company's chief executive said on Sunday, urging Berlin to speed up the process. Unfortunately we are having difficulties to get the German export licences on time," Michael Schoellhorn told Reuters in an interview at the Munich Security Conference. "Our problem is that we haven't received any contracts yet from the Zeitenwende and important exports are not being approved. Asked whether in future space developments Europe will have to fall back on Elon Musk's SpaceX company following Airbus Defence & Space's loss of two satellites on a Vega C rocket, Schoellhorn said any such solution would be temporary.

☆ Blinken to talk aid, Nordic NATO bid in visit to quake-hit Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, February. Since the earthquake, the United States has sent a search and rescue team to Turkey, medical supplies, concrete-breaking machinery, and additional funding of $85 million in humanitarian aid that also covers Syria. While the United States has praised Turkey for some of its actions during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it remains worried over its close relationship with Moscow, experts say. "There will be no transfer of F-16s if Erdogan continues to deny admission to Finland and Sweden ... Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan's chief foreign policy advisor, said last month he hoped the F-16 deal would not become "hostage" to the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

☆ Ukraine presses US Congress members for F-16 jetfighters -lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MUNICH, Germany Feb 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials have urged U.S. Congress members to press President Joe Biden's administration to send F-16 jetfighters to Kyiv, saying the aircraft would boost Ukraine's ability to hit Russian missile units with U.S.-made rockets, lawmakers said. The lobbying came over the weekend on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in talks between Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Democrats and Republicans from the Senate and House of Representatives. Kelly and three other lawmakers who spoke to Reuters about their talks with Ukrainian officials said they believed that support was building in Congress to provide Ukraine with F-16s, one of the world's most versatile multi-role jetfighters. Support is building on both sides of the Atlantic for providing Ukraine with advanced NATO-standard jetfighters. Calls to supply Ukraine with advanced jetfighters follow agreements last month by France, Britain, the United States and Germany to supply Kyiv with modern battle tanks.

☆ Biden’s test: Sustaining unity as Ukraine war enters second year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One year ago, President Joe Biden was bracing for the worst as Russia massed troops in preparation to invade Ukraine. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was offered help getting out of his country if he wanted it. Now, as Biden prepares to travel to Poland to mark the anniversary of the war, he faces a legacy-defining moment. In Poland, Biden is set to meet with allies to reassure them of the U.S. commitment to the region and to helping Ukraine "as long as it takes." From the beginning of his administration, Biden has argued the world is at a crucial moment pitting autocracies against democracies.

☆ IEA's Birol warns of tighter energy supply next winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Andreas Rinke | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol has warned of possible energy shortages next winter as relatively little new liquefied natural gas (LNG) is coming to the market while China's consumption set to rise this year. European governments made many correct decisions over the last year to ensure energy supply, such as building more LNG terminals to replace pipeline deliveries of Russian gas, Birol told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday. If there are no last minute surprises, we should get through...maybe with some bruises here and there," said Birol. Households and firms therefore need to continue efforts to reduce gas usage while renewable energy output needs to expand faster, he said. "We need all energy sources to help us for the next winter," he said.

☆ China may 'creep up to the line' of providing Putin with lethal aid as Biden cabinet members warn the country: Do not send support to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China may try to send lethal aid to Russia "without getting caught," a source told NBC News. Blinken warned "about the implications" of sending lethal aid, the State Department said. The New York Times reported Blinken also said during the "Meet the Press" interview that the US will soon reveal information showing Beijing is strongly considering sending lethal aid. US officials believe China may have sent tangible support to Russia in the form of non-lethal military aid, according to the NBC News report. "We cannot prevent users or organizations from purchasing in countries or regions other than Russia and Ukraine, and then transship or gift them to Russia and Ukraine," the company told the newspaper.

☆ Ukraine presses U.S. Congress members for F-16 jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUNICH, Germany Feb 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials have urged U.S. Congress members to press President Joe Biden's administration to send F-16 jetfighters to Kyiv, saying the aircraft would boost Ukraine's ability to hit Russian missile units with U.S.-made rockets, lawmakers said. The conference - primarily focused on Ukraine - came days before the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia's invasion. Support is building on both sides of the Atlantic for providing Ukraine with advanced NATO-standard jetfighters. Calls to supply Ukraine with advanced jetfighters follow agreements last month by France, Britain, the United States and Germany to supply Kyiv with modern battle tanks. Washington has provided some $30 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of what Moscow calls its "special military operation."

☆ Japan, South Korea foreign ministers meet on sidelines of Munich Security Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Saturday and reiterated the need for continued communications between the two countries to return to a "healthy relationship". Meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the two foreign ministers agreed to "close communications between the two countries on each diplomatic level to resolve issues of concern", a statement released by the Japanese foreign ministry said. They also had a "frank" discussion about wartime labour issues, an issue that worsened relations after a South Korean court ordered the seizure of assets of Japanese companies accused of not compensating some of their colonial-era labourers, the ministry said. Tokyo says the issue of compensation was settled under a 1965 treaty normalizing diplomatic ties and providing South Korea with economic assistance, and has warned of serious repercussions if the orders are enforced. Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China to reveal a peace plan for Ukraine as one-year anniversary of Russian invasion nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China announced plans for a peace proposal for the war in Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference. Wang said that China would reveal a solution for peace in the region — which highlights the importance of "the sovereignty of all countries" — on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary general, called China's peace plan "quite vague." Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, also welcomed China's plan. "As a permanent member of the UN security council, China has an obligation to use its influence to secure world peace," she said.

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC’s full interview with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto ZardariBilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan’s foreign minister, speaks to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble at the Munich Security Conference in a wide-ranging interview to discuss climate change, the country’s economy and the threats from Iran and Afghanistan.

☆ U.S. officials address mounting tensions between U.S. and China during Munich Security Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The officials met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, where leaders from around the world gathered to discuss geopolitical challenges. Blinken said he thinks other countries "appreciate" the fact that the United States has "exposed" China's balloon program. He told NBC there are "various kinds" of lethal aid that China is considering providing, including weapons. Blinken said China has already been aiding Russia in more diplomatic ways, but that sending lethal aid would be a significant escalation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also appeared at the Munich Security Conference, and he told ABC that if China does provide Russia with lethal aid, the world needs to "come down hard" on China.

☆ China warns of consequences if U.S. escalates balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Feb 19 (Reuters) - China warned the United States on Sunday it would "bear all the consequences" if it escalated the controversy over a Chinese balloon that the U.S. military shot down this month. Beijing will "follow through to the end" in the event "the U.S. insists on taking advantage of the issue", the foreign ministry said in a statement. A U.S. military jet on Feb. 4 shot down what Washington calls a Chinese spy balloon after it had crossed North America. China's statement followed a meeting between top diplomat Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China warns U.S. to suffer 'consequences' if it escalates balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ China offers 'no apology' in first meeting after spy balloon incident, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that China's senior foreign minister Wang Yi offered "no apology" for the spy balloon that floated over the U.S. during their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. China's senior foreign minister offered "no apology" in his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the spy balloon that floated over the U.S., Blinken said in an interview Saturday on NBC News' "Meet the Press." "There was no apology," Blinken said of his conversation with Wang Yi, director of the People's Republic of China CCP Central Foreign Affairs office. Blinken met with Wang on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany prior to the interview. Blinken said the U.S. isn't the only nation that has been subject to Chinese spy balloons.

☆ China’s Top Diplomat Criticizes U.S. as Two Sides Seek Bilateral Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Keith Zhai | William Mauldin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s Wang Yi held discussions in Rome prior to the Munich conference. MUNICH—Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, criticized the U.S. for what he called its “nearly hysterical” reaction to the appearance of a Chinese balloon in its airspace earlier this month, in a speech that comes as the two sides seek to renew high-level talks on the sidelines of a security conference here. Mr. Wang, speaking Saturday before an audience of largely Western defense and security officials at the Munich Security Conference, also said Beijing would set out its position on a potential “political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis” next week, timed to the first anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.

☆ Kamala Harris Says Russia Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Annie Linskey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for a meeting with the French president at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday said that the U.S. has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity, speaking days before the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “From the starting days of this unprovoked war, we have witnessed Russian forces engage in horrendous atrocities and war crimes,” said Ms. Harris, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, a global security and foreign-policy forum. “We have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: These are crimes against humanity,” she said to applause from the gathered officials.

☆ Blinken, China’s Top Diplomat Hold First Meeting Since Balloon Incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Keith Zhai | William Mauldin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘We are advocating for peace talks,’ China’s Wang Yi said at the Munich Security Conference, referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine. MUNICH—Senior officials from the U.S. and China traded accusations over the downed Chinese balloon in a tense atmosphere of public speeches and a secret meeting Saturday between the countries’ top diplomats. Wang Yi , China’s most senior foreign-policy official, used a morning speech at the Munich Security Conference to criticize the “nearly hysterical” reaction of Washington to the appearance of its balloon over U.S. territory.

☆ France's Macron signals electric car subsidy concern on agenda with Harris
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with French President Emmanuel Macron at the bilateral meeting at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 17, 2023. Michael Probst/Pool via REUTERSMUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron signaled on Friday that he would discuss concerns about U.S. electrical vehicle subsidies with Vice President Kamala Harris as they met during the Munich Security Conference. "We are working hard," on the issue, Macron said before their meeting. But a solution from Washington that would be acceptable to France has not been forthcoming in the months since. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Unthinkable' that Russia does not pay for Ukraine's reconstruction, EU chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has dubbed it 'unthinkable' that Russia not pay for Ukraine's reconstruction. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday it would be "unthinkable" for Russia not to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction. The EU chief told CNBC that she was "disappointed" by a decision that Swiss authorities took last week against using seized Russian assets to assist with Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. "It's unthinkable that, in the very end, the international community will reconstruct Ukraine, and Russia does not contribute. Von der Leyen described the ruling as putting business interests ahead of political justice.

☆ Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan set for first meeting since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet for the first time since October at trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich on Saturday, the U.S. State Department said. The U.S. State Department said Blinken would meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at 1235 GMT. Armenia has sent Azerbaijan a draft proposal for a peace settlement, Pashinyan said this week. Azeri civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists have been facing off since Dec. 12 with Russian peacekeepers on the Lachin corridor. Saturday's meeting would be the two leaders' first face-to-face encounter since late October, when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted talks in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

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